6. Kentucky
If you were to look up “bounce-back win” in the dictionary, there should be a picture of Kentucky’s 72-60 victory over Indiana last Saturday. Mark Pope’s crew had been a massive disappointment through a month in the season, but showed flashes of the team they could be in that key win.
7. Auburn
The Tigers have had a light schedule over the last few weeks, only playing three games total from December 6 to December 28. This should give them plenty of time to practice and gel as an offense. Tahaad Pettiford is still finding his footing with this new roster and has not been as effective as last season.
8. Georgia
Mike White’s Bulldogs continue to rack up wins, throttling Cincinnati 84-65 over the weekend. They’re doing so by playing at a super-fast pace, ranking as the 5th-fastest tempo in the entire country. Can they keep it up in conference play?
