Rueben Chinyelu gets USBWA national player of the week honors

Rueben Chinyelu: He's already the best defender in the SEC. (GatorBait Photo by Bobby D'Allessio)

In the past five games, we’ve gotten a glimpse of what happens when Rueben Chinyelu goes beast mode. The last four, in particular, have produced consecutive double-doubles, the first time that’s happened at Florida since David Lee did it 21 years ago.

Already the Southeastern Conference Player of the Week, the United States Basketball Writers Association named Chinyelu one of its five national players of the week Wednesday, joining John Blackwell (Wisconsin), Diggy Coit (Maryland), RJ Johnson (Kennesaw State) and Erik Platt (Stony Brook) to claim the honor.

Chinyelu, who had a 15-point, 21-rebound effort on Tuesday night against LSU, had 19 points and 12 rebounds last week on the road against Oklahoma, then followed that up with 20 points and 10 rebounds at Vanderbilt.  

For the season Chinyelu is averaging 12 points and 11.2 rebounds per game, but in SEC play he’s averaging 14.8 points and 11.8 rebounds, establishing himself as the league’s best and most powerful inside player.

Here is what Florida coach Todd Golden said about Chinyelu after the Gators blasted LSU, 78-61:

“I think you're seeing a guy that’s continued to grow and get better in real time, and he's impacting the game tremendously. I think he's just playing with such good balance, toughness. He's obviously difficult to officiate, because I think he gets fouled on every play. And there's sometimes where he doesn't get those whistles, but he's just really come into his own. Kind of got really comfortable offensively, but he just impacts the game so well defensively and on the glass that he's become a real stalwart for us in the frontcourt.”

Following the LSU game, Chinyelu said, “I just feel myself going out there and playing basketball. Enjoying it with my teammates. If my opponent gets winded, and they did, so I just go out there and enjoy it. It's basketball. A lot of things are gonna happen. There’s gonna be ups and downs, but most importantly, just coming out there and being you and not paying attention to anyone else or your opponent’s things. Just going out there and playing every moment like it's the last moment. Just being able to know that, ‘Okay, get the stop. We have. Next one.’ So that's the mentality, next play, next play, so that's all for me. If it affects anyone, that's on them, but I'm just gonna go out there and do that and repeat each repetition."

ELSEWHERE IN THE SEC

Kentucky (13-6, 4-2 SEC) 85, Texas (11-8, 2-4 SEC) 80: The Wildcats won their third straight SEC game but it was costly as point guard Kam Williams broke his foot in the second half and is now lost for the season. Former Gator Denzel Aberdeen moved to the point and put up 19 points including 9-12 from the foul line. Collin Chandler came off the bench to score 18 and grab seven rebounds. Before fouling out, Dailyn Swain scored 29 for Texas. Key to the game was Kentucky’s 3-point defense, which held Texas to 2-18 shooting for the game.  

Texas A&M (15-4, 5-1 SEC) 88, Mississippi State (10-9, 2-4 SEC) 68: Rashaun Agee had 23 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and a steal as Texas A&M kept up with Florida on top of the SEC standings. The Aggies were 23-24 at the foul line and defensively forced Josh Hubbard into a mediocre game, just 12 points on 2-8 3-point shooting and three turnovers.

Saturday’s games

Auburn (12-7, 3-3 SEC) at No. 16 FLORIDA (14-5, 5-1 SEC)

No. 15 Vanderbilt (16-3, 3-3 SEC) at Mississippi State (10-9, 2-4 SEC)

Tennessee (12-6, 2-3 SEC) at No. 17 Alabama (13-5, 3-2 SEC)

LSU (13-6, 1-5 SEC) at No. 20 Arkansas (14-5, 4-2 SEC)

No. 21 Georgia (16-3, 4-2 SEC) at Texas (11-8, 2-4 SEC)

South Carolina (11-8, 2-4 SEC) at Texas A&M (15-4, 5-1 SEC)

Ole Miss (11-8, 3-3 SEC) at Kentucky (13-6, 4-2 SEC)

Oklahoma (11-8, 1-5 SEC) at Missouri (13-6, 3-3 SEC)

WORST TO FIRST IN THE SEC

16. Oklahoma (11-8, 1-5 SEC): Porter Moser should have his agent scouting for a potential landing spot because unless the Sooners suddenly reverse course, things will not end well for him.

15. South Carolina (11-8, 2-4 SEC): The Gamecocks next two games are on the road to Texas A&M and home against Florida. Gamecock fans think the men’s basketball team should be every bit as good as Dawn Staley’s women’s team. Very hot seat for Lamont Paris.

14. Mississippi State (10-9, 2-4 SEC): If Josh Hubbard is held in check the Bulldogs have no offense. They will make the NIT. The NCAA is a pipe dream.

13. LSU (13-6, 1-5 SEC): Dedan Thomas played against Florida, but showed the rust of missing the previous five games. If they can get him healthy and playing well, they are capable of going on a run that could move them into contention for the NCAA Tournament.

12. Ole Miss (11-8, 3-3 SEC): If AJ Storr isn’t making shots, the Rebels are in deepest and darkest. Chris Beard needs to find another scorer in a hurry.

11. Texas (11-8, 2-4 SEC): The Longhorns missed a huge chance for a statement win at Kentucky but they faded in the second half. Three-point shooting is suspect and they’re not very tough when it comes to defense.

10. Missouri (13-6, 3-3 SEC): The Tigers are 11-1 at home, but they’ve already lost two SEC road games and they have six more to play. They’ll need to somehow get to 9-9 in the league to make the NCAA Tournament.  

9. Auburn (12-7, 3-3 SEC): You never know which Auburn team is going to show up, which has to be driving Steven Pearl nuts. The Tigers are extremely tough at home, not so tough away. They get the Gators at the O-Dome Saturday.

8. Tennessee (12-6, 2-3 SEC): The Vols aren’t nearly as fierce defensively as in the past and they don’t have much scoring beyond Ja’Kobi Gillespie and Nate Ament. Felix Okpara can block shots but he hasn’t improved a lick offensively since he was a freshman.

7. Arkansas (14-5, 4-2 SEC): The two losses are troubling because they were blowouts away from home. The Hogs can beat anyone at home, but three of the next four are on the road and they have roadies at Alabama and Florida in February.

6. Alabama (13-5, 3-2 SEC): The Tide could be formidable if somehow Charles Bedianko is allowed to play the rest of the season. He’s the inside presence they don’t have. If the courts rule against Bama, then the Tide will have to have great shooting nights because there is no inside game.

5. Vanderbilt (16-3, 3-3 SEC): The Commodores have dropped three straight games. They have to make threes abundantly to win because they don’t rebound well and they have trouble defending in the post.

4. Texas A&M (15-4, 5-1 SEC): The Aggies run wave after wave of players at you, trying to create full court havoc. After Saturday, the schedule toughens up considerably with roadies at Georgia and Alabama followed by Florida at home.

3. Kentucky (13-6, 4-2 SEC): Now the Wildcats will see how far Denzel Aberdeen can carry them. With the injuries to Jaland Lowe and Kam Williams, he’s the point guard now. UK has won three in a row.

2. Georgia (16-3, 4-2 SEC): Mike White’s team is a mortal lock to make the NCAA Tournament and if they can keep Somto Cyril out of foul trouble, they will get the double-bye for the SEC Tournament.

1. FLORIDA (14-5, 5-1 SEC): The Gators have the hottest player in the league in Rueben Chinyelu, who leads the conference in double-doubles (11) and rebounding (11.2 per game), and they’re the best nationally in rebounding (46.33 per game), offensive rebounds (16.78 per game) and rebounding margin (+15 per game).

THE NCAA AND SEC HAVE A HUGE BEDIAKO PROBLEM

Charles Bediako left Alabama early for the NBA Draft two years ago when he didn’t heed the advice of smart people who said he needed to stay in school. He wasn’t drafted and has spent the last two years playing in the G-League. Now he wants to play college basketball again, probably because Bama will pay him more than he will make in the G-League.

He’s a step up on the inside for an Alabama team that gets killed in the paint. He blocks shots, he rebounds and he can give the Tide extra possessions on those nights when their 3-point shooters are launching SCUDs.

Bedianko and Alabama found a friendly Tuscaloosa judge who issued a temporary restraining order that will allow Bedianko to play immediately. Tennessee comes to Tuscaloosa Saturday night and Alabama has already said Bedianko is playing. A hearing isn’t scheduled until Tuesday.

The NCAA, in its infinite wisdom, is clueless what to do next so the illustrious (im)potentate Charlie Baker is begging the United States Congress to give it the power to enforce the rules. That’s like giving a 6^th-grader the owner’s manual to a 747 and asking him to fly the plane an hour later.

Here is what both the NCAA and SEC should do immediately: Say it’s okay for Bediako to play while this goes through the courts, but every game he plays will either be a forfeit or a no-contest in which the outcome doesn’t matter.

The NCAA probably doesn’t have the nads to take that approach. Greg Sankey is the most powerful person in collegiate athletics. It’s time for him to intervene.