Most teams have learned to guard Vanderbilt’s John Jenkins whenever he’s near the 3-point line, but that hasn’t stopped him.
Jenkins, who led the SEC in scoring last season and is leading it again this season at 19.9 points, also ranks first in the nation with an average of four 3-pointers per game.
He had four on his way to scoring 14 points in Vanderbilt’s 67-57 victory over South Carolina on Tuesday and has made at least three 3-pointers in six consecutive games.
Jenkins has made at least one 3-pointer in 37 consecutive games, and has tied his career-high of seven 3-pointers in a game twice this season.
He made a believer out of Miami (Ohio) coach Charlie Coles after hitting five 3-pointers and scoring 26 points in a 69-62 win over the RedHawks on Jan. 2.
“Maybe I can have someone ride back with us — I’ll fly you back, and you can tell our guys who Jenkins is,” Coles said after the game. “When the coach screams, ‘Jenkins!’ you should probably cover him. I didn’t think our players knew who he was — that he is shooting 44 percent [from 3-point range], averages 20 points a game, and is All-SEC. Apparently, we didn’t tell our guys that.”
Hot shot
Julysses Nobles became the fifth Arkansas player to score at least 20 points in a game this season when he had 24 in the Razorbacks’ victory at Mississippi State. He joined Marshawn Powell, B.J. Young, Mardracus Wade and Rickey Scott in scoring 20 or more points for the Razorbacks this season.
Have not
Alabama’s opponents are finding it’s tough to score.
The Crimson Tide are allowing just 55.9 points per game, 10th in the nation, and only four teams have reached 60 points against them.
The past four opponents — including Oklahoma State, Georgia Tech and Georgia — have averaged 53.5 points, and Alabama is holding opponents to 36.7 shooting from the floor, the sixth-best mark in the country.
On a roll
Anthony Davis, Kentucky’s 6-foot-10 freshman, has averaged 12.7 points, ranks second in the SEC in rebounding (10.6) and leads the nation in blocks at 4.6 per game, nearly two ahead of Auburn’s Kenny Gabriel, who is second.
Mississippi State guard Dee Bost has had at least one assist in 90 consecutive games and in 104 of his 105 career games. He also scored 21 points in the Bulldogs’ loss to Arkansas on Saturday, giving him 1,379 career points, 15th in school history.
Trevor Releford has led Alabama in scoring in three of the past four games — before Wednesday’s game against LSU — averaging 16.5 points on 26-of-37 shooting from the floor. He had 13 assists and 12 steals in that span.
Local ties
Nose surgery hasn’t slowed Tennessee point guard Trae Golden (McEachern).
Golden, who leads the SEC in assists (5.4) and Tennessee in scoring (14.6), had a procedure Dec. 30 to fix a minor nasal fracture. He promptly tied his career high with 29 points against Chattanooga on Jan. 2 and added 22 points against Memphis on Jan. 4.
He averaged 21 points in the past three games, shooting 59 percent from the field (23-of-39) in that span.
Golden’s nose was broken in practice Dec. 16.
Must-see TV
Kentucky at Tennessee, noon Saturday (ESPN).
Around the conference
Tennessee’s depth and size improved when 6-8, 250-pound freshman Jarnell Stokes, a top recruit from Memphis, was cleared by the SEC to join the team. He started practicing this week, but coach Cuonzo Martin isn’t sure when Stokes will see action. ... Mississippi’s Dundrecous Nelson, who was tied for the team scoring lead, and backup guard Jamal Jones, were kicked off the team for a violation of team rules. Nelson averaged 11.6 points.
Quotable
“It’s kind of frustrating. But I just try to put it behind me, and when I get the next opportunity, just try to score the next one. ... Like coach always says, focus on the next play. Don’t worry about the play behind you because that’s when you start messing up.” — South Carolina’s Damontre Harris after the Gamecocks made five first-half field goals and scored 12 points in a 67-57 loss to Vanderbilt.
By the numbers
5 Players averaging in double figures for Florida, led by Kenny Boynton at 18.9 points per game. He's followed by Bradley Beal (14.3), Erving Walker (13.1), Patric Young (11.8) and Erik Murphy (10.3).
21.8 Average scoring margin by Kentucky, third in the nation behind Ohio State and Missouri.
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