SEC tournament bracket, scores, schedule update, bubble scenarios

Last season was a dream for SEC men’s basketball with a record 14 teams in the NCAA field and Florida winning the national title. There’s been an expected regression from that historic campaign, but the league is still expected to have double-digit teams participating in March Madness.

The bubble has a big topic so far in Nashville. Auburn won its first round game before losing to Tennessee in the second round. And their 17-16 record has confounded many. Do they have an at-large case?

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Oklahoma has won two games in a row to put the Sooners in the conversation, including a 20-point win over Texas A&M in Thursday’s second round.

March Madness bracketology: NCAA tournament bubble picture gets shakeup

And out of nowhere, 15th-seeded Ole Miss keeps winning. The Rebels beat Texas (a bubble team of their own) and then knocked out No. 7 Georgia in the second round. Ole Miss gets Alabama in Friday’s quarterfinals, while Oklahoma faces Alabama.

SEC tournament schedule, bracket, scores

All times Eastern.

First round

Wednesday, March 11

• Game 1: No. 9 Kentucky 87, No. 16 LSU 82

• Game 2: No. 12 Auburn 79, No. 13 Mississippi State 61

• Game 3: No. 15 Mississippi 76, No. 10 Texas 66

• Game 4: No. 11 Oklahoma 86, No. 14 South Carolina 74

Second round

Thursday, March 12

• Game 5: No. 9 Kentucky 78, No. 8 Missouri 72

• Game 6: No. 5 Tennessee 72, No. 12 Auburn 62

• Game 7: No. 15 Mississippi 76, No. 7 Georgia 72

• Game 8: No. 11 Oklahoma 83, No. 6 Texas A&M 63

Quarterfinals

Friday, March 13

• Game 9: No. 1 Florida vs. No. 9 Kentucky, 1 p.m., ESPN

• Game 10: No. 4 Vanderbilt vs. No. 5 Tennessee, 3:30 p.m., ESPN

• Game 11: No. 2 Alabama vs. No. 15 Mississippi, 7 p.m., SECN

• Game 12: No. 3 Arkansas vs. No. 11 Oklahoma, 9:30 p.m., SECN

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Semifinals

Saturday, March 14

• Game 13: Game 9 winner vs. Game 10 winner, 1 p.m., ESPN

• Game 14: Game 11 winner vs. Game 12 winner, 3:30 p.m., ESPN

Championship game

Sunday, March 15

• Game 15: Semifinal winners, 1 p.m., ESPN

How to watch SEC basketball tournament

The SEC tournament first round and second round will be aired on the SEC Network and streamed exclusively on ESPN+. The quarterfinals will be shared between ESPN and the SEC Network. The semifinals and championship game will be aired on ESPN.

SEC basketball tournament favorites

The title defense for Florida seemed a long way away at the turn of the year with the Gators losing four non-conference games and then dropping the SEC opener against Missouri. But Todd Golden got more solidity from the backcourt of Boogie Fland and Xaivian Lee to assist the frontcourt. They won their last 11 league games are the overwhelming favorite to win the title and possibly lock up a No. 1 seed. Another team on a strong second half run has been Alabama with the Tide winning eight of 10 entering the postseason. The backcourt of Aden Holloway and Labaron Philon give them the firepower to make some noise. Arkansas, which finished tied for second in the league with Alabama, has freshman Darius Acuff and other options that make the Razorbacks dangerous.

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SEC tournament top players

Darius Acuff, G, Arkansas: The freshman has lived up to his billing, leading the conference in scoring (22.2 ppg) and assists (6.4 apg) in helping the Razorbacks earn the No. 3 seed. He can take over any game as evidenced by his 49-point effort at Alabama.

Labaron Philon Jr., G, Alabama: The sophomore has made massive improvements in his second season, raising his scoring and shooting efficiency while being the spark behind the Crimson Tide’s second-half surge.

Ja’Kobi Gillespie, G, Tennessee: The Maryland transfer has made an instant impact, leading the rebuilt Volunteers in scoring (18.0 ppg) and assists (5.6 apg). His play will dictate how fare they go in the bracket.

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Thomas Haugh, F, Florida: The emergence of Haugh, the team’s leading scorer at 17.1 ppg, has been huge for the Gators after losing key pieces from last year’s title team. He’s joined by Rueben Chinyelu and Alex Condon to create one of the top frontcourts in country.

Tyler Tanner, G, Vanderbilt: The Commodores were picked 11th in the conference’s preseason poll, but they have been one of the top teams in the league with Tanner leading the way in scoring (19.0 ppg) and assists (5.3 apg).

NCAA tournament bubble storylines for SEC

The situation on the bubble is less cloudy than last year when 14 teams made the tournament. It appears 10 are locks with Missouri and Texas still in solid shake after a few stumbles at the end of the regular season. A first-round win would take away all the mystery. Auburn looked to be in good shape entering February, but the Tigers have fall apart with just two wins in 10 games and sit at 16-15. They’re likely in need of a couple wins to earn their place. One team that is going the opposite direction is Oklahoma. The Sooners lost nine in a row and weren’t anywhere near the bubble conversation before a strong finish that saw them win six of eight, including the last four of the regular season. A pair of victories might push Oklahoma into the field.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: SEC basketball tournament bracket, scores, schedule update, bubble