March is just a few weeks away and it’s becoming now or never for teams to make a push to get into the NCAA Tournament. With a lot of basketball to be played between now and selection Sunday, the SEC can have as many teams in the dance as any conference. With that, however, are teams that vary on how comfortable they are right now in terms of getting their chance to be the story of the sports world next month.
What SEC Teams Can Make The NCAA Tournament?
The Locks
The NCAA uses their NET Rankings as one of the tools used to seed teams on Selection Sunday and no SEC team sits higher than Alabama. The metrics have loved the Tide all year. They just had to start winning games and the metrics would do the rest. Sitting first place in the SEC, the Tide has skyrocketed to fifth in the NET Rankings. They will have their name called on Selection Sunday.
Right on Alabama’s tail is the Tennessee Volunteers. One game back in the SEC, Tennessee is according to many bracketologists, still in the hunt for a one seed. Five of their six losses have been quadrant one, they beat everyone they’re supposed to. As a result of that, they sit number six in the NET Rankings and are as safe as anyone to make the NCAA Tournament.
While Alabama and Tennessee sit at five and six in the NET Rankings, the Auburn Tigers come in just behind at number seven. With only a few weeks left, any team ranked top ten in the NET Rankings is safe to make the dance. With no losses below quadrant one, the Tigers have been free from bad losses all year and will be in the dance.
Should Be Safe
Kentucky would have been a lock had they pulled out a close loss against LSU earlier this week. Frankly, had the Cats not had a quadrant three loss they would also be a lock. The quadrant two loss puts a slight damper on Kentucky’s lock status. However, the Cats are still top 25 in the NET Rankings. Beating Alabama on Saturday would put Kentucky into lock status for the NCAA Tournament.
South Carolina has been the surprise team in the SEC this year. Sitting at 9-4 in conference, they have great wins against Kentucky and Tennessee. The metrics don’t like the Gamecocks, as they sit 57 in the NET Rankings. Luckily for the Gamecocks a committee of people selected the field, not a computer. Despite the low ranking, if the season ended today I’d be shocked if South Carolina isn’t in the NCAA tournament.
Bubble But In
The Florida Gators have been playing good basketball all year long. The last SEC team to be top 30 in the NET Rankings, a 2-8 quadrant one record holds the Gators back. The bright side for Florida, is they are a perfect 16-0 in the remaining games. One more good win could be enough to make the Gators a lock.
Mississippi State has been on a roll ever since they got Tolu Smith back. This week’s game against Ole Miss would decide who sat on the right and wrong side of the bubble. The win moved the Bulldogs up five spots to 36 in the NET Rankings. There is room for the Bulldogs to fall out of the field, so they have to keep winning but this team should be a dangerous seven-ish seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Bubble But Out
Ole Miss really needed to beat their rival. Since their undefeated non-conference play, They sit at 6-7 in the SEC. I have a really hard time putting you in the field with a below .500 conference record. The Rebels sit at 68 in the NET rankings. Their next two games are South Carolina and Alabama at home. They have to win one of those or it might be too late for an at-large.
Sitting right there with Ole Miss, with a 6-7 conference record is Texas A&M. Ranking 49th in the NET, and a very impressive 6-5 quadrant one record, the Aggies are as close to the NCAA Tournament field as can be. The problem is their horrific 2-4 record in quadrant three games. With a showdown with fellow bubble team Ole Miss approaching, that game is going to go a long way for someone’s NCAA Tournament hopes.
Needs To Win The SEC Tournament
LSU is the only team worth addressing. Following a huge win against Kentucky, the Tigers sit at 6-7 in SEC play. The problem is, they still sit 85th in the NET Rankings. They also have a quadrant four loss. The hole they dug in non-conference play is too steep for me to justify them having an at-large case.
Georgia, Arkansas, Vanderbilt, and Missouri are all at least three games under .500 in SEC play, and all sit outside the top 95 in NET Rankings. There isn’t enough basketball for these teams to even come close to the bubble. They’d need to win the SEC tournament.
