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SEC Basketball Preview: Ranking every game for Saturday, Jan. 18, men’s hoops slate
By Adam Spencer
Published:
SEC basketball is off to a roaring start. This league is every bit as deep as we thought it would be, and we’re just getting league action underway.
The SEC only has 2 unbeaten teams at this point in the conference schedule, with both Auburn and Ole Miss sporting perfect 4-0 marks thus far. On the other end of the spectrum, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Arkansas are off to 0-4 starts.
Who can turn things around? Who can stay hot? We’ll find out starting this Saturday! Below, I’ve ranked each of the 8 Saturday games on a scale of 1 to 5 stars. Let’s dive right in:
5-Star Games
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
No. 4 Alabama at No. 8 Kentucky — 12 p.m. ET on ESPN
The SEC day starts with an absolute banger. Alabama just lost at home to Ole Miss. Kentucky has won 2 impressive games in a row. You know the Rupp Arena crowd will be rocking. Can the Tide bounce back from an awful shooting night and get the ball to go through the net in Lexington? Or will the Wildcats get the upper hand in a matchup of the No. 2 team in KenPom’s offensive efficiency rankings (Kentucky) and the No. 7 squad (Alabama)?
No. 1 Auburn at No. 23 Georgia — 1 p.m. ET on SEC Network
Auburn managed to score a big win against Mississippi State even without Johni Broome. To beat a top-15 team without perhaps the Player of the Year in college hoops is an impressive feat. However, a road trip to Athens is not a given like it has been in years past. Asa Newell is legit and Mike White has his Georgia squad playing an exciting brand of basketball.
No. 21 Ole Miss at No. 15 Mississippi State — 6 p.m. ET on ESPN2
These teams don’t like each other. That’s putting it lightly. Ole Miss takes its perfect SEC record on the road to face a Mississippi State team that wants nothing more than to blemish that mark. Expect this game to get chippy, folks.
4-Star Games
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Texas at No. 5 Florida — 4 p.m. ET on ESPN2
The Gators just lost at home to Mizzou. Is this a blip on the radar or a sign of troubled waters ahead? My guess is that it’s just a blip. But this Texas game will teach us a lot about Todd Golden’s Florida squad. Expect the Longhorns to put their best foot forward, as they need a win to improve their 1-3 SEC record.
3-Star Games
⭐⭐⭐
Arkansas at Mizzou — 6 p.m. ET on SEC Network
Arkansas is an absolute dumpster fire right now. This team has too much talent to have a loss to LSU on its résumé. John Calipari’s first year in Fayetteville is not going well, to say the least. Meanwhile, Mizzou and Dennis Gates are bouncing back nicely from an 0-18 SEC record last season. The Tigers are 3-1 now and have a win at No. 5 Florida to pair with a nonconference home victory over then-No. 1 Kansas. If the Hogs lose this road game, things will get even uglier for Calipari.
No. 6 Tennessee at Vanderbilt — 3:30 p.m. ET on SEC Network
Tennessee suffered an embarrassing loss at Florida, but has since looked more like its usual self. An 18-point home win over No. 23 Georgia this week was a great sign. Heading to Vanderbilt isn’t an easy assignment, but it is a game the Vols should win and win comfortably.
2-Star Games
⭐⭐
LSU at No. 11 Texas A&M — 8:30 p.m. ET on SEC Network
LSU pulled off a somewhat surprising win against Arkansas its last time out. Although as I mentioned earlier, perhaps we shouldn’t be too surprised since Arkansas is an absolute mess. Meanwhile, Texas A&M is a so-so 2-2 in SEC play thus far and can’t afford to let a game like this slip away at home.
1-Star Games
⭐
South Carolina at Oklahoma — 4 p.m. ET on ESPNU
These teams are both 0-4 in SEC play thus far. Oklahoma at least has a few quality nonconference wins under its belt. South Carolina’s only real victory of note came in a rivalry game against Clemson. I expect the Sooners to defend their home court in this matchup and get their first-ever conference win as a member of the SEC.
Players to Watch
Let me just start this section, as always, by saying these are not the ONLY players I want to watch this week, they’re just some guys I want to highlight for this particular Saturday schedule. This week’s Players to Watch are:
Tamar Bates, Mizzou
Bates showed flashes of brilliance last season, but this year, he’s put it all together. He gets it done on both ends of the court and rises to the occasion in big games. He scored 29 points earlier this year in the Tigers’ upset over then-No. 1 Kansas. And this week, he posted 5 steals in a top-5 road win over Florida. This Mizzou squad is infinitely better than last year’s, and Bates’ improvement is a big reason why.
Zakai Zeigler, Tennessee
Speaking of steals, no one is better at picking pockets than Zeigler. He had 6 steals in this week’s win against a talented Georgia squad. In the process, he nabbed his 213th career steals, setting the Vols’ career record. He’s stealing the ball on the court and stealing Tennessee fans’ hearts off it.
Coach of the Week
Chris Beard, Ole Miss
The Rebels just went to Alabama and won convincingly. Ole Miss is now a perfect 4-0 in SEC play. No. 1 Auburn is the only other undefeated SEC team through 4 games of league action. Chris Beard is doing great things in Year 2 in Oxford. Now he has to head to Starkville to take on a tough Mississippi State squad. If he keeps guiding his team to tough road wins, the Rebels have a real chance to earn a top-4 seed and a double-bye in the SEC Tournament.
Relevant Quote from “The Office”
“I don’t talk trash; I talk smack. They’re totally different. Trash talk is all hypothetical, like, ‘Your mama’s so fat, she could eat the Internet.’ But smack talk is happening, like, right now. Like, ‘You’re ugly and I know it for a fact ’cause I got the evidence right there.'” — Kelly Kapoor
Seems particularly relevant with some big-time rivalry games on the schedule this weekend. Enjoy the games, y’all!
Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 14 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.