Three Things To Look For At SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament

This year’s SEC men’s basketball tournament is sure to be one for the history books. It has been a historically deep year for the conference and every team in the bracket will head to Nashville, Tenn., more battle-tested than in any other league in the NCAA.

When all 16 teams hit the hardwood inside Bridgestone Arena, starting with the first round of the five-day tourney on Wednesday, here are three key things to keep an eye on:

Will chaos reign once more?

The 2024 edition of the tournament was anything but chalk. Tennessee, Kentucky and Alabama all had double byes, yet lost their quarterfinal matchups. In their stead, nine seed Mississippi State, seven seed Texas A&M and six seed Florida made the semifinals.

The SEC has been even stronger from top to bottom this season.  Thirteen of 16 teams have been ranked at some point since the season started and Texas was ranked 19th in the preseason poll. As of the most recent Associated Press poll, there are seven ranked SEC squads and two more are receiving votes.

While the conference’s depth is unparalleled and unprecedented this year, the top four teams are more than capable of handling business. Top seed Auburn, two-seeded Florida, three seed Alabama and four seed Tennessee are all ranked inside the top seven teams in the country. Each squad has racked up at least 12 wins in the most competitive conference in the nation. They know any team can beat any team in this tournament and won’t be taking any opponent lightly.

Did the last two games mean anything for Auburn?

All season, the Auburn Tigers (27-4, 15-3) have been the top dog (or cat) in the SEC. Coach Bruce Pearl’s team has racked up 16 Quad One wins, four more than any other team in the country. After an emphatic 94-78 win against then-No. 17 Kentucky, they clinched the SEC regular season title for the sixth time in program history.

2024-25 SEC Regular Season Champions🏆 pic.twitter.com/jwnGAUn9VA

— Auburn Basketball (@AuburnMBB) March 1, 2025

With the top seed in the tournament wrapped up, the Tigers ended up losing each of their last two regular-season contests. The first came at the hands of No. 22 Texas A&M in a game Auburn never led and the second was a 93-91 overtime thriller against No. 7 Alabama.

It’s difficult to judge whether this is a sign of bigger issues for the Tigers or simply a case of easing off the gas with nothing to play for except pride. While Auburn fans would prefer to see their team enter the tournament with some momentum, these two black marks on the resume are far from a death sentence. Two of the last six SEC tournament champions (2023 Alabama, 2018 Kentucky) lost their last regular-season matchup before striking gold in the bracket. Additionally, don’t overlook just how dominant Auburn has been this year. No team in the history of the NET has had as many Quad One wins as the Tigers this season. This a team that is unlikely to let its title hopes be derailed by two losses after its regular season goals were well in hand.

Can either SEC newcomer make the Big Dance?

In their first year since coming over from the Big 12, Texas (17-14, 6-12) and Oklahoma (19-12, 6-12) haven’t had the easiest of seasons. Both teams are in similar spots entering the SEC Tournament, with each most likely needing at least two wins to punch tickets to the NCAA tournament.

Texas entered the season ranked 19th and went 11-2 in non-conference play. Once they reached their SEC slate, the Longhorns were hit with a sobering dose of reality. They dropped each of their first three games to Texas A&M, Auburn and Tennessee. Now, they’re limping into the postseason having lost four of their last five and on the verge of failing to secure a bid for the first time since 2019. Their first-round contest is with Vanderbilt, which they lost to 86-78 in Nashville last month.

For Oklahoma, the Sooners tore through non-conference play to the tune of a 13-0 record, reaching as high as No. 12 in the AP poll. Led by freshman phenom Jeremiah Sears, the Sooners seemed poised to do something special. Once they reached SEC play, however, the wheels started to fall off the wagon, dropping their first four in a row. But they closed strong, with a win against No. 15 Missouri and a critical victory against Texas in their final week. If Oklahoma hopes to reach the Big Dance for the first time under coach Porter Moser, those two win will be important separators. OU faces Georgia on Wednesday night.

The 2025 SEC men’s basketball tournament tips off Wednesday at 1 p.m. ET from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, with the games covered by the SEC Network.