Today in SEC Basketball: January 8

Conference play marches on in the Southeastern Conference. With football officially in the rearview, basketball now takes centerstage, and a full lineup awaits us on this Tuesday night.

TENNESSEE VS. MIZZOU

The 12-1 Tennessee Volunteers hit the road to face the Missouri Tigers. The Vols haven’t lost since November 23 and have been outstanding of late. They made easy work of the Georgia Bulldogs, blowing them out by 46 in their first SEC contest of the year. Mizzou, meanwhile, comes into this game riding a six-game winning streak. They beat two Top 100 KenPom teams along the way in the UCF Knights and the Xavier Musketeers. This will be a strong test for the Tigers but it’s probably more likely that the Vols pick up the win here.

KENTUCKY VS. TEXAS A&M

Both the Kentucky Wildcats and Texas A&M Aggies come into this one 0-1 in conference play. UK lost their opener to Alabama, while the Aggies fell to the Arkansas Razorbacks. Thus, it will be desperation time for both as each team looks to avoid an 0-2 start. Kentucky hasn’t been 0-2 to start SEC play since the 2005-06 season. The longest they’ve spent under .500 in SEC play under Calipari is just one game, back in 2010-11. So, they’ll look to keep that trend going. But A&M would certainly like to spoil the start of league play for them.

ALABAMA VS. LSU

The Alabama Crimson Tide and LSU Tigers will matchup at the PMAC on Tuesday night. LSU rides a three-game win streak into this game, with a win on a neutral floor against Saint Mary’s being the highlight. ‘Bama, meanwhile, comes off of beating aforementioned Kentucky and has defeated the Arizona Wildcats, Liberty Flames and Penn State Nittany Lions as part of their current five-game win streak. That’s four Top 100 KenPom opponents, with a ranking of no lower than 65th (Liberty) and as high as 12th (Kentucky). Something’s gotta give in this one, and it could be a doozy in Baton Rouge.

SOUTH CAROLINA VS. MISSISSIPPI STATE

Finally, the Mississippi State Bulldogs will hit the road for the first time since November 30, as they take on the South Carolina Gamecocks. The Bulldogs are playing in just their second true road game of the season with only five games thus far away from their home in Starkville including four neutral site affairs. The Bulldogs are 12-1 and have won their last nine games as they roll into this one. Meanwhile, South Carolina is coming off a 71-69 victory over the Florida Gators and have pieced together two wins in a row. They are 6-7 though and may find themselves on the losing side of things again unless Chris Silva can play hero again and will them to victory.