We finally have a full week of SEC basketball games to work with.

Did we learn anything new about some of the top teams?

Let’s find out.

4 SEC Basketball Topics On My Mind

Is Alabama still the SEC's best team despite losing to Purdue?

Some people will answer with an emphatic "no" after the Crimson Tide got outrebounded by 24.

That's an absurd discrepancy for a game featuring two top 10 teams, and you better believe Nate Oats will let his players know about it.

But here's the thing: Alabama still only lost by seven points to the No. 2 team in the country.

The Tide got beat 52-28 on the glass, missed wide open 3-pointers during the final stretch (16-of-44 for the game for 36.4 percent) that could've tied or eventually won the game, and had a 5-of-14 shooting performance from its best player in Labaron Philon.

Lost by seven in a game that featured 22 lead changes.

There's no question that the rebounding - and the frontcourt as a whole - has to be more consistent for Oats to capture a third SEC title in six seasons.

Alabama isn't the only SEC title contender with flaws right now. Florida has them (we'll talk about that later), Kentucky has them (coming up next!), Arkansas has them (only a few sections down!), and so on.

We forget that Alabama outrebounded then-No. 5 St. John's in an impressive 103-96 win at Madison Square Garden. And that Red Storm frontcourt of Zuby Ejiofor and Dillon Mitchell is no slouch. Oats challenged players like Taylor Bol Bowen after the North Dakota game, and he responded with 17 points and nine rebounds.

A lopsided stat line - while frustrating - shouldn't define a team three games in.

The Tide have played the SEC's toughest schedule through the first 10 days of the season, and they're 1-1 in those two games. The gauntlet has only begun with games against Illinois, Gonzaga, Clemson, Arizona, and more on the schedule over the next month.

That should give us a clear picture of whether Alabama is indeed the SEC's best.

What Did We Learn From Kentucky’s Loss To Louisville?

I think the Wildcats are still trying to define roles.

Injuries have played a factor in that. Multiple guys were in and out of summer practice with injuries. Jaland Lowe just had his first full game back after a shoulder injury in the Blue-White Game, and he may have reinjured his shoulder in Thursday's practice. Jayden Quaintance’s return is still to be determined.

As a result, Mark Pope has had to experiment with a lot of different rotations early on, and the chemistry hasn’t been there with quite a few of them.

Otega Oweh, the SEC Preseason Player of the Year, seems to still be searching for that next level offensively. Lowe had some possessions against the Cardinals he’d like back. And the overall consistency wasn’t what it needed to be to beat a top 15 team in a hostile environment.

Those things can be corrected, but it’s still Kentucky vs. Louisville. Kentucky fans aren’t looking for moral victories against their biggest rival, especially with a reported roster worth 20-plus million dollars.

However, there is reason for optimism.

The Wildcats have shot the ball better since our previous column. They went 11-of-28 against Valpo (39.3 percent) and 12-of-34 against Louisville (35.3 percent), which ties into another encouraging development: Denzel Aberdeen and Collin Chandler are going to be hard to keep off the floor.

Aberdeen had a breakout performance with 26 points, and Chandler has now hit four 3-pointers in each of Kentucky’s first three games. The strength of this team was always going to be its depth, and once Quaintance is back, that should be on full display.

It just may take a bit longer to get everyone on the same page.

Arkansas’s Potential

How good are the Razorbacks? It’s a question I’ve thought about a lot since the Michigan State loss.

Something that should separate Arkansas from a lot of teams is its playmaking ability.

Darius Acuff Jr. and Meleek Thomas have been a treat to watch thus far, and it’s clear they have unique offensive skill sets that will allow them to produce at a high level come SEC play. Sure, they looked like freshmen at times in key possessions down the stretch against the Spartans, but that comes with the territory.

Karter Knox is also back to looking like his old self. I mentioned him as a sleeper SEC Player of the Year candidate this summer, and he bounced back from a lackluster first-game-back performance against Michigan State to notch 19 points and 10 rebounds in the 93-56 win against Central Arkansas.

If that trio is at its best, opponents are going to struggle. There is help around them on the perimeter with guys like DJ Wagner and Billy Richmond, and matching up against this team is going to be a chore.

Two things could determine whether the Hogs are Final Four-worthy: Shot selection and frontcourt development.

Because John Calipari does have multiple players who can - and know they can - make plays, there have been possessions where guys have tried to do too much. Still, you’d rather have that than the opposite.

The frontcourt rotation is also a work in progress. Arkansas doesn’t have a lot of depth there, so it will need Trevon Brazile, Malique Ewin, and Nick Pringle to be key contributors in its toughest games.

That unit struggled against Michigan State, and they’ll need to bounce back against top-tier opponents like Duke, Louisville, Texas Tech, and Houston before SEC play.

Ole Miss Has A Star In The Making

Meet your new favorite player. His name is Ilias Kamardine, and he’s an absolute stud.

Of course, he may not be your new favorite player if your team is playing Ole Miss. Just ask the Rebels’ three opponents thus far.

Kamardine is averaging 18.0 points, 5.0 assists, 2.7 rebounds, and 2.0 steals through three games. He’s shooting 65.6 percent from the floor and 53.8 percent from beyond the arc.

Don’t just let the stats tell you the story. Watch him play. If you do, you’ll see a quiet confidence and smoothness to his game that has already elevated him into one of the most must-see players in SEC basketball this season.

"You're dealing with a special dude," Beard said this summer.

“We're not shying away from the expectations he has for himself or we have for him. We expect him to be a big, big part of our team."

He was right.

And keep in mind Kamardine is still adjusting to the college game after coming over from Marseille, France.

Once he’s fully acclimated, he’ll be even better.

Other Random SEC Basketball Thoughts

  • I’m still not concerned about Florida. Some people are, and I get it. If you don’t make shots, it’s hard to win consistently in the game of basketball. But we have a three-game sample size, and the Gators will eventually see the shots fall. Boogie Fland asserting himself in the second half against Florida State was promising.
  • Buy more stock in Georgia? The Bulldogs have blitzed three inferior opponents thus far, winning by an average of 49.7 points per game. The competition takes a step up with Georgia Tech on Friday, but Mike White’s team shouldn’t be ignored. They’re locked in and not messing around.
  • Anything other than an 8-0 start for Missouri would be disappointing. The Tigers had a great second half to earn an 83-60 win over Minnesota on Wednesday to move to 4-0, and here are their next four games: vs. Prairie View A&M, vs. South Dakota, vs. South Carolina State, and vs. Cleveland State. They head to Notre Dame for the ACC/SEC Challenge on December 2.
  • I’ve been impressed by Auburn’s bounce back. Lots of reactions followed the season-opening overtime win against Bethune-Cookman, but the Tigers have responded with two nice performances. They’re about to enter one of the toughest non-conference schedules of any team in the country, and I’m more confident in Steven Pearl’s approach moving forward based on what he’s gotten out of his squad the past two games.
  • I’m intrigued by South Carolina. The Gamecocks have better guard play this season, and they’re shooting the ball well (38.0 percent) through three games. Lamont Paris told us back in September on Southeastern 16 that this team was built more like the one that surprised everyone with 26 wins two seasons ago. I don’t know if South Carolina reaches that mark this season, but there is obvious upside compared to the previous campaign.

Previewing Four Big SEC Games For The Week Ahead

Auburn vs. Houston - November 16 at 2 PM ET, ESPN (Birmingham)

Yeah, this is the real test for Auburn. To beat Houston, the Tigers need more of the same from Keyshawn Hall. They also need Tahaad Pettiford to start hitting shots (27.9% from the field). Both teams have some new faces, and the one to keep an eye on for Auburn is Sebastian Williams-Adams. The Houston native is off to a good start (12.3 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 2.7 apg), and his versatility will be important in this matchup.

Florida vs. Miami - November 16 at 8:30 PM ET, ESPN (Jacksonville)

Don’t look now, but it’s Florida facing another much-improved ACC squad. After holding on for a 78-76 victory against Florida State, the Gators face a Miami team averaging 96.0 points per game. Indiana transfer Malik Reneau has been fantastic in scoring 20-plus points each of the Hurricanes’ first three games. Florida’s defense may be the difference, but everyone will be focused on the offensive output of Fland and Xaivian Lee.

Kentucky vs. Michigan State - November 18 at 6:30 PM ET, ESPN (New York City)

The Wildcats will play Eastern Illinois on Friday before getting ready to head to Madison Square Garden for a Champions Classic tilt with Michigan State. Kentucky is the better offensive team on paper, and it’ll need to limit second-chance opportunities for the Spartans. This is an interesting test for the Wildcats’ frontcourt since there figures to be a lot of plays at the rim. Michigan State is getting just 17.1 percent of its points from beyond the arc, which ranks 349th nationally.

Illinois vs. Alabama - November 19 at 9 PM ET, FS1 (Chicago)

This could be one of the most entertaining games of the non-conference slate. It’ll be an up-and-down affair with plenty of points on the board, and it shouldn’t surprise anyone if this is a Final Four matchup come March. Call it a hunch, but my guess is Alabama will need to rebound better than it did against Purdue to score another signature non-conference victory.