It’s a loaded Friday schedule in the world of SEC basketball.
There are eight games on the schedule, which features Auburn and South Carolina continuing their tournament play.
And since there is only one Saturday game around the league, I went ahead and added that prediction into the mix.
The season predictions record looks good thus far, but that is sure to change as we start to see more competitive games around the SEC.
Let’s get to the picks.
Season Predictions Record (straight up): 26-3
Friday
South Carolina vs. UTEP – 10:30 AM EST, ESPNU (Puerto Rico Tip-Off)
The Gamecocks were fine defensively in the loss to Illinois State, but the concerns that we’ve had all offseason showed up.
South Carolina was simply not good on the offensive end of the floor, and with Chris Silva playing only 17 minutes due to foul trouble, it made for a bad combination.
Without Sindarius Thornwell and P.J. Dozier on the court, there are still going to be moments where this team struggles to find that one go-to-guy that can take over a game at a moment’s notice.
Silva can be that guy, but when he’s on the sidelines, it changes the dynamic of the offense.
As for this matchup, UTEP had a six-point lead on Boise State with two minutes left, but couldn’t seal the deal.
My guess is that Frank Martin’s team is more focused, and the Gamecocks grind out the win.
Prediction: South Carolina 68, UTEP 63
Auburn vs. Temple – 11 AM EST, ESPN2 (Charleston Classic, Game Preview)
The most intriguing game of the day in the SEC as Bruce Pearl’s team looked excellent on Thursday.
But now it’s about keeping the momentum going against a tough Temple team that will try to slow things down and force Auburn into playing more of a half court game.
If that happens, I have my worries about the Tigers’ ability to stay disciplined and not foul on potentially lengthy offensive possessions.
However, if Pearl can get his team running up and down the floor and once again turn defense into offense, that’ll bode well for Auburn’s chances to advance to the Charleston Classic title game on Sunday.
The Tigers have more depth and seem to be on a mission right now, so they’re my pick here.
Prediction: Auburn 79, Temple 73
Georgia State at Ole Miss – 7 PM EST, SEC Network+
The Rebels have opened with two victories to start the season, and it’s no surprise that their backcourt has been the driving force.
Ole Miss’ top four scorers in the Eastern Kentucky game were all guards, and its top three against Louisiana-Lafayette were as well.
Meanwhile, Ron Hunter has a sneaky good team that forced 23 turnovers at Rice.
It’s also worth noting that Georgia State has attempted at least 34 3-pointers in each of its first two games.
I have a feeling this one could be close if the Panthers shoot it well.
Prediction: Ole Miss 80, Georgia State 72
ETSU at No. 7 Kentucky – 7 PM EST, SEC Network (Game Preview)
It seems like people were shocked that Kentucky didn’t get blasted by 30 by Kansas.
But as I’ve repeatedly said, when you have that much talent on the floor, you’re always going to have a chance to win.
John Calipari still has some tweaking to do, but this is still a team that can win the SEC.
The Cats use the momentum from the Kansas game to score a big win here.
Prediction: Kentucky 91, ETSU 70
Alabama A&M at Alabama – 7 PM EST, SEC Network+ (Game Preview)
As Philip Williams mentioned in our game preview for this one, Avery Johnson put together a really strong non-conference schedule for the Crimson Tide this season.
However, this is one of those games that shouldn’t be all that competitive.
Donnie Marsh still has major rebuilding to do after Alabama A&M went 2-27 last season, but give the Bulldogs credit for playing tough at both Ohio and Samford to start the season.
The Tide will roll.
Prediction: Alabama 92, Alabama A&M 54
UC Santa Barbara at No. 16 Texas A&M – 7 PM EST, SEC Network+ (Game Preview)
Still no Robert Williams for the Aggies, but man did they look great without him in Germany.
What I’ve liked most about this team is the contributions of the freshman group, with T.J. Starks and Savion Flagg playing quality minutes against West Virginia.
Texas A&M takes care of business.
Prediction: Texas A&M 82, UCSB 60
Fresno State at Arkansas – 8 PM EST, SEC Network+
This will be the final tune-up for Arkansas before heading to the PK80 next week.
Of course, few SEC teams were as impressive as the Hogs last week, and the reason for success had a lot to do with dominating the glass and scoring off of turnovers.
Rodney Terry’s squad may present some challenges after shooting 64 percent in a win over Cal State Northridge, but I like the Razorbacks to pull away in the second half and head into the Oklahoma game with a lot of momentum.
Prediction: Arkansas 83, Fresno State 71
UNC Asheville at Vanderbilt – 8 PM EST, SEC Network+
The Commodores struggled mightily in losing at Belmont earlier in the week.
However, that loss doesn’t look all that bad after the Bruins went to Middle Tennessee State on Thursday and captured another big win.
Still, there are some concerns with Vanderbilt’s offense right now in trying to find an identity following the departure of Luke Kornet.
On a positive note, the freshmen have looked good thus far, and that adds depth to an already solid backcourt.
This won’t be easy, though. Guards Ahmad Thomas and Macio Teague combined to average 33.4 points per game last season, and both are among the best that the Big South has to offer.
Bryce Drew should have his team focused after the Belmont loss, and that should allow the Commodores to get the win.
But this may be close for a while.
Prediction: Vanderbilt 75, UNC Asheville 66
Saturday
Florida A&M at Mississippi State – 4 PM EST, SEC Network+
After opening the season with a big home win over Alabama State, the Bulldogs return home to face the Rattlers.
Mississippi State doesn’t play a road game until December 12 at Cincinnati, so Ben Howland certainly has some time to help his squad built confidence in the early going.
There are some difficult matchups before that trip to play the Bearcats, but this isn’t one of them.
Prediction: Mississippi State 94, Florida A&M 63