The brackets for the 2017 NCAA tournament and NIT tournament have been revealed, and eight SEC teams will be participating in postseason play.
So, after a wild week of action in Nashville at the SEC Tournament, it’s time to look at the post-conference tournament edition of the power rankings.
As always, remember that these rankings are based on more than just head-to-head matchups, overall wins, etc.
Let’s dive into the rankings.
1. Kentucky (29-5)
In what felt like a wide open SEC Tournament in Nashville, the Wildcats avoided all upsets and walked out with their 30th conference tournament title. While the the trio of De’Aaron Fox/Malik Monk/Bam Adebayo gets all the attention, the impressive play of senior Dominique Hawkins was a big reason for Kentucky’s success. But the Wildcats’ path to Phoenix is far from easy.
This Week: vs. North Kentucky in NCAAT First Round (3/17)
2. Florida (24-8)
Although the Gators were dispatched by Vanderbilt for the third time this season, Florida is a team built to win multiple games in the NCAA tournament due to its stellar defense. However, the First Round game with East Tennessee State won’t be easy, and should Mike White’s team advance, it’ll need to avoid teams with physical frontcourt play due to the absence of John Egbunu in the middle.
This Week: vs. East Tennessee State in NCAAT First Round (3/16)
3. Arkansas (25-9)
Ignore the implosion from the Hogs late in the SECT title game between Kentucky, and instead, take a look at what this team has done since losing back-to-back games against Missouri and Vanderbilt in early February. Mike Anderson’s squad has went 8-2 since then, with the two losses coming to Florida and Kentucky.
This Week: vs. Seton Hall in NCAAT First Round (3/17)
4. Vanderbilt (19-15)
No team gained more this past week in Nashville than the Commodores. They entered Thursday’s game with Texas A&M uncertain of their NCAA tournament future, but those doubts were erased when they won that game and went on to beat Florida yet again. Considering where this team was to start the season, Bryce Drew deserves a tremendous amount of praise for getting Vandy turned around.
This Week: vs. Northwestern in NCAAT First Round (3/16)
5. South Carolina (22-10)
After an excellent 19-4 start to the regular season, the Gamecocks head into Friday’s NCAAT game with Marquette having lost 6 of 9. And while that’s certainly concerning for Frank Martin and company, I’m still not ready to write South Carolina off yet due to its ability to turn teams over and create havoc on the defensive end of the floor.
This Week: vs. Marquette in NCAAT First Round (3/17)
6. Alabama (19-14)
The outstanding play of Dazon Ingram helped the Crimson Tide reach the SEC Tournament semifinals, which was a great accomplishment for a team that looked to be heading in the wrong direction after losing its regular season finale at Tennessee. Ingram earned my vote on the SEC All-Tournament Team, and if he plays that well in the NIT, Alabama could make a run to Madison Square Garden.
This Week: vs. Richmond in NIT First Round (3/14)
7. Georgia (19-14)
Getting Yante Maten back helped the Bulldogs beat Tennessee, but they came up short against Kentucky yet again. An NIT rematch with OVC champion Belmont will be intriguing, but it’s easy to question what this team’s motivation level will be since they appeared to be an NCAA tournament team earlier in the season.
This Week: vs. Belmont in NIT First Round (3/15)
8. Ole Miss (20-13)
The Rebels were a play away from beating Arkansas and advancing to the semifinals in Nashville. Ole Miss played so well at times this season, but just couldn’t find enough quality wins when it mattered. Tuesday’s NIT showdown with Monmouth should be fun to watch.
This Week: at Monmouth in NIT First Round (3/14)
9. Tennessee (16-16)
Young teams are going to hit a wall at some point during the season, and unfortunately for Rick Barnes, it happened in Tennessee’s most crucial stretch. The Vols lost 7 of 10 to end the year, and the loss to Vandy on February 22 completely changed the outlook of this team’s postseason chances.
This Week: None
10. Texas A&M (16-15)
I expected the Aggies to play better against the Commodores last Thursday, but that was a common theme for most of the season. And while it felt like Texas A&M should have been better, we definitely underestimated the loss of so many key players from last season’s SEC championship team.
This Week: None
11. Auburn (18-14)
Not playing in the postseason has to be a disappointment for the Tigers after playing some really good basketball early in the season. But the defensive struggles kept Auburn on its heels in SEC play, and Bruce Pearl will hope to fix those issues heading into what should be a promising ’17-18 season.
This Week: None
12. Mississippi State (16-16)
Getting Quinndary Weatherspoon back for his junior season is a big boost for Mississippi State heading into the offseason. This was one of the least experienced teams in the country this season, and like many other young teams in the conference, next year will tell us a lot more about where this program is at.
This Week: None
13. Missouri (8-24)
Missouri’s memorable buzzer-beater win over Auburn at the SEC Tournament was a feel-good moment for Kim Anderson before his run as the team’s coach officially ended against Ole Miss. Now, the Tigers will enter their most important offseason in a long time as they search for the right leader to get this team back on track.
This Week: None
14. LSU (10-21)
The Johnny Jones era didn’t have a happy ending, with LSU getting blown out by Mississippi State last Wednesday. Like Missouri, the Tigers should be able to land a top-name coach that can get this program back where it needs to be.
This Week: None