It was another wild Tuesday in SEC basketball, as Auburn’s loss at Arkansas allowed Tennessee to move closer to grabbing at least a share of the regular season title.
And then there was Florida’s blowout win over Alabama, which moved the Crimson Tide back to bubble territory.
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): 226-68
LSU at South Carolina – 6:30 PM EST, SEC Network
The Gamecocks have won two straight home games, and that may not be good news for an LSU team that has lost six straight on the road.
These two teams are trying to avoid a Wednesday night game at next week’s SEC Tournament in St. Louis, and a win here would go a long way towards making that happen.
South Carolina’s offensive issues are still concerning, but Frank Martin’s squad has shown enough physicality and toughness in Columbia to make this a tough test for the Tigers.
I’ll go with the Gamecocks to grind out the victory.
Prediction: South Carolina 72, LSU 68
Ole Miss at No. 23 Kentucky – 7 PM EST, ESPN2
It seemed like only a matter of time until the Wildcats found their way, and their three-game winning streak against likely NCAA Tournament teams shows how far Kevin Knox and company have come.
Kentucky is playing with the energy and swagger that is typical of a Kentucky team entering March, and that’s not good for opposing teams.
That’s especially the case for an Ole Miss squad that’s won only once on the road this season, although that victory did come recently in taking down Missouri last week in overtime.
There’s simply too much size up front for the Wildcats, and they should be able to find plenty of second chance opportunities in picking up the win.
Prediction: Kentucky 83, Ole Miss 69
Texas A&M at Georgia – 8:30 PM EST, SEC Network
I’m not sure anyone knows what to expect from this game, as we’ve seen both teams put on more than a few head-scratching performances this season.
But what they both have going for them right now is that they’re coming off of impressive wins, so confidence and momentum shouldn’t be an issue.
Texas A&M’s frontline can be difficult to deal with, and Georgia is one of the few teams that can come close to matching up well with the Aggies. We should see both teams try to pound the ball inside, and this is definitely a game where the rebounding battle should make a huge difference.
While the Aggies haven’t been great on the road, I just get a sense that they’ll find a way to score the victory.
Prediction: Texas A&M 65, Georgia 63
[smbtoolbar]