March Madness starts next week, right?
If you are a fan of Southeastern Conference basketball, that is a statement that can be a point of argument.
The SEC Tournament takes place this weekend at the Superdome in New Orleans with as many as four teams’ NCAA Tournament hopes resting on their successes at the end of the season tourney held to crown a conference champions.
LSU, Tennessee, Auburn and Alabama all have vested interest in the occurrences in the Dome, with the Crimson Tide and Auburn Tigers possibly in the most precarious positions.
The withdrawal of Georgia from the SEC and NCAA Tournaments enhances the chances of all four of the aforementioned so-called bubble teams to get into the tournament, but a win or two in New Orleans would probably put all doubt aside for those teams.
Tennessee, the No. 3 seed in the SEC East, received a first round bye because of Georgia’s absence and will now play the No. 2 seed out of the West, Auburn, in the second round Friday at 8:45 p.m.
For all these reasons and a few others, this is how the first round, which begins tomorrow, will go down (with an additional prediction on the Vols and Auburn’s second round game).
Ole Miss (13-14) versus South Carolina (12-15), 12 p.m., Thursday
In the who cares game of the SEC Tournament, these two teams, whose only chance of postseason play is to pull a major upset and win the whole tourney, hope to extend their respective seasons one more game.
The Rebels are on a serious losing skid, dropping nine of their past 10 games, while the Gamecocks on the other hand have split their past 10 games.
Add that to the fact that South Carolina defeated Ole Miss earlier in the year, things look good for the Gamecocks to play twice over the weekend.
South Carolina 71, Ole Miss 62
Arkansas (9-18) versus LSU (19-9), 2:15 p.m., Thursday
On paper, this game looks like it could be all LSU.
First of all, LSU is in search of its 20th win, which could virtually make it a lock for the NCAA Tournament.
Next, the Tigers are on a tear winning their last five games, including a 31-point shellacking of second seeded Auburn and a 21-point mauling of Tennessee on the road.
Also Arkansas is 1-9 on the road, which is where it will be with the partisan New Orleans LSU crowd.
Arkansas did split the season series with LSU and always plays well in the SEC Tournament.
Unfortunately for the Hogs though, it seems as if the odds are stacked in LSU’s favor.
      LSU 74, Arkansas 58
Vanderbilt (10-17) versus Alabama (17-10), 6:30 p.m., Thursday
In Thursday’s final game at 6:30 p.m., the Crimson Tide will fight for their NCAA Tournament lives when they face the Commodores.
‘Bama, who lost to LSU 66-62 last Saturday in the PMAC, finished 7-9 in the SEC but also own an impressive non-conference schedule with wins over Oklahoma and Xavier.
Still, at least one win in the SEC Tournament is probably necessary for the Crimson Tide, ranked No. 1 at one point in the season, to avoid a huge disappointment and to reach the NCAA Tourney.
Lucky for ‘Bama, it is playing a Vanderbilt team that is having a very hard time of things lately.
The Commodores are in the midst of a nine-game losing streak, including a 106-44 drubbing by No. 2 Kentucky.
Look for ‘Bama to run away with this one.
Alabama 86, Vanderbilt 69
Auburn (19-10) versus Tennessee (17-10), 8:45 p.m., Friday
Now for the second round special.
In a mammoth game for both squads, Tennessee will meet Auburn in the last game Friday to possibly decide who goes to the NCAA Tournament.
Auburn lost a big game Saturday to Mississippi State for the SEC West Championship and now finds itself in a dicey situation, probably needing a win to advance to the NCAA Tournament.
Tennessee finished 9-7 in the SEC East and may go to the NCAA Tourney regardless of this games’ outcome, but a win would cement its position for a spot in March Madness.
Auburn’s Marquis Daniels, third in the conference in scoring at 18.2 points per game, will face off with the Volunteers’ Ron Slay, who leads the conference with 21.6 points per game.
This game should be a great one, with the Volunteers coming out the victor.
Tennessee 83, Auburn 76