It was another 2-0 night for the SEC, as both Georgia and Texas A&M earned victories on Monday.
There are five SEC teams in action on Tuesday, which includes an entertaining showdown at the Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden.
Let’s get to the picks.
Season Predictions Record (straight up): 77-16
Georgia State (5-3) at Alabama (5-2) – 8 p.m. EST, SEC Network+
The Crimson Tide have faced a challenging slate of opponents thus far this season, and things won’t get any easier here with D’Marcus Simonds and company coming to town.
Simonds is averaging 21.6 points per game right now, and his playmaking ability to is going to present a difficult test for Avery Johnson’s group.
Luckily for Alabama, it’s already had to face a future NBA lottery pick in Ja Morant, so perhaps that matchup will help a bit in this spot.
Georgia State has the edge in experience, but what worries me is the Panthers’ ability to keep Alabama off the offensive glass.
When you combine that with the fact that Georgia State shoots 59.4 percent from the free-throw line (337th nationally), the Tide seem like the better pick.
Prediction: Alabama 80, Georgia State 71
UT Arlington (3-5) at Missouri (4-3) – 8 p.m. EST, SEC Network+
Missouri is coming off a huge home win over UCF, which saw Cuonzo Martin’s team produce another nice shooting performance from beyond the arc.
The Tigers went 12 of 29 for 41.4 percent in that game, and they now lead the SEC in 3-point field-goal percentage at 38.3 percent.
As for the Mavericks, they’re in a transition phase under new head coach Chris Ogden. However, they are currently 16th nationally in 3-point field goal defense (26.9 percent, and that may help against the Tigers.
But the problem is that UT Arlington is shooting just 22.4 percent from the perimeter (351st nationally, and with Missouri holding a huge size advantage, it’s hard to see Ogden’s squad getting enough quality looks to win this game.
Prediction: Missouri 74, UT Arlington 58
McNeese State (2-5) at No. 22 Mississippi State (6-1) – 8 p.m. EST, SEC Network+
Mississippi State continues to roll right along following its only loss of the season back in mid-November.
The Bulldogs have won three straight, which included an impressive road win at Dayton last Friday.
There’s just not a whole lot to be concerned about in this particular matchup, as McNeese State ranks in the bottom tier nationally in the majority of the important defensive categories.
And given Mississippi State’s size and ability to attack the glass, it should result in a big victory.
Prediction: Mississippi State 84, McNeese State 55
UNC Asheville (1-6) at No. 8 Auburn (6-1) – 8 p.m. EST, SEC Network
Auburn returns to action following a 50-point drubbing of Saint Peter’s last week, and it’s clear that Bruce Pearl’s team has enough firepower to capture another SEC title.
The Tigers are ranked 10th nationally in both offensive and defensive efficiency, and they continue to dominate the glass on offense with 17.0 offensive rebounds per game (second nationally) and a 40.7 offensive rebounding percentage (fifth nationally).
That’s not an ideal setup for a UNC Asheville squad that is in rebuilding mode under first-year head coach Mike Morrell.
Another big problem? UNC Asheville is currently last nationally in turnover percentage (29.9 percent) while committing 18.7 turnovers per game (349th nationally).
With Auburn’s ability to turn defense into offense, this could be a major struggle for the Bulldogs.
Prediction: Auburn 88, UNC Asheville 50
Florida (4-3) vs. West Virginia (5-2) – 9 p.m. EST, ESPN
This game features a battle between two teams who want to be a bit more consistent.
Bob Huggins’ squad has rebounded from its 1-2 start by winning four straight, but the Mountaineers are still trying to figure some things out on both sides of the court after the graduation of do-it-all point guard Jevon Carter.
Oddly enough, the Gators are in a similar boat in trying to replace the hard-nosed Chris Chiozza, who did a little bit of everything for Mike White and company.
But there’s still plenty of talent on the court for each team, and despite being a work in progress early on, they both have what it takes to put it all together.
Florida’s inconsistencies on offense have held this group back a bit, but the 98-point effort against North Florida a week ago may help build some confidence moving forward.
Turnovers may decide this one, as surprisingly, Florida has been much more effective at forcing mistakes (51st nationally with 16.3 turnovers forced per game) than West Virginia has at this point (221st nationally with 13.3 turnovers forced per game).
With the Gators’ playing some pretty good defense through seven games, I’ll lean towards them to make more plays down the stretch in securing a much-needed win.
Prediction: Florida 73, West Virginia 71
For more SEC basketball coverage, follow me on Twitter @theblakelovell.