Before you ask: Basketball was called "the cage game" years ago and basketball players were called "cagers." This is how sports writers referred to basketball a few generations back — as recently as the late 1980s in my hometown newspaper, the Tulsa World — and I'm bringing it back. Sort of. Just for this particular segment. Thank you for your understanding.
GAME DAY 3 SCHEDULE:
Ole Miss 81, Mississippi State 78
Texas A&M 81, Alabama 80
Auburn 93, Georgia 78
Tennessee 78, Florida 67
LSU 94, Arkansas 88 (OT)
Kentucky 56, Vanderbilt 47
South Carolina 85, Mizzou 75 (Sunday)
• Texas A&M was down two points with a 3.4 seconds left, but a running three ball from PG T.J. Starks gave the Aggies a huge victory in Tuscaloosa. Alabama led by 11 points at halftime. The Aggies shot 50 percent during the second half (16-of-32) while Alabama shot just 30 percent (10-of-30) ... and that was good enough to consummate the upset. Alabama now is 1-2 in league play with perhaps the league's most talented roster. Coach Avery Johnson has his work cut out for him; UA is at Missouri on Wednesday.
• So, yeah, Ole Miss is pretty good. They're now 3-0 in league play after being picked to finish last during coach Kermit Davis' first season in Oxford. It's worth noting, however, that MSU fell flat under pressure. The Bulldogs went 1-of-7 from the floor during the final two minutes Saturday. The Rebels, who were led by F Blake Hinson's 26 points, have won 10 games in a row.
• Another strong performance was turned in by Tennessee, which trailed at halftime yet beefed up during the second half to pull away. Beefed up? Oh yeah. The Vols outshot the Gators 58% to 28% and grabbed twice as many rebounds during the second half. F Grant Williams led the way with 20 points on 7-of-10 shooting, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocks, 2 steals. Tennessee trolled fans in Gainesville by offering up Gator Chomps after its victory.
• LSU's stars shined brightly during its win at Arkansas. C Naz Reid, the five-star freshman, finished with 27 points on 10-of-12 shooting while PG Tremont Waters added 17 points and 11 assists. Arkansas, meanwhile, lost a second consecutive home game primarily because it went 3-of-16 from long range and couldn't defend Reid and slashing G Marlon Taylor near the basket. Things will get bumpy in a hurry for Arkansas coach Mike Anderson of he can't stem this slide in short order.
• Weird win for Kentucky. It shot 50 percent from the floor and was +17 rebounding, yet never truly pulled away due to its 15 turnovers.The Cats seemed content to take it slow, overpower the Commodores with their superior length and size. The duo of PG Ashton Hagans and G/F Keldon Johnson combined for 30 points on 13-of-17 shooting — all but three of those shots attempted inside the arc. Auburn's Jared Harper is the best scoring point in the league, but Hagans is better at juking his way to the rim. Cracks me up:
• South Carolina's surprising start to the conference season now should be classified as "shocking." It entered the conference season 5-7, but since have reeled off three consecutive wins. Their plan is simple: Attack like mad, get to the line, hit free throws, create turnovers, rinse, repeat. The Gamecocks created a +16 advantage on points off turnovers while they finished 29-of-35 at the line. PG Hassani Gravett was 12-of-12 at the line himself. Frank Martin's team isn't all that skilled, but they're tough and physical and in excellent condition. They won't win the league. They will be a pain in the ass for every SEC team this winter/spring. Even Tennessee will have extra ice packs ready for that game.
