Another interesting week of SEC basketball action has arrived.
What can we expect? Given the unpredictable games last week, your guess is as good as mine.
Let’s dive into the predictions for Tuesday’s games.
Auburn at No. 23 South Carolina – 6:30 PM ET, SEC Network
The Tigers played one of their best games of the season in a 20-point victory over rival Alabama on Saturday, and having Danjel Purifoy back healthy certainly helps heading into Columbia.
Meanwhile, South Carolina is trying to get back on track after a tough loss in Lexington. Sindarius Thornwell is still the player that makes this team go, but getting PJ Dozier back on the court is important. He sat out Saturday’s game due to back spasms, and it sounds like he may be ready for this one.
These two teams obviously have different strengths: Auburn is third in the SEC in scoring (79.1 PPG), and 12th in scoring defense (75.3 PPG). South Carolina is 12th in the SEC in scoring (70.8 PPG) and first in scoring defense (60.7 PPG).
Auburn’s home win over Alabama was a nice momentum boost. However, playing on the road against the league’s second best team is a different story.
The Gamecocks should use their outstanding defense to give the young Tigers fits, and turnovers will be the difference in this game.
Prediction: South Carolina 73, Auburn 65
Arkansas at Vanderbilt – 8:30 PM ET, SEC Network
Just like we all suspected, Vandy went into Gainesville and knocked off No. 19 Florida this past weekend. It made complete sense considering that the Commodores were riding a four-game losing streak.
In all seriousness, Bryce Drew’s team played one of its best games of the season. Vandy made big shots and got big stops down the stretch, which is an area they’ve struggled in throughout conference play.
As for the Razorbacks, they did what most teams do and that’s score 90-plus points in a win over LSU.
Arkansas is entering an important stage of its season where bad losses could greatly impact this team’s NCAA tournament resume.
The good news is that the Hogs are now at No. 31 in the RPI, so if they stay on the right track, a tournament berth seems likely.
The bad news is that I’m not sure they win this game in Nashville. Vandy proved it can beat the SEC’s top teams on any given night, and the confidence from the Florida win should carry over into this one.
The Razorbacks always seem to play well at Memorial Gym, but I’ll take the Commodores in a close game.
Prediction: Vanderbilt 75, Arkansas 73
No. 4 Kentucky at Tennessee – 9 PM ET, ESPN
Although it sounds like De’Aaron Fox is out of his walking boot, there’s no guarantee that he’ll play in this game.
Initially, the Wildcats struggled without him on the floor against South Carolina. As I discussed in the most recent episode of the Southeast Hoops podcast, that shouldn’t have come as a surprise since Fox is the coach on the floor for this Kentucky team.
Getting him back for Saturday’s game against Kansas will be crucial.
Now, let’s talk about Tennessee. The Vols bounced back from a head-scratching loss at Ole Miss by blowing out Mississippi State in Knoxville. So, Rick Barnes will come into this game playing well.
And then there’s the fact that Tennessee has already played some of the toughest teams in the country this season. Barnes’ squad didn’t back down against teams like Gonzaga, North Carolina, Wisconsin, and Oregon, so there’s no reason to expect the Vols to do anything but embrace this challenge.
We saw Vandy do it a few weeks ago, and we saw Mississippi State do it last week.
Will Tennessee be the next home team to give Kentucky fits? I think so.
I’m not prepared to pick the Vols to win this game, but this feels like yet another game where the No. 4 team in the country will be taken to the wire on the road.
Prediction: Kentucky 84, Tennessee 78
For more SEC basketball talk, be sure to subscribe to the Southeast Hoops podcast on iTunes. You’ll get every new episode delivered straight to your mobile device or desktop.
Blake Lovell has worked in sports media for over 10 years. He currently covers SEC football and basketball for various publications.