Here’s everything you need to know about entering the SEC tournament this weekend in Nashville.
Can Florida get it back?
Florida is back, right?
The Gators, after winning last year’s national championship, struggled to start the season. They lost early on and then ended up falling out of the national rankings entirely in early January.
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But now, this team seems like a completely different story. The Gators finished the season on an 11-game winning streak, capped by an 84-77 victory over Kentucky on Saturday. They’ve also lost just twice since the turn of the year and finished the season with a 25-6 record and their first regular-season title since 2014. They also won it by three full games, while the rest of the conference simply punished themselves.
Now, this is not to say that no one else in the SEC can compete with Florida. Arkansas has looked solid at times, although Florida outscored it by more than 30 points last month. Alabama won nine of its last 10 games to climb back up the league standings and also earn a double bye, after a 23-point loss at Florida. And Vanderbilt, after an 0-16 start, leveled off a bit but still held its own in the SEC.
But all eyes this week in Nashville will be on the Gators, who suddenly look capable of winning back-to-back titles again. As long as they don’t fall early, Florida can finish with the top seed in the NCAA tournament, which will only help in that quest.
That idea just a few months ago didn’t even seem possible.
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SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament Basics
When: March 11 to 15
Where: Bridgestone Arena | Nashville, Tennessee
TV: ESPN, SEC network
SEC men’s basketball tournament bracket set. (SECOND)
SEC men’s basketball schedule, results
All times ET
Wednesday, March 11 – First Round
Game 1 | No. 16 LSU vs. No. 9 Kentucky | 12:30 pm | SEC Network
Game 2 | No. 13 Mississippi State vs. No. 12 Auburn | 15:00 | SEC Network
Game 3 | No. 15 Ole Miss vs. No. 10 Texas | 7:00 p.m. | SEC Network
Game 4 | No. 14 South Carolina vs. No. 11 Oklahoma | 9:30 p.m. | SEC Network
Thursday, March 12 – Second Round
Game 5 | G1 winner against No. 8 Missouri | 12:30 pm | SEC Network
Game 6 | G2 winner against No. 5 Tennessee | 15:00 | SEC Network
Game 7 | G3 winner against No. 7 Georgia | 7:00 p.m. | SEC Network
Game 8 | G4 winner against No. 6 Texas A&M | 9:30 p.m. | SEC Network
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Friday, March 13 – Quarterfinals
Game 9 | G5 winner against No. 1 Florida | 1:00 p.m. | ESPN
Game 10 | G6 winner against number 4 Vanderbilt | 15:30 | ESPN
Game 11 | G7 winner against No. 2 Alabama | 7:00 p.m. | SEC Network
Game 12 | G8 winner against No. 3 Arkansas | 9:30 p.m. | SEC Network
Saturday March 14 – Semifinals
Game 13 | G9 winner vs. G10 winner | 1:00 p.m. | ESPN
Game 14 | G11 winner vs. G12 winner | 15:30 | ESPN
Sunday March 15 – Championship
Game 15 | G13 winner vs. G14 winner | 1:00 p.m. | ESPN