College Basketball: Analyzing Every SEC Teams’ Best Player

Alabama, Retin Obasohan (Guard)

Alabama doesn’t rely on one franchise player, and it shows in the stat sheet. Arthur Edwards, Shannon Hale, and Retin Obasohan all provide the majority of the buckets. Edwards and Hale average 10, Obasohan averages 14. Obasohan also makes noise in the passing game on both sides of the ball: he provides 2.4 assists and 1.2 steals per game.

Arkansas, Moses Kingsley (Forward)

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6’10” forward Moses Kingsley can do three things: shoot, rebound, and block. And he can do them well. A bright spot for the 9-10 Razorbacks: Kingsley averages 16.4 points per game. That’s not enough? How does 9.3 rebounds and 2.7 blocks sound? Pretty good, huh? Too bad the Razorbacks aren’t.

Auburn, Kareem Cantey (Guard)

Other than LSU’s Ben Simmons, Cantey is the only player in the Southeastern Conference that can say that he’s in the top five of the league in scoring and assists. You could say that he’s a pretty big piece of  Bruce Pearl’s offense down on the Plains, averaging 18.9 points and 5.3 assists.

Florida, Dorian Finney-Smith (Forward)

Dorian Finney-Smith is an offensive asset, leading the Gators in scoring and rebounding. Florida will need to keep Finney-Smith healthy if they’re going to compete for an at-large bid in the Tourney, especially as a date with highly ranked West Virginia looms.

Georgia, Yante Matin (Foward)

No one ever doubted Maten’s ability to defend the basket: he averages 1.8 blocks per game, tied for fourth in the SEC. He can play defense, but the Michigan born-and-raised sophomore can do it all. He scores 16.2 points per game, and when he’s not scoring, Maten is giving the Bulldogs more and more opportunities to score with 7.9 rebounds per game.

Kentucky, Jamal Murray (Guard)

The Wildcats’ talented freshman is the Southeastern Conference’s fifth leading scorer, averaging 17.5 per game. Murray’s affinity for shooting the ball doesn’t thwart his field goal percentage too much, as he averages 42.4%. He doesn’t lead Kentucky in too many other categories, but he certainly contributes. The stat sheet doesn’t lie.

LSU, Ben Simmons (Forward)

Newly arrived freshman Ben Simmons represents the hopes and dreams of every Bayou Bengals basketball fan. It isn’t anyone’s wonder why, as the freshman is in the top five of almost every SEC individual statistical category. A basketball machine, he places in the conference’s top five in scoring, rebounds, assists, and even steals. LSU will need to lean on Simmons even more if they’re making reservations for postseason basketball.

Ole Miss, Stefan Moody (Guard)

Averaging 24.3 points per game, 5’10” guard Stefan Moody represents nearly 32.2 percent of the Rebels’ 75.5 points per game. He’s a player the Rebels’ won’t be able to afford to lose, especially if they’re hoping to make a comeback run to March Madness.

Mississippi State, Gavin Ware (Forward)

Gavin Ware has received the lion’s share of the workload for the struggling Bulldogs, and he probably wouldn’t want it any other way. He shoots 63.6% from the field, and this accuracy should be especially noted due to the amount of times he’s asked to shoot. Coach Ben Howland doesn’t just use him on offense, however. Defensively, he earns 7.5 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game.

Missouri, Kevin Puryear (Forward)

A down year in Columbia, Kevin Puryear is the best that these Tigers have to offer: averaging just over 11 points per game on offense while hauling in an average of 4.7 rebounds on defense. His 49 percent shooting percentage further builds his case. In retrospect, however, Puryear is largely alone on the stat sheet. The (8-11) Tigers simply haven’t earned their stripes this season.

South Carolina, Michael Carrera (Forward)

Carrera leads South Carolina in scoring, rebounding, and three-point percentage. The 6’5” senior shoots 44.8% from downtown and averages 12.6 points per game. When he’s not scoring, Carrera makes sure his teammates have the opportunity to do the same. With 6.6 rebounds per game, he’s the Southeastern Conference’s tenth leading rebounder.

Tennessee, Kevin Punter (Guard)

Kevin Punter is Tennessee’s bread man, averaging 23.3 points per game. He represents 29.4% of the Vols’ point output, and he’s been pretty unstoppable of late. In his last three contests, he’s scored 86 points (dropping 36 in an upset of South Carolina). That’s not all: he’s 37 of 39 from the charity stripe in his last five games. The Vols’ sharpshooter is second in the league in scoring.

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Texas A&M, Alex Caruso (Guard)

The Aggies aren’t talking favorites with a top ten national ranking, especially with Jalen Jones scoring 17.5 per game and Tyler Davis shooting 68.2% from the field. However, the importance of the little things must be recognized as the Aggies streak through the SEC. Guard Alex Caruso averages 5.1 assists per game, a mark that ties Ben Simmons. Not only that, but he leads the conference in steals with 2.1 per game.