While Arkansas plays Kentucky in a huge battle, the rest of the SEC will go at it on the final day of January. Let's take a look at the key games:
On the final day of January, another full slate of SEC basketball takes flight. Arkansas hosts Kentucky in the featured attraction, but when Hog fans aren't watching their team, there are other games of significance in the league.
Several SEC games on Saturday involve the lower-end teams in the conference, so we don't really need to spend any time on those. There are three non-Arkansas games worth paying attention to on January 31, so let's explore them:
The main non-Arkansas game on Saturday is Texas A&M at Georgia. The Aggies lead the SEC, but their league schedule has been relatively soft up to this point. They have played mid-tier teams in the conference on the road. They will eventually have to go through the top of the conference if they want to win the SEC title.
Georgia just lost at home to Tennessee in overtime. The Dawgs, who lost at home to Ole Miss not that long ago, have to win this game at home to remain on course for a spot in the NCAA Tournament. It's going to be a rough climb for UGA in February if the Dawgs drop another January game on their home floor. Georgia will be hugely motivated to win; A&M is likely to have its hands full. If the Aggies can somehow pass this particular test, their odds of staying in the hunt for the SEC title all the way through the regular season will increase. A loss paves the way for Arkansas and Florida to rise to the top of the SEC. Aggies-Dawgs is a big one.
Another important game on Saturday is Auburn at Tennessee. Both teams have played better in recent weeks, with Auburn winning at Florida and then handling Texas. Tennessee won in overtime at Georgia after beating Alabama a few days earlier. The Vols are the only SEC team to beat Texas A&M so far this season. The winner of this game has a decent chance of getting a top-four seed at the SEC Tournament. It's also a game which will reduce bubble pressure in February and solidify the winner as an NCAA Tournament team.
One more game on Saturday matters a lot to Arkansas fans: Vanderbilt goes to Oxford to play Ole Miss. The Hogs won at Ole Miss earlier in the season. Can VU keep pace, or will the Commodores continue to struggle away from home? A Vandy loss would put the Dores' SEC title hopes on life support, even though there is more than a full month left in the SEC regular season.