Dane Massey is a second-year Digital Sports Production major and writes for The Daily News. His views do not necessarily reflect those of the newspaper.
The Southeastern Conference (SEC) is always one of the most competitive conferences every year and it provides us with some of the most talented teams in the nation. However, the SEC this year is THE conference to beat this year in both Men’s and Women’s college basketball.
On the men’s side, we have Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, Texas A&M and even Missouri all fighting for the SEC crown, and in women’s? South Carolina looks for redemption for last year and to come away with the SEC title to avenge last year’s miserable defeat.
The SEC will most likely feature two of the most watched tournaments in the nation this year as all eyes are on what are expected to be the number one seeds in the NCAA Tournament, and some of the biggest highlights reels out of any tournament in the nation. There’s a saying in the Southeast that there’s nothing like an SEC game, whatever sport, and we’re all excited to see what the tournament has in store for us this year.
Where are the tournaments taking place?
The men’s tournament returns to Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee, after being in Tampa Bay, Florida, for last season’s tournament. The SEC plans to have Music City be the host of the men’s tournament until 2030.
As for the women’s tournament, they will return to Greenville, South Carolina, after a brief stay in Nashville last season for the tournament. Greenville will continue to host the women’s tournament until 2026 when the tournament will then return to Nashville for the 2026 women’s SEC tournament.
Who won the Regular Season title and holds the number one seed?
The Crimson Tide had a little bit of a setback last year but oh boy did they evolve into something extraordinary. In just one year, Alabama took the men’s SEC standings by storm and marched their way to securing the number one seed and their place on the mountaintop of the SEC once again.
In the women’s bracket, South Carolina wasted no time mopping through this year’s wave of SEC foes. Coming off of a national championship victory last season, the Gamecocks are on a mission to do it again, this time to finish with a perfect season. However, don’t let the undefeated record fool you, this team was undefeated going into the SEC tournament last year and ended up in defeat.
SEC Tournament Brackets:
Men’s Bracket:
Round 1 (March 8)
Game 1: No. 12 seed vs. No. 13 seed at 7 p.m.
Game 2: No. 11 seed vs. No.14 seed at 9 p.m.
Second Round (March 9)
Game 3: No. 8 seed vs. No. 9 seed at 1 p.m.
Game 4: No. 5 seed vs..S Winner of Game 1 at 3 p.m.
Game 5: No. 7 seed vs. No. 10 seed at 7 p.m.
Game 6: No. 6 Seed vs. Winner of Game 2 at 9 p.m.
Quarterfinals (March 10)
Game 7: No. 1 seed vs. Winner of Game 3 at 1 p.m.
Game 8: No. 4 seed vs. Winner of Game 4 at 3 p.m.
Game 9: No. 2 seed vs. Winner of Game 5 at 7 p.m.
Game 10: No. 3 vs. Winner of Game 6 at 9 p.m.
Semifinals (March 11)
Game 11: Winner of Game 7 vs. Winner of Game 8 at 1 p.m.
Game 12: Winner of Game 9 vs. Winner of Game 10 at 3 p.m.
Championship (March 5)
Game 13: Winner of Game 11 vs. Winner of Game 12 at 1 p.m.
Women’s Bracket:
First Round (March 1)
Game 1: No. 12 Vanderbilt Commodores vs. No. Texas A&M Aggies at 11 a.m.
Game 2: No. 11 Florida Gators vs. No. 14 Kentucky Wildcats – 25 minutes after Game 1
Second Round (March 2)
Game 3: No. 8 Arkansas Razorbacks vs. No. 9 Missouri Tigers at 12 p.m.
Game 4: No. 5 Mississippi State Bulldogs vs. Winner of Game 1 – 25 minutes after Game 3
Game 5: No. 7 Georgia Bulldogs vs. No. 10 Auburn Tigers at 6 p.m.
Game 6: No. 6 Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Winner of Game 2 – 25 minutes after Game 5
Quarterfinals (March 3)
Game 7: No. 1 South Carolina Gamecocks vs. Winner of Game 3 at 12 p.m.
Game 8: No. 4 Ole Miss Rebels vs. Winner of Game 4 – 25 minutes after Game 7
Game 9: No. 2 LSU Tigers vs. Winner of Game 5 at 6 p.m.
Game 10: No. 3 Tennesee Lady Volunteers vs. Winner of Game 6 – 25 minutes after Game 9
Semifinals (March 4)
Game 11: Winner of Game 7 vs. Winner of Game 8 at 4:30 p.m.
Game 12: Winner of Game 9 vs. Winner of Game 10 – 25 minutes after Game 11
Championship (March 5)
Game 13: Winner of Game 11 vs. Winner of Game 12 at 3 p.m.
Predictions for SEC Tournaments:
Men’s Tournament: Tennesee Volunteers
This tournament could feature a lot of upsets as all five teams at the top of the SEC have shown to be beatable. Alabama seems as the clear favorite to win this tournament but looking thoroughly at it, it just doesn’t happen. One team that should be looked at to win the tournament in Tennessee. To note, during this season about the Vols is don’t play them in front of a home crowd. They are dangerous. Nashville, is home for the Vols and the entire SEC will have to go through Vol country to get to the top with how rowdy Tennessee had been when their teams are good, it’s going to be interesting to see how teams deal with the Vols.
Women’s Tournament: South Carolina Gamecocks
There’s no denying the number one team in the nation here. South Carolina has produced one of the strongest seasons in women’s college basketball history. A perfect season, 29 straight wins, along with a trail of domination in their wake. Everyone thought the LSU would be the ones to overthrow them but the Gamecocks routed them by over 20 points. You could say either Kentucky (they beat South Carolina in the finals last year) or Tennessee to beat them but they were routed as well. This is no debate here. South Carolina by a million!
Contact Dane Massey with comments at dtmassey@bsu.edu or on Twitter @danemassey22.
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