2024 SEC Basketball Tournament
The Southeastern Conference men’s basketball tournament tips off on Wednesday, March 13. This has been one of the best conferences in basketball for years now, as the talent level is outrageous and almost every team has a highly-respected head coach.
The Tennessee Volunteers enter this thing as the top seed, as they went 14-4 in conference play during the regular season. But four teams finished 13-5 and the Florida Gators weren’t far behind them at 11-7. That said, this is a tournament that a lot of teams will feel like they can win. So, keep reading to get an idea of how we think this one will play out.
How to Watch the SEC Tournament
When: March 13-17
Where: Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee
Format: Seeding based on record in conference; top-five seeds receive byes to quarterfinals
Watch: ESPN, SEC Network; Championship Game on ESPN at 1:00 pm ET
SEC Tournament Bracket
SEC Tournament Seeds, Teams and Odds
1. Tennessee Volunteers (+130)
2. Kentucky Wildcats (+400)
3. Alabama Crimson Tide (+450)
4. Auburn Tigers (+260)
5. South Carolina Gamecocks (60-1)
6. Florida Gators (20-1)
7. Texas A&M Aggies (100-1)
8. LSU Tigers (300-1)
9. Mississippi State Bulldogs (65-1)
10. Ole Miss Rebels (250-1)
11. Georgia Bulldogs (500-1)
12. Arkansas Razorbacks (300-1)
13. Vanderbilt Commodores (1000-1)
14. Missouri Tigers (1000-1)
Favorite To Win SEC Tournament
Tennessee is always an elite defensive team and this year is no different. KenPom and Bart Torvik both have the Volunteers third in adjusted defensive efficiency. They’re fourth in the nation in EFG% defense (45.1%) and they defend 2PTs and 3PTs at a high level. But what makes this year’s team special is that the offense isn’t lagging too far behind. For the first time since 2019, Tennessee is a top-25 team when it comes to offensive efficiency. The addition of Northern Colorado transfer Dalton Knecht has done wonders for Rick Barnes’ team. The 6-foot-6 senior is averaging 21.4 points per game and he’s shooting 40.5% from deep. His shotmaking ability, combined with the experienced group Barnes already had in place, means that the ceiling is the roof for the Vols. And in this tournament specifically, it’s hard to ignore that Bridgestone Arena will be packed with orange.
SEC Tournament Darkhorse
Florida ended the season with a bad loss to Vanderbilt, and that made two losses in the Gators’ last three games. But I still love the 20-1 odds you can get on Todd Golden’s team. Florida is absolutely relentless on the offensive glass, as the Gators have an offensive rebound percentage of 38.6%. That’s the fourth-highest mark in college basketball. Playing with that type of toughness and getting extra opportunities to score is very valuable. And that’s especially true for an offense that is 14th in the nation in adjusted offensive efficiency, according to Bart Torvik.
Florida also does a decent job of defending the 3-point line, where opponents shoot a mediocre percentage against them and also don’t get a ton of shots up. That’s huge with the way basketball is played today. Another nice thing about the Gators is that a lot of guys on this team can really play. Walter Clayton Jr. and Zyon Pullin are both excellent, and Tyrese Samuel, Will Richard and Riley Kugel also have their moments. It’s a deep team that can beat anyone. The Gators actually won in Lexington on January 31.
Players to Watch in SEC Tournament
I already mentioned Knecht, who is a lights out shooter that has the confidence to pull from anywhere, but Tennessee also has Zakai Ziegler, Josiah-Jordan James and Santiago Vescovi back from last year’s team. Ziegler is a great table setter at point, and he can also get his own shot. Ziegler is also a pest at the point of attack on D. James is the ultimate glue guy for the Vols, and Vescovi is a good shooter and versatile offensive player. All three know what it takes to get the job done late in the year. Jonas Aidoo has also emerged as a two-way wrecking ball for Barnes’ team.
Kentucky is as loaded as ever this season. Oddly enough, Reed Sheppard is the team’s best player and comes off the bench. But he’ll play big minutes and be on the floor when it matters. Sheppard has an absurd 68.2% EFG% this season, which is downright appalling considering he’s only 6-foot-3. But he’s an absolute sniper from 3, shooting 52.6% from deep. It feels like he never misses, and he’s a good playmaker on top of that. Sheppard is also tough as nails as a point-of-attack defender.
The other Kentucky players you need to know are Rob Dillingham and Antonio Reeves. Dillingham is one of the shiftiest guards in college basketball, capable of creating separation for himself or getting to the basket whenever he wants. And he’s a good shooter on top of that. Meanwhile, Reeves is third in the SEC in scoring at 20.2 points per game and that’s because he has good size at 6-foot-6 and a beautiful stroke (44.0% 3PT). There’s a reason Kentucky is a top-10 team in adjusted offensive efficiency. The offensive talent is so good that John Calipari had to lean into it.
As long as Nate Oats is around, Alabama is going to have guys that can really play on the offensive end. This season, Mark Sears is the best of the bunch. He’s averaging 21.1 points and 4.1 assists per game for the Tide, and he’s shooting great percentages from everywhere. Aaron Estrada, Rylan Griffen and Latrell Wrightsell Jr. are three other guards that can really play. But the guy that can swing things for the Tide is big man Grant Nelson. The North Dakota State transfer is a highly talented inside-out option for Oats’ team. He just needs to try and stay out of foul trouble.
Auburn has two players that are top three in the SEC in BPM in Johni Broome and Jaylin Williams. Not many teams have two forwards that can impact the game like these two, and a good argument can honestly be made that Broome is the best player in the conference. He averaged 16.3 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.3 blocks and 2.1 assists per game during the regular season. He’s capable of doing a lot of different things offensively, but he’s also first in the SEC in Defensive Rating. His two-way impact jumps off the screen.
Texas A&M guard Wade Taylor IV is an awesome player to watch. The Aggies put a lot on his plate, as they’re really low on players with legitimate firepower. But Taylor is a dynamic scorer that can really shoot the ball, even off the dribble. Texas A&M had high expectations heading into the year, and the team didn’t live up to them. But Taylor has prevented things from really snowballing, and he’s the only reason they have a shot at going dancing.
Betting Pick to Win the SEC Tournament
I have a hard time going against Kentucky at their current price. I know Tennessee is excellent defensively, but Kentucky scored 85 against them in a win in Knoxville last weekend. So, the Wildcats have proven that their dynamic offense can get the job done against this Vols team. They also showed that they can overcome playing against a pro-Tennessee crowd. I also just like that Kentucky is a team that is loaded at the guard position. Good guard play goes a long way in March, and the Wildcats are as good as anyone in the backcourt. Kentucky also hasn’t won this tournament since 2017-18. It’s time that changes and this is a group that is fully capable of getting it done.
Makinen’s Power Ratings for SEC
Check out the other previews in our 2024 College Basketball Conference Tournament Betting Guide.
