This season was a grind for all the teams. But the ones at the top have proven their point and have good seeds in the next tournament locked up. I suspect they wont be motivated for physical wars on consecutive nights.
Expect upsets galore in SECT
- Thread starter FurdTerguson
- Start date
I’m gonna have to go ahead and disagree with you on that, Furd.
I can see absolute chaos, or I could see chalk honestly.
It's kinda hard to say upsets when every team in the conference but LSU, South Carolina and Georgia have been in the top 25 this year.
Our 4 top teams have all at one time or another been in the top 5 of the nation.
The SEC has been ridiculously strong this year.
Our 4 top teams have all at one time or another been in the top 5 of the nation.
The SEC has been ridiculously strong this year.
I don’t know how it will play out, but it would be kind of a shame if the coming showdowns in Nashville left the SEC teams depleted for the NCAA.
I wonder if our previous coach is telling his current team's fan base if the SEC tournament isn't important now, since they've got to win it or at least go deep to get an invite to the NCAA tournament?
That's not true at all. They probably are already in. I don't see the committee leaving out any of the 8 and 10 sec teams.
All of the top 4 have something to play for.
Auburn is competing with Duke for the #1 overall seed.
Florida, UT, Alabama are all fighting to get on the 1 seed line. Florida has it, but Alabama or UT could take it.
I think our top 4 are 4 of the top 6 in the country. I think Kentucky is really close to that group in it's current form (healthy Butler and Carr).
You might see some Wednesday/Thursday chaos. I think once we hit Friday the top 4 teams are involved, you'll see more chalk. I'm hoping Kentucky comes out fired up to not lose to Alabama a 3rd time, and maybe Alabama takes the game for granted having beaten us twice.
Auburn is competing with Duke for the #1 overall seed.
Florida, UT, Alabama are all fighting to get on the 1 seed line. Florida has it, but Alabama or UT could take it.
I think our top 4 are 4 of the top 6 in the country. I think Kentucky is really close to that group in it's current form (healthy Butler and Carr).
You might see some Wednesday/Thursday chaos. I think once we hit Friday the top 4 teams are involved, you'll see more chalk. I'm hoping Kentucky comes out fired up to not lose to Alabama a 3rd time, and maybe Alabama takes the game for granted having beaten us twice.
Georgia was ranked too.
I actually agree.
Auburn is a lock for the #1 overall
Florida/Alabama/Tennessee, all COULD seal a #1 seed if any of them make the Finals
Kentucky and Texas A&M, win their first game and they are 3-seeds
Missouri and Ole Miss, likely stuck in the 5-6 range, will be motivated to also win their first game.
My prediction:
If an upstart team makes the quarterfinals, they could go on a run. A team like Oklahoma or Texas, COULD end up winning 2 or 3 games, which makes it interesting.
Auburn is a lock for the #1 overall
Florida/Alabama/Tennessee, all COULD seal a #1 seed if any of them make the Finals
Kentucky and Texas A&M, win their first game and they are 3-seeds
Missouri and Ole Miss, likely stuck in the 5-6 range, will be motivated to also win their first game.
My prediction:
If an upstart team makes the quarterfinals, they could go on a run. A team like Oklahoma or Texas, COULD end up winning 2 or 3 games, which makes it interesting.
Only times I could find that we've lost 3 in the same season against a team:
2014 Florida
1979 Tennessee
1917 Tennessee (4 of the 10 games that season were against them and somehow lost all 4?)
1910 Central University (before they were Centre College)
H/T bigbluehistory.net
That's good info!
I feel like Mark Pope is going to have figured something out for the 3rd time. Maybe he's already figured it out and it's just been tough to execute with the roster being limited.
Now, Butler and Carr are doing a lot better. Perry, Noah, Chandler have all kind of found their way.
For a time in my UK fanhood, that was a doctrine or conventional wisdom of sorts: it’s hard to beat a team three times in a season. You almost hoped not to meet a team in the tournament, at least not a competitive team, that you’d swept in the regular season. Hopefully the same holds true if we catch up to Bama.
Florida is a lock for a 1 seed too IMO. 1s are all locked with Auburn, Florida, Duke and Houston IMO. They aren't giving the sec three 1s.
I think they're absolutely motivated.
I think this will be the healthiest we've seen Lamont Butler vs Alabama. He clearly wasn't himself vs them in Rupp. He missed the game @ Alabama.
Carr was really limited in the 1st game, and still not himself in the 2nd. A healthy motivated Carr hopefully does a better job vs Nelson.
A couple that stand out in my memory (neither in our favor):
1986 LSU (my dad talks about that all the time, I was 2 so of course I didn't see it)
2019 Auburn (total ref-job...obviously I remember that)
I must be a little younger than your dad but I bet he and I watched a lot of the same games.
Take a dive, and get rested and healthy for the big dance.
For sure. My dad and I are long-suffering UK fans. The kind who still remember Billy Jack Haskins coming close to beating Peyton Manning.
Sports psychology is such a fickle thing. It can work against the complacent frontrunner or against the downtrodden loser (UK during their long football streaks against Florida and Tennessee, for example - should've won so many of those but just choked).
Talent is obviously the main factor in any game...strategy a close second...but sometimes "belief" can do a lot more for a team than anyone expected.
The losses to A&M and Bama changes things a bit for Auburn.
They need to get a win or two in the SECT.
They don’t want to go into the NCAA tourney on a three game losing streak.
Plus the committee is probably chomping at the bit to make Duke the overall 1 seed.
UF, UT, and Bama are all still fighting for a 1 seed.
So the top has plenty to play for now. It’s going to be a war.
They need to get a win or two in the SECT.
They don’t want to go into the NCAA tourney on a three game losing streak.
Plus the committee is probably chomping at the bit to make Duke the overall 1 seed.
UF, UT, and Bama are all still fighting for a 1 seed.
So the top has plenty to play for now. It’s going to be a war.
Duke is already the number one seed. Auburn isn't dropping to a two, and I doubt the other teams drop, either. Remember there will be upsets in the other tournaments, too.
I really felt had we met Florida in the 2014 Championship Game, we would not have lost to them a fourth time. (Higgins officiated Florida’s Final Four matchup vs Connecticut, for whatever it’s worth…)
I could see the ref's (sic) SEC fixing things so an outlier can make the tournament...........I think this team can do well.........once we get away from these SEC refs for the most part.
It would be pretty amazing if we could beat Oklahoma or Georgia game 1 - then go beat Alabama, Florida, and Auburn on the way to a title. Would be almost impossible, but amazing if it were to happen. That’s a definite 2 seed and possible the best wins in the country at that point. Crazy.
In the last 10 SEC tournaments, the 5th seed or better has won the thing.
I don't know what would constitute an upset.
But I have a hard time seeing anyone below UK at 6 winning this.
I don't know what would constitute an upset.
But I have a hard time seeing anyone below UK at 6 winning this.
Teams with something significant to play for:
Auburn - #1 overall seed. Just needs 1 win. Then, could get upset.
Alabama/Florida - #1 seed. Feels like if they play Saturday, it could matter.
Kentucky/Texas A&M - both should get a 3-seed, both lock it in with a win in their first game.
Arkansas - really need to win 2 games (South Carolina doesn't count) to feel 100% good
Oklahoma - really need to win 1 game to feel 100% good
Texas - they are off the bubble, but they have a shot at TWO QUAD 1 games (Vandy and A&M), and then they are cooking on Friday with a shot.
Teams without much significant to play for:
Tennessee - locked into a 2-seed no matter what
Vanderbilt, Georgia, Mississippi State - likely all going to be seeded between a 8-10-seed. Would take a big run to change this
Missouri and Mississippi - likely a 6-7 seed, depending on scheduling rules.
Auburn - #1 overall seed. Just needs 1 win. Then, could get upset.
Alabama/Florida - #1 seed. Feels like if they play Saturday, it could matter.
Kentucky/Texas A&M - both should get a 3-seed, both lock it in with a win in their first game.
Arkansas - really need to win 2 games (South Carolina doesn't count) to feel 100% good
Oklahoma - really need to win 1 game to feel 100% good
Texas - they are off the bubble, but they have a shot at TWO QUAD 1 games (Vandy and A&M), and then they are cooking on Friday with a shot.
Teams without much significant to play for:
Tennessee - locked into a 2-seed no matter what
Vanderbilt, Georgia, Mississippi State - likely all going to be seeded between a 8-10-seed. Would take a big run to change this
Missouri and Mississippi - likely a 6-7 seed, depending on scheduling rules.
Conference tournaments are for the teams that need a few extra wins (or a title) to improve or clinch a big tournament berth. The fans want to win every game. The players do, too. It's the coaches who look at it big picture. Pitino could have thrown the kitchen sink against Mississippi State in 96. Same with Cal against Vandy in 12. I'm thinking the coaches of the top four seeds are eyeing the next tournament. A guy like Golden could get some nice offers if Florida makes a deep run against national competition. Same with Beard, Buzz, and others.
North Carolina (if they don't make it), Indiana, possibly Kansas, Villanova, UCLA....all potential job openings.
I think Pearl wants to win that first game badly, but after that? He wants a second Final Four at Auburn and he can pick the best job available afterward. Golden wants to prove himself. If Oats made another deep run he's in the mix as well.
Once the big tournament starts the lights come on and no one cares about who won the conference tournaments. To me the coaches who have something to prove this week are Pope, Cal, Beard, Buzz and the guys at Miss State, Georgia and Oklahoma. Pope because he knows the assignment. Cal because of his postseason record lately. The others because a few wins this week will make a huge difference.
But the big dogs don't need this.
North Carolina (if they don't make it), Indiana, possibly Kansas, Villanova, UCLA....all potential job openings.
I think Pearl wants to win that first game badly, but after that? He wants a second Final Four at Auburn and he can pick the best job available afterward. Golden wants to prove himself. If Oats made another deep run he's in the mix as well.
Once the big tournament starts the lights come on and no one cares about who won the conference tournaments. To me the coaches who have something to prove this week are Pope, Cal, Beard, Buzz and the guys at Miss State, Georgia and Oklahoma. Pope because he knows the assignment. Cal because of his postseason record lately. The others because a few wins this week will make a huge difference.
But the big dogs don't need this.
If Pope can figure out how to not lose to Bama for the 3rd time, I wish he would figure out how to coach defense. That would be a great place to start if we have any hope of beating Bama, especially on a neutral court.
To be fair, our defense has improved a great deal.
We were 112th in Kenpom defense. We’re now 55th overall. Over the last 3 weeks, we’re the 23rd best defense (Torvik).
'86 we beat LSU (and 'bama) 3 times during the season. We beat 'bama the 4th time in the tourney, LSU got us in the elite 8. After that season the rule was put in about conference teams not meeting in the first couple of rounds, or whatever it is.
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