Two Other Important SEC Games Gamecock MBB Fans Need To Watch Tonight

South Carolina's men's basketball is getting ready to play another intriguing yet winnable road game tonight when they take on the Texas A&M Aggies, a team similar to the Gamecocks in terms of their pace of play. Lamont Paris' squad is currently in a two-way tie for 3rd place in the SEC regular season standings alongside the Auburn Tigers and is just one game back of the Tennessee Volunteers and Alabama Crimson Tide, who are tied for first place.

Having this hotly-contested of an SEC regular season title race means that Carolina fans will need to pay attention to other games outside of Columbia, and there are two taking place later tonight that could have huge ramifications on the standings:

No. 11 Auburn at No. 4 Tennessee

This game is potentially the biggest headline-grabbing matchup in all of men's college basketball tonight, as Bruce Pearl has another reunion with his old employer up in Rocky Top: the Tennessee Volunteers. The win over the Volunteers is the most prominent feather in the Gamecocks' proverbial cap or résumé to this point in the season, and there will be a highly anticipated rematch a week from today in the Colonial Life Arena.

However, the Auburn Tigers have handed South Carolina their most embarrassing loss to date in 2024, as the Gamecocks lost by a whopping 40-point margin back on Valentine's Day in Neville Arena. With the Vols coming to town next week and Carolina not getting another chance to play the Tigers, they need Tennessee to win tonight and bank on having a good shot of defending their home floor next week.

No. 14 Alabama at Ole Miss

Tonight will mark the third game of a brutal five-game stretch where the Tide has had to play Florida and Kentucky (lost to the Wildcats) and will play on the Rebels' home floor tonight, the Tennessee Volunteers in Tuscaloosa on Saturday, and have a rematch with the Gators in Gainesville six days from now. This stretch alone is why the regular season title race is far from over. The Rebels will be in "wounded animal mode", knowing they need a huge win to get back on the bubble and have a shot to play in March.

Like Auburn, the Gamecocks won't get a shot at revenge against Alabama unless it's the SEC Tournament, so Carolina fans need to be cheering loudly for Ole Miss to win this game.

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