The whirring rumble that approaches us is the sound of the SEC wagon. It’s been rolling all season — four teams in the top eight of the AP poll and another two cracking the top 15, earning the effusive praise of Jay Bilas. The conference is expected to break the record for NCAA Tournament bids. Now comes the good stuff, with the conference tourneys launching Madness month from Wednesday through Sunday.
SEC coach of the year Bruce Pearl took Auburn to the regular season title. The gauntlet begins down in the Music City.
How to watch the 2025 SEC men’s basketball tournament
Full schedule
All times Eastern, to be updated throughout the tournament.
First round — Wednesday, March 12
- Game 1: No. 9 Arkansas vs. No. 16 South Carolina | 1 p.m. on SEC Network
- Game 2: No. 12 Vanderbilt vs. No. 13 Texas | 25 minutes after Game 1 on SEC Network
- Game 3: No. 10 Mississippi State vs. No. 15 LSU | 7 p.m. on SEC Network
- Game 4: No. 11 Georgia vs. No. 14 Oklahoma | 25 minutes after Game 3 on SEC Network
Second round — Thursday, March 13
- Game 5: No. 8 Ole Miss vs. Game 1 winner | 1 p.m. on SEC Network
- Game 6: No. 5 Texas A&M vs. Game 2 winner | 25 minutes after Game 5 on SEC Network
- Game 7: No. 7 Missouri vs. Game 3 winner | 7 p.m. on SEC Network
- Game 8: No. 6 Kentucky vs. Game 4 winner | 25 minutes after Game 7 on SEC Network
Quarterfinals — Friday, March 14
- Game 9: No. 1 Auburn vs. Game 5 winner | 1 p.m. on ESPN
- Game 10: No. 4 Tennessee vs. Game 6 winner | 25 minutes after Game 9 on ESPN
- Game 11: No. 2 Florida vs. Game 7 winner | 7 p.m. on SEC Network
- Game 12: No. 3 Alabama vs. Game 8 winner | 25 minutes after Game 11 on SEC Network
Semifinals — Saturday, March 15
- Game 13: Game 9 winner vs. Game 10 winner | 1 p.m. on ESPN
- Game 14: Game 11 winner vs. Game 12 winner | 25 minutes after Game 13 on ESPN
Championship — Sunday, March 16 | 1 p.m. on ESPN
Players to watch
Center Johni Broome put in a valiant campaign for Player of the Year, and Auburn is loaded with talent beyond the paint. The seniors are great from 3-point range, with Chad Baker-Mazara (38.7 percent), Miles Kelly (40.2) and Denver Jones (42.5) each trying at least four per game. Freshman livewire Tahaad Pettiford re-ups energy off the bench.
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Tennessee’s Chaz Lanier bounced back from a bricky January and closed the regular season on an unmitigated heater: more than 20 points on 51.7/42 shooting splits in his last six games. He was named the SEC’s newcomer of the year on Monday night. First-team all-conference point guard Zakai Zeigler shifted and shook his way up to fourth all-time in the conference for assists. Zeigler also seized the SEC’s Defensive Player of the Year honor for the second straight year.
This SEC field is led by experienced and tested collegiate vets. Florida is paced by a trio of senior guards in Walter Clayton Jr., Will Richard and Alijah Martin. Alabama’s Mark Sears and Grant Nelson give it one more go before graduation.
Tre Johnson had a standout freshman season for Texas, leading the conference with 20.2 points per game and catching a few heat checks from behind the arc. He smashed a program debut mark previously set by Kevin Durant. Georgia’s ascendant freshman, Asa Newell, was second to Broome in SEC win shares. Otega Oweh set the tone for Kentucky with swift toughness. Sixth-year Caleb Grill made it rain on high volume in Missouri. Wade Taylor IV seems to never give up nor lose confidence for audacious Texas A&M.
More analysis from The Athletic
Joe Rexrode has the Gators, Tide and Volunteers as teams with the most to gain this weekend:
Florida: “I’ve got Florida as the last No. 1 seed after an enormous win at Alabama, and a No. 1 seed is worth it simply to guarantee Auburn/Duke avoidance. Though I’m not sure Florida should be worried about avoiding anyone, the way the Gators are playing.”
Alabama: “It’s so close between Florida and Alabama. If things go the way this bracket unfolded, it wouldn’t much matter because the No. 4 overall seed and No. 5 overall seed got shipped out West together. But it doesn’t have to unfold that way. The only clear rule is that No. 5 overall can’t be with No. 1 overall.”
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Tenessee: “It’s so close between Alabama and Tennessee, too. These three appear to be fighting for one spot because Houston is inching toward No. 1 lock status. But it’s worth it for the Vols to be a higher No. 2 than Alabama — that’s the difference right now between starting in Lexington or Cleveland.”
CJ Moore on the Aggies in his latest power rankings:
“Texas A&M upset Auburn last week by taking 15 more shots and 10 more free throws. This season the Aggies are in a class of their own when it comes to the combination of getting more shots and free throws … Buzz Williams has sort of followed the Houston formula, but the ability to also dominate the free throw battle differentiates the Aggies.”
Locks: Auburn, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi State, Missouri, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt
In the Mix: Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas
SEC Tournament odds
Tournament record book
Kentucky laps the all-time competition with 33 championships. Alabama (8), Tennessee (5), Florida (4), Auburn (3) and Mississippi State (3) follow in the distance.
Four SEC Tournament MVPs are active in the NBA: Brandon Miller (Alabama, 2023), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Kentucky, 2018), De’Aaron Fox (Kentucky, 2017), Al Horford (Florida, 2007)
Nine MVPs went on to make an NBA All-Star Game: SGA, Fox and Horford, plus…
- John Wall (Kentucky, 2010)
- Antoine Walker (Kentucky, 1995)
- Jamal Mashburn (Kentucky, 1992)
- Allan Houston (Tennessee, 1991)
- Charles Barkley (Auburn, 1984)
- Dominique Wilkins (Georgia, 1981)
Not for nothing, Derrick McKey (Alabama, 1987) and Tayshaun Prince (Kentucky, 2001) made NBA all-defense teams.
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(Photo of Walter Clayton Jr. and Tahaad Pettiford: Todd Kirkland / Getty Images)
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