The SEC jumped out to a 4-0 start in the 2018 NCAA Tournament on Thursday, which kept the momentum rolling after landing three teams in the Elite Eight last season.
Four more teams will be in action on Friday, so it’s another chance for the league to continue its rise in the postseason.
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, which are more abbreviated than usual due to already doing in-depth previews on each of these games and regions.
Season Predictions Record (straight up): 248-73
No. 7 Texas A&M vs. No. 10 Providence – 12:15 PM EST, CBS (West Region Preview)
The Aggies have a tendency to want to shoot a lot of jump shots, but that can’t happen if they want to win this game.
Providence is very good at defending the 3-point line, so Texas A&M must pound the ball inside and not settle for outside shots.
I still don’t completely trust the Aggies at this point, but if they run everything through Tyler Davis and Robert Williams, they have a good chance at advancing to round two.
This may be my least confident pick of the day, as Ed Cooley is an excellent coach that’ll have his team ready to play.
Prediction: Texas A&M 70, Providence 68
No. 7 Arkansas vs. No. 10 Butler – 3:10 PM EST, truTV (East Region Preview)
Mike Anderson has the Razorbacks playing their best basketball of the season, and that’s a good thing considering the opponent.
Butler has proven its ability to beat top-notch teams this season, so the Bulldogs aren’t gonna back down from the challenge despite struggling to find victories down the stretch.
If the Hogs can control the tempo, they should be able to find enough scoring opportunities to win.
But I like the toughness of this Butler team, so I’ll go with the lower seed to get the victory.
Prediction: Butler 74, Arkansas 72
No. 4 Auburn vs. No. 13 Charleston – 7:27 PM EST, truTV (Auburn’s Midwest Preview)
Both teams will play small ball and try to spread the floor to find open shooters.
Just like in the Arkansas/Butler game, tempo is going to matter. Charleston will try to slow the pace, while Auburn will want to get out in transition and pick up easy points.
The Cougars have been one of the hottest teams in the country since mid-January, but I like this matchup for Bruce Pearl’s team.
If the Tigers can get their mental edge back, they should be able to grab the win.
Prediction: Auburn 73, Charleston 64
No. 8 Missouri vs. No. 9 Florida State – 9:50 PM EST, TBS (Missouri’s West Preview)
While Michael Porter Jr. should be ready to go for Missouri, not having Jordan Barnett on the floor makes this a difficult game to predict.
Barnett is a tremendous shooter, so that makes things a little bit easier for Florida State on the perimeter.
But the Seminoles aren’t exactly coming in with a ton of confidence. They’ve only beaten one NCAA Tournament team since late January, so this doesn’t seem like a terrible matchup for Cuonzo Martin’s squad.
Porter should a bigger impact than he did in his first game back, and I think that’s the difference here.
Prediction: Missouri 71, Florida State 68
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