Day one observations


ATLANTA -- Georgia just outlasted Ole Miss in overtime, 97-95, despite doing everything possible to keep the Rebels in the game.
Georgia committed fouls on a pair of Ole Miss 3-point attempts, once at the end of regulation and once at the end of overtime, allowing the Rebels to tie what seemed to be an airtight game on both occasions.
The Bulldogs made the most of the 5.5 seconds left on the clock in the latter instance. Corey Butler pushed the ball upcourt and found Dave Bliss unguarded to the right of the lane. Bliss, the senior center who is undoubtedly the last option to consider for a game-winning shot, banked in a 6-footer just before the buzzer to seal the deal.
Since I'm waiting for Dennis Felton to arrive for his postgame press conference (in case anyone is still awake), I'll fill the time by running down some players who stuck out.

Shan Foster, Vanderbilt: The 6-foot-6 guard, who earned SEC player of the year honors, lived up to his billing with 26 points against Auburn. He made 6-of-9 3-pointers, many of them coming from waaaaay deep, and displayed a nice mid-range game.

A.J. Ogilvy, Vanderbilt: Hard to believe he's a freshman. What stood out -- other than his 12-of-13 shooting, was his footwork and soft hands. It's rare to see a 6-11 player with considerable bulk run the floor so well.

Anthony Randolph, LSU: This freshman can afford to stick around. He'll merely boost his NBA earning potential by bulking up his thin 6-10 body and expanding his skill set. He went off for 22 points and eight rebounds in a loss to South Carolina.

Mykal Riley, Alabama: Riley has been lethal from long-range in the last two games. He absolutely buried Florida by hitting crucial 3-pointers in the second half. He may be a bit one-dimensional, but it's a good dimension to have. Keep stepping back until they choose not to guard you and bury it in their face. Riley went 8-of-12 on threes on the way to a 26-point night.

Sundiata Gaines, Georgia: Haven't seen the final box score yet, but he had 20 points and applied some suffocating defense. He's the consummate point guard -- tough in the lane, good court vision and scrappy on defense. He made life miserable for Ole Miss freshman point guard Chris Warren.