SEC MBB Conference Tournament Predictions

March! March is here and the whole sports world turns its attention to college basketball. Before March Madness, conference tournaments make or break bubble teams, determine national seeding, and occasionally birth underdogs known as "bid stealers". In this article, I break down the Southeastern Conference tournament, featuring heavyweights such as Kentucky, as well as tournament hopefuls like Florida.

Firs Round (3/9)

13 Ole Miss over 12 Missouri

11 Vanderbilt over 14 Georgia

Analysis: These matchups are quite lackluster, as to be expected in the first round. Missouri beat Ole Miss twice during the regular season, including a 25 point blowout, but it is very challenging to beat a team three times. Missouri F Kobe Brown is a talented player, but I like the overall offensive outlook of Ole Miss guards Jarkel Joiner and Matthew Murrell, as well as big man Nysier Brooks. For the second game, I expect Scottie Pippen Jr. and Vanderbilt to blow out the Georgia Bulldogs, who are 1-17 in SEC play.

Second Round (3/10)

8 Texas A&M over 9 Florida

5 LSU over 13 Ole Miss

10 Mississippi State over 7 South Carolina

6 Alabama over 11 Vanderbilt

Analysis: As of today, both Florida and Texas A&M are listed as the "next four out" in Joe Lunardi's Bracketology, which means that this matchup is essentially a March Madness elimination game. Florida C Collin Castleton is a matchup nightmare for the Aggies, but the backcourt duo of Quentin Jackson and Tyrece Radford has been dynamic as of late. I like A&M to move on. Moving on, I can't imagine Ole Miss beating LSU again, as they did in Baton Rouge on February 1st. LSU's offense is rolling with the forward tandem of Tari Eason and Darius Days absolutely dominating. To me, Mississippi State versus South Carolina is truly a coin flip between two mediocre teams. Bulldogs G Iverson Molinar hasn't shot as well recently, but he still averages 17.8 PPG and is the best overall player on the court in this matchup. I'll take Ben Howland's team to move on to the next round. The final matchup of the second round is intriguing, as Alabama narrowly escaped Nashville with a victory when these teams played a few weeks ago. Alabama should win this game with their slew of talented guards, but they may be the streakiest team in the country, so don't be shocked if the Commodores find a way to pull off the upset.

Quarterfinals (3/11)

1 Auburn over 8 Texas A&M

5 LSU over 4 Arkansas

2 Tennessee over 10 Mississippi State

3 Kentucky over 6 Alabama

Analysis: I really want to take Texas A&M to knock off Auburn, but Auburn is simply too deep and poses too much of a matchup nightmare. Tigers C Walker Kessler is one of the premier big men in the country and the Aggies simply don't have anyone that can guard the 7'1" beast. Based on their most recent matchup, where the Razorbacks prevailed 77-76, Arkansas and LSU are neck and neck. In that game on March 2nd, LSU guards Brandon Murray and Xavier Pinson shot a combined 7-32 from the field, yet LSU still almost won. I'll take Will Wade's squad to avenge the loss and defeat Arkansas. Tennessee won't have the luxury of playing on their home court, where they have been unstoppable this season, but the Volunteers have won nine of their last ten games overall. MSU is deep, but Tennessee is even deeper, and is ultimately the more talented team. Similar to how it wouldn't surprise me if Alabama loses to Vanderbilt, I could also see the Crimson Tide upsetting Kentucky. However, the Kentucky offense torched Alabama in their previous meeting and the Wildcats boast Wooden Award candidate C Oscar Tshiebwe. It should be a great game, but it's hard to pick against Kentucky.

Semifinals (3/12)

5 LSU over 1 Auburn

3 Kentucky over 2 Tennessee

Analysis: LSU lost the regular season matchup against Auburn by double digits, but that was once again with their top players all shooting atrociously. Auburn's defense is elite, but as is LSU's. Walker Kessler will be hard to contain, but I like LSU winning a slugfest over the top seed Auburn. Tennessee stifled Kentucky in their most recent meeting, limiting Oscar Tshiebwe to a 5-15 stat line from the field. Lest we forget, however, the Wildcats beat down of the Volunteers in January, when Kentucky shot 67.9% from the field and scored 107 points. The x-factor of this game is Kentucky F Kellan Grady, who ranks eight in the NCAA with a 43.4% clip from outside. I'll go with Kentucky winning a very close game over Tennessee.

Championship (3/13)

3 Kentucky over 5 LSU

Analysis: For all the marbles, we have Kentucky's high-powered offense going up against LSU's stifling defense. These teams split the season series, but LSU's victory was highlighted by Kentucky G Sahvir Wheeler leaving early due to an injury. Kentucky is simply so well rounded and has the edge over LSU in terms of experience. I'll take Kentucky to win by five, led by another double-double from Oscar Tshiebwe.

If you’ve made it this far, thanks for reading! Can Texas A&M or Florida get off the bubble? Will Alabama catch fire? Who do you have winning the tournament? Let me know in the comments down below!

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Note: Thank you to Sports Illustrated for the graphic provided at the top of the article