SEC Tournament 2018: Full Schedule and Complete Bracket Predictions

The SEC has been one of the best leagues to watch in men's college basketball this season, as the rest of the conference has improved while Kentucky's experienced a downturn in form.

John Calipari's Wildcats are in the mix to win their fourth straight SEC tournament, but this season's task is their hardest yet.

Auburn and Tennessee sit atop the SEC, while a bundle of teams are jockeying for position during the final week of the regular season to earn the best seed possible in St. Louis, Missouri.

Barring a total collapse, the Tigers and Volunteers should remain in the top two positions of the SEC standings, but it gets interesting after that as a field of nine teams, including Kentucky, is separated by two games.

The SEC tournament could produce the most chaos of any major conference tournament given the depth of the conference, but it could also go to form, and Kentucky could emerge dominant once again.

SEC Tournament Schedule (All Times ET)

Wednesday, March 7

No. 12 seed vs. No. 13 seed (7 p.m., SEC Network)

No. 11 seed vs. No. 14 seed (approximately 9:30 p.m., SEC Network)

Thursday, March 8

No. 8 seed vs. No. 9 seed (1 p.m., SEC Network)

No. 5 seed vs. No. 12 seed or No. 13 seed (approximately 3:30 p.m., SEC Network)

No. 7 seed vs. No. 10 seed (7 p.m., SEC Network)

No. 6 seed vs. No. 11 seed or No. 14 seed (approximately 9:30 p.m., SEC Network)

Friday, March 9

No. 1 seed vs. No. 8 vs. No. 9 seed winner (1 p.m., ESPN)

No. 4 seed vs. No. 5 seed vs. No. 12 or No. 13 seed winner (approximately 3:30 p.m., ESPN)

No. 2 seed vs. No. 7 seed vs. No. 10 seed winner (7 p.m., SEC Network)

No. 3 seed vs. No. 6 seed vs. No. 11 or No. 14 winner (approximately 9:30 p.m., SEC Network)

Saturday, March 10

Winner of No. 1 seed's quarterfinal vs. winner of No. 4 seed's quarterfinal (1 p.m., ESPN)

Winner of No. 2 seed's quarterfinal vs. winner of No. 3 seed's quarterfinal (approximately 3:30 p.m., ESPN)

Sunday, March 11

Winner of semifinal No. 1 vs. winner of semifinal No. 2 (1 p.m., ESPN)

SEC Tournament Predictions

Seeds

1. Auburn

2. Tennessee

3. Kentucky

4. Arkansas

5. Florida

6. Mississippi State

7. Missouri

8. Alabama

9. Georgia

10. Texas A&M

11. LSU

12. South Carolina

13. Ole Miss

14. Vanderbilt

1st-Round Predictions

No. 11 LSU def. No. 14 Vanderbilt

No. 12 South Carolina def. No. 13 Ole Miss

2nd-Round Predictions

No. 8 Alabama def. No. 9 Georgia

No. 5 Florida def. No. 12 South Carolina

No. 10 Texas A&M def. No. 7 Missouri

No. 6 Mississippi State def. No. 11 LSU

Quarterfinals Predictions

No. 8 Alabama def. No. 1 Auburn 

No. 5 Florida def. No. 4 Arkansas 

No. 2 Tennessee def. No. 10 Texas A&M 

No. 3 Kentucky def. No. 6 Mississippi State

Semifinals Predictions

No. 8 Alabama def. No. 5 Florida

No. 2 Tennessee def. No. 3 Kentucky

Final Prediction

No. 2 Tennessee over No. 8 Alabama

Tennessee Wins SEC Tournament for 1st Time Since 1979

Tennessee's resurgent season under head coach Rick Barnes continues at the SEC tournament, as the Volunteers earn their third win over Kentucky on their way to their first SEC tournament title since 1979.

Although beating a team three times in one year is a difficult task, the Volunteers know exactly what to expect from the Wildcats, and they should be able to silence the freshman-laden lineup.

Admiral Schofield, who scored 20 points in the January 7 victory over Kentucky, will be a key contributor, as will Lamonte Turner, who posted a pair of double-digit point totals off the bench against the Wildcats in their two previous meetings.

Andy Lyons/Getty Images

The defensive key for the Vols will be silencing Kentucky freshman Kevin Knox, who is 4-of-20 from the field with 16 points against Tennessee.

A quarterfinal win over a Texas A&M team desperate for a momentum push heading into the NCAA tournament won't do much for Tennessee's resume, but the semifinal victory over Kentucky should help its seeding on Selection Sunday, especially as Auburn falters on the other half of the bracket.

Collin Sexton Takes Over As Alabama Reaches Final

With Alabama's back against the wall, freshman Collin Sexton will take over the SEC tournament and make sure the Crimson Tide qualify for the field of 68 on Selection Sunday.

The guard, who leads the team with 18.2 points per game, uses a strong close to the regular season against Florida and Texas A&M to motivate him and force his team into the NCAA tournament.

Sexton starts off his SEC tournament with an easy victory over Georgia as the Crimson Tide avenge their 65-46 loss from January 6.

Butch Dill/Associated Press

In the quarterfinal against Auburn, Sexton takes over to pull off one of the biggest upsets in any major conference tournament, a loss that ends up knocking Auburn's NCAA tournament seeding down.

Next up for Sexton is Florida, who he scored 17 points against in a 68-50 victory on February 23, a win that is one of Alabama's five over top-25 teams.

Although the Crimson Tide fall short in the final against Tennessee, Sexton receives Most Valuable Player for averaging over 20 points per game and eliminating any doubt about Alabama's tournament credentials.

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

Statistics obtained from ESPN.com.