Happy early Turkey Day to all you turkeys out there, and if you like good basketball, there is a lot of it on tap this week.
Several SEC teams start to see their opposition get a bit tougher, and that will tell us more about their outlook this season.
I went 5-0 with yesterday’s picks, even if some of the scores were a bit off (thanks Florida and Georgia).
Let’s keep the momentum going with Monday’s picks.
Season Predictions Record (straight up): 38-4
No. 16 Texas A&M at Oklahoma State – 7 PM EST, ESPN2 (Legends Classic, Game Preview)
Robert Williams makes his return for the Aggies, which is a scary thought when you consider how good Texas A&M looked against West Virginia in Germany.
Oklahoma State is off to a fast start in blowing out Pepperdine, Charlotte, and Oral Roberts, but none of those teams are as deep as Billy Kennedy’s squad.
The Cowboys will get Jeffrey Carroll back from suspension, which is a big boost due to all that he brings to the table.
However, adding Williams to the mix is an even bigger boost for an already loaded Texas A&M team, and that’ll make the Aggies tough to slow down.
This may be a bit more difficult than expected for Williams and company, but they’ll pull out the win.
Prediction: Texas A&M 77, Oklahoma State 71
Emporia State at Missouri – 8 PM EST, SEC Network+
Emporia State opened up the season with back-to-back losses at Kansas State and Iowa State, although the Hornets only lost by nine in Ames.
Unfortunately for the visitors, they’ll be facing an angry Mizzou team that had a really rough outing at Utah. The Tigers shot 5 of 27 from 3-point land and couldn’t found consistency on either end of the court.
Of course, getting Michael Porter Jr. back would help that, but that seems unlikely in this game.
The good news is that the Tigers won’t need him to win this one.
Prediction: Missouri 84, Emporia State 61
Green Bay at Mississippi State – 8 PM EST, SEC Network+
The Bulldogs keep cruising right along in the early part of the season, and the return of Abdul Ado is a positive development.
Ado had 12 points, seven rebounds, and three blocks in 23 minutes of action against Florida A&M, and he should continue to build confidence and momentum throughout the non-conference slate.
Green Bay is coming off a 98-27 win over Lakeland, which included some interesting statistics:
- The Phoenix won by 71 and grabbed 71 rebounds (both school records)
- Lakeland shot 10 of 82 from the field and 3 of 48 from 3-point range
I can tell you with full confidence that Mississippi State will provide a little more competition than that.
Prediction: Mississippi State 82, Green Bay 63
Troy at No. 8 Kentucky – 8 PM EST, SEC Network
The young Cats are still trying to find chemistry and consistency, but perhaps the most promising note from the win over East Tennessee State was the scoring output of Quade Green.
The freshman point guard exploded for 25 points and gave Kentucky a much-needed boost after falling behind by 10 early on.
If Green can become more of a scoring threat and continue to improve on the defensive end of the floor, he could be the Wildcats’ top point guard option once conference play rolls around.
As for this game, don’t underestimate Phil Cunningham’s squad in this spot, as Jordon Varnado and Wesley Person are off to great starts.
But I’m not sure there will be enough around them to hold off an improving Kentucky squad.
Prediction: Kentucky 85, Troy 68
LSU vs. Michigan – 11 PM EST, ESPNU (Maui Invitational, Game Preview)
Here’s the first real test for the Tigers in the Will Wade era, as LSU’s first two games have come against lesser competition (although I still think Samford’s a good team).
This is the kind of game that will tell you a lot about a team. If Tremont Waters can give LSU some easy scoring opportunities in transition, it’ll go a long way towards possibly securing a victory.
Michigan will undoubtedly try to keep the tempo at a slower pace, and that’s where the Tigers will need to prove that they can stay disciplined on the defensive side of the court.
The late-night Maui games always provide high entertainment, and I see that being the case again here.
This is the toughest game of the night to predict, but in seeing how badly LSU struggled defensively in the second half against Samford, I think the Wolverines will find enough open shots to win it.
Prediction: Michigan 78, LSU 70
Ole Miss vs. Utah – 12:30 AM EST (MGM Grand Main Event)
If you’re an SEC basketball fan living the eastern time zone, you’ve got a long day ahead.
The Rebels and Utes will tip off after midnight, but considering what we’ve seen from both teams thus far, it’ll be worth staying up for.
The guard play of Ole Miss has been stellar as expected, and Terence Davis continues to make people look silly for not giving him the credit he deserves. He’s already averaging 20.3 points per game, and his overall efficiency is better than it was a year ago.
As for the opponent, Utah shellacked Mizzou last week, and Larry Krystkowiak has his team playing excellent defense right now.
The Utes are also getting good production from 6-10 forwards David Collette and Tyler Rawson, and that size advantage may prove important.
This game is essentially a coin flip, but I’m gonna take the Rebels to score a narrow victory.
Prediction: Ole Miss 80, Utah 79
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