No. 1 Auburn at No. 2 Alabama
Saturday, Feb. 15 — Coleman Coliseum — Tuscaloosa, Alabama
3 p.m. on ESPN
This hardwood rendition of the Iron Bowl pits the two best teams in the nation against each other. The in-state rivals face off for the first time this season with more than bragging rights on the line. The Crimson Tide have been on a tear, with seven wins in a row as they welcome the Tigers to town.
Auburn sits atop the throne of hoops with only two losses this season. The result of this matchup will have huge implications on not just SEC standings, but will also determine seedings come Selection Sunday. There will be plenty of points to go around for both squads as Alabama has the highest scoring offense in the country and Auburn trails not far behind, as the two teams average 90.5 and 84.8 points, respectively.
With the season winding down, these top-tier games just mean more, so securing a win of this magnitude means a ton for either program. The Crimson Tide are going to keep rolling and steal the No. 1 crown from the travelling Tigers.
Prediction: Alabama 82, Auburn 78
No. 22 Mississippi State at No. 19 Ole Miss
Saturday, Feb. 15 — The Sandy and John Black Pavilion — Oxford, Mississippi
5 p.m. on ESPN
Egg Bowl? More like Egg Ballin’, because both these teams find themselves part of the stacked SEC. Mississippi State has already defeated Ole Miss once this season — thanks to a giant scoring burst from junior guard Riley Kugel off the bench in a narrow 84-81 victory in Starkville, Mississippi. This time around the Bulldogs will have to trek into Rebel territory, where the boys in Navy and Cardinal recently knocked off the No. 14 Kentucky Wildcats.
These two teams are extremely similar on paper, with only a one-point differential in points per game and only three points separating their defensive averages. The Bulldogs will need a better showing from sophomore G Josh Hubbard, who went 2-for-13 from the field in the close win. Ole Miss senior G Sean Pedulla will look to replicate his previous performance against Miss State where he dropped 18 points despite poor shooting from 3-point range.
Ole Miss and its Rebel offense simply has too much scoring artillery, as coach Chris Beard looks to lead them to their first Tournament appearance since 2019.
Prediction: Ole Miss 89, Mississippi State 81
No. 15 Kentucky at Texas
Saturday, Feb. 15 — Moody Center — Austin, Texas
7 p.m. on ABC
For the first time since the 2008 season, Kentucky is led by a coach not named John Calipari, but like any true blue blood of college basketball, the Wildcats are not letting a different man in charge derail their success. Meanwhile, there has been a learning curve for Texas and coach Rodney Terry in the program’s first season as a member of the SEC.
The Longhorns have heavily depended on future NBA lottery pick freshman G Tre Johnson all season. The new-look Wildcats have shifted from their former reliance on one-and-dones, now utilizing the experience and grown-man strength of seasoned upperclassmen.
Kentucky will be looking to string together victories over teams in orange and white, as it most recently took down the No. 5 Tennessee Volunteers. Texas will be hoping its home court advantage plays a factor, as it did against ranked teams Texas A&M and Missouri. New coach, who dis? It’s Mark Pope, and he’s leading his alma mater to a win in the Moody Center.
Prediction: Kentucky 91, Texas 78
Vanderbilt at No. 5 Tennessee
Saturday, Feb. 15 — Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center — Knoxville, Tennessee
12 p.m. on SEC Network
Perennial powerhouse Tennessee has been on a tear in its 10th season under coach Rick Barnes, with only losses against ranked teams Kentucky, Auburn and Florida. Oh, and the unranked Vanderbilt Commodores who stormed the court after narrowly upsetting the Volunteers, 76-75. Senior G Chaz Lanier missed a free throw in the clutch to tie things up, putting a huge asterisk on his excellent 17-point outing.
The Commodores will be travelling to Rocky Top this time around, where the fans are sure to let the traveling players hear every decibel of anger. Tennessee expects the best on the court, and a season with two losses to the Black and Gold is not acceptable for its standards. Vanderbilt junior G Jason Edwards hopes to recreate his successful performance from three-point range once again.
Clutch-factor isn’t really a skill you can teach, so if Tennessee wants to beat Vanderbilt — and more importantly — make its first Final Four appearance with Barnes, you have to make your free throws.
Prediction: Tennessee 87, Vanderbilt 77
