Around the SEC Basketball: Week of Nov. 19

The 2023 men’s basketball campaigns are continuing to heat up for the 14 members of the Southeastern Conference as the regular season is set to enter its third week of action.

Perhaps the most notable game of the past week involving an SEC team was the matchup between No. 17 Kentucky and No. 1 Kansas at the Champions Classic on Tuesday. Hunter Dickinson’s 27-point, 21-rebound performance proved to be too much for the Wildcats to handle, as Kentucky fell 89-84 for its first loss of the season.

Entering Nov. 19 games, six of the teams in the conference sit undefeated so far in the young season. No. 7 Tennessee leads the way in terms of the national rankings, as the Volunteers followed up their win over Wisconsin on Nov. 10 with a 21-point triumph over Wofford on Tuesday.

The Vols will head off to Hawaii to play in the Maui Invitational beginning on Monday with a contest against Syracuse, and either No. 2 Purdue or No. 11 Gonzaga awaiting them on Tuesday.

No. 13 Texas A&M is coming off an eight-point win over Oral Roberts on Friday, and will face off against the Penn State Nittany Lions on Thanksgiving, as the Aggies will try to get revenge over the team that ended their season back in March.

Meanwhile, No. 14 Arkansas seems destined for a fall in the rankings after a stunning 78-72 loss to UNC Greensboro on Friday. The Razorbacks will look to get back on track as they face off with Stanford on Wednesday in their kickoff in the Battle 4 Atlantis.

No. 22 Alabama has looked dominant in its four wins so far this season, as the Crimson Tide have not won a game by less than 22 points. The task toughens a bit for ‘Bama this coming week, though, as they have a date with Ohio State on Black Friday.

Mississippi State, South Carolina and Ole Miss also find themselves with unblemished records through the first two weeks of non-conference play. The Bulldogs face off against Northwestern on Sunday, Nov. 19, while South Carolina has a date with Grand Canyon later that same night, and Ole Miss’ next contest comes against Temple on Wednesday.

The Florida Gators bounced back from their loss to Virginia with victories over in-state rivals Florida A&M and Florida State this past week. Next up is a game against Pitt on Wednesday night.

Similarly, Auburn continued to rebound from its opening game loss to Baylor with a crushing 83-59 victory over Notre Dame on Thursday, followed by a 17-point win over St. Bonaventure the next night. Alabama A&M awaits the Tigers on Tuesday.

Missouri, Vanderbilt and LSU all come in off of close wins in the teams’ most recent contests. Both “Tiger” teams play Nov. 19, with Missouri going up against Jackson State and LSU battling Wake Forest. Vanderbilt’s next game comes on Thanksgiving night against NC State.

Georgia is coming off a tough 79-68 loss against Miami on Friday in the Bahamas. The Bulldogs – who join LSU as the only two-loss teams in the conference – look to right the ship against Providence on Nov. 19 before facing Winthrop on Black Friday.

Kasey Kreider is a third-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email kmk6865@psu.edu.