Strange: Looking at top SEC freshmen

Making the All-Freshman team is going to be a dogfight in one of the nation’s youngest basketball conferences.

Furthermore, having a bunch of recruiting stars next to your name isn’t necessarily a helpful factor.

Eight freshmen are scoring in double figures as the SEC hits the midway point of the league race. And one of them isn’t the top-ranked recruit: Tennessee’s Scotty Hopson.

Hopson and UT fans will get a look at one of the league’s top-scoring freshman Wednesday night when Georgia’s Trey Thompkins makes his Thompson-Boling Arena debut.

Thompkins is averaging 13.1 points and 6.9 rebounds, a silver lining to an otherwise hopeless Georgia season.

Hopson brought the strongest credentials with him of any SEC newcomer. He was No. 5 nationally in the 2008 class, according to Rivals.com. He was one of two McDonald’s All-Americans in the SEC class, the other being Alabama’s JaMychal Green.

Hopson is averaging 9.1 points in 22.4 minutes for the Vols. More was expected. Tennessee fans can take some encouragement that Hopson has scored in double figures in four of his past seven games — and that his 3-point accuracy is on the rise to a credible 40.6 percent.

Green was the second-highest-ranked prospect in the SEC freshman class. He’s averaging 10.1 points for the Tide.

The third-ranked freshman, according to Rivals, has been a no-show. Florida’s Eloy Vargas has played a total of 21 minutes.

Another underwhelming debut has come from Kentucky’s DeAndre Liggins, who was ranked No. 28 nationally by Rivals. He’s started one game, averages 6.0 points and has exhibited some interesting shot selection.

The top freshman scorer is Arkansas point guard Courtney Fortson, at 14.8 points. Fortson, ranked No. 60 by Rivals, leads the league in assists at 6.5 per game.

Dee Bost has been a steal for Mississippi State. Ranked No. 80 by Rivals, Bost averages 10.5 points and 30 minutes a game for the Bulldogs. He’s twice been the SEC Freshman of the Week.

The real sleeper is Ole Miss’ Terrico White. Coming out of Memphis Craigmont, White wasn’t ranked in the top 150 by Rivals and was awarded a modest three stars. He’s averaging 11.2 points and, like Bost, is a two-time SEC Freshman of the Week.

Tennessee and Florida had the top-ranked recruiting classes but aren’t getting the top-ranked results from them. UT’s Emmanuel Negedu was Rivals’ No. 40 prospect. He’s averaging 2.4 points. Renaldo Woolridge was No. 53; his minutes have nose-dived in SEC play.

Game of the Week: LSU can end the SEC’s two-week national-ranking drought with a win Wednesday night at Mississippi State.

The Tigers (19-4, 7-1 SEC) were the last team out of this week’s Associated Press Top 25 poll and winning in Starkville would be a marquee victory.

“They’re the best team in the league, no question,’’ said Mississippi State coach Rick Stansbury.

The Bulldogs hit a school-record 16 3-pointers Saturday against Arkansas. They had matched the old mark of 14 twice this year.

“Anytime you break your school record for threes two games in a row, that’s impressive,’’ said LSU coach Trent Johnson.

“You’ve got to close out to the NBA 3-point line. That’s easier said than done.’’

No New Tricks for Dogs: Coach Dennis Felton is gone but Georgia won’t look significantly different Wednesday night than when UT beat the Bulldogs on Jan. 10 in Athens.

“I was with Coach Felton for 11 years, every practice and every game in that period,’’ said acting coach Pete Herrmann. “I don’t know that there’s going to be a great difference in how we play the game.’’

The Last Word: UT associate head coach Tony Jones on trying to motivate the team that has lost six of its past 11 games.

“It’s been a difficult year. We’ve gone through every approach: the positive approach, to get into ‘em, to having a mixture, to sandwiching everything together. The players are just going to have to go out there and perform.’’

Mike Strange may be reached at 865-342-6276 or strangem@knoxnews.com.

© 2009, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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