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What Happened Last Night
Cincinnati 65, Mississippi State 50: Mississippi State failed its first real test of the 2017-18 college basketball season, losing to Cincinnati to drop to 8-1 on the season. The good news is that State’s defense more or less did its job, holding Cincinnati under a point per possession.
But that wasn’t enough on a night when the Bulldogs shot 30 percent from the floor and committed 16 turnovers. Aric Holman had 18 points and 10 rebounds to lead Mississippi State, but of the 11 players who logged minutes for Mississippi State last night, seven of them were held scoreless — including Lamar Peters’ 0-11 performance from the field. Mississippi State should be a heavy favorite in its four remaining nonconference games, but this was its lone opportunity to add an impressive nonconference win.
Tonight’s Schedule
| Time (ET) | Game | TV/Streaming |
|---|---|---|
| 8:00 PM | Savannah State at Texas A&M | SEC Network+/WatchESPN |
| 8:00 PM | Sam Houston State at Ole Miss | SEC Network+/WatchESPN |
| 9:00 PM | Houston at LSU | SEC Network/WatchESPN |
Ugh.
I understand why finals week has a super light schedule, obviously. But, there are four SEC basketball games this week and two of them are Savannah State-Texas A&M and Sam Houston State-Ole Miss. Ole Miss is on a three-game losing streak, but Sam Houston is not very good — ranked 243rd in KenPom and 1-4 against Division 1 competition this season.
As for Savannah State-Texas A&M, well, Savannah State plays at the fastest tempo in the country! But this is also a game between #332 in KenPom and #5. If Savannah State is still in this game at the first media timeout, it will qualify as a mild upset.
That said, Houston-LSU should be interesting. LSU has looked improved over the first few weeks of the new season, while Houston has already beaten Wake Forest and Arkansas (the latter by 26 points) and is 8-1 on the season. LSU might not be a tournament team, but they could throw a wrench in Houston’s tournament chances.
Bad Gambling Advice
Last night: 0-1 ATS; Season to Date: 34-31 ATS
Houston (-1.5) at LSU: While I think LSU is vastly improved over last year, I think Houston is simply better and should steal a road win in Baton Rouge. This one will probably be close going either way, though.