The SEC has cemented itself as a force to reckoned with in Men’s Basketball. The conference currently has nine teams ranked within the AP Top 25, the most of any conference by far. According to ESPN’s latest odds, five SEC teams rank among the top 11 teams most likely to win the National Championship. As we sit roughly two months away from the start of March Madness, it’s fair to ponder how many SEC teams have a legitimate shot at cutting down the nets in San Antonio come April.
Auburn Sits At The Top Of The Conference
The Auburn Tigers currently sit atop the SEC, while also being ranked as the No. 1 team in the country. The Tigers have bulldozed their way through conference play so far, joining Ole Miss as the only two SEC teams to win their first four conference games. Overall, the Tigers have won nine consecutive games, lifting their record up to 16-1. Auburn has also maintained a perfect 8-0 record at home this season.
Most recently, the Tigers defeated No. 15 Mississippi State in dominant fashion on Tuesday night by a score of 88-66. The manner of the victory was especially impressive seeing how the team was without their All-American forward Johni Broome, who had exited their last game with an ankle injury. Broome had been their best player this season, averaging 17.9 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 2.7 blocks per game. Prior to his injury, Broome was considered the early favorite to win National Player of the Year.
Alabama, Florida, Tennessee and Kentucky Among Championship Favorites
Aside from Auburn, the SEC is loaded with championship hopefuls. The next highest ranked SEC team in this week’s AP Poll is the Alabama Crimson Tide who are currently ranked at No. 4. Alabama earned their first ever trip to the Final Four in last season’s NCAA Tournament, while also managing to make it further than any other SEC team. Despite losing at home to No. 21 Ole Miss on Tuesday night, the Crimson Tide still sit in 3rd place in the conference standings with an overall record of 14-3.
The No. 5 Florida Gators suffered a narrow 83-82 loss to the Missouri Tigers on Tuesday night, marking their second loss in their last four games. The Gators are still 15-2 overall and appear to have fallen victim to the extreme competitiveness of the conference since they managed to play well in both defeats.
The No. 6 Tennessee Volunteers were dealt their first loss of the season last Tuesday in the form of a 73-43 blowout against the aforementioned Florida Gators. Nevertheless, the team managed to rebound with a gritty road win against the Texas Longhorns on Saturday.
Despite having a new coach for the first time since 2009-10, the Kentucky Wildcats have started off the season in championship form. Former BYU head coach Mark Pope has led the team to a 14-3 record and a firm position within the top 10 of the AP Poll. Rupp Arena will host a huge matchup between Kentucky and Alabama this upcoming Saturday.
There Are Many Dark Horses Beyond The Group Of Favorites
ESPN’s most recent bracketology has 11 SEC teams making the NCAA Tournament, covering roughly 20 percent of the field. The likes of Texas A&M, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Georgia, Oklahoma, and Missouri would join the five teams previously mentioned if the tournament started today. Additionally, Arkansas, Vanderbilt, and Texas are currently among the bubble teams on the cusp of being in the tournament.
As the SEC figures to have a considerably larger chunk of the tournament teams than any other conference, there is a solid chance that the 2024-25 National Champion will come from the conference. The last SEC team to win the tournament was Kentucky back in 2012.
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