What the SEC Basketball Tournament Picture Looks Like Entering the Final Week of SEC Play – Sports Illustrated

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The college basketball calendar has officially turned to March and there is only one week left to go for all 16 teams in the SEC before the conference tournament begins March 11. A weekend full of SEC games saw teams like Florida and Alabama clinch double-byes while there are still plenty of teams in the middle of the conference that are still competing for the final spot in the top four.
No. 24 Vanderbilt is one of those teams that are in the middle of the SEC. On Saturday, Vanderbilt took a tough 91-77 loss on the road to Kentucky. It was a game in which Vanderbilt started slow on both ends of the floor and it never recovered. It was Vanderbilt’s third SEC loss by 14 or more points this season.
The loss hurt Vanderbilt’s chances of climbing into the top four and now the Commodores are barely hanging on to the final one-day bye spot in the standings. Vanderbilt goes to Ole Miss Tuesday for what feels like a must-win game for seeding’s sake. The Commodores finish the season on the road against Tennessee on Saturday.
After another Saturday full of college basketball, here are the current SEC standings going into each team’s final two games of the regular season.
Here are the day-by-day matchups and full schedule for the SEC Tournament if it started today.
Game 1: 16 South Carolina vs. 9 Texas A&M, 11:30 a.m. CT
Game 2: 13 Oklahoma vs. 12 Mississippi State, 25 minutes after the conclusion of Game 1
Game 3: 15 LSU vs. 10 Georgia, 6 p.m. CT
Game 4: 14 Ole Miss vs. 11 Auburn, 25 minutes after the conclusion of Game 3
Game 5: Winner of Game 1 vs. 8 Vanderbilt, 11:30 a.m. CT
Game 6: Winner of Game 2 vs. 5 Kentucky, 25 minutes after the conclusion of Game 5
Game 7: Winner of Game 3 vs. 7 Texas, 6 p.m. CT
Game 8: Winner of Game 4 vs. 6 Tennessee, 25 minutes after the conclusion of Game 7
Game 9: Winner of Game 5 vs. 1 Florida, 12 p.m. CT
Game 10: Winner of Game 6 vs. 4 Missouri, 25 minutes after the conclusion of Game 9
Game 11: Winner of Game 7 vs. 2 Alabama, 6 p.m. CT
Game 12: Winner of Game 8 vs. 3 Arkansas, 25 minutes after the conclusion of Game 11
Semifinal Game 1: Winner of Game 9 vs. Winner of Game 10, 12 p.m. CT
Semifinal Game 2: Winner of Game 11 vs. Winner of Game 12, 25 minutes after the conclusion of Semifinal Game 1
SEC Championship: Winner of Semifinal Game 1 vs. Winner of Semifinal Game 2, 12 p.m. CT
The game for Vanderbilt fans to watch Tuesday night outside of the Commodores’ game against Ole Miss is Kentucky playing at Texas A&M. If Vanderbilt wins and Texas A&M loses Tuesday night, Vanderbilt clinches a one-day bye and would not have to play Wednesday.
The path for Vanderbilt to get a double-bye is slim, but there is still a chance. Vanderbilt must win the final two games of the season. Next, Missouri would have to lose to both Oklahoma and Arkansas. Vanderbilt cannot win any tie with Missouri involved because it lost to the Tigers. Vanderbilt can win a three-way tie for fourth with Tennessee and Texas A&M. 
Vanderbilt can still win a head-to-head tie for fourth with Kentucky if Alabama finishes in second. If Arkansas finished in second, Kentucky would then get the nod because it beat Arkansas while Vanderbilt did not. Vanderbilt can also win a head-to-head tie for fourth with Tennessee based on comparing both teams’ record against Alabama.
So, there is still a chance Vanderbilt can get a double-bye in the SEC Tournament but it is not likely. The Commodores just need to focus on winning in Ole Miss Tuesday and let the rest figure itself out.
Graham Baakko is a writer for Vanderbilt Commodores On SI, primarily covering football, basketball and baseball. Graham is a recent graduate from the University of Alabama, where he wrote for The Crimson White, WVUA-FM, WVUA 23 as he covered a variety of Crimson Tide sports. He also covered South Carolina athletics as a sportswriting intern for GamecockCentral.
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