Rush The Court

Every Tuesday, the SEC microsite writers will post their picks for the week’s top games involving SEC teams. Keep up with them to determine if we actually know what we’re talking about when it comes to basketball.

Current Standings

• Brian: 4-1
• Doug: 3-2
• Kyle: 4-1

Thursday- Missouri vs. Stanford (in Nassau, Bahamas) – Verdict: Missouri (3-0)

• Brian- Missouri 72-64: The Cardinal just doesn’t have the offensive firepower to keep up with the Tigers. Missouri gives up a ton of three-pointers on defense, but Stanford just won’t be able to convert.
• Doug- Missouri 77-72: Both defenses have performed so far, but Missouri’s balanced attack should prove too much for Stanford.
• Kyle- Missouri 83-67: Missouri should have no trouble, much like their previous opponents, with the Cardinal as they advance in the Battle 4 Atlantis bracket. Let’s see how they respond with a difficult opponent in the upcoming week.

Thursday- Vanderbilt vs. Davidson (in Orlando) – Verdict: Davidson (3-0)

• Brian- Davidson 68-62: This isn’t last year’s Vanderbilt team, but it’s just about last year’s Davidson team. Except the Wildcats are a year older and more experienced. Davidson takes very good care of the ball, and should take care of Vandy.
• Doug- Davidson 75-71: Kevin Stallings certainly didn’t have his team prepared for the trip to Oregon, and the Wildcats represent an even tougher challenge. The Commodores will have to make more plays on defense to overcome Davidson.
• Kyle- Davidson 68-61: After getting blown out in Eugene, the Commodores will need to gel quickly before games versus Villanova, Xavier, and Butler come up. The lack of experience in tough non-conference games will show itself.

Friday- UCF at Florida – Verdict: Florida (3-0)

• Brian- Florida 79-63: UCF looked good in a victory over South Florida, but USF isn’t Wisconsin or even Middle Tennessee State. Florida dismantled both of those teams, and will likely prey upon the Golden Knights’ mediocre offense.
• Doug- Florida 69-61: In another matchup of quality defensive teams, the Gators offense will make the difference. UCF won’t allow Florida as many open shots as they’ve seen so far this season, but Billy Donovan’s team will survive a home scare.
• Kyle- Florida 75-60: The Gators dominated the entire game versus #22 Wisconsin last week. UCF (3-0) has benefit from a soft schedule over the last few weeks but Florida is too fast and experienced for a slip up against the Golden Knights.

Friday- Arizona State vs. Arkansas (in Las Vegas) – Verdict: Arkansas (3-0)

• Brian- Arkansas 82-63: Arizona State will be overwhelmed with a faster and deeper Razorback team. The Sun Devils won’t be able to keep up.
• Doug- Arkansas 90-71: Herb Sendek’s seat at Arizona State is one of the hottest in the country, and the Razorbacks’ high-intensity attack won’t help cool it down. Both teams rank in the top 25 nationally in possessions per game, so expect a real up-and-down game.
• Kyle- Arkansas 80-67: Arkansas has looked impressive, albeit over Sam Houston State and Longwood. BJ Young needs to take advantage of Arkansas’ schedule so he can be be ready for the difficult conference slate. Experience versus difficult games ahead will help.

Saturday- Missouri State vs. South Carolina (in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico) – Verdict: South Carolina (2-1)

• Brian- South Carolina 64-54: Don’t expect a thing of beauty. South Carolina’s defense is below average at best, but the Bears have an effective field goal percentage of 31.6%. Neither team is going to light up the scoreboard.
• Doug- Missouri State 62-59: The teams are relatively evenly matched, and since we’ve had no dissension in our picks so far, and it’s boring, I’ll take the Bears.
• Kyle- South Carolina 71-66: Missouri State kept it competitive with ranked San Diego State until the Aztecs pulled away late last week. While Frank Martin is still trying to figure out this team early, a win over a similar team with inexperience could help give the Gamecocks’ an edge going into December.