Alabama Week 5 Review
Alabama picked up its first conference road win of the season on Tuesday (Feb. 2) as the Crimson Tide defeated Mississippi State, 82-80 in overtime. Retin Obasohan led the Tide with 25 points, and UA improved to 12-9 overall and 3-6 in league play. Alabama has a chance to add another conference win this weekend as it hosts Missouri.
Auburn Week 5 Review
The Tigers suffered a pair of losses last week, including an 80-68 home loss to LSU on Tuesday. Auburn had no answer for LSU’s Ben Simmons, and a poor shooting night from the outside only made matters worse. The Tigers also dropped a home game to Oklahoma State in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge over the weekend. With the losses, Auburn fell to 9-12 overall and 3-6 in conference play. AU travels to Athens to take on Georgia this Saturday (Feb. 6).
SEC Rankings
1. Texas A&M (18-3, 7-1)
2. Kentucky (16-6, 7-2)
3. Florida (15-7, 6-3)
4. LSU (14-8, 7-2)
5. South Carolina (19-3, 6-3)
6. Vanderbilt (12-9, 4-4)
7. Ole Miss (14-8, 4-5)
8. Georgia (12-8, 5-4)
9. Tennessee (11-11, 4-5)
10. Arkansas (11-11, 4-5)
11. Auburn (9-12, 3-6)
12. Alabama (12-9, 3-6)
13. Mississippi State (9-12, 2-7)
14. Missouri (8-14, 1-8)
Week 6 Previews and Predictions
Week 5: 15-3; season: 33-12
Saturday, Feb. 6
Missouri at Alabama. Missouri hasn’t won a true road game all season, so this should be a winnable home game for the Crimson Tide. Retin Obasohan has been one of the most improved players in the conference this season as well as the most consistent UA player throughout the year. Prediction: Alabama 67, Missouri 54.
Florida at Kentucky. The Gators have steadily improved throughout the year but have struggled to play consistently on the road. Florida would likely be an NCAA Tournament team at this point, but a road win at Kentucky would look great on a resume at the end of the season. Kentucky played well in a loss to Kansas but followed that up with a disappointing loss at Tennessee. Prediction: Kentucky 74, Florida 66.
South Carolina at Texas A&M. The Aggies pro-bably are the best team in the SEC right now and have been especially good at home. South Carolina has had difficulty winning on the road lately, and even at 19-3, the Gamecocks still might end up on the bubble for the NCAA Tournament. However, a road win in College Station would go a long way in improving the Gamecocks’ resume. Prediction: Texas A&M 65, South Carolina 57.
Auburn at Georgia. Auburn has yet to win a conference road game this season, and that’s unlikely to change this weekend against the Bulldogs. Georgia is on the outside looking in right now for the NCAA Tournament and cannot afford to lose to the Tigers at home. Prediction: Georgia 64, Auburn 58.
Mississippi State at LSU. At the beginning of the SEC play, LSU’s NCAA Tournament resume needed quite a bit of work. The Tigers are 7-2 halfway through the conference slate, and it looks like Ben Simmons will get to participate in March Madness before he’s the likely top pick in the NBA draft. Prediction: LSU 77, Mississippi State 68.
Tennessee at Arkansas. Neither the Razorbacks nor the Volunteers will make the NCAA Tournament this season, but both teams have played better in conference play thus far than many expected. Prediction: Arkansas 68, Tennessee 63.
Vanderbilt at Ole Miss. It has been a very disappointing season thus far for the Commodores. If they don’t make the NCAA Tournament, Kevin Stallings might find himself on the hot seat. Vandy is one of the two or three most talented teams in the SEC and should be better than what its record indicates. Prediction: Vanderbilt 75, Ole Miss 73.
Tuesday, Feb. 9
Tennessee 74, Auburn 65
Arkansas 68, MSU 65
Kentucky 80, Georgia 67
Florida 82, Ole Miss 71
Wednesday, Feb. 10
LSU 70, So. Carolina 68
Texas A&M 72, Ala. 69
Vanderbilt 78, Missouri 62