09. Ole Miss Rebels
After struggling to score for a couple of games, Ole Miss bounced back and picked up two wins by an average of 23.5 points. Chris Beard added some good offensive pieces this offseason and for the most part, they have paid off. Sean Pedulla currently leads the team in scoring, averaging just over 14 points per game.
The defense has been the biggest surprise this season. Chris Beard has been a good defensive coach in the past but I didn’t know if this roster was going to be set up to defend well. Last year Ole Miss was one of the top shot-blocking teams in the nation, so anything that got past the defender was cleaned up at the rim. This season the Rebels are relying a lot less on shot blocking, and are still holding opponents to 41.7 percent from the floor.
Ole Miss is currently 5-0 and looks to be one of the best defensive teams in the conference. The Rebels also have a solid offense to complement the defense which makes Ole Miss a tough team to beat.
08. Texas Longhorns
After dropping the opening game of the season to Ohio State, Texas has five games in a row to improve to 5-1 on the season. Freshman star Tre Johnson has continued his hot rookie campaign scoring in double figures in every game this season. Johnson currently leads the Longhorns in scoring with 21.2 points per game.
While the rotation hasn't played out the way I thought it would coming into the season, Texas is still one of the top offenses and defenses in the country. Tramon Mark has missed a couple of games this season, but Arthur Kaluma (14.7 ppg) and Kadin Shedrick (10.3 ppg) have helped Johnson carry the majority of the offensive load. The defense has been great so far this season, holding opponents to only 36.7 percent from the floor.
Texas still has room to grow as Tramon Mark and Jayson Kent are still working their way back from injury. The Longhorns have been impressive so far this season, and I can see Texas getting better as the season continues.
07. Arkansas Razorbacks
Arkansas is currently battling some early-season injuries. Jonas Aidoo and Trevon Brazile have missed the past two games due to injury, leaving the Razorbacks with a short post rotation. Coach John Calipari was already playing a short rotation before the injuries but now is down to playing seven players.
Since struggling to score against Baylor and Try, Arkansas has looked much better offensively in the past two games. The Razorbacks took down Pacific and Little Rock by double figures, improving the team's scoring average to 75.6 points per game. Kentucky transfer Adou Thiero has been Arkansas’s best offensive weapon this season, averaging 19.4 points per game.
I’m still waiting for Johnell Davis to break out of his early-season scoring slump. Davis, who I had as the top transfer into the SEC this offseason, hasn’t scored more than eight points since the opening game of the season.
This team continues to win despite the injuries and underwhelming play from a couple of its transfers. There is still time for Coach Cal and the Razorbacks to figure everything out.