Long, long ago -- OK, late December -- the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference looked like America's toughest neighborhood.

LSU shocked everyone's pick to win it all, Arizona. That cleared the way for Alabama to be ranked No. 1. And Mississippi State had whipped the likes of Xavier and Oklahoma, rising strongly into the Top 10.

	Trey Pearson and Ole Miss lost to Auburn, blowing a chance to share the SEC West lead.

The ensuing weeks have been a humbling time in the mild, mild West.

LSU followed its shock-the-world win over Arizona with four losses to close the month of January and currently holds the worst record in the West at 1-6. (Not exactly what the NCAA Tournament selection committee is looking for.)

America has also discovered that Alabama cannot shoot (40 percent in league games) or win on the road (0-4 on the year), and remains a viable candidate for Worst No. 1 Team Ever. (Though Florida's performance in its debut game at No. 1 Tuesday night, a brutal beat-down at Kentucky, might give the Crimson Tide competition.)

Mississippi State got an immediate standing-eight count, losing its first three SEC games.

It has come to this in the West: Auburn is the top dog at a dizzying 4-3 -- including three straight losses to teams from the East.

"You can look at Kentucky, Florida and Georgia," Tigers coach Cliff Ellis said. "They've pretty much separated themselves. On our side, it's just a tough game every night out. ... This thing's not going to play out 'til the SEC tournament is over."

A caller on the Monday SEC teleconference pointed out to Mississippi coach Rod Barnes that if his 3-4 team defeats Auburn on Wednesday, it is guaranteed a share of the lead in the division.

Even though his team's four losses have come by a total of just 17 points, Barnes didn't seem to be thinking of his team in those terms. He sounded stunned.

"If you say we win at Auburn, we're 4-4 and we're tied for the West lead? That doesn't even sound right," Barnes said. (Don't worry, it's not. The Tigers beat Ole Miss 77-71 to remain atop the West at 5-3) "Especially for a team that's lost two home games (to Mississippi State by a point and Tennessee by two). ... That's crazy."

That's the West.

No team from that division has held serve at home this year. No one has a winning league record on the road. The longest current winning streak: Alabama, at one in a row.

Nobody looks good. But as a byproduct of that parity, everyone remains in contention. Even the likes of Arkansas, wobbling along at 1-5 in league play.

"It's funny," said first-year Razorbacks coach Stan Heath. "I've posted the conference standings on the West side for our team to see. We're only 2˝ games out of first place.

"With teams playing so well at home, I think it's going to be hard for anyone to run away and hide."

Especially when they must continue to play teams from the bullying East. This year's record is East 14, West 3. The previous three years the East has won more games as well.

The statistics bear it out. Of the 19 categories the SEC keeps stats on, teams from the West lead in just three (Arkansas in rebounding margin and offensive rebounds, Auburn in blocked shots).

The biggest problem is that teams from the West simply can't score like Kentucky, Florida and Georgia. Or even like Tennessee and Vanderbilt. In conference games, the top five teams in points per game are all from the East.

LSU has averaged 61 points per game during its current five-game losing streak. Mississippi State, which scored more than 70 points in its first 10 games of the year, has only broken 70 once in 2003. (That could be about to change, as the Bulldogs open a three-game home stand against Vandy, Arkansas and Ole Miss.) And until Alabama racked up 75 against LSU last Saturday, it hadn't broken 70 since before Christmas.

Of all the teams currently laboring in the West, the Tide's ebb is the most perplexing. Alabama appeared to slay many of its old demons about winning on the road and offensive stagnation last season, when it went 12-4 in the SEC to win the league by two games.

But even with all its main ingredients back, those problems have resurfaced. After dropping a 81-70 decision at Arkansas on Wednesday, the Tide is 0-4 on the road in the SEC.

"Our guys have been on the road and won big games," Mark Gottfried said. "They know how to do it.

"If we want to win the West and go to the NCAA Tournament, we've got to win somewhere outside of Tuscaloosa. And more than once."

Gottfried acknowledged that one of Alabama's problems has been freshman Kennedy Winston's transition into the lineup. After sitting out the first 11 games for receiving extra benefits in high school, Gottfried hustled Winston into a prominent role and he crashed. Winston was just 6 of 18 in a loss at Vanderbilt, while returning league player of the year Erwin Dudley took just seven shots.

"I might've thrust him (Winston) in there too quick," Gottfried said. "I think it's going to be a good marriage. We've just got to get past the transition part."

Gottfried said attitude is not an issue. Players just need to settle into their roles.

"I think that got us a little bit out of synch," he said. "We're going to find our rhythm a little bit more now."

It shouldn't take much. A little bit of rhythm could go a long way in the offkey West.

Games of the Week

Alabama at Florida Saturday Gators need to rebound from the Tuesday Night Massacre in Lexington. Tide needs to show it can win on the road. Who needs it more? We'll find out. Oklahoma State at Cincinnati Sunday Just what Bob Huggins' offensively challenged team needs to see: minister of defense Eddie Sutton and his Cowboys. Bearcats try to avoid their first three-game losing streak in four years against Louisville on Wednesday; they haven't lost four straight since 1988, when Tony Yates was the coach. Wake Forest at Marquette Sunday Major non-conference step-out for two hot teams. This would be a dandy quality win to put on the seeding résumé of the winner. Georgia at Kentucky Tuesday Bulldogs can only hope they don't find Rupp Arena to be the same cauldron of noise Florida found itself in this week. Winning would be impossible in that kind of atmosphere -- but that kind of atmosphere is not an every-game occurrence in Rupp.

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