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TODAY’S SCHEDULE
- Florida Gators vs. South Carolina Gamecocks (Noon ET/11 a.m. CT, CBS): An Elite Eight rematch from last year! These two teams are on opposite sides of the spectrum. Florida is in third place in the SEC at 7-4, while South Carolina finds themselves near the bottom in a logjam at 4-7. The last we saw the Gators, they handed LSU a 73-64 loss. The last we saw the Gamecocks, well, they lost their fourth game in a row. This time to Arkansas, 81-65, on the road in Fayetteville.
- Mississippi State Bulldogs vs. Missouri Tigers (2 p.m. ET/1 p.m. CT, ESPN2): While everyone’s still going crazy about Michael Porter Jr. and his possible return in CoMO, games still have to be played. Mizzou hosts Mississippi State on Saturday, and this game is quite pivotal. Both the Bulldogs AND the Tigers are 6-5 in SEC play and a win can free them from the current four-team jam.
- Auburn Tigers vs. Georgia Bulldogs (3:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. CT, SEC Network): Eighth-ranked Auburn will look to rebound against Georgia after their ill-fated trip to College Station. The Tigers still sit first in the SEC, but have Tennessee breathing down their necks. A loss on Saturday coupled with a win by Tennessee could hurt Auburn’s chances of getting the 1 seed in the SEC Tournament. This one will certainly be one to watch in Athens.
- Ole Miss Rebels vs. LSU Tigers (4 p.m. ET/3 p.m. CT, ESPNU): Ole Miss and LSU are both 4-7 in SEC play, so contention for a top seed in the SEC Tournament seems very unlikely. That said, both teams want to remove themselves from the logjam at the bottom. And this will represent an opportunity for each of them to do so. Who blinks first? We’ll find out.
- Tennessee Volunteers vs. Alabama Crimson Tide (6 p.m. ET/5 p.m. CT, SEC Network): This should be a very fun one, and the fact that this is on SEC Network is unfortunate. Collin Sexton and the Tide welcome Grant Williams and the second place Volunteers to Tuscaloosa for a mid-evening showdown. Tennessee has reeled off six wins in a row and are 9-1 in their last 10 games dating back to January 6. By contrast, Alabama is 2-3 in their last five but 6-3 in their last nine. Tennessee can down Alabama’s chances of getting near the top, as they stand at 6-5 in SEC play right now. You’ll want to pay attention to T-Town tonight.
- Kentucky Wildcats vs. Texas A&M Aggies (8:15 p.m. ET/7:15 p.m. CT, ESPN): I couldn’t tell you why a matchup featuring a team that’s 5-6 in SEC play and one that’s 6-5 in SEC play has the primetime slot... oh, right. We’re talking about Kentucky here. Anyways, mediocrity is no fun, and both UK and A&M will be hoping to avoid a 6-6 record (or worse in the case of A&M) in this game.
- Vanderbilt Commodores vs. Arkansas Razorbacks (8:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. CT, SEC Network): Last place Vanderbilt has had a woeful season, as they sit 9-15 overall and just 3-8 in conference play. They can play spoiler on the road, however, as they face Arkansas on Saturday night. The Hogs, at 16-8 and 5-6 in SEC play, can ill afford a bad loss. So they’ll have to hope they can get good energy from their crowd and avert a disaster.
Tom’s Picks
- Florida -2.5
- Mississippi State (+6)
- Georgia (+4.5)
- LSU (-4.5)
- Alabama (+2.5)
- Texas A&M (-4.5)
- Vanderbilt (+7)