SEC Basketball teams have key Tuesday night games

There are three SEC basketball games on Tuesday and each of the six teams need wins. LSU is at Arkansas, Kentucky plays Vandy in Nashville and Missouri gets Ole Miss in Oxford.

Both Ole Miss and LSU are on the edge of ‘better luck next year’ seasons. But the situations for the two programs and the two coaches are quite different. In Oxford, the well-liked Kermit Davis might be at a career tipping point. His success at MTSU has not been replicated at Ole Miss, with a five-season record of 73-71.

At 1-6 in conference play and 9-10 overall, the Rebels have lost seven of their last eight games. A home loss on Tuesday could end any hope of a ’22-23 turnaround. Missouri goes to Oxford also needing a win, after losing at home to the Crimson Tide on Saturday. At 3-4 in the SEC and 14-5 overall, the Tigers are a solid contender for an NCAA Tournament slot. A bad loss to Ole Miss would severely hamper their Big Dance chances. A game-time decision is expected to be the return of Dennis Gates’ top player, Kobe Brown.

Unlike Ole Miss, LSU’s SEC record has been almost predictable. When LSU finally fired Will Wade and brought in Matt McMahon, the roster turnover was massive. The Bengal Tigers racked up 11 wins early and opened SEC play with a win over Arkansas. Since then they have lost six straight and the last three have been blowouts. The odds of a turnaround against Arkansas in Fayetteville are slim.

Arkansas gets LSU at a good time. The Razorbacks need every possible win after losing four of their last five games. Still hanging on to an NCAA Tournament spot in most predictions, the Razorbacks are 13-6 and 2-5 in SEC play. The Hogs cannot afford a home loss to LSU.

Rare SEC Basketball Must-Win for Kentucky

The third game of the night includes a must-win for the Kentucky Wildcats. Kentucky has beaten Vanderbilt in 13 straight contests and a loss to the Dores, even in Nashville would not be acceptable. In most NCAA bracket projections, the Cats are in a no stronger position than Arkansas.

Vanderbilt is 10-9 and 3-3 in SEC play. The Dores have won two of their last three games. In Vandy’s next five games, they have the Cats, Texas A&M and Alabama away, followed by Ole Miss and Tennessee in Nashville. They will not hit the SEC basketball cellar with those five games, but with a loss to Kentucky on Tuesday, the Dores could lose four of their next five. At some point, Jerry Stackhouse must build some winning momentum.

The SEC basketball Wednesday night slate has Georgia at Tennessee, South Carolina at Florida, Texas A&M at Auburn and Mississippi State at Alabama.