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Joe Lunardi
I’m old enough to remember when the SEC only managed three NCAA bids three times in a four-year period (2013-2016). It is so old that it was the No. 7 conference in 2012–13, just decimal points ahead of the Atlantic 10. It’s old enough to remember when Missouri and Texas A&M, not to mention Texas and Oklahoma, were in the Big 12.
So while last season’s 14 bids were a whirlwind, the SEC’s basketball fortunes have been on an upward trend for some time. That’s why the league’s bids have climbed well above the average 18-team Big Ten since 2020’s COVID disruption. Hoops has become so good in the SEC that its gridiron performance is an afterthought (wink, wink…).
However, what the conference likely cannot repeat is its 2025 Double 1-seeds, Double 2-seeds and twin Final Four entries (Auburn and national champion Florida). It’s also not a bad place to land a plane.
The SEC begins conference play on January 3.
final four contenders
Vanderbilt Commodore
alabama crimson tide
The SEC will be hard-pressed to field an entrant to the Final Four, let alone repeat last season’s double collapse. However, its leading candidate being Vanderbilt is equally as good a story.
Potential Tournament Teams
Tennessee Volunteers
Arkansas Razorbacks
Florida Gators
Auburn Tigers
kentucky wildcats
It’s a little disappointing for the people of Gainesville and Lexington that their home teams are in the second tier of SEC contenders. But it’s a long season, and all five schools here could change their fortunes dramatically.
Potential Tournament Teams
lsu tigers
oklahoma sooners
Texas Longhorns
Texas A&M Aggies
A year ago, LSU (14-18, 3-15 conference) was one of two SEC losers. A potentially win-win year for Matt McMahon has produced a 12-1 non-conference slate so far – albeit against a sub-250 schedule. The Tigers’ “real” season begins today at fellow bubbler Texas A&M.
sleeper team
Georgia lost its NBA first-rounder Asa Newell, but is back on track for an NCAA bid. The Bulldogs, like LSU, went 12-1 non-conference with wins over Georgia Tech, Xavier, Florida State and Cincinnati, which are solid despite not being spectacular. A .500 league record should be good enough for an NCAA return date.
long shots
missouri tigers
ole miss rebels
Both have underachieved to a lesser extent than the preseason poll, and will have difficulty posting the SEC record required for the dance.
maybe next year
mississippi state bulldogs
South Carolina Gamecocks
The 2024 No. 6-seed Gamecocks (26-8, 13-5 SEC) are looking like an outsider. As far as Mississippi State was concerned, the Bulldogs had opportunities in non-conference play, but couldn’t close the deal when it counted.
Major sports to watch
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7 January: Alabama at Vanderbilt, An early SEC performance that could set the tone for the conference race.
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24 January: Auburn in Florida, A Final Four rematch the Gators could use to motivate them to a repeat.
