The SEC tournament should be the best among the major conference tournaments this week, and not just because Auburn has dominated the sport in the second half of the season.
Here’s everything you need to know about the SEC tournament.
3 storylines to watch
Auburn a near-lock for No. 1 overall seed
Regardless of what happens in Nashville, the Tigers are in a great position headed into the NCAA tournament. The Tigers, who fell at Texas A&M before losing to Alabama in overtime on Saturday, have 16 Quad 1 wins this season — which is way more than any other team in the country. They held onto the top spot in the national rankings for more than two months and have been nearly unstoppable in the best conference in basketball behind Player of the Year candidate Johni Broome. They should take home a No. 1 seed, if not the top overall seed, in the NCAA tournament.
Even though they’ve lost two straight, the Tigers are still the team to beat — both in the SEC tournament and in general.
Can Alabama, Tennessee or Florida challenge Auburn?
The Tigers aren’t the only great team in the SEC. Florida ended the year winning nine of its last 10 games to finish in second in the conference, and it lost just four times all year. The Gators beat Auburn convincingly in Alabama, too. Tennessee, despite slipping at Ole Miss last week, won five of its last six and beat Florida by 20 points last month while hanging in at the top of the conference. The Crimson Tide were right there, too, though they dropped two of their last three to Tennessee and Florida before beating Auburn on Saturday.
Alabama may be the least convincing of this group to challenge Auburn for the title. The SEC tournament, however, is very much up for grabs.
SEC eyeing a record number of bids
The SEC will almost certainly set a new record in the NCAA tournament this spring, especially if things go the right way in the conference tournament. The league is looking at 12 bids in the NCAA tournament this season, which would break the record set by the Big East in 2011. The Big Ten is pushing double-digit bids, too.
Keep an eye on both Georgia and Oklahoma this week in Nashville. Both teams could use a solid win or two to solidify their spots in the tournament. Georgia ended the year on a four-game win streak, which included an upset win over Florida, and should sneak into the tournament regardless. Oklahoma, after a 13-0 start, could use a win to ensure they make it to the tournament for the first time since 2021.
SEC tournament bracket
How to watch the SEC tournament
All times ET
When: Wednesday-Sunday
Where: Bridgestone Arena | Nashville
TV: ESPN, SEC Network
Game schedule:
Wednesday
Game 1: No. 9 Arkansas vs. No. 16 South Carolina, 1 p.m. | SEC Network
Game 2: No. 12 Vanderbilt vs. No. 13 Texas, 3:30 p.m. | SEC Network
Game 3: No. 10 Mississippi State vs. No. 15 LSU, 7 p.m. | SEC Network
Game 4: No. 11 Georgia vs. No. 14 Oklahoma, 9:30 p.m. | SEC Network
Thursday
Game 5: No. 8 Ole Miss vs. Game 1 winner, 1 p.m. | SEC Network
Game 6: No. 5 Texas A&M vs. Game 2 winner, 3:30 p.m. | SEC Network
Game 7: No. 7 Missouri vs. Game 3 winner, 7 p.m. | SEC Network
Game 8: No. 6 Kentucky vs. Game 4 winner, 9:30 p.m. | SEC Network
Friday
Game 9: No. 1 Auburn vs. Game 5 winner, 1 p.m. | ESPN
Game 10: No. 4 Tennessee vs. Game 6 winner, 3:30 p.m. | ESPN
Game 11: No. 2 Florida vs. Game 7 winner, 7 p.m. | SEC Network
Game 11: No. 3 Alabama vs. Game 8 winner, 9:30 p.m. | SEC Network
Saturday
Game 13: Game 9 winner vs. Game 10 winner, 1 p.m. | ESPN
Game 14: Game 11 winner vs. Game 12 winner, 3:30 p.m. | ESPN
Sunday
SEC championship game, 1 p.m. | ESPN
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