SEC could be its own worst enemy at NCAA tournament selection time

Jan. 16—The Southeastern Conference has produced a combined 27 teams in the past four NCAA men's basketball tournaments, a record for the league in such a stretch.

At least six SEC programs have earned bids to each of the past four 68-team fields — the NCAA did not stage a tournament in 2020 due to the outbreak of the coronavirus — but amassing six or more this winter is shaping up as a challenge.

Why? The league is proving to be its own worst enemy.

"If you're in the SEC office and you're wanting to get seven or eight teams in again, you're a little frustrated right now," former Tennessee guard and current SEC Network analyst Dane Bradshaw said. "Florida and Texas A&M were two teams before the season that you thought could be there, but they did not have great nonconference resumes and are now playing well. Then you had some of these surprise teams like Missouri, LSU and Mississippi State, who looked like they were going to go out and steal some bids, but now they're getting beat up in conference play.

"The hope is that you just don't start cannibalizing yourself."

Granted, the SEC hasn't exactly sizzled recently in March, posting a 32-27 record in the past four NCAA tournaments, and those results would be even closer to .500 had Auburn not erupted for its impressive run to the 2019 Final Four. Yet the quantity of teams at NCAA tournament time seems to have its place alongside the quality of play when it comes to league pride.

This season's SEC race has Alabama at 5-0 in league games, Texas A&M at 4-0, Auburn and Tennessee at 4-1, and surprising Georgia at 3-1, but the Crimson Tide and Volunteers have significant separation when it comes to the NCAA tournament picture. Tennessee and Alabama were No. 2 and No. 3, respectively, in the NCAA's NET rankings on Monday, with Auburn the next-highest SEC team at No. 26.

"Alabama and Tennessee have the most upside offensively but also can play on the defensive end as well," Bradshaw said. "Tennessee may be more elite on the defensive end, but Alabama may be more explosive on the offensive end at times. Arkansas had been in that conversation, but they had an injury to Trevon Brazile, who was a stretch 5 and a freak athlete and was having a great start to the season. Arkansas has also been without guard Nick Smith Jr., the most highly touted freshman in the country, due to some knee pain, but there is word he might actually come back.

"Auburn is playing well but not great. They hang their hat on defense and are not necessarily aesthetically pleasing all the time on offense, but Bruce (Pearl) knows how to scout, and he knows how to win."

Eight SEC programs — Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Kentucky, Missouri, Mississippi State, Tennessee and Texas A&M — have been ranked at some point this season in the Associated Press poll, but only Alabama (No. 4), Tennessee (No. 9), Auburn (No. 16) and Arkansas (No. 25) were present in Monday's latest version, with the Razorbacks obviously clinging to the final spot.

A mock NCAA tournament bracket released Monday by Jerry Palm of CBS had Alabama as a 1 seed, Tennessee a 2 seed, Auburn a 5 seed, Missouri an 8 seed, Arkansas a 9 seed and Kentucky an 11 seed. That adds up to six league teams, but those who are seeded eighth or ninth in these projections can quickly find themselves on the NCAA tournament bubble with two straight losses.

It's currently a league with Arkansas, LSU and Mississippi State owning 12-5 overall records but only 1-4 SEC marks, and it's also a league with teams such as Georgia and Vanderbilt making noise but with too much ground to make up due to unpleasant nonconference setbacks, such as the Bulldogs losing to Georgia Tech and the Commodores falling to Grambling State.

Hence, the potential for cannibalizing.

Odds and ends

Tennessee enters Tuesday night's game at Mississippi State (7 on ESPN2) leading the series 89-44, which includes its 87-53 rout of the Bulldogs in Knoxville on Jan. 3. ... The Vols are averaging 10.00 steals per game, which is just behind the program record of 10.03 set during the 2005-06 season. ... Tennessee has not dropped consecutive contests since falling to Alabama in the 2021 SEC tournament semifinals and then to Oregon State in the first round of that year's NCAA tournament.

Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com.

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