The 2017 SEC/Big 12 Challenge has finally arrived.
Here are thoughts on all 10 games.
Texas A&M (11-8) at West Virginia (16-4) – Noon ET, ESPN
There’s no reason to overthink this one.
West Virginia enters the game forcing the most turnovers of any team in the country (22.7 TPG). Texas A&M turned it over 25 times in back-to-back games against Kentucky and South Carolina.
Although the Aggies’ turnover woes have gotten better in recent games, they’ll resurface in Morgantown.
Prediction: West Virginia 76, Texas A&M 60
Florida (15-5) at Oklahoma (8-11) – 2 PM ET, ESPN
Texas A&M is the only SEC team that has lost its next game after beating LSU the game before. That’s good news for the Gators since they’re coming off a 106-71 win in Baton Rouge.
Oklahoma has lost 9 of its last 11 games, but winning on the road at West Virginia last week shows what the Sooners are capable of when everything comes together.
Mike White’s team really needs this win. The Gators should get it, but it’ll be far from easy.
Prediction: Florida 75, Oklahoma 71
Kansas State (15-5) at Tennessee (11-9) – 2 PM ET, ESPN2
People in SEC country that haven’t watched much Kansas State basketball this season likely don’t realize just how good Bruce Weber’s team has been.
The Wildcats are a blown walk call away from potentially having a road win over Kansas. They’ve also scored a home victory over West Virginia.
Meanwhile, Tennessee has seemingly started to find consistency with two straight home wins, with the upset of Kentucky obviously being the most important win of the season.
But this is a potential letdown spot for the Vols after the emotional win over the other Wildcats.
This game is one of the more evenly matched ones of the weekend, and I’ll take Kansas State to score a gritty road win.
Prediction: Kansas State 70, Tennessee 68
LSU (9-10) at Texas Tech (14-6) – 2 PM ET, ESPNU
With the way LSU has played, it’s hard to find another win on the schedule.
The Tigers just suffered a 35-point home loss, and in the process, gave up 106 points. Johnny Jones’ team has given up 92 points or more in six of its last nine games.
That makes Texas Tech the easy choice in this game.
Prediction: Texas Tech 82, LSU 68
Texas (8-12) at Georgia (12-8) – 4 PM ET, ESPN
The Bulldogs have gone from sure-fire No. 4 team in the SEC to middle of the pack in a span of a week. That’s life in this crazy conference.
On the bright side, Georgia hosts Texas team that’s been struggling to find its way for a while now.
Shaka Smart’s squad lost several head-scratchers in the non-conference slate, and things haven’t been much better in the Big 12 (2-6 in league play).
If the Bulldogs want to fight their way back into the NCAA tournament picture, this is a must-win.
Prediction: Georgia 70, Texas 65
Iowa State (13-6) at Vanderbilt (9-11) – 4 PM ET, ESPN2
What worries me about the Commodores entering this game is just how bad things were in the last six minutes of the Arkansas loss. Some teams are never the same after losing a game like that.
There’s also that fact that the Cyclones are in the top half of the Big 12 and played undefeated Gonzaga closer than any other team has this season (73-71 loss).
Vandy entered Friday with the toughest schedule in the country, so Bryce Drew’s team is no stranger to quality opponents.
Still, this is one of the best teams the Commodores have played this season. Iowa State scores early and often (36th in the country at 81 PPG), and most importantly, is sixth in the country in turnovers per game (10.3 TPG).
This should be a fun and high-scoring affair, and Vandy’s up and down nature this season makes it difficult to pick against the Cyclones.
Prediction: Iowa State 83, Vanderbilt 78
Arkansas (16-4) at Oklahoma State (12-8) – 4 PM ET, ESPNU
It was a huge boost of momentum for the Razorbacks to get the win in Nashville on Tuesday. Arkansas looks to be in good shape for an NCAA tournament berth right now, but bad losses aren’t something you want on your résumé.
Losing at Oklahoma State wouldn’t be a bad loss, but it would certainly be another solid win for the Moses Kingsley and company.
Although the Cowboys are 2-6 in Big 12 play, their first six games were brutal: vs. West Virginia, at Texas, at Baylor, vs. Iowa State, at Kansas and vs. Kansas State. Brad Underwood’s team has gotten back on track with wins over Texas Tech and TCU.
And it feels like the the winning streak will continue for Oklahoma State.
Prediction: Oklahoma State 87, Arkansas 80
Kansas (18-2) at Kentucky (17-3) – 6 PM ET, ESPN
Something tells me a few NBA teams will be interested in this game.
Of course, the lead up to this one is more intriguing than we expected. Kansas was blown out at West Virginia on Tuesday, while Kentucky lost at Tennessee.
John Calipari mentioned how it was a good thing that the Wildcats didn’t put together a comeback and win in Knoxville. And he’s right.
That loss allowed him to get his players’ attention, and it might wind up being an important loss for Kentucky moving forward.
I think it’ll help the Wildcats here. Winning at Rupp simply isn’t easy, and the home team gets the win in yet another thriller between these teams.
Prediction: Kentucky 91, Kansas 84
Baylor (19-1) at Ole Miss (12-8) – 6 PM ET, ESPN2
There was a time when I thought the Rebels could give Baylor a challenge. That’s no longer the case.
Had Ole Miss beat Texas A&M on Wednesday, I’d feel better about their chances. But as has been the case many times this season, the Rebels couldn’t get stops when they needed them.
Baylor’s had one awful performance this year, and that’s it. And that came at the hands of a team that plays consistent and physical defense (once again, West Virginia).
The Bears win this game.
Prediction: Baylor 82, Ole Miss 72
Auburn (13-7) at TCU (14-6) – 6 PM ET, ESPNU
Just when you thought Auburn may be getting back on track, the Tigers play terrible at South Carolina and erase all the good things they did against Alabama.
Most teams play terrible in Columbia, but even Bruce Pearl admitted that it was an obvious step back for his young team.
So, it doesn’t help that Auburn’s next game is against a TCU team that’s played solid basketball in the Big 12 despite a 3-5 record.
Jamie Dixon has done a fantastic job in his first season with the Horned Frogs, and his battle-tested team gets the victory at home.
Prediction: TCU 77, Auburn 71
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Blake Lovell has worked in sports media for over 10 years. He currently covers SEC football and basketball for various publications.