The SEC Tournament commences tonight in St. Louis at the Scottrade Center, home of the St. Louis Blues in the the National Hockey League. Interesting venue, a little change of pace from Nashville and Atlanta. Good to change it up some. 

This one is wide open. There are presently 8 teams projected into the NCAA Tournament field with Kentucky, Auburn, Alabama, Florida, Tennessee, Arkansas, Missouri and Texas A&M projected by Joey “Brackets” Lunardi to make the field. Not everybody is safe though. The Crimson Tide will need to defeat Texas A&M tomorrow at noon on the SEC Network to insure itself a place in the field. If they do defeat the Aggies, they’ll face the Auburn Tigers on Friday @ noon on ESPN. Auburn has had a super season going 25-6 overall and 13-5 in the conference and tied Tennessee for the regular season championship. The Tigers lost Anfernee McLemore, a big 6’7″, 220 pound power forward, to a dislocated ankle a couple of weeks ago, but the threesome of Jared Harper, Bryce Brown and Malik Dunbar have been sensational all year. Chume Okeke (6’8″, 230) has picked up the slack in McLemore’s absence and has played super basketball for the Tigers as well.

For the Crimson Tide (17-14, 8-10), it’s been Colin Sexton and everybody else. He’s their main guy though 6’9″, 232 inside man Donta Hall has played very well most of the year also. Alabama needs to get more players involved in the offense other than Sexton and Hall and those players need to step up their game in the tournament. The Crimson Tide needs them to.

Kentucky has posted a solid year at 21-10 and 10-8, but not up to their usual standards. Their players aren’t as prolific this year, so it’s been a struggle at times. But you never count the Wildcats out. The talent is still terrific at times. 

I’m liking the Crimson Tide to knock off A&M and reach the quarters Friday against Auburn. I do like the Tigers to win that game and move on to the semis to face Kentucky. 

Here is the bracket, and my  predictions below:

http://www.secsports.com/bracket/mens-basketball  

Semifinals

I’m going with the Auburn Tigers over the Kentucky Wildcats.

Auburn 75, Kentucky 74

In the other semifinal, I like the Florida Gators over the Vols.

Florida 72, Tennessee 68

In the finals, I like Mike White, who took his team to the Elite Eight last season and took over from the great Billy Donovan, who in 19 seasons in Gainesville, took his teams to 7 Elite Eights, 4 Final Fours and 2 national titles in 2006 and 2007, to lead his team to the championship. Florida just finished off its season crushing Kentucky at home, 80-67, and leading scorer Jalen Hudson (15.6 ppg), shooter Egor Koulechov (13.8, 41 percent from 3) and their stellar point guard Chris Chiozza (11 ppg, 6.1 assists per game) get it done for the Gators as they prime themselves for a deep run in the NCAA’s. Auburn will compete well and give the Gators everything they want, but I like Florida to prevail.

Florida 86, Auburn 82

Valspar Championship

Innisbrook Resort, Copperhead Course (7,340 yards, par 71, Palm Harbor, FL, just outside of Tampa-St. Pete).

Defending champion: Adam Hadwin, won by a shot over Patrick Cantlay last year. Hadwin shot 14 under. 

Last week: Philip Alfred Mickelson defeated Justin Thomas in a one hole playoff as the 47 year older captured his 43rd PGA title, 9th all time. Sam Snead leads at 82 and Tiger Woods is second at 79. It was pretty amazing as Lefty had endured 96 previous starts without a victory since his 2013 Open Championship title at Muirfield (Scotland). Phil wants 50 and the experts at Golf Channel, Geoff Shackelford and Jaime Diaz, debated it on their Alternate Shot segment. Shackelford said it wasn’t going to happen. Diaz liked Phil to get to 50.

I say no. The competition is too fierce. I would think Phil would want to get another major more, the elusive U.S. Open or another Masters, Open or PGA. He won the Masters in 2004, 2006 and 2010 and the PGA Championship at Bultusrol (New Jersey)in 2005. So while I don’t think 50 victories is attainable, I do see Phil having an outside shot at another major. They also asked Shackelford and Diaz what was more important, Phil’s victory or Michelle Wie’s victory in Asia last Sunday. While it was impressive that Wie won again, and sank a 35 foot birdie putt to do it, Phil’s victory is more important by a landslide. Shackelford went with Phil and Diaz went with Wie. I say it’s no contest, it’s Phil.

They also asked the two of them if Tiger, playing in the Valspar, has more to gain or more to lose. Diaz thinks gain, Shackelford thinks he has more to lose. I agree with Shackelford. If Eldrick implodes, like he’s capable of doing, that would destroy any momentum he got from his 12th place finish at the Honda Classic. And I do see Eldrick struggling on this difficult course with one of the toughest 3 hole stretches in golf the “Snake Pit”, Numbers 16 through 18.

Sixteen is a 460 yard par 4 that demands accuracy off the tee with water running down the entire right side, and trees and thick rough on the left. On 17, a 215 yard par 3, the tee shot has to clear a deep bunker in front to a wide green with thick rough on the right. A 3 putt is highly possible here and brings great drama on Sunday. No. 18 is a 445 yard uphill par 4 with a blind tee shot featuring infamously trees on the right and rough and trees on the left. It’s a tight driving hole. The second shot is uphill onto a green that is wide and can lead to major theater on Sunday, both in triumph and defeat.

Weather: Thursday, Sunny but windy, 64, winds 13-18 MPH; Friday, 66 Sunny, wind 8 -12; Saturday, Perfect, sunny, 75, wind 8-9; Sunday, a little sketchy, 78, chance of rain and a t-storm, wind 15-21 MPH, so that’ll be interesting.

TV: Thursday-Friday, Golf Channel, 1-5 PM CT; Saturday- Sunday, GC, 12-2 PM CT; NBC, 2-5 PM CT. 

Prediction

I like the 2016 winner and 33 year old from Johannesburg, South Africa to capture the trophy at the Valspar. He finished 6th here last year. It’s a ball strikers course and he’s a good putter as well. I’m going with the 2011 Masters Champion to earn his 3rd victory on the PGA Tour and his 16th professional victory overall. He has won 11 times on the European Tour, 1 on the Asian Tour and another on the OneAsia Tour. 

Charl Schwartzel 

Darkhorse

Going with the 32 year old from Seattle, Washington via Vanderbilt University. He lost barely in a playoff to Justin Thomas at the Honda Classic two weeks ago and looks to be peaking right now. 

Luke List