Thanksgiving week got off to a start on Monday with plenty of exciting college basketball action around the country.
But it was LSU’s comeback win over Michigan in Maui that stole the show, as Will Wade now has the Tigers sitting at 3-0 and staring down a matchup with a Top 15 team in Notre Dame.
Yesterday proved that it’s not easy to pick neutral court games against power conference teams, which led to me picking wrong on LSU and Ole Miss.
However, the season record is still in good shape, and hopefully I’ll get back on track today with three very intriguing games on the SEC schedule.
As always, my predictions focus solely on team analysis and who I think will win.
Should you decide to use them for betting endeavors, you may be like Matt Foley on Saturday Night Live and soon wind up living in a van down by the river.
Let’s get to the picks.
Season Predictions Record (straight up): 42-6
No. 16 Texas A&M vs. Penn State – 6 PM EST, ESPN2 (Legends Classic)
In a development that should surprise absolutely no one, the Aggies looked fantastic with Robert Williams back in the mix.
He picked up where he left off last season in earning a double-double (11 points, 11 rebounds) and keeping his block streak going with two blocked shots on the night.
Billy Kennedy got great scoring balance all around, and freshman T.J. Starks kept up his impressive play with a stat line of nine points, six rebounds, and four assists.
Meanwhile, the Nittany Lions were dominant in cruising to a 31-point victory over Pitt, with six players scoring in double figures.
The good news for Penn State is that the victory was its fifth straight to start the season. The bad news for Penn State is that none of those five opponents come close to matching Texas A&M’s abilities.
Both teams have played good defense thus far this season, so it may be a lower scoring game.
And while it may be a grind-it-out type of game, I see no reason to pick against the Aggies here.
Prediction: Texas A&M 70, Penn State 63
UT-Arlington at No. 25 Alabama – 9 PM EST, SEC Network (Game Preview)
Here’s a game that should tell us a lot about the Crimson Tide.
This is undoubtedly the most complete team that Alabama has faced thus far, and it’s one that fields a couple of stellar talents in Erick Neal and Kevin Hervey.
Neal is averaging a double-double through two games, and he’s doing it with points and assists. That’s no shocker for those that have seen him play as he’s what makes this UTA offense go, and his matchup against Collin Sexton is must-see TV.
As for Hervey, the guy is a beast. He’s a tremendous scorer and rebounder, and at 6-9, he’s going to cause issues in a lot of different ways.
We’re going to see some 3-pointers put up in this game since UTA is making 12 per game and Alabama is making 11 per game so far this season.
Something else to watch out for: If this game is close in the final minutes, hitting free throws will be important. Unfortunately for Alabama, it currently ranks 346th in the country (out of 351) in shooting 52 percent from the line.
But despite the concerns in that aspect, I think the Crimson Tide have enough depth to slow down this dangerous and experienced UTA squad.
Prediction: Alabama 87, UTA 80
LSU vs. No. 13 Notre Dame – 10:30 PM EST, ESPN (Maui Invitational)
My gut told me to pick LSU against Michigan, but my analytical brain talked me out of it.
So, naturally, the Tigers made me look silly and scored what may have been a program-changing victory in Maui.
Now Will Wade’s squad will prepare for a Notre Dame team that features a stellar one-two punch in Bonzie Colson and Matt Farrell.
Colson is scoring 20.8 points and grabbing 10.3 rebounds per contest, while Farrell is averaging 18.3 points and knocking down three 3-pointers per game.
On the LSU side, Tremont Waters has been fantastic, and he’s making everyone else around him even better. Brandon Sampson, Duop Reath, Skylar Mays, and Aaron Epps are all playing good basketball right now, and I also like how sophomore Wayde Sims and freshman Brandon Rachal are developing early on.
And it’s that depth and athleticism that gives the Tigers a solid chance to win this game, especially if they play with the same type of energy and confidence that we saw against Michigan.
My gut is once again telling me that Will Wade and company have found something here and may pull off another surprising victory.
After all, the Tigers have absolutely nothing to lose and should play much looser than Notre Dame.
But since it worked for LSU last time around, I’ll go with my analytical brain and take the experience of Colson and Farrell in what should be another entertaining game.
However, no matter how this one turns out, it’s clear that Wade is building something special.
Prediction: Notre Dame 81, LSU 77
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