Tuesday’s action in the SEC offered up several unexpected results, with the two Mississippi schools earning big wins on the road.
There should be even more competitive games on Wednesday, as the league’s top two teams try to bounce back from road losses last weekend.
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 the picks.
Season Predictions Record (straight up): 217-63
Georgia at South Carolina – 6:30 PM EST, SEC Network
Both of these teams are coming off of perhaps their biggest wins of the season, and there’s a lot on the line in terms of trying to move a step closer towards the right side of the NCAA Tournament bubble.
The Gamecocks have a bit more work to do in that department, but with remaining games against Mississippi State, LSU, and Auburn, there’s certainly an opportunity for Frank Martin’s squad to make a late push.
Meanwhile, the Bulldogs suffered through a poor start to league play, but have scored two straight wins that have boosted their tournament profile. Most bracketologists have Georgia in consideration right now, and it’ll still take a few more quality wins to feel good about grabbing one of the final at-large bids.
The first game between these two did not go as expected. South Carolina managed to win in Athens despite a very poor shooting day, so Georgia will be looking for revenge here.
This is as close to a toss-up as it gets considering where both teams are at, but I’ll give the nod to the Gamecocks in what should be a grind-it-out affair.
Prediction: South Carolina 65, Georgia 63
Alabama at No. 12 Auburn – 8:30 PM EST, SEC Network
Update: Auburn guard Mustapha Heron will not play due to illness.
Considering that the Tigers have been the most reliable team in the SEC this season, it’s easy to assume that they’ll bounce back from the South Carolina loss and be just fine.
However, what we don’t know is how the Anfernee McLemore injury will impact this team going forward. Yes, Auburn managed to nearly pull off a comeback in Columbia after McLemore went down, but it’ll be intriguing to watch how Bruce Pearl’s team adapts to the sophomore’s absence on the defensive end of the floor.
McLemore offered such a tremendous shot-blocking presence, and not having that in place could make things a bit easier on opponents.
Of course, the Crimson Tide already own a win over the Tigers this season, as they snapped Auburn’s 14-game winning streak back in January. Alabama won that game despite committing 19 turnovers, and John Petty’s 27-point outing definitely helped since Collin Sexton was sidelined due to injury.
If there’s a trend worth watching, it’s that Auburn enters as the SEC’s most efficient offense, while Alabama enters as the SEC’s most efficient defense. So, something has to give there.
The play of Donta Hall could be the difference between a win and a loss for the Tide, as he’s been on a tear as of late and could thrive even more with McLemore sidelined.
The good news for Auburn is that depth has been the theme all season long, and players like Horace Spencer and Chuma Okeke should step up and deliver even more quality minutes.
But for some reason, I just get a sense that Alabama finds a way to win this game. And since my track record of accurately predicting Alabama games hasn’t been too great this season, that’ll probably make Tide fans even more nervous (sorry, @HunterLJohnson) and Auburn fans even more confident (you’re welcome, @golfwizkid).
Prediction: Alabama 74, Auburn 72
Florida at No. 19 Tennessee – 9 PM EST, ESPN2
It feels like we’re always a game away from seeing the early-season Florida team reenter the picture, because the talent is obviously there with this team.
But the Gators just can’t seem to put it all together, and the most recent loss at Vanderbilt added another head-scratching loss to the record. Florida committed only three turnovers in that game, but missed a ton of open layups and allowed the Commodores too many open looks on the perimeter.
Up next? A showdown with a Tennessee team that has looked out of sorts since scoring a huge victory at Kentucky on February 6. The Vols are 1-2 since that one, with the lone win against South Carolina still leaving a lot to be desired.
I have no idea which Florida squad will show up, which makes this a difficult game to project. We’ve seen the Gators win at Kentucky, but we’ve also seen them look uninterested at times on the defensive side of the court.
Tennessee has been the more reliable team this season, and with Rick Barnes challenging Grant Williams to step up and play to his capability, I’ll take the Vols to pick up the victory.
Prediction: Tennessee 80, Florida 75
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