The SEC/Big 12 Challenge is in the middle of January, unlike all of the other premier non-conference matchups, and I kind of like the set up. I'll be breaking down every game in the challenge here, and giving my thoughts on what to look for in every game. I'll be posting a review of this, including a look at how I did with my predictions, on Monday, so be sure to come back then. Also, follow me @ThreePointRange on Twitter for live thoughts on the games throughout the day.
Iowa State @ Mississippi
In arguably the best matchup of the day, the Cyclones come to Mississippi in the a battle of the backcourts. Both of these teams have incredibly talented perimeter players, with Marial Shayok of the Cyclones, who leads the Big 12 in scoring, and Breein Tyree, who is second in the SEC in PPG. This game could very well come down to who makes more threes, which is a recipe for a very fun game, and I'd highly recommend watching. They are both top 30 offensive units, and while Iowa State is a better defensive team, Mississippi is at home. These are two teams I really like, and I expect this one to come down to the wire.
Prediction: Iowa State 84-80 Mississippi
Alabama @ Baylor
The Crimson Tide take on Baylor in Waco, and after tough starts to their season, both teams have turned things around. Baylor suffered losses to Texas Southern and Stephen F Austin in non-conference play, and Bama fell to Northeastern and Georgia State, but they have turned things around in conference play, with Baylor sitting at 4-2 in the Big 12 and Alabama being a travel call away from holding wins over Kentucky and Tennessee. The Bears are a tough, grind you down team, and I'm really interested to see how Alabama handles this physicality. They need to exploit Baylor's turnover issues and run in transition, since I worry about their half court offense against a team like Baylor who will shake up their defenses and throw Alabama off. It should be a good one, and I'm interested to see how it shakes out.
Prediction: Alabama 73-67 Baylor
Florida @ TCU
Florida has really struggled to find their groove offensively so far this year, with Jalen Hudson seemingly forgetting how to score the basketball, and TCU has suffered losses to their depth with 4 players transferring out of the program, including star guard Jaylen Fisher. What has been fascinating to me is how Mike White has gotten the Gators to play tough defense, ranking in the top 10 in the nation and they force a lot of turnovers. The key matchup in this one will be Alex Robinson and Andrew Nembhard. TCU's senior point guard is a wizard passing the ball, dishing out 7.9 assists a game, but he'll have to deal with the freshman Nembhard's 6'5" frame and his knack for forcing turnovers. I trust Robinson to be able keep playing his game, and TCU certainly has the ability to slow down Florida's offense, as they do a great job guarding the three point line. They can exploit the Gators on the interior given Florida's lack of size, so at home, I think they'll be a little too much for Florida.
Prediction: TCU 68-60 Florida
South Carolina @ Oklahoma State
South Carolina has been really great so far in the SEC with their excellent defensive play, and I absolutely love the Cowboys as I've mentioned before. I love watching them play, and I think they key to the game is if Oklahoma State can speed up South Carolina, and I definitely think they can. The Gamecocks have issues turning the ball over, and I definitely think the Cowboys can get out in transition, and an up-tempo can certainly favors the home team. If that is the case, look for OK State's point guard Isaac Likekele to have a breakout game, as he is dynamic in transition. We have also seen South Carolina struggle to defend the three point line, so I think Lindy Waters, a sharpshooter from Oklahoma State who we saw go off for 20 points in his last game against Oklahoma, can have another big performance.
Prediction: Oklahoma State 70-61 South Carolina
Texas @ Georgia
Texas is traveling to play Tom Crean and Georgia, and it's a weirdly intriguing game for me. What I'm going to be looking at really closely is the front court matchup between Jaxson Hayes and Nic Claxton. They are two of the premier shot blockers in the nation, and they are both fluid bigs who have intriguing NBA skill sets. Hayes is arguably the premier rim runner in college basketball at the moment, and he hit a growth spurt late in high school, so he has some guard like skills. Claxton meanwhile is basically a guard despite standing 6'11", and he often is initiating offense and playing downhill. Neither one of these teams shoots the ball well from deep, and I think Texas is better defensively overall, so give me the Longhorns on the road.
Prediction: Texas 73-59 Georgia
Kansas State @ Texas A&M
This one shouldn't even really be a conversation, as Kansas State has turned a corner since Dean Wade has returned, and the Wildcats have looked a lot better offensively which pairs really well with their elite defense. Meanwhile, A&M has been atrocious this season, barely being able to score and also being fairly average defensively, and they have a nice 7-10 record overall and hold one win in conference play. It isn't a long discussion for me at all: the Wildcats should completely shut down the Aggies and roll in this one.
Prediction: Kansas State 68-49 Texas A&M
West Virginia @ Tennessee
This is another game that is very straight forward for me, with Tennessee sitting as the best team in the country and they are coming off two close wins, while West Virginia is 1-6 in conference play. Tennessee is absolutely elite, and they have strong enough guard play to withstand the pressure of West Virginia, especially with questionable guard play. I also can't wait to watch Tennessee murder the Mountaineers on the interior as WVU should be without Sagaba Konate, and their best source of offense is offensive rebounding, which Tennessee limits. We've also seen the Vols blow out inferior opposition, so I'm expecting that again in this game.
Prediction: Tennessee 88-67 West Virginia
Vanderbilt @ Oklahoma
Vanderbilt has to be the best winless team in conference play, as the Commodores are very good, although they are still attempting to figure out how to play sans Darius Garland. They have played close games against some very good teams, and I think they have begun to figure out how to win, and I'm a big believer in Aaron Nesmith to be a very good player the rest of the year. However, Oklahoma is certainly no slouch, as they are one of the best defensive units in the nation, especially defending the interior. Christian James will need to be big for the Sooners, as the star senior can sort of drift out of games, like when he scored just 5 points in his last game. It could come down to who can get more buckets overall, and if you looked at the records, this would be an easy one, but I think it will be much closer than you'd think.
Prediction: Oklahoma 65-59 Vanderbilt
Kansas @ Kentucky
The headliner of the challenge is the battle of two bloods, both top 10 teams, and it should be an excellent game. However, I actually think that the names are promising a better game than we'll end up get. This is a Kentucky team rolling right now, with 5 straight victories, and they are entering this game after blowing the doors off Mississippi State. Kansas is going to be without Udoka Azubuike, who is out for the season, and they have a few areas of weakness that Kentucky should able to exploit. For one, the guard play for Kansas is a major question mark, and Ashton Hagans has the ability to stick with the speed of Devon Dotson and force him into bad decisions, just like he did against Coby White. Also, the Cats should be able to take it to the Jayhawks on the interior since Kansas is going small ball with Dedric Lawson at the five, and I don't know who on Kansas can guard PJ Washington. Finally, this Kentucky team has surged from behind the arc, with Tyler Herro and Keldon Johnson making it rain from deep, and I think they will outgun Kansas from three, so I think this is an easy one, especially given it is in Lexington.
Prediction: Kentucky 84-76 Kansas
Arkansas @ Texas Tech
Arkansas is one of my favorite teams to watch in the nation, with a fun style of play, a legit lottery pick in Daniel Gafford, and Isaiah Joe, who is an absolute gunner from downtown. However, I think they will really struggle in Lubbock. The Red Raiders have the best defense in the nation, and they should shut down Arkansas. While I don't know if the Razorbacks will turn the ball over that much given the sure hands of Jalen Harris and Mason Jones, but I really think they'll struggle to get any sort of penetration and open shots, and Tariq Owens has the ability to to a good job on Gafford. Tech also has the best player on the floor in Jarrett Culver, and I think this could be a huge game for him after a few tough ones. I don't know who on Arkansas will stop him, so I think Tech should roll at home.
Prediction: Texas Tech 71-58 Arkansas
Final Total: Big 12 7-3 SEC
Iowa State @ Mississippi
In arguably the best matchup of the day, the Cyclones come to Mississippi in the a battle of the backcourts. Both of these teams have incredibly talented perimeter players, with Marial Shayok of the Cyclones, who leads the Big 12 in scoring, and Breein Tyree, who is second in the SEC in PPG. This game could very well come down to who makes more threes, which is a recipe for a very fun game, and I'd highly recommend watching. They are both top 30 offensive units, and while Iowa State is a better defensive team, Mississippi is at home. These are two teams I really like, and I expect this one to come down to the wire.
Prediction: Iowa State 84-80 Mississippi
Alabama @ Baylor
The Crimson Tide take on Baylor in Waco, and after tough starts to their season, both teams have turned things around. Baylor suffered losses to Texas Southern and Stephen F Austin in non-conference play, and Bama fell to Northeastern and Georgia State, but they have turned things around in conference play, with Baylor sitting at 4-2 in the Big 12 and Alabama being a travel call away from holding wins over Kentucky and Tennessee. The Bears are a tough, grind you down team, and I'm really interested to see how Alabama handles this physicality. They need to exploit Baylor's turnover issues and run in transition, since I worry about their half court offense against a team like Baylor who will shake up their defenses and throw Alabama off. It should be a good one, and I'm interested to see how it shakes out.
Prediction: Alabama 73-67 Baylor
Florida @ TCU
Florida has really struggled to find their groove offensively so far this year, with Jalen Hudson seemingly forgetting how to score the basketball, and TCU has suffered losses to their depth with 4 players transferring out of the program, including star guard Jaylen Fisher. What has been fascinating to me is how Mike White has gotten the Gators to play tough defense, ranking in the top 10 in the nation and they force a lot of turnovers. The key matchup in this one will be Alex Robinson and Andrew Nembhard. TCU's senior point guard is a wizard passing the ball, dishing out 7.9 assists a game, but he'll have to deal with the freshman Nembhard's 6'5" frame and his knack for forcing turnovers. I trust Robinson to be able keep playing his game, and TCU certainly has the ability to slow down Florida's offense, as they do a great job guarding the three point line. They can exploit the Gators on the interior given Florida's lack of size, so at home, I think they'll be a little too much for Florida.
Prediction: TCU 68-60 Florida
South Carolina @ Oklahoma State
South Carolina has been really great so far in the SEC with their excellent defensive play, and I absolutely love the Cowboys as I've mentioned before. I love watching them play, and I think they key to the game is if Oklahoma State can speed up South Carolina, and I definitely think they can. The Gamecocks have issues turning the ball over, and I definitely think the Cowboys can get out in transition, and an up-tempo can certainly favors the home team. If that is the case, look for OK State's point guard Isaac Likekele to have a breakout game, as he is dynamic in transition. We have also seen South Carolina struggle to defend the three point line, so I think Lindy Waters, a sharpshooter from Oklahoma State who we saw go off for 20 points in his last game against Oklahoma, can have another big performance.
Prediction: Oklahoma State 70-61 South Carolina
Texas @ Georgia
Texas is traveling to play Tom Crean and Georgia, and it's a weirdly intriguing game for me. What I'm going to be looking at really closely is the front court matchup between Jaxson Hayes and Nic Claxton. They are two of the premier shot blockers in the nation, and they are both fluid bigs who have intriguing NBA skill sets. Hayes is arguably the premier rim runner in college basketball at the moment, and he hit a growth spurt late in high school, so he has some guard like skills. Claxton meanwhile is basically a guard despite standing 6'11", and he often is initiating offense and playing downhill. Neither one of these teams shoots the ball well from deep, and I think Texas is better defensively overall, so give me the Longhorns on the road.
Prediction: Texas 73-59 Georgia
Kansas State @ Texas A&M
This one shouldn't even really be a conversation, as Kansas State has turned a corner since Dean Wade has returned, and the Wildcats have looked a lot better offensively which pairs really well with their elite defense. Meanwhile, A&M has been atrocious this season, barely being able to score and also being fairly average defensively, and they have a nice 7-10 record overall and hold one win in conference play. It isn't a long discussion for me at all: the Wildcats should completely shut down the Aggies and roll in this one.
Prediction: Kansas State 68-49 Texas A&M
West Virginia @ Tennessee
This is another game that is very straight forward for me, with Tennessee sitting as the best team in the country and they are coming off two close wins, while West Virginia is 1-6 in conference play. Tennessee is absolutely elite, and they have strong enough guard play to withstand the pressure of West Virginia, especially with questionable guard play. I also can't wait to watch Tennessee murder the Mountaineers on the interior as WVU should be without Sagaba Konate, and their best source of offense is offensive rebounding, which Tennessee limits. We've also seen the Vols blow out inferior opposition, so I'm expecting that again in this game.
Prediction: Tennessee 88-67 West Virginia
Vanderbilt @ Oklahoma
Vanderbilt has to be the best winless team in conference play, as the Commodores are very good, although they are still attempting to figure out how to play sans Darius Garland. They have played close games against some very good teams, and I think they have begun to figure out how to win, and I'm a big believer in Aaron Nesmith to be a very good player the rest of the year. However, Oklahoma is certainly no slouch, as they are one of the best defensive units in the nation, especially defending the interior. Christian James will need to be big for the Sooners, as the star senior can sort of drift out of games, like when he scored just 5 points in his last game. It could come down to who can get more buckets overall, and if you looked at the records, this would be an easy one, but I think it will be much closer than you'd think.
Prediction: Oklahoma 65-59 Vanderbilt
Kansas @ Kentucky
The headliner of the challenge is the battle of two bloods, both top 10 teams, and it should be an excellent game. However, I actually think that the names are promising a better game than we'll end up get. This is a Kentucky team rolling right now, with 5 straight victories, and they are entering this game after blowing the doors off Mississippi State. Kansas is going to be without Udoka Azubuike, who is out for the season, and they have a few areas of weakness that Kentucky should able to exploit. For one, the guard play for Kansas is a major question mark, and Ashton Hagans has the ability to stick with the speed of Devon Dotson and force him into bad decisions, just like he did against Coby White. Also, the Cats should be able to take it to the Jayhawks on the interior since Kansas is going small ball with Dedric Lawson at the five, and I don't know who on Kansas can guard PJ Washington. Finally, this Kentucky team has surged from behind the arc, with Tyler Herro and Keldon Johnson making it rain from deep, and I think they will outgun Kansas from three, so I think this is an easy one, especially given it is in Lexington.
Prediction: Kentucky 84-76 Kansas
Arkansas @ Texas Tech
Arkansas is one of my favorite teams to watch in the nation, with a fun style of play, a legit lottery pick in Daniel Gafford, and Isaiah Joe, who is an absolute gunner from downtown. However, I think they will really struggle in Lubbock. The Red Raiders have the best defense in the nation, and they should shut down Arkansas. While I don't know if the Razorbacks will turn the ball over that much given the sure hands of Jalen Harris and Mason Jones, but I really think they'll struggle to get any sort of penetration and open shots, and Tariq Owens has the ability to to a good job on Gafford. Tech also has the best player on the floor in Jarrett Culver, and I think this could be a huge game for him after a few tough ones. I don't know who on Arkansas will stop him, so I think Tech should roll at home.
Prediction: Texas Tech 71-58 Arkansas
Final Total: Big 12 7-3 SEC
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