SEC Basketball: Vols no help to the Tide in College Station

After a tumultuous Tuesday for the Alabama basketball program, this post will not join what rapidly became a national debate. A perspective about Brandon Miller and Nate Oats will be shared later. Until then, let’s just talk SEC basketball.

The Tennessee Vols could have done the Crimson Tide a favor Tuesday night. In losing 68-63 to Texas A&M, Tennessee failed to boost the Tide’s chances for an SEC Basketball Regular Season Championship.

The result in College Station was predictable. The Aggies shot 34 free throws; the Vols shot 14. A home team advantage at the foul line happens often in SEC basketball games. The Aggies shot theirs well, making 82.4%, for an 18-point advantage at the line. Tennessee has now lost five of its last seven games.

When the Alabama Crimson Tide travels to College Station on Mar. 4, it will have to defend A&M’s Wade Taylor without fouling him. He made 16-of-17 against Tennessee and finished the game with 25 points.

Other Tuesday night SEC Basketball Games

In an overtime thriller in Columbia, the Missouri Tigers held off the Mississippi State Bulldogs to win 66-64. For now, the loss will move Mississippi State outside the NCAA Tournament bubble. The Tigers, now 20-8 overall are in a solid position for a Big Dance At-large bid.

The third game on Tuesday night was another blowout of the Georgia Bulldogs. At home, Arkansas beat the Dawgs 97-65. Of note to Alabama basketball fans, the Hogs’ Nick Smith Jr., in his second start after a lengthy injury recovery, scored 26 points to lead Arkansas in scoring. The Razorbacks are a different team with the former 5-Star, Smith, who is expected to be one-and-done, and an NBA Draft first-round pick.

Wednesday Night SEC Basketball Action

• Alabama Crimson Tide at South Carolina Gamecocks – 8:00 PM, ESPN 2
• Vanderbilt Commodores at LSU Bengal Tigers
• Kentucky Wildcats at Florida Gators
• Ole Miss Rebels at Auburn Tigers

The Crimson Tide and the Aggies

The remaining three SEC regular season games for A&M are Saturday at Mississippi State, next Tuesday at Ole Miss, and the following Saturday hosting Alabama.

Assuming 13-2 Alabama wins its next three games, the Aggies need to win out to catch the Crimson Tide.

The above assumption comes with no guarantee. The South Carolina game carries little risk of an upset. The next two in Tuscaloosa are Arkansas and Auburn and both could be tough games, especially the Hogs on Saturday.

There has been some fan chatter that if Alabama and Texas A&M both finish 16-2, that the Aggies would be the SEC Regular Season Champions, based on head-to-head. However, head-to-head only applies to determining the No. 1 seed in the SEC Tournament. In that case, A&M would be the 1-seed and Alabama would be the 2-seed. The two teams would be SEC Regular Season Co-Champions.

Complete SEC Standings can be found here.

The top college basketball algorithms have the Crimson Tide favored in its next four games, including on the road, against Texas A&M.