Well, here goes nothing. Let’s fill out the SEC Tournament bracket from Wednesday – Sunday to come up with a winner.
Generally, doing this is a thankless job because it is a third season. There are actually four seasons in college basketball: (1) Pre-Conference schedule; (2) Conference schedule; (3) Conference tournament; (4) NCAA, NIT, CBI, CIT, Vegas 16 Tournament and, of course, the heavy emphasis is on the NCAA.
That said, Southeast Hoops nor College Hoops Watch assumes any responsibility for taking these picks to Las Vegas and coming home penniless.
Wednesday, March 8
(12) Mississippi State vs (13) LSU
The Bulldogs lost seven straight before knocking off the Tigers last weekend. So, now it’s time for the rematch. This is the first look at post-season play for many of the players in the SEC as Mississippi State has nine. The key is the Bulldogs are likely to be more motivated than LSU, who has suffered through a 2-16 campaign, the worst in Tiger basketball history. Mississippi State by 10.
(11) Auburn vs. (14) Missouri
The Tigers, like the Bulldogs, have a plethora of talented freshmen who got Auburn to 18 wins. Four of them in Mustapha Heron, Danjel Purifoy, Jared Harper, and Austin Wiley, are Bruce Pearl’s top four scorers. Missouri just fired Kim Anderson and it stands to reason that the Tigers may be in Nashville to just fill out the bracket. Auburn by 12.
Thursday, March 9
(8) Tennessee vs. (9) Georgia
Georgia administration shot down the rumors that Mark Fox would be replaced, which could have been a huge distraction. Fox hopes to have big-man Yante Maten back in the paint to team with J.J. Frazier. The Bulldogs have a huge experience factor on the youthful Vols and Frazier single-handedly paced Georgia to a come-from-behind win a few weeks ago in Knoxville. Georgia by 6.
(5) Alabama vs. (12) Mississippi State
Avery Johnson has done a great job with the mentality of the Crimson Tide and getting the team to believe it can win. Alabama beat Mississippi State twice this season, but generally, the idea is that it is tough to beat a team three times in one season. The Tide will dictate the game with the defensive schemes and win a close game. Alabama by 5.
(7) Vanderbilt vs. (10) Texas A&M
Another game where a team won twice against the other. The Commodores have hit their stride near the end of the season in winning six of their last eight. Luke Kornet in the middle vs. Tyler Davis and Roberts Williams of the Aggies will be a key matchup. This is still a must-win for the Commodores’ NCAA hopes. Vandy by 3.
(6) Ole Miss vs. (11) Auburn
The Tigers lost two games to Ole Miss that they clearly should have won if they had brought their defense and had been able to stop Ole Miss runs in the second half. The key for the Tigers is simply to close out games. This could be a very high-scoring game with Auburn out on the break and the Rebels’ featuring the talents of Deandre Burnett and freshman Terence Davis. Ole Miss gives up 76.4 points per game while Auburn gives up 79. Auburn by 8.
Friday, March 9
(1) Kentucky vs. (9) Georgia
The Bulldogs led most of the way in Lexington before losing in overtime, and then lost the game latter in Athens with seconds remaining and without Maten who was injured earlier in the game. Kentucky with De’Aaron Fox and Malik Monk is an impossible matchup for anyone in the conference or the nation. That’s where defense and game-planning come into play. Fox is excellent at each, but the Wildcats will move on in another nail-biter. Kentucky by 3.
(4) South Carolina vs. (5) Alabama
The Gamecocks will need no motivation in this one after losing the famous four overtime thriller to the Tide, 90-86, in Columbia. This can be the stage for Sindarius Thornwell that throws him into more national conversations. The key is for a consistent scorer to step up beside of him in the tournament. Gamecocks by 8.
(2) Florida vs. (7) Vandy
The Gators will be super motivated after losing two to Vandy and the latest came last Saturday in a game that Florida controlled until the final eight minutes of the game. The Gators picked up their offense overall this season as they improved their shooting immensely over a year ago. Vandy may have defended better than expected overall, giving up only 68 points per game. Gators by 6.
(3) Arkansas vs. (11) Auburn
There’s always a monumental upset in every tournament and this could be the one if the matchup transpires. Bruce Pearl has proven over his career to be an excellent coach in a tournament situation. He ran to the final four in the SEC Tournament two years ago with a three-win string and this year’s team is much more talented. The Razorbacks will give Auburn chances to get out in transition. Once again, the key for the Tigers is defense as they have to run Dusty Hannahs and Jaylen Barford off the three-point line and prep for the dribble-drive out of the talented Hogs’ guards. Auburn by 4.
Saturday, March 11 – Semifinals
(1) Kentucky vs. (4) South Carolina
If the Gamecocks can rediscover their defense for a three-day period, they can take this game to the wire with a shot to win. After wins over Tennessee and Mississippi State, they lapsed back in a 75-70 loss at Ole Miss last week. Precision and focus are a must against the Wildcats who have proven to be beatable, although they enter the tournament with seven wins in a row. Frank Martin is a tough out, any where at any time with the hard-nosed mantras of his teams. Kentucky survives one more day with just too much offensive firepower. Wildcats by 5.
(2) Florida vs. (11) Auburn
Supposing this happens, it will be Auburn’s fourth game in four days. Florida took a 114-95 win at Auburn in mid-February as the Gators shot 56 percent and made 11 threes. Canyon Barry had a season-high 30. Again, the Tigers need a strong defensive effort or a high shooting percentage. Gators by 9.
Sunday, March 12 – Finals
(1) Kentucky vs. (2) Florida
The Gators rolled to an 88-66 win over the Wildcats in Gainesville and then lost late to the Wildcats in Lexington. Although this is on a neutral court, the denizens of Kentucky fans who will infiltrate Nashville, give the Wildcats a nice home court advantage. The Gators will play through that. They are better overall defensively and have more depth. So here we go, the Gators ability for Kevaughn Allen and Kasey Hill to keep De’Aaron Fox out of the open court and to consistently defend Malik Monk and run him off the three-point line equate to Florida’s first SEC Tournament title since 2014. Gators by 10.