Around SEC Basketball: November 15-17

Written By Tucker Harlin

Credit: University of Florida Athletics

By Tucker Harlin

A monster weekend of SEC hoops is in the books.

Outside of Feast Week and the ACC/SEC Challenge, the second weekend of SEC basketball in 2024-25 was one of the busiest stretches in non-conference play.

The results in the SEC were more positive than negative, although it sustained a pair of losses to teams from the Hoosier State.

#20 FLORIDA 87 @ FLORIDA STATE 74

The Gators have now won four straight in the basketball version of the Sunshine Showdown.

Florida State had an opportunity to make this one interesting late. Seminoles freshman guard Daquan Davis finished at the rim to cut the deficit to four with just over two minutes to play.

Florida forward Thomas Haugh made a pair of free throws shortly after, but the nail in the coffin was this circus three from Florida Atlantic transfer Alijah Martin as the shot clock expired.

Walter Clayton Jr. hit a three on the next Florida possession, takings its lead from four to 14 in the blink of an eye.

The Gators won’t face another high profile foe until the ESPN Events Invitational in Orlando, which features a matchup against Wake Forest and the possibility for a meeting against either Minnesota or Wichita State.

#2 ALABAMA 78 @ #13 PURDUE 87

The first game in the most challenging stretch of non-conference opponents in the country was a loss for Alabama in Mackey Arena.

Purdue couldn’t get any separation until the final two minutes of the game. Labaron Philon and Latrell Wrightsell were both hitting threes, but Bama hasn’t been the offensive juggernaut you’re accustomed to.

Mark Sears’ offensive output looks fine until you realize he shot just 33% from the field. The Tide cleaned up the turnovers from the win against McNeese, but it was going against one of the best point guards in the country in Braden Smith. He finished the day with a points-assists double-double, and many of Smith’s dishes contributed to Trey Kaufman-Renn’s 26 points.

Alabama turns around and plays Illinois in the C.M. Newton Classic in Birmingham Wednesday night.

GEORGIA 77 @ GEORGIA TECH 69

Other than the beginning of the second half, Georgia was in control of the basketball version of Clean Old Fashioned Hate the whole way. However, Georgia had to grunt its way through an abysmal 3/18 performance from three.

Veteran guard Silas Demary Jr. was the most reliable piece on offense for the Bulldogs, scoring 18 points on a 6/10 outing and grabbing seven rebounds in the process. Freshman big Somto Cyril was beneficial off the bench with a 4/6 night around the rim.

The Yellowjackets were stuck in the same offensive mud as the Bulldogs. Georgia Tech at least shot the three better, but the overall field goal percentage was in the 30s.

While the win wasn’t pretty for the Bulldogs, it’s a nice feeler win ahead of tests against Marquette and St. John’s in the Bahamas next weekend.

#21 OHIO STATE 64 @ #24 TEXAS A&M 78

Unlike their counterparts in Austin, the Aggies made life hard on the Buckeye offense. Ohio State didn’t break 30 points until several minutes into the second half.

The Buckeyes hovered near 50% shooting from distance in their first two games, but Texas A&M’s stifling defense sliced that number in half Friday.

Offensively, Texas A&M was powered by its veterans.

You had the usual Wade Taylor contribution, but big man Henry Coleman and guard Manny Obaseki both broke double figures thanks in large part to copious amounts of free throws. SMU transfer Zhuric Phelps also helped out at the free throw line.

This was a big one for Texas A&M ahead of the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas during Feast Week. The Aggies will face both Oregon and Creighton and one foe from a group of that consists of Alabama, Houston, Rutgers, and Notre Dame.

SOUTH CAROLINA 71 @ #16 INDIANA 87

Outside of the first three minutes, Indiana never trailed in Assembly Hall Saturday.

The beast of Collin Murray-Boyles was stuck in foul trouble, leaving with his five at the 6:38 mark of the second half. Nick Pringle did what he could in Murray-Boyles’ stead, but so much of what Indiana does is through its big men.

The three-point shooting was at a steep disadvantage for the Gamecocks as the Hoosiers made the same amount of threes in 12 less tries.

South Carolina wasn’t favored going into this one, but a prior loss to North Florida has it sitting at 2-2. It has an opportunity against power five competition against Xavier and Michigan or Virginia Tech in the Fort Myers Tip-Off during Feast Week.

UTAH 73 vs MISSISSIPPI STATE 78

Mississippi State had to grit and grind its way to its first win over a power five opponent in 2024-25. The Utes led 39-28 at half, and the Bulldogs were unable to find minimal cushion until the final minutes of the game.

As you might expect, Josh Hubbard was a key in the comeback, finishing the day 5/9 from three. The bench was of importance as Ke’Shawn Murphy finished with a double-double of 18 and 14, many of which were key buckets in the second half.

The end of the month provides strong competition for the Bulldogs. They travel to SMU this weekend and will UNLV and either Butler or Northwestern in the Arizona Tip-Off during Feast Week.

Tucker Harlin
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