SEC report

Big week on tap for S. Carolina

In this Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2016, photo, South Carolina head coach Frank Martin communicates with South Carolina guard Hassani Gravett (2) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in Columbia, S.C. Martin was once a bouncer in Miami and, at times, looks as if he's about to charge onto the court to take down an offending official or player. (AP Photo/Sean Rayford)

FAYETTEVILLE -- South Carolina is in a rare place.

The Gamecocks have opened 4-0 in SEC play for just the second time since joining the league for the 1991-1992 season. South Carolina jumped into the Associated Press poll at No. 24 on Monday with a 14-3 record.

Game of the week

Florida at South Carolina, Wednesday, 5:30 p.m., SECN

Two of the last three unbeaten teams in league play hook up at Colonial Life Center. No. 19 Florida will put its seven-game winning streak on the line against the Gamecocks, who are 10-1 at home.

OVERHEARD

"My group is awfully soft. I hate to say that as a head coach."

-- Ole Miss Coach Andy Kennedy after the Rebels' 67-56 loss at South Carolina

Coach Frank Martin has assembled a hard-nosed team with a good blend of veterans, including seniors Duane Notice and Sindarius Thornwell, and promising youngsters, like P.J. Dozier, Chris Silva and Rakym Felder.

By the numbers

1 Number of times Missouri has trailed at halftime -- 50-36 at Arkansas -- in its four SEC games

2 Number of four-point plays by Florida's Canyon Barry against Georgia

6 SEC teams in top 50 of the RPI rankings

14 Consecutive home victories for Florida over Georgia after Saturday's 80-76 escape in overtime

The Gamecocks are off to their best start in conference play since 1997, which is the year they notched their only regular season SEC championship in the SEC. But they have a huge test this week, hosting No. 19 Florida on Wednesday and then traveling to No. 5 Kentucky on Saturday.

"It's a good barometer of our basketball team, said Martin, whose teams have not reached the NCAA Tournament in his five seasons at Columbia, S.C.

At his Monday news conference, Martin talked about gaining respect in the polls.

"The guys that cover basketball on a national basis, they're giving us credit," Martin said. "They think we're good. But we can't get wrapped up in that."

Florida and Coach Mike White will take a seven-game winning streak into Columbia, S.C.

"I think you're starting to see a team that's playing through Mike's personality," Martin said. "If any of you have seen Mike play, he was just a fierce competitor.

In and out

ESPN's "Bracketology" predicts four SEC teams in the NCAA Tournament field. Kentucky is a No. 1 seed in the projection, while Florida is a 4, South Carolina is a 7 and Arkansas is a 10.

CBSSports.com projects Kentucky as a No. 2, Florida as a 6, and Arkansas and South Carolina as 10 seeds.

For Dad

After Mississippi State freshman Lamar Peters' father died Wednesday, the freshmen point guard played in his memory in the Bulldogs' 67-59 victory over Texas A&M on Saturday.

Peters made 11 of 11 free throws and finished 14 points, 4 assists and a career-high 5 steals against the Aggies.

"I just wanted to come out ... be aggressive and control the tempo," Peters told the Daily Journal of Tupelo, Miss.

Ben Howland embraced Peters and kissed his head late in the game.

"I told him his dad would be really proud of him right now," Howland said. "For him to be able to handle all this and have it as motivation to do well, he's been tremendous."

'Fire' escape

Florida was outrebounded 41-32 by Georgia and outscored 36-24 in the lane Saturday, but the Gators rallied from a late five-point deficit to outlast the Bulldogs 80-76 in overtime for their seventh consecutive victory.

Coach Michael White said the Gators had one of their worst practices of the season leading up to the game.

"If you play with fire a lot, you're going to get burned," White said. "There are a lot of things we can learn from this game."

Florida's reserves outscored the Georgia bench 51-5, led by Canyon Berry's career-high 27.

'Spoon wins

Mississippi State guard Quinndary Weatherspoon earned SEC player of the week honors after averaging 19 points and 3.5 rebounds in victories over Arkansas and Texas A&M last week. Weatherspoon scored 25 points on 8-of-11 shooting, including 6 of 7 from three-point range, against Arkansas.

The Razorbacks have competed against players who have won the SEC individual honors the past two weeks, as Kentucky's DeAaron Fox was the league's freshman of the week after facing the Hogs.

Hot Cats

Kentucky is the highest-ranked team in the ratings of Ken Pomeroy, a respected college basketball analyst.

Other SEC team's in Pomeroy's top 50 are No. 13 Florida, No. 29 South Carolina, No. 42 Georgia and No. 48 Arkansas.

Hot seats

Missouri's Kim Anderson and LSU's Johnny Jones seemingly occupy the hottest coaching seats in the SEC.

LSU is 0-2 in SEC home games, including a 15-point loss to Alabama on Saturday, and the Tigers have lost five of their past six games. LSU lost by 34 points at Wake Forest, 110-76, in their last nonconference game on Dec. 22. Their only victory since Dec. 19 was 88-77 at Missouri on Jan. 4.

Anderson's Tigers have lost eight games in a row and have drawn an estimated actual attendance average of 5,877 for its two SEC home games.

Smith visits

Van Buren High School graduate Mitchell Smith traveled with Missouri to Fayetteville for Saturday's game to visit with family and friends. The freshman put off required surgery to repair a torn knee ligament to make the trip.

Tip-ins

• Road teams are 19-15 in SEC games.

• Arkansas is ranked 14th in the nation in free-throw percentage at 76.7 percent.

• Kentucky freshman Malik Monk, a native Lepanto who played at Bentonville High School, leads the SEC with a scoring average of 21.8 points per game, which is more than two points per game more than Georgia's Yante Maten (19.6).

• Arkansas' Dusty Hannahs (91.2) and Mississippi's Deandre Burnett (91.0) are both shooting better than 90 percent from the free-throw line this season, with Arkansas' Daryl Macon (89.9) and Georgia's J.J. Frazier (89.9) right behind.

• Ole Miss leading scorer Deandre Burnett (high ankle sprain) sat out Saturday's loss at South Carolina and his return date is questionable.

Sports on 01/17/2017