SEC Tournament 2015: Dates, Bracket and Darkhorse Contenders to Watch

Is Kentucky going to lose? 

That is the predominant question for the entire basketball season, and the pressure will be on in Nashville for the SEC tournament if John Calipari’s squad still has a goose egg in the loss department. After all, winning the conference tournament requires back-to-back-to-back performances, even for the No. 1 seed, and each one will come with more pressure.

It remains to be seen whether an underdog will sneak up and shock Kentucky at the SEC tournament. Here are a couple of dark-horse candidates that could theoretically do just that.

The bracket and full schedule can be found here, courtesy of ESPN.

2015 SEC Tournament 

Dates: Wednesday, March 11, through Sunday, March 15

Location: Bridgestone Arena; Nashville, Tennessee

TV: SEC Network (first, second and third rounds), ESPN (semifinals and finals)

Darkhorse Teams to Watch

LSU

Gerald Herbert/Associated Press

Few teams in the country have the size to match up with Kentucky on the front line, but LSU has two massive big men who dominate the post and clean up on the glass.

Jarell Martin and Jordan Mickey are both averaging exactly 16.5 points a night and combine for 19.1 boards per game. It is no coincidence that the Tigers were one of the few teams to actually challenge the Wildcats this season in what turned out to be a heartbreaking two-point loss.

Martin posted 21 points and 11 rebounds in that game, while Mickey added 16 points and seven boards. The only way to beat Kentucky is by preventing it from dominating on the blocks with its never-ending supply of impact big men, and this dynamic duo found a way to do that. If they can repeat that performance in the SEC tournament, the Tigers could tally one of the biggest upsets of the season.

Calipari discussed the two LSU big men, via Steve Jones of The Courier-Journal: "They're basketball players. They can make jump shots. They can beat you on the dribble. They both go at the rim. … Both of them have skills to play out on the floor, not just inside."

Stacy Revere/Getty Images

While most of the focus for this entire tournament will be on whether anyone can match up with the Wildcats, the Tigers’ big men duo will be difficult to deal with for any potential opponent in Nashville. There would be no shame in making a run to the semifinals or finals and ultimately losing to Kentucky, and that would likely be enough to clinch a spot in the Big Dance. 

That is exactly what the Tigers are looking for this season.

Florida

Jamie Squire/Getty Images

Look, this is admittedly a stretch and there is no getting around it. Suggesting that Florida could win in Nashville is laughable considering how poorly the season has gone, but there is something to be said about the talent in place.

When the Gators were actually motivated this season, they flashed some of their potential. They hung with Kentucky until the very end and challenged Kansas on the road in nonconference play. Teams don’t play the Wildcats and Jayhawks that close if there isn’t some talent to work with on the floor.

Motivated talent can be dangerous, especially in the one-and-done nature of the postseason in college basketball. Florida’s only chance at the NCAA tournament is by pulling off a stunning title run in Nashville, so the players should come out with a sense of extreme urgency.

Mark Zaleski/Associated Press

Part of the problem for the Gators this season is the sheer amount of games that Dorian Finney-Smith and Michael Frazier II have missed. Ideally, both will once again be on the floor together in the SEC tournament, which is a scary proposition for the Wildcats, Arkansas and the rest of the top teams in the conference. 

If point guard Kasey Hill can improve by the end of the season, the Gators could have something. Edgar Thompson of the Orlando Sentinel, Gator M-Basketball and Richard Johnson of Jacksonville.com all noted that Hill is putting the work in with that in mind:

"

Billy said Kasey Hill was in the gym shooting free throws latenight after the Vandy game. Missed two crucial ones down the stretch.

— Richard Johnson (@RagjUF) February 23, 2015"

Ultimately, underdogs with talent can be a problem for any favorites. Florida has the players on paper, but it hasn’t executed this season. A revival in Nashville would salvage this disappointing campaign.

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