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SEC Basketball Preview: Ranking every game for Saturday, Feb. 1, men’s hoops slate
By Adam Spencer
Published:
SEC basketball returns on Saturday with yet another loaded slate of games. We have 3 ranked-on-ranked matchups to look forward to during this weekend’s SEC slate.
We also get to see the return of coach John Calipari to Kentucky. His current Arkansas squad isn’t doing so well, so it could get pretty ugly for Coach Cal.
The day starts at noon on ESPN with perhaps the biggest game of the day, featuring No. 5 Florida visiting Rocky Top to take on a slumping Tennessee squad that desperately needs a win to stay in the top 10.
Without any further ado, let’s dive into the rankings for this weekend’s 8 SEC men’s hoops games:
5-Star Games
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
No. 5 Florida at No. 8 Tennessee — noon ET on ESPN
Tennessee needs a win in the worst way. The Vols have fallen to 4-4 in SEC play after back-to-back losses to Vanderbilt and Kentucky. This is the second time the Vols have played the Gators. As you’ll recall, the first time these 2 teams met, Tennessee was embarrassed to the tune of a 73-43 loss. Can the Vols keep things closer this time around on their home court?
Arkansas at No. 12 Kentucky — 9 p.m. ET on ESPN
John Calipari returns to Lexington for the first time since making the move to Arkansas. Let’s just say it might not be the warmest reception for the title-winning coach. Fans soured on his teams in recent years. But this year’s Kentucky squad is looking strong under Mark Pope. The Wildcats will look to stay above .500 in SEC play with a win in this game.
4-Star Games
⭐⭐⭐⭐
No. 20 Mizzou at No. 14 Mississippi State — 1 p.m. ET on SEC Network
It’s never easy to go to Starkville. This year’s Mississippi State squad is a tough foe, too. But Mizzou is much better than most fans and media members anticipated. Caleb Grill is the national leader in 3-point percentage. The Bulldogs will counter with Josh Hubbard, who is coming off a 38-point effort in a midweek loss to Alabama. This should be an elite matchup.
No. 1 Auburn at No. 23 Ole Miss — 2 p.m. ET on ESPN
Auburn just keeps winning. The Tigers have been tested, but have passed every single time. Johni Broome continues to look like the National Player of the Year. Ole Miss just took down Texas, but has been up and down a bit lately. Can the Rebels do what no other SEC team has done thus far and beat the Tigers? We’ll find out on Saturday afternoon.
3-Star Games
⭐⭐⭐
Georgia at No. 4 Alabama — 4 p.m. ET on ESPN2
Alabama star Mark Sears bounced back nicely after a game at LSU in which he didn’t score a single point and was benched in the second half. He had 17 points in a strong road win at Mississippi State on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Georgia is coming off a convincing home win over South Carolina. I expect the Tide to win, but the Bulldogs and Asa Newell will have a top-5 upset on their minds.
No. 24 Vanderbilt at Oklahoma — 3:30 p.m. ET on SEC Network
Vanderbilt has been a fun team to watch this season. The Commodores have been dominant at home, taking down ranked Tennessee and Kentucky squads recently. However, hitting the road is never easy in SEC play. Oklahoma desperately needs a ranked win to add to its résumé, so the Sooners will give the Commodores all they can handle.
2-Star Games
⭐⭐
No. 13 Texas A&M at South Carolina — 8:30 p.m. ET on SEC Network
This game gets an extra star because the Gamecocks have been feisty at home. South Carolina has put scares into Auburn, Florida and Mississippi State when they’ve come to Columbia. Can Texas A&M avoid a bad loss? We’ll see if the Aggies can build on the momentum from Tuesday’s home win over Oklahoma.
1-Star Games
⭐
Texas at LSU — 6 p.m. ET on SEC Network
How loaded is the SEC this year? This is the only matchup that doesn’t include at least 1 ranked team. Texas has been playing some good basketball lately, though. The Longhorns just lost at Ole Miss, but it was a close game. I expect Texas to take care of business on Saturday night at LSU against a Tigers team that’s 1-6 in SEC play.
Players to Watch
These are not the ONLY players I want to watch this week, they’re simply some guys I want to highlight for this particular Saturday of SEC hoops. This week’s Players to Watch are:
Chris Youngblood, Alabama
Youngblood was a 3-point specialist who wasn’t making many 3-pointers earlier this season. But now he seems to be finding his groove. He’s scored 10+ points in 4 of his last 6 games. In a big road win at Mississippi State on Wednesday, he had 23 points and made 7 of his 10 3-point attempts. The USF and Kennesaw State transfer has shot 40% or better from distance each of the last 3 years. His percentage this season is slowly climbing. If he’s hitting them at a 40% rate come March, watch out.
Caleb Grill, Mizzou
Mizzou is rolling lately. The Tigers are 5-2 in SEC play, good for a third-place tie with Florida (but Mizzou has the head-to-head win over the Gators). Grill’s play has been a big reason for Mizzou’s resurgence. He’s making 48.3% of his attempts from long range, which is the highest percentage in the country. If the Tigers are going to score a key road victory on Saturday in Starkville, Grill will need to light it up from distance once again. I’ll be watching to see how Dennis Gates and his staff scheme up looks for Grill against the Bulldogs’ aggressive defense.
Coach of the Week
Mark Pope, Kentucky
As Kentucky prepares for the return of John Calipari on Saturday, fans couldn’t be much happier with their current coach. Pope’s Wildcats are coming off a road win at Tennessee on Tuesday. Beating Calipari’s struggling Arkansas squad would put Kentucky at 5-3 in league play. The Wildcats are playing an up-tempo style of basketball under Pope. Per KenPom, the Kentucky has the No. 5 offense and is No. 37 in adjusted tempo. Arkansas, meanwhile, is No. 100 offensively and No. 105 in tempo. Kentucky fans are happy with Pope’s style.
Relevant Quote from “The Office”
“I’m an early bird and I’m a night owl, so I’m wise and have worms.” — Michael Scott
Tune in early for Tennessee-Florida and stay up late for Kentucky-Arkansas. It’s a wall-to-wall great day of SEC basketball on Saturday. Enjoy the games, y’all!
Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.
