It was a wild first day of action in the 2019 NCAA Tournament, and the SEC made plenty of noise with its 4-0 start.
There are three teams set to take the court on Friday, as they’ll try to keep the league’s unbeaten streak going.
Let’s get to the picks.
Season Predictions Record (straight up): 233-80
No. 8 Ole Miss vs. No. 9 Oklahoma – 12:40 p.m. EST, truTV
The Rebels are back in the tournament in Kermit Davis’ first year on the job, and he’s done an excellent job putting his team in a position to succeed.
Of course, beating the Sooners won’t be an easy task, as they rank 20th nationally in adjusted defensive effiency, and that will present some challenges for an Ole Miss team that relies mostly on its guards to produce points.
But Oklahoma hasn’t exactly been the model of of consistency over the past few months, as Lon Kruger’s squad has lost 8 of its last 12 games and hasn’t beat an NCAA Tournament team since Nov. 21.
Even with the Sooners being the more experienced team, I’ll lean towards the Rebels to pick up the win due to their offensive abilities.
Prediction: Ole Miss 73, Oklahoma 70
No. 2 Tennessee vs. No. 15 Colgate – 2:45 p.m. EST, CBS
Despite not grabbing a No. 1 seed, Rick Barnes has his team in a great spot based on the potential path to the Final Four in the South Region.
Something the Vols will have to focus on in this one will be perimeter defense, as Colgate ranks 12th nationally in 3-point field-goal percentage (39.1 percent) and tends to play at a slower tempo to try to set up those shots.
However, the problem for the Raiders will be slowing down the loaded Tennessee attack, with the Vols sitting at third nationally in adjusted offensive efficiency.
Grant Williams and company have the intangibles to make a Final Four run, and they should play with a chip on their shoulder here after the way they lost to Auburn in the SEC Tournament title game.
Prediction: Tennessee 82, Colgate 65
No. 5 Mississippi State vs. No. 12 Liberty – 7:27 p.m. EST, truTV
The 5/12 matchup always produces interesting results, and there’s no doubt that the Flames play the type of style that could give Ben Howland’s team fits.
Liberty ranks 346th nationally in average offensive possession length (20.0 seconds) and ranks seventh nationally in both 2-point field-goal percentage (56.9 percent) and free throw percentage (77.9 percent).
That type of efficiency will certainly cause some issues for the Bulldogs, who simply have to be disciplined on the defensive side of the court if they want to avoid the upset.
But Mississippi State’s overall size and athleticism will likely play a big factor in attacking the glass and earning second chance opportunities, which should allow Howland’s group to grab the victory.
Prediction: Mississippi State 64, Liberty 57
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