First Look: 2024 SEC Tournament

One of the best weeks of the year has officially arrived. It’s Championship Week in college basketball, and it’s down to take over Nashville once again for the SEC Tournament. Who is ready for some March Madness?

The seed lines got locked in on Saturday, and now we’re ready to have what could be one of the most competitive SEC Tournaments in recent history. KSR is here to give an early look at the event as Kentucky looks win to this postseason tournament and make it to Sunday for the first time since 2018. Has it really been that long?

The Bracket

SEC Tournament Schedule

Wednesday

• Game 1: No. 12 Arkansas vs. No. 13 Vanderbilt | 7:00 p.m. ET | SEC Network
• Game 2: No. 11 Georgia vs. No. 14 Missouri | 9:30 p.m. ET | SEC Network

Thursday

• Game 3: No. 8 LSU vs. No. 9 Mississippi State | 1:00 p.m. ET | SEC Network
• Game 4: No. 5 South Carolina vs. Game 1 winner | 3:30 p.m. ET | SEC Network
• Game 5: No. 7 Texas A&M vs. No. 10 Ole Miss | 7:00 p.m. ET | SEC Network
• Game 6: No. 6 Florida vs. Game 2 winner | 9:30 p.m. ET | SEC Network

Friday

• Game 7: No. 1 Tennessee vs. Game 3 winner | 1:00 p.m. ET | ESPN
• Game 8: No. 4 Auburn vs. Game 4 winner | 3:30 p.m. ET | ESPN
• Game 9: No. 2 Kentucky vs. Game 5 winner | 7:00 p.m. ET | SEC Network
• Game 10: No. 3 Alabama vs. Game 6 winner | 9:30 p.m. ET | SEC Network

Saturday

• Game 11: Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner | 1:00 p.m. ET | ESPN
• Game 12: Game 9 winner vs. Game 10 winner | 3:30 p.m. ET | ESPN

Sunday

• Game 13: Game 11 winner vs. Game 12 winner | 1:00 p.m. ET | ESPN

Efficiency Rankings

Using the pre-tournament numbers at KenPom, here is how the region ranks overall via adjusted efficiency.

4. Auburn (No. 14 offense, No. 6 defense)

5. Tennessee (No. 25 offense, No. 3 defense)

11. Alabama (No. 2 offense, No. 102 defense)

17. Kentucky (No. 6 offense, No. 92 defense)

30. Florida (No. 16 offense, No. 81 defense)

39. Mississippi State (No. 56 offense, No. 25 defense)

47. South Carolina (No. 42 offense, No. 46 defense)

48. Texas A&M (No. 44 offense, No. 48 defense)

84. Ole Miss (No. 51 offense, No. 147 defense)

91. LSU (No. 95 offense, No. 90 defense)

92. Georgia (No. 102 offense, No. 76 defense)

106. Arkansas (No. 103 offense, No. 123 defense)

147. Missouri (No. 130 offense, No. 189 defense)

189. Vanderbilt (No. 204 offense, No. 194 defense)

Top-heavy field

The conference has five top 30 teams entering the postseason. That could create a fun Saturday and Sunday at Bridgestone Arena in Downtown Nashville at the SEC Tournament. The top of the bracket seems loaded.

Tennessee is the No. 1 seed and will likely face No. 4 Auburn or No. 5 South Carolina in the first semifinal on Saturday at the SEC Tournament. Each team finished just one game behind Tennessee in the standings. In the bottom of the bracket, a Friday nightcap between Florida and Alabama stands out as one of the best potential matchups after the Tide and Gators split their season series. The winner of that could play Kentucky on Saturday in what could be an all-out track meet.

We could be in for some outstanding college basketball games in Nashville.

SEC Tournament Bubble Watch

The top six seeds in the SEC Tournament all enter Championship Week as at-large locks for the NCAA Tournament. The league should get at least six teams into the Big Dance on Selection Sunday.

But what about the bubble? Two teams stick out as we get ready for some postseason basketball.

After losing five consecutive conference games in February, Buzz Williams has seen his Texas A&M team bounce back strong with three consecutive wins to close the year. Victories over Mississippi State and Ole Miss have the Aggies on the bubble. However, A&M (18-13, 9-9) will likely need to win two in the SEC Tournament to receive an at-large bid. The potential Friday night contest looms large if Texas A&M can get there. Williams owns a 5-3 SEC Tournament record and has led this program to consecutive SEC Championship Game appearances.

Could A&M be a live dog against Kentucky?

Mississippi State (19-12, 8-10) enters the postseason reeling. The Bulldogs have lost four consecutive games and just dropped an overtime contest at home to South Carolina. Chris Jans’ team is firmly on the bubble. State appears to be in a must-win scenario on Thursday. Beat LSU, and they should be good. Lose and the Bulldogs are headed to the NIT.

Eight teams are in play for at-large bids, but Mississippi State and Texas A&M both need wins in the SEC Tournament.