It’s a big weekend in the world of SEC basketball, with lots of important pre-conference play matchups on the schedule.
Things tip off on Friday with several intriguing matchups, while Saturday is loaded with good games across the board.
As always, my predictions are based on team analysis and who I think will win. Score projections are for my own amusement.
Let’s get to today’s picks.
Season Predictions Record (straight up): 125-26
Temple at Georgia – 1 PM EST, SEC Network
The Bulldogs made easy work of Georgia Tech, but it’s hard to trust this team with the inconsistency issues still present.
Temple has a few tough losses to La Salle and George Washington, and the 20-point home loss to Villanova was a bit unexpected more for how the game played out rather than the result.
Still, the Owls have played a difficult non-conference slate, and wins over Auburn, Clemson, and South Carolina shouldn’t be ignored.
Defense is the calling card for both these teams, and they do a good job of taking care of the ball – Temple is 17th nationally with only 10.9 turnovers per game. So, this will be a grind-it-out type of game where every possession will matter.
I’m going to roll the dice and side with Yante Maten and company, but this isn’t a confident pick at all.
Prediction: Georgia 67, Temple 65
Bradley at Ole Miss – 7 PM EST, SEC Network+
This game may be a bit of a challenge for the Rebels.
Bradley is 10-2 and playing with a lot of confidence, despite the schedule being very manageable.
The Braves have been really good on the defensive end of the floor, and if they can force Ole Miss into taking bad shots, things could get interesting.
The problem for Bradley could come on offense, where it currently averages 15.3 turnovers per game (290th nationally).
I can’t see this one being all that pretty, but the Rebels should hang on for the victory.
Prediction: Ole Miss 74, Bradley 66
Incarnate Word at Florida – 7 PM EST, SEC Network
Here’s another game where the Gators should easily handle their opponent, but that didn’t happen in Wednesday’s matchup against James Madison.
Florida continues to let teams hang around way too long, and while it doesn’t come back to bite you against below average competition, it does against good competition.
Incarnate Word has only beaten one Division I team this season, and in road games against the two best teams on its schedule thus far (Houston and Gonzaga), the Cardinals have lost by an average of 37 points.
Florida should win big, but I have no idea what to expect from this team right now.
Prediction: Florida 87, Incarnate Word 67
Alcorn State at Vanderbilt – 7 PM EST, SEC Network+
The Commodores finally got a break from their brutal schedule and scored a blowout win over Houston Baptist on Wednesday.
And now, it should get even easier against an Alcorn State team that is 4-8, with all four wins coming against non-Division I competition.
According to KenPom, the Braves are 320th in offensive efficiency and 338th in defensive efficiency.
This one shouldn’t be close.
Prediction: Vanderbilt 83, Alcorn State 60
North Florida at LSU – 8 PM EST, SEC Network+
North Florida’s non-conference schedule has been brutal, with the Ospreys already making trips to Michigan State, Michigan, VCU, Florida, Miami, and Missouri.
Meanwhile, LSU rebounded from the tough Stephen F. Austin loss with a big win over Sam Houston State, and this should be another game that leans in the Tigers’ favor.
North Florida has struggle defensively against top-tier competition, and with Tremont Waters leading the way, LSU should cruise to another win before heading into Memphis next Thursday.
Prediction: LSU 91, North Florida 73
Texas at Alabama – 9 PM EST, ESPN2 (Game Preview)
There will be numerous NBA scouts in attendance, as all eyes with be on Alabama guard Collin Sexton and Texas center Mo Bamba.
However, what’ll decide this game will be the supporting cast. And at this point, I think the Tide are stronger in that area than the Longhorns.
John Petty and Dazon Ingram are both proven scorers for Alabama, while Donta Hall has had a monster season in the paint. Plus, Braxton Key is back on the court, and while he didn’t play well against Mercer, that had more to do with rust than anything else.
Bamba is certainly a game-changer for Texas, and Dylan Osetkowski has been excellent in averaging 15.2 points and 7.5 rebounds per game.
But it’s what the Longhorns are missing that may play a key role in this game. Andrew Jones is still out due to injury, and not having him on the perimeter against the likes of Sexton, Petty, and Ingram isn’t ideal.
Texas has been awful from beyond the arc (340th nationally at 27.9 percent) and at the free-throw line (343rd nationally at 61.4 percent), so it’s hard to trust the Longhorns to win a game like this against a high-powered Alabama offense.
Sexton should put on a show and lead the Tide to the win.
Prediction: Alabama 77, Texas 68