FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas, LSU and Tennessee posted the most eye-opening results on the opening weekend of SEC play.

The Razorbacks gashed No. 15 Mississippi State’s transition and perimeter defense, shooting nearly 57 percent in a 98-88 victory over the Bulldogs.

LSU defeated Ole Miss 81-55 in Baton Rouge with Justin Hamilton scoring 23 points and adding 16 rebounds.

Tennessee, which had lost at Memphis by 18 points three nights earlier, shocked No. 13 Florida 67-56 in Knoxville, Tenn., by holding the country’s top scoring team to a season-low 35.7 percent shooting.

“I think the two upset wins caught everybody’s eye, and that’s Arkansas beating Mississippi State — and what a great win for their program — and also Tennessee upsetting Florida,” Kentucky Coach John Calipari said. “It talks a lot about how well they’re both being coached, both of those teams.

“Both teams had the talent to do it, and both teams came out of the gate and must have played great basketball games.”

Arkansas’ point total was the highest in a nonovertime SEC game since Georgia won 98-76 at Ole Miss last Jan. 15.

Personnel update

Tennessee freshman Jarnell Stokes, a midterm signee who did not play high school basketball this fall after changing schools in Memphis, has been cleared to practice, Volunteers Coach Cuonzo Martin said on Monday’s SEC teleconference.

It appears Stokes, 6-8, 255 pounds, will have to wait at least a week to get into a game.

“I don’t think he’ll play this week,” Martin said. “You want him to be conditioned more than anything. He’s an intelligent guy who picks things up quickly.

“Now it’s a matter of the cutting, running and banging against big, physical guys.”

Oh, Boynton!

Florida guard Kenny Boynton has made 60 of 131 three-pointers (45.8 percent), which is good for No. 22 nationally. Vanderbilt’s John Jenkins is No. 21 at 45.9 percent from three-point range, tops in the SEC.

Not free for all

Only half the SEC teams are shooting better than 70 percent from the freethrow line, led by Alabama (.717). The Crimson Tide are ranked No. 77 nationally in that category, with only No. 93 LSU (.711) and No. 94 Kentucky (.710) joining them in the top 100.

Top 30 trio

Arkansas is the only SEC team to rank in the national top 30 in blocked shots per game (No. 9, 6.5), steals per game (No. 27, 8.9) and turnover margin (No. 8, plus-4.7).

Stat kings

The SEC had two NCAA stat leaders at the start of conference play. Kentucky big man Anthony Davis leads the country with 4.6 blocked shots per game, and

Hot Tide

Alabama has won its past four games by an average margin of 18.5 points since falling 71-58 to Kansas State in Kansas City.

The Crimson Tide rank No. 10 nationally in allowing 55.9 points per game, with only four opponents managing to hit the 50-point mark. Alabama’s 74-59 victory at Georgia on Saturday was its fourth consecutive victory in a conference opener.

Bruce is back

South Carolina’s Bruce Ellington had another smooth transition last month, switching from football to basketball before playing in the Gamecocks’ Outback Bowl victory over Nebraska.

Ellington, a receiver and the Gamecocks’ leading kickoff returner, ranks second on the basketball team with a 9.3-point scoring average.

He entered Saturday’s SEC opener at Kentucky having made eight of his past nine three-point attempts, but the Wildcats held the 5-9 sophomore to 1 of 8 shooting beyond the arc and 3 of 13 overall.

“I don’t know if any of us can understand what it’s like from Aug. 1, to be full-go practice mode with a team all the way through,” South Carolina Coach Darrin Horn told reporters last week, “and come out and try to do it in another sport with no break.”

GameDay coming

The only SEC game scheduled to be part of ESPN’s College GameDay this season will be Kentucky’s game at Vanderbilt on Feb. 11.

Dominant

Kentucky will take a 12-game winning streak against Auburn into tonight’s game at Auburn Arena.

The Wildcats also have won 26 of the past 27 games in the series, including last year’s 78-54 Kentucky victory at Rupp Arena in the first meeting between Kentucky Coach John Calipari and former protege Tony Barbee as SEC coaches.

Worth noting

Kenny Gabriel had 24 points, 13 rebounds and 10 blocked shots in Auburn’s Jan. 2 victory over Bethune-Cookman. It’s the first time an Auburn player has recorded at least 10 in each category.

SEC teams have won 43 of their past 52 nonconference games (.827) dating to Dec. 19.

Kentucky Coach John Calipari earlier this season became just the second coach to lead three schools to the No. 1 ranking, joining Frank McGuire.

Game of the week Alabama at Mississippi State

3 p.m. Central Saturday, SEC Network

The Crimson Tide and Bulldogs were projected as the top two finishers among SEC West teams. Alabama, led by Ja-Mychal Green, should challenge Mississippi State’s interior, which is led by SEC rebounds leader Arnett Moultrie and Renardo Sidney.

By the numbers

45 Kentucky’s home winning streak, the best in the nation, after its 79-64 victory over South Carolina on Saturday

32 Consecutive games with a threepointer by Florida guard Kenny Boynton, the third-longest streak in school history

Vanderbilt’s John Jenkins is the national leader with 4.0 three-pointers made per game.