Auburn Week 1 recap
Auburn’s women’s basketball team started SEC play with a home victory over Arkansas and a loss on the road at Missouri. Coach Williams-Flournoy has the Tigers at 12-3 overall and 1-1 in the SEC. The Tigers will face Texas A&M and Tennessee this week.
Auburn’s men’s team kicked off the 2013 SEC season with a home win over LSU. Coach Tony Barbee’s Tigers improved to 7-7 overall and 1-0 in conference play. The Tigers will visit both South Carolina and Arkansas in the upcoming week.
Alabama week 1 recap
The Alabama women’s team dropped its first two SEC games to Texas A&M and Kentucky. Although both of those teams are ranked, it was not an ideal start to conference play for head coach Wendell Hudson. The Crimson Tide (10-5, 0-2) will look to get back on track this week as they face Georgia and Ole Miss.
The Crimson Tide men’s team also started the season on the wrong note, as Anthony Grant’s team lost their conference opener on the road to Missouri. Alabama (8-6, 0-1) has struggled recently but will have an opportunity to pick up two conference wins this week against Tennessee and Mississippi State.
SEC men’s rankings
1. Florida (11-2, 1-0)
2. Missouri (12-2, 1-0)
3. Ole Miss (12-2, 1-0)
4. Kentucky (9-4, 0-0)
5. Texas A&M (11-3, 1-0)
6. Tennessee (8-5, 0-1)
7. Arkansas (9-5, 0-1)
8. Alabama (8-6, 0-1)
9. LSU (9-3, 0-1)
10. South Carolina (10-4, 0-1)
11. Auburn (7-7, 1-0)
12. Vanderbilt (6-6, 0-0)
13. Mississippi State (6-7, 1-0)
14. Georgia (6-8, 0-1)
Week 2 Previews and Predictions
(Week 1 record: 3-3)
Thursday, January 10
Kentucky 75, VANDERBILT 64
Saturday, January 12
Tennessee at Alabama. Both teams suffered disappointing losses to open up conference play. Tennessee has struggled on the road this season, but Alabama has not fared much better at home. The Vols and the Crimson Tide both desperately need a victory to get back on the right track, and neither can afford to start conference play with a 0-2 record. Alabama 57, Tennessee 53
Auburn at South Carolina. Auburn has struggled mightily on the road under head coach Tony Barbee, but this could be a great opportunity to pick up a win away from Auburn Arena. Frank Martin is in his first year as head coach at South Carolina, and he is in the process of changing the identity of the program. If the Tigers can limit their turnovers and avoid any major scoring droughts, they should have a chance to pick up a much-needed road win. Auburn 62, South Carolina 57
Mississippi State at Georgia. Both Bulldog teams are in rebuilding seasons, but either team is talented enough to win games in the SEC. Mississippi State has had a difficult time winning games outside of Starkville, so Georgia figures to have the advantage going into this matchup. Georgia 58, Mississippi State 52
Texas A&M at Kentucky. Texas A&M won its first-ever SEC game at home over Arkansas. However, the Aggies’ first road game will be played in Rupp Arena against the Kentucky Wildcats, who have not lost a SEC home game under head coach John Calipari. The Wildcats are still learning to play together, but they should be able to knock off the Aggies in Lexington. Kentucky 72, Texas A&M 63
Florida at LSU. The Gators dominated Georgia in their conference opener, while LSU stumbled to a disappointing loss at Auburn. Florida head coach Billy Donovan has his team executing well on both ends of the court, but the Gators need to start performing better outside of Gainesville. Florida 73, LSU 66
Vanderbilt at Arkansas. Despite losing to Texas A&M in their SEC opener, the Razorbacks have a chance to be a dangerous team in the SEC. The Hogs have been great at home under head coach Mike Anderson, and if they want to contend for a NCAA tournament bid, they might have to run the table at home. Arkansas 80, Vanderbilt 67
Missouri at Ole Miss. The Rebels and the Tigers both are playing great basketball, and this should be a major test for each team. The Rebels have played exceptionally well at home, and a win over Missouri would provide a boost for their tournament resume. The Tigers are very capable of stealing this game on the road, so the Rebels will likely have to play their best game of the season. Ole Miss 77, Missouri 75
Tuesday, January 15
KENTUCKY 78, Tennessee 67
Ole Miss 75, VANDERBILT 68
Wednesday, January 16
ARKANSAS 71, Auburn 64
MISSOURI 82, Georgia 58
LSU 57, South Carolina 50
Alabama 65, MISSISSIPPI STATE 59
Thursday, January 17
Florida 74, TEXAS A&M 68