The SEC scored a comeback win over the ACC in the 2025 ACC/SEC Challenge.
Did we learn anything significant from a second straight victory in the series?
Let’s find out.
Is Vanderbilt The SEC's Best Team?
The Commodores notched an 88-69 win against SMU to move to 9-0 on the season.
Mark Byington’s team sits at No. 4 in the NET, No. 6 in Torvik, and No. 7 in KenPom, and yet some are still unconvinced because his team “hasn’t played anyone.”
Meanwhile, Vanderbilt is the only SEC team with four top-60ish KenPom wins on its resume to this point: Saint Mary’s (34), VCU (42), SMU (43), and UCF (61). Three of those wins came away from home, and the average margin of victory in those four games was 17.8 points.
The Commodores’ strength of schedule is 140. That’s not Alabama-esque, but when you consider that only five SEC teams have played a tougher schedule, it’s a noteworthy feat.
To take it a step further, Vanderbilt and Alabama are the only two SEC teams to compile a combined three or more wins in Quad 1 and Quad 2 games.
If that isn’t enough to convince you, simply use the eye test. The guard play has been among the nation’s best, led by two sneaky SEC Player of the Year candidates in Duke Miles (17.8 ppg, 4.4 apg) and Tyler Tanner (16.2 ppg, 4.3 apg).
Just as we said weeks ago, believe the hype on Vanderbilt.
Performance-wise, this has been one of the best teams in college basketball through one month of play.
For more on the Dores, check out our latest Scout Team episode with Kevin Sweeney and Eric Fawcett.
Eric Fawcett
Arkansas Can Win The SEC
If the Razorback frontcourt plays the way it did against Louisville, Arkansas can win the SEC.
I wouldn’t even push back on the idea that it could be the favorite to win the conference.
It sounds extreme, but that’s how important the unit of Trevon Brazile, Malique Ewin, and Nick Pringle is to the Hogs’ success.
Few backcourts are more dynamic than the one Arkansas is working with. Freshman stars Darius Acuff Jr. and Meleek Thomas have been terrific, and DJ Wagner’s experience will be invaluable this season.
But to compete at the top of the SEC, you need frontcourt consistency.
Brazile was a beast against the Cardinals, scoring 21 points and grabbing five rebounds. Pringle didn’t do as much, but he still provides a needed presence with his size and experience.
The most noteworthy development was Ewin. This was the Ewin who some thought could be the best player on the team this season. John Calipari issued a challenge to him to play more like the player he was at Florida State, and the 6-10 center responded with 12 points and nine rebounds in 17 minutes.
I’m not sure all of them will produce huge numbers every game. But if at least two of the three can gel, the Hogs will be tough to handle.
If all the pieces are working together - let’s not forget about the obvious upside and importance of sophomores Karter Knox and Billy Richmond - then this can be a complete team that has Final Four potential.
It was only one game, but it was a huge step in the right direction for John Calipari’s group.
Alabama’s Depth Is On Display
Nate Oats was down three key players in Wednesday’s game against Clemson.
There was no Aden Holloway (18.2 ppg), Latrell Wrightsell (9.3 ppg), or Keitenn Bristow (6.7 ppg, 7.3 rpg), but the Crimson Tide proved that its depth is one of its biggest strengths.
Alabama held off the Tigers for a 90-84 victory in Tuscaloosa, with five players scoring in double figures. Freshmen Amari Allen and London Jemison have played a pivotal role early on, and sophomore Aiden Sherrell’s development (10 rebounds and eight blocks vs. Clemson) has been huge.
Labaron Philon is an absolute star, Taylor Bol Bowen has provided more consistency, Houston Mallette packs a scoring punch from three, Jalil Bethea just returned from injury and will be a key piece of the rotation, and on, and on, and on.
Oats has so many different combinations he can throw at opponents, and that may eventually be the catalyst for another Final Four run.
The Tide has the best combination of wins of any team in the SEC, defeating St. John’s, Illinois, and Clemson. They also showcased their upside in the two losses to Purdue and Gonzaga.
They did all of it with a variety of players in and out of the lineup.
If Alabama gets everyone back at its disposal, it has the highest upside of any team in the SEC.
Missed Opportunity For Several SEC Teams
It wasn’t all good for the SEC, as several teams had missed opportunities.
Florida, Kentucky, and Tennessee lost their three respective games by a combined six points. The Gators had the best effort of the trio in a one-point loss at Duke. The Vols (62-60 loss at Syracuse) and Wildcats (67-64 home loss to UNC) can’t say the same in what were disappointing performances.
South Carolina and Ole Miss moved further down the metrics with frustrating home losses. The Gamecocks had some ugly offensive possessions down the stretch in a three-point overtime loss to Virginia Tech, and the Rebels lost by nine to Miami to fall to No. 121 in the NET after a third straight loss.
Missouri came up short in losing by five at Notre Dame, and the problem is that all eight of the Tigers’ victories are Quad 4 wins at the moment.
Texas got hammered by Virginia in Austin, and the Longhorns have just one win - in Maui vs. NC State - against teams inside the top 340 in KenPom.
On the surface, these games are one loss in a 30-plus game season.
But the reason the SEC had such a historic 2024-2025 campaign is because of all the good wins it compiled in non-conference play.
That hasn’t been the trend this season, so it wouldn’t be surprising if at least a few of these teams look back at their ACC Challenge losses as ones that dashed their NCAA Tournament goals.
Other Random SEC Basketball Thoughts
- I’m all in on Georgia. Mike White has the Bulldogs as the third fastest team in the country, with an average offensive possession length of 14.0 seconds. They just put 107 on the road at Florida State and are the top scoring team in the sport (99.9 ppg). What a beautiful thing.
- We may need to revise our stance on Texas A&M. It struggled out of the gate this season, getting throttled by 24 on the road at Oklahoma State and blowing a 14-point second-half lead to lose by 12 at home to UCF. Since then, the Aggies have found their way with five straight wins, including a 36-point victory over Florida State and an eight-point win at Pitt. Those aren’t spectacular wins, but there’s something brewing with Bucky Ball.
- We’ll talk more about Auburn in a second, but Steven Pearl’s press conferences have become must-see. He doesn’t hold back his thoughts, which reminds me of a former Auburn coach. More importantly, the turnaround since the underwhelming game one performance has been quite a sight, and it should have his team in the mix near the top of the SEC ladder.
- Oklahoma and Mississippi State picked up much-needed road wins in the challenge. The Sooners have recent victories over Marquette and Wake Forest, and have another interesting matchup against Arizona State on Saturday in Phoenix. The Bulldogs have an opportunity to rack up a few more wins with San Francisco and Utah up next, and they need it after the slow start to the season.
5 Upcoming SEC Games To Watch
Kentucky vs. Gonzaga - December 5, 7 PM ET on ESPN (Nashville)
Is it a must-win for the Wildcats? Maybe not, but it’s close. Kentucky is 0-3 in big games this season, and those are the ones that Mark Pope is paid to win. The problem is, his team must face an angry and well-rested Gonzaga team coming off the 40-point loss to Michigan on November 26. I don’t like that setup for Kentucky, which is still lacking an on-court chemistry in key moments in close games.
Tennessee vs. Illinois - December 6, 8 PM ET on ESPN (Nashville)
Speaking of teams searching for signature wins, the second of the two games in Nashville this weekend features that as well. Tennessee has lost two in a row after what seemed like a defining win against Houston in Las Vegas, while Illinois has dropped its two biggest games of the season (90-86 to Alabama, 74-61 to UConn). The Vols need Nate Ament to find an offensive groove (38.5 percent shooting), and they also need JP Estrella back in the lineup after he missed the Syracuse game with an ankle injury.
Auburn at Arizona - December 6, 10 PM ET on ESPN
The Tigers could score the SEC’s best victory of the season in Tucson. That will be easier said than done. Arizona has been excellent, and there are a couple of fascinating positional matchups in this game. The first is between point guards Tahaad Pettiford and Jaden Bradley, and the other is Keyshawn Hall vs. Koa Peat in the frontcourt. This should be awesome.
Kansas vs. Missouri - December 7, 1 PM ET on ESPN (Kansas City)
As noted, Missouri doesn’t have much of a resume to this point. The Tigers got somewhat of a boost after Minnesota, who Missouri walloped 83-60 on November 12, defeated Indiana. But Kansas and Illinois are the only meaningful non-conference games left on the schedule, and finding a way to win one of them is crucial. The Tigers will need more from everyone not named Mark Mitchell and Jacob Crews to do it, especially with Jayden Stone (13.3 ppg, 41.7 percent 3PT) still sidelined for at least a few more weeks.
LSU vs. Texas Tech - December 7, 3 PM ET on ESPN2 (Fort Worth)
The NET absolutely loves LSU. Matt McMahon’s squad is at No. 16 as of this writing, with a host of blowout wins on its resume. However, this is the game that could define the Tigers’ non-conference slate. Texas Tech is a work in progress, and Dedan Thomas and company must capitalize. Even with Jalen Reed now out for the season after an Achilles injury, an NCAA Tournament appearance is still well within reach for LSU. You have to win games like this to get there.
