We’re only a couple weeks away from the start of SEC play, which means that teams around the league still have a few opportunities to pick up non-conference wins.
There are three SEC teams in action on Friday, with each game offering its own intriguing storyline.
Let’s get to the picks.
Season Predictions Record (straight up): 108-26
Ole Miss vs. Middle Tennessee – 8 p.m. EST (Nashville, TN)
Kermit Davis will get the opportunity to go up against his former team, and his current team should be prepared given their nice five-game winning streak.
Meanwhile, the Blue Raiders have faced one of the most difficult non-conference schedules in the entire country, which has resulted in a seven-game losing streak for Nick McDevitt’s squad.
Simply put, this is undoubtedly a rebuilding year for the Blue Raiders, and that’s especially been the case on the offensive side of the court. Middle Tennessee ranks 343rd nationally in effective field-goal percentage (42.1 percent), 345th nationally in 3-point field-goal percentage (42.1 percent), and 351st nationally in turnover percentage (25.6 percent).
Those numbers aren’t ideal at all in facing an Ole Miss team that that has been very efficient on that side of the court (eighth nationally in effective field-goal percentage at 57.4 percent).
The Rebels should grab a big win here.
Prediction: Ole Miss 82, Middle Tennessee 66
No. 24 Furman at LSU – 8 p.m. EST, SEC Network+
The win over Saint Mary’s last week was big for LSU’s confidence, especially after the tough loss at Houston.
And the Tigers undoubtedly need to bring that confidence over to this matchup, as the Paladins remain unbeaten after earning their 12th straight win last Saturday over UNC Wilmington.
Furman already has road wins over Villanova and Loyola Chicago this season, so it seems unlikely that Bob Richey’s group will be rattled by the road atmosphere in Baton Rouge.
The Paladins may be able to take advantage of LSU’s struggles when it comes to defending the perimeter, with Furman making 36.4 percent of its 3-point shots while the home team is allowing opponents to average 36.6 percent from long range (274th nationally).
However, this just feels like the type of game that LSU thrives on given that it’s an opportunity to hand the visitors their first loss of the season.
Will Wade should have his team fully focused, so I’ll lean towards the Tigers in this matchup.
Prediction: LSU 83, Furman 75
Penn State at Alabama – 9 p.m. EST, SEC Network
Alabama has been playing pretty good basketball over the past few weeks after losing back-to-back games to UCF and Georgia State, and now it’ll prepare for another solid opponent.
Penn State has played tough in the majority of its losses this year, and Pat Chambers has his team playing well enough defensively to make this game interesting from start to finish.
But the problem for the Nittany Lions is that they haven’t been able to find consistency on offense, as they currently rank 261st nationally in both effective field-goal percentage (47.8 percent) and 2-point field-goal percentage (47.1 percent).
Of course, Alabama has had its moments as well when it comes to struggling to find offense, but the Crimson Tide seem to be figuring some things out as we get closer to conference play.
The Nittany Lions are 2-4 in games away from home this season, and one of those wins was the wild finish against Duquesne a few days ago.
With the Tide riding some momentum after the impressive performance against Liberty, they’re the better pick in this spot.
Prediction: Alabama 71, Penn State 64
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