SEC Basketball Tournament: Preview, Schedule, And More
The SEC tournament is bound to be a close battle, and the closest in recent memory. Here's a preview, as well as a look at the schedule of games.
Ben Simmons has been one of the most talented freshmen in recent memory, but LSU will need to win the SEC Tournament in order to go dancing.
Who in the world saw Texas A&M snagging the top seed in the SEC tournament? It’s an outstanding accomplishment for a squad that essentially had zero preseason hype going into the 2015-16 season. The Aggies have proven themselves to be a legitimate threat to win the SEC and make a deep run in the Big Dance.
But by no means will Texas A&M just walk away with the SEC crown. Kentucky is right on the Aggies’ tail with the exact same conference record and a one-game difference in overall record. In fact, the Wildcats will likely serve as a trendy pick in the NCAA Tournament, considering they feature arguably the top backcourt duo in the country: Tyler Ulis and Jamal Murray.
And, of course, any team that has Ben Simmons on it is going to be in the conversation. It’s safe to expect that the LSU Tigers will be playing their hearts out in the SEC tournament considering their hopes of making the Big Dance depend on an automatic bid.
Here’s how the seeding for the SEC tournament has played out.
SEC Tournament Seeds
1. Texas A&M
2. Kentucky
3. South Carolina
4. LSU
5. Vanderbilt
6. Georgia
7. Ole Miss
8. Florida
9. Arkansas
10. Alabama
11. Mississippi State
12. Tennessee
13. Auburn
Last Five SEC Tournament Winners
2015: Kentucky
2014: Florida
2013: Ole Miss
2012: Vanderbilt
2011: Kentucky
Tournament Schedule
First Round (March 9)
Game 1: No. 12 Tennessee vs. No. 13 Auburn, 8:00 p.m.
Second Round (March 10)
Game 2: No. 8 Florida vs. No. 9 Arkansas, 1:00 p.m.
Game 3: No. 5 Vanderbilt vs. Game 1 Winner, 3:30 p.m.
Game 4: No. 7 Ole Miss vs. No. 10 Alabama, 7:00 p.m.
Game 5: No. 6 Georgia vs. No. 11 Mississippi State, 9:30 p.m.
Quarterfinals (March 11)
Game 6: No. 1 Texas A&M vs. Game 2 Winner, 1:00 p.m.
Game 7: No. 4 LSU vs. Game 3 Winner, 3:30 p.m.
Game 8: No. 2 Kentucky vs. Game 4 Winner, 7:00 p.m.
Game 9: No. 3 South Carolina vs. Game 5 Winner, 9:30 p.m.
Semifinals (March 12)
Gmae 10: Game 6 winner vs. Game 7 winner, 1:00 p.m.
Game 11: Game 8 winner vs. Game 9 winner, 3:30 p.m.
Championship (March 13)
Game 12: Game 10 winner vs. Game 11 winner, 1:00 p.m.
