A small handful of rivalry games shape the weekend basketball slate for the Southeastern Conference.
All 14 SEC teams will be in action this weekend including all five on the conference’s ranked teams.
Texas A&M will travel to Tuscaloosa to take on No. 15 Alabama in the first game of the Saturday SEC schedule, taking place at 12:00 p.m. ET in Coleman Coliseum. The Aggies toppled Tennessee in College Station last week but followed it up with a loss at the buzzer to Vanderbilt in Nashville during the week. Alabama, on the other hand, are winners of four out of the last five but fell to Auburn last weekend on the road.
While it may not be a true rivalry, there’s certainly no love lost between the Aggies and the Crimson Tide.
A true rivalry game will take place at 1:00 p.m. ET as the Georgia Bulldogs host the Florida Gators in Stegeman Coliseum. Florida is looking to continue building on a late rise for the NCAA tournament while the Bulldogs, losers of five straight games, simply look to get back in the winning column in front of the home fans in Athens. Two of the Bulldogs’ losses in that time came in one-possession games.
After suffering a brutal defeat at the hands of Tennessee over the week, Arkansas will now head out on the road to take on Mississippi State at 2:00 p.m. ET in The Hump. The Razorbacks have been trading wins and losses in the last few weeks while the Bulldogs will aim to build on a two-game winning streak over Missouri and Georgia.
Then, in the 3:30 p.m. slot, No. 11 South Carolina will look to bounce back from a midweek 40-point loss to Auburn with a home game against LSU. Considering the Tigers have lost three straight games and four out of their last five, the Gamecocks should be able to find a win on Saturday afternoon in Colonial Life Arena.
ESPN’s College Gameday headlining game will take place at 6:00 p.m. on the flagship network with No. 13 Auburn hosting No. 22 Kentucky. As previously mentioned, the Tigers just came off of a 40-point win over a team that many considered the fastest-rising team in the sport. Will there be a hangover? Continued dominance? Kentucky, on the other hand, did find a win over Ole Miss this past week but had lost four of their last six prior to that. The Wildcats are searching for answers as February starts to close down.
An in-state rivalry clash will also take place at 6:00 p.m. as No. 8 Tennessee hosts Vanderbilt in Thompson-Boling Arena. The Vols took care of business against the Commodores earlier in the season and are coming off of a dominant win over Arkansas in Fayetteville despite a couple of losses in recent weeks. Tennessee should be primed for a big win back in Knoxville for a rivalry clash. Vanderbilt, meanwhile, found a nice win against Texas A&M this past week but are still looking at a 2-9 conference record heading east to Knoxville.
And, lastly, the Ole Miss Rebels will host the Missouri Tigers in the late slate at 8:30 p.m. in the Sandy and John Black Pavilion. A very movable force will meet a very non-resistive front on Saturday night when the Rebels host the Tigers. Missouri has lost five straight (winless in SEC play) while Ole Miss is struggling in their own right with three straight losses. These teams have done a lot of losing lately, but by the nature of the sport, something’s gotta give in Oxford. Someone has to win… right?
It should be a fun weekend of SEC basketball with a Top 25 clash in Auburn and a couple of rivalry games scattered throughout the day. Stay tuned to Rocky Top Insider on Saturday for complete live coverage from Tennessee-Vanderbilt in Knoxville.
More from RTI: Tennessee Guard Named to Naismith Trophy Midseason Team
SEC Basketball (Feb. 17)
Texas A&M at No. 15 Alabama
- 12:00 p.m. ET
- ESPN
Florida at Georgia
- 1:00 p.m. ET
- SEC Network
Arkansas at Mississippi State
- 2:00 p.m. ET
- ESPN U
LSU at No. 11 South Carolina
- 3:30 p.m. ET
- SEC Network
No. 22 Kentucky at No. 13 Auburn
- 6:00 p.m. ET
- ESPN
Vanderbilt at No. 8 Tennessee
- 6:00 p.m. ET
- SEC Network
Missouri at Ole Miss
- 8:30 p.m. ET
- SEC Network
RTI Project Winners: Alabama, Florida, Mississippi State, South Carolina, Auburn, Tennessee, Ole Miss
