Key Games In Final Regular Season Week Of SEC Men’s Basketball Play

With one week remaining in SEC men’s basketball play, and the standings for the SEC Tournament still not set, games this week have massive implications. Three midweek games in particular will have their outcomes shaping both the SEC and NCAA Tournament seedings. All 16 SEC teams are in action Tuesday and Wednesday.

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— Joe Lunardi (@ESPNLunardi) March 3, 2025

Wednesday

No. 5 Florida vs. No. 7 Alabama, 7 p.m. ESPN2

Coming off a win against the Aggies, the Florida Gators (25-4) will look to secure a double-bye in the SEC Tournament with a win. The Gators sit two games ahead of the No. 15 Missouri Tigers (21-8), who sit as the five seed in the SEC. A win over the Alabama Crimson Tide (23-6) Wednesday or the Ole Miss Rebels (20-9) on Saturday would guarantee the Gators finish in the top four in the SEC. The Gators have been able to find success on both sides of the ball this season. They rank in the top 10 in the country in points per game and top 50 in points allowed. Another strength of the Gators is ball control, as they rank third in the SEC in turnovers at only 9.6 per game.

Alabama is coming off of a heartbreaking loss on the road against the No. 4 Tennessee Volunteers (24-5). Its inability to defend again was its downfall as it allowed Tennessee to come back from down four points with 36 seconds left. Alabama still controls its own destiny to getting a double-bye in the SEC Tournament, needing just one more win to secure the spot. The Crimson Tide rank first in the SEC is scoring, and last in points allowed, making each game a rollercoaster. Against a Gators team that is also top five in scoring, this game may turn into a race to 100 points. Read more about the scouting report for Alabama here.

This game also carries weight for the NCAA Tournament. Both teams are two seeds in Bracketology, but a win in this matchup could push them into contention for a one seed.

Key Players

Two of the top point guards in the country face off in this one. Walter Clayton Jr. of the Gators and Mark Sears of the Crimson Tide were both named as finalists for the Bob Cousy Award. Both are in the top 10 in points and assists per game in the SEC. Sears is in second for both, averaging 19.1 points and 5.0 assists. Clayton Jr. sits eighth in points at 16.9 and sixth in assists at 4.0. As much attention as that star power at guard will get, the real difference will be depth.

For the Gators, this comes from guard Denzel Aberdeen. He averages 8.3 points but has shown he can step up when needed. Aberdeen went for 20 plus points in back-to-back wins in February when he was put into the starting lineup due to injuries. He averages 14.4 points and shoots 41% from 3 in games he starts. Alabama brings Aden Holloway off its bench. Despite not starting a single game this year, Holloway is second on Alabama in scoring at 12 points per game. The matchup between Aberdeen and Holloway will go a long way to determining the winner of this matchup.

No. 15 Missouri vs. Oklahoma, 8 p.m. SECN+

While not the prettiest matchup, this game between the Missouri Tigers and Oklahoma Sooners has big implications for both teams. The Tigers are fifth in the SEC, one spot out of the coveted top four and double-bye for the SEC tournament. While they need teams ahead of them to lose, all they can do is win out and hope that is enough. Missouri’s defense, a relative strength throughout the season, has taken a spill in recent games. It has allowed three of its last four opponents to score 85 or more points, including two over 90. This game against the Sooners, who rank in the bottom half of the SEC in scoring, is a great chance to get back on track.

Lunardi has Oklahoma as the first team out of the NCAA Tournament. With just two games left, a home win over Missouri would go a long way. Three-point shooting could be their path to an upset. Despite being fifth in SEC play in percentage, the Sooners only shoot 21.6 threes a game, 12th in the SEC. Even though Missouri does not give up many attempts, the Sooners could lean heavier on these shots as it is their strongest attack. The Sooners want to feel comfortable about their NCAA tournament chances before the SEC Tournament starts. The depth of the SEC means they will be playing a strong team in the first round, and cannot bank on wins in the SEC Tournament.

Key Players

Although freshman Jeremiah Fears gets most of the media attention, Jalon Moore is the engine that makes Oklahoma run. Leading the team in scoring at 16.6 points a game, he will need to have a big game for the Sooners to pull the upset. In their 82-58 loss to Missouri earlier in the season he was held to just 10 points on 3-14 shooting. For Missouri, it saw Duke transfer Mark Mitchell go for 25 points and 7 rebounds in that game against the Sooners. Mitchell averages 13.9 points and 4.7 rebounds this season. The real difference maker in that game was the play of Tony Perkins. His five steals played a big part in holding the Sooners to 58 points.

Other Games Tuesday

No. 22 Texas A&M never trailed in an 83-72 win against top-ranked Auburn in College Station.

Texas A&M’s first win against a team ranked No. 1 in the AP Top 25 poll ended a six-game winning streak for the Tigers, who clinched the Southeastern Conference title with a win over Kentucky on Saturday. It also stopped the Aggies’ four-game losing streak.

Texas A&M (21-9, 10-7) denied Auburn (27-3, 15-2) an undefeated conference road record after the Tigers entered the game 9-0 in SEC road games this season.

Georgia defeated South Carolina, 73-64

No. 19 Kentucky routed LSU, 95-64

Texas topped No. 25 Mississippi State, 87-82

Arkansas defeated Vanderbilt, 90-77

Also Wednesday

No. 4 Tennessee vs. Ole Miss, 9 p.m. ESPN2