SEC Basketball

The No. 8 Alabama men's basketball team beat previously undefeated No. 1 Houston 71-65 on Saturday afternoon from Fertitta Center.

Freshman forward Noah Clowney led the Crimson Tide with 16 points on 7-of-12 shooting, 11 rebounds and two blocks to take down the host Cougars, who fell to 9-1.

First-year guard Jaden Bradley added 12 points, five rebounds and four assists off the bench. Freshman forward Brandon Miller missed all eight of his field goals but hit eight of nine free throws alongside five rebounds and two steals.

Houston led 44-29 early in the second half, but Alabama outscored the Cougars 42-21 for the remainder of the game.

The Crimson Tide slowly chopped away at the Cougar advantage before a Mark Sears three-pointer gave Alabama a 63-62 lead with 3:05 remaining.

Miller hit six free throws in the final minute to keep Houston at bay and lead Alabama to an 8-1 mark.

Junior guard Jamal Shead's 19 points led Houston and all scorers. Tramon Mark added 10 points for the Cougars.

This was a rough offensive outing for the Cougars, though. Houston shot 39.1 percent from the field and hit just three of 13 three-pointers. The Cougars also made just 12 of 22 free throws.

Alabama didn't shoot particularly well either (40.7 percent from the field, 30.4 percent from three). But the Crimson Tide frequently went to the line, making 20 of 32 shots from the charity stripe.

Both teams will play at home Tuesday. The Crimson Tide will host Memphis, and Houston will welcome North Carolina A&T.

Tennessee Volunteers starting center Tamari Key had her senior season cut short after some unfortunate news on Thursday.

According to ESPN's Alexa Philippou, Tennessee announced that Key will miss the remainder of the season after blood clots were discovered in her lungs.

The school announced that Key is expected to make a full recovery. Per Philippou, she "will receive care under the guidance of the University of Tennessee Medical Center and Tennessee athletics team physicians."

A four-year starter for the Lady Vols, Key entered the 2022-23 season as a preseason All-SEC first-team selection and a member of the Naismith Trophy watch list. She averaged 10.5 points and 8.1 rebounds as a junior and was named a semifinalist for defensive player of the year as well as a finalist for the Lisa Leslie Award, which is given to the nation's best center.

Tennessee head coach Kellie Harper expressed her thoughts in a statement:

"My sole concern right now is that Tamari continues to get the medical care and guidance she needs and begins the gradual process of healing and returning to full strength. This is much bigger than basketball. We are so grateful that this medical condition was caught. Our entire program will be right beside Tamari during this process and welcomes prayers and positive thoughts from Lady Vol Nation and beyond."

Key's absence is another blow to a Tennessee team that entered the year with high aspirations. The Lady Vols entered the year ranked in the Top Five but has since fallen out of the poll after starting out with a 5-5 record. Leading scorer Rickea Jackson is also out indefinitely because of what Harper called a "coach's decision."

The Lady Vols have two games at home against unranked teams before a crucial nonconference showdown at No. 2 Stanford on Dec. 18.

Top 2023 prospect Baye Fall announced Tuesday that he will play for Arkansas next season.

"I chose Arkansas because me and my family feel it's the best place for me to accomplish what I want to accomplish," Fall told On3's Joe Tipton. "It's the best place that can get me to the next level in the best way possible. Going on the two visits to Arkansas opened our eyes. Their play style fits me well. There are great coaches out there. I think I go there and get better and win at the highest level."

Ball committed to Arkansas over Auburn, Seton Hall and Rutgers.

The 5-star player is considered the third-best center in his class and No. 14 overall in the country, per 247Sports' composite rankings.

"He's 6-11, but he jumps like he's 6-2 and moves like he's 6-6," former high school coach Bill Brandsma said in 2020, per Kendra Andrews of The Athletic.

Fall moved from Senegal to Lutheran High School in Parker, Colorado, before eventually transferring to Denver Prep Academy. At every stop, the big man showcased impressive athleticism and natural ability for his size that allowed him to be successful on both ends of the court.

The center already has excellent instincts on the defensive end to be an elite shot-blocker, while his ability to run the floor will allow him to be productive offensively. If he can further develop his offensive game, Fall will be nearly unstoppable.

Arkansas will give him the chance to do that as he tries to reach his potential before making the leap to the NBA.

Fall should still be an impact player while in college, likely starring defensively while helping everyone around him on that end of the court. He should play significant minutes from the start while challenging to be an all-conference player even as a freshman.

Reigning National Player of the Year Oscar Tshiebwe will reportedly make his season debut for Kentucky against Michigan State on Tuesday.

Per Jeff Goodman of Stadium, it has not been determined whether Tshiebwe will start or come off the bench as he continues to recover from a procedure on his right knee.

Wildcats coach John Calipari told reporters Monday that Tshiebwe would play if he made it through practice without swelling:

"He's supposed to practice today so we'll have a better idea. He's been doing the conditioning stuff, he just hasn't been on that court and that's totally different. My guess will be he plays three or four minutes at a stretch if he plays.

"He's going to have to get through [practice] and make sure there's no swelling. From what I'm hearing he doesn't have the lift yet but knowing him, he wants to play but I can't tell you right now."

It would seem Tshiebwe made it through Monday's session well enough to get some playing time, though it's unlikely he's on the floor for 30-plus minutes. No. 4 Kentucky has gotten off to a 2-0 start to the 2022-23 campaign with wins over Howard and Duquesne by a combined 57 points.

Kentucky plays Michigan State on Tuesday as part of the State Farm Champions Classic in Indianapolis. The unranked Spartans are 1-1 to start the season and lost by one point to second-ranked Gonzaga.

Tshiebwe averaged 17.4 points and 15.1 rebounds last season on his way to sweeping National Player of the Year awards and becoming a consensus first-team All-America selection. His presence will help fortify the middle of Kentucky's defense, which has been anchored by senior Jacob Toppin.

Three weeks after the University of Tennessee was fined for fans storming the field following a victory over Alabama, the SEC is taking steps to prevent field and court storming in the future.

SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey announced Friday a working group is considering strategies to support effective crowd management.

"Current Conference policies need to be reviewed and improved with a focus on addressing field and court incursions by spectators after contests," said Sankey. "The SEC's Working Group on Event Security will focus its efforts on reviewing existing policies, developing new strategies and identifying best practices to enhance crowd management and more effectively address field and court incursions at future SEC athletics events."

According to the announcement, each SEC institution is required to "verify in writing annually to the Conference Office that an event security review of all sports venues has occurred in consultation with appropriate law enforcement" after conference presidents and chancellors approved a regulation last month.

The SEC adopted a policy in 2004 that fines schools if fans storm the field or court after a game. When the rule was initially implemented, fines ranged from $5,000 on first offense to $25,000 for a second offense and $50,000 for a third offense.

In 2015, the SEC increased the amount of fines to $50,000 (first offense), $100,000 (second offense) and $250,000 (third offense and beyond).

Tennessee was fined $100,000 by the conference after fans stormed the field following the 52-49 victory over Alabama on Oct. 15.

The Athletic's David Ubben noted it was the program's second field-storming violation, with the first coming in January 2006 after the Volunteers beat Florida in men's basketball.

Tennessee football's official Twitter account asked fans for donations to replace the goalposts that were torn down during the celebration after beating the Crimson Tide.

Alabama wide receiver Jermaine Burton is being investigated by the school after a Vols fan posted a video on TikTok claiming Burton smacked her in the head as he was walking to the locker room.

Multiple fans suffered non-life threatening injuries after storming the field in September following a Sun Belt Conference game between Troy and Appalachian State.

The SEC policy aimed at curtailing field and court storming is designed to protect fans, players and coaches.

Kentucky big man Oscar Tshiebwe said he "absolutely" plans to be ready for the team's first game against Howard on Nov. 7, according to Gary B. Graves of the Associated Press.

The reigning AP Player of the Year underwent a "minor" procedure on his knee this month, as head coach John Calipari explained on Twitter. Despite the issue, Tshiebwe doesn't expect to miss any regular-season action.

"To be honest, I don't think I will miss games other than exhibition games because it's not really necessary that I get this done," he said.

Tshiebwe is coming off a breakout season for the Wildcats after transferring from West Virginia.

The 6'9" forward averaged 17.4 points, 15.2 rebounds, 1.8 steals and 1.6 blocks per game in 2021-22, winning the Naismith Award as the top player in college basketball. He helped Kentucky earn a No. 2 seed in the NCAA tournament, although the squad was shockingly upset in the first round by Saint Peter's.

Despite interest from the NBA, Tshiebwe returned to school and enters as a unanimous preseason All-American with higher expectations going into 2022-23.

"He's a better passer. He's a better dribbler. He has a better feel. He talks," Calipari said, per the AP's John Marshall. "Offensively he knows the plays better. And he's authentic."

There will be a lot of eyes on Tshiebwe this season with Kentucky entering No. 4 in the preseason AP poll.

The Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team hosted its annual Blue-White game at Appalachian Wireless Arena in Pikeville, Kentucky, on Saturday, and the White team walked away with a 70-67 victory.

The game was played in Pikeville instead of at Rupp Arena so proceeds could be donated to flood relief efforts in Eastern Kentucky, a part of the state that had been devastated by floods over the summer.

In addition, Saturday's contest was limited to just 30 minutes as Kentucky was down a number of players because of minor injuries, including Oscar Tshiebwe, Sahvir Wheeler and Lance Ware.

Kentucky head coach John Calipari split his roster into two teams for Saturday's game. The White team roster included Jacob Toppin, CJ Frederick, Daimon Collins, Cason Wallace and Chris Livingston.

The Blue teams roster included Adou Thiero, Antonio Reeves, Brennan Canada, Walker Horn, Ugonna Onyenso and Kareem Watkins.

Reeves, who transferred to Kentucky in April after three seasons at Illinois State, was the star of the show, finishing with 27 points, three rebounds, one assist and one steal on 8-of-19 shooting from the floor and 5-of-12 shooting from deep.

Reeves was lauded by Kentucky fans on Twitter for his scoring ability following Saturday's game:

Before committing to Kentucky, Reeves had Nebraska, Xavier, Oregon and DePaul in his final five. The 6'5", 205-pound guard was one of the best scorers available in the transfer portal.

During the 2021-22 season, his final at Illinois State, Reeves averaged 20.1 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.1 steals in 33 games while shooting 46.9 percent from the floor and 39 percent from deep.

If Reeves can replicate that success in his first season with the Wildcats, Calipari's squad could make a run in the NCAA tournament.

Kentucky men's basketball coach John Calipari announced Wednesday the Wildcats have "agreed in principle" to restart an annual rivalry series against Indiana beginning with the 2025-26 season.

Calipari said further information will be provided at a later date as the deal with the Hoosiers is "at the administrative level now, so all the details will be worked out."

Kentucky and Indiana faced off in men's basketball for the first time in December 1924, a 34-23 Hoosiers victory. The schools met every season from 1969 through 2011.

The Wildcats and Hoosiers have met twice since that point, both times in the NCAA tournament. UK won a 2012 meeting in the Sweet 16 and IU came out on top in the 2016 second round.

Kentucky holds a 35-23 advantage in the all-time series.

Indiana coach Mike Woodson said in May he wanted to resume the series, even if it meant playing a yearly neutral-site contest rather than a standard home-and-home structure.

"It might not be Bloomington, Lexington, I don't know," Woodson said. "But however way we can get it done, I'll take it. So we've just got to figure that part of it out."

He added it would be special to play the games on the respective campuses, though.

"I'm going to stay on [Calipari's] heels about getting the Kentucky-Indiana series back on the table," Woodson said. "Because I just think over the years, man, that was a hell of a game, going to Lexington and them coming down to Bloomington."

Calipari didn't address whether home games were under consideration as part of his comments Wednesday at SEC media day.

Both Kentucky and Indiana head into the 2022-23 season inside the Top 15 of the Associated Press poll, with UK at No. 4 and IU at No. 13.

The storied programs will each open the new campaign Nov. 7, when the Wildcats host Howard at Rupp Arena and the Hoosiers welcome Morehead State to Assembly Hall.

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey believes it is time to start considering the possibility of expanding the NCAA men's basketball tournament.

According to SI.com's Pat Forde, Sankey wants to take a "fresh look" at March Madness in order to determine if it would be viable or necessary to add more teams to the field in the future.

Currently, 68 teams make the NCAA men's basketball tourney, and while Sankey said he is "not ready to make headlines there yet," he wants to have conversations about how more big-conference bubble teams can be included in the field.

Sankey referenced the 2022 College World Series to support his desire for more teams in the NCAA men's basketball tournament, as Ole Miss won the 2022 baseball national title despite being the final team in the field:

"If the last team in can win the national championship, and they're in the 30s or 40s from an RPI or [NCAA] NET standpoint, is our current approach supporting national championship competition? I think there's health in that conversation. That doesn't exclude people. It goes to: How do we include people in these annual national celebrations that lead to a national champion?"

While Sankey didn't make any mention of eliminating automatic bids for small conferences, Forde noted that small-conference commissioners and athletic directors are concerned about that happening if the field is expanded.

For Sankey's part, he wants to see more teams with top-flight talent in the tournament due to his belief that some of those teams who typically miss the tourney would have a legitimate chance to go on a deep run.

He specifically mentioned UCLA in 2021 and VCU in 2011 as teams that barely made the field and had to go through the First Four before ultimately making it all the way to the Final Four.

Sankey also noted that he felt Texas A&M, which went 27-13 last year, should have made the tournament last year and could have done some damage, although he admitted to being "biased" since the Aggies are an SEC team.

The current 68-team system has been in place since 2011. It was previously expanded to 64 teams in 1985 and then 65 teams in 2001 before going to the current format.

Although Sankey didn't provide specifics of how he would expand on the 68-team field, Forde noted that one popular proposal would see the field go from 68 teams to 80 teams with four First Four matchups in each region.

In that scenario, every conference would keep its automatic bid, meaning both large and small conferences would conceivably be happy with the system.

Sankey made it clear that nothing is imminent, but if the most recognizable commissioner in college sports is talking about expansion, there is likely a good chance it will at least be discussed.