What Twitter Is Saying Ahead of SEC Tournament 2015

Everyone knows the undefeated Kentucky Wildcats are the headliner at the 2015 SEC tournament, but there is actually just as much social media buzz surrounding the SEC field’s surprise tournament bid contenders.

Though the Wildcats have their NCAA tournament ticket locked up tighter than a Fort Knox vault controlled by an old Microsoft Windows operating system, teams like No. 21 Arkansas, LSU, Georgia, Ole Miss and even Texas A&M all have winning conference records and at least 20 wins overall.

The SEC tournament could hurt Texas A&M and Ole Miss if they lose in the second round, but it could also help them considerably if they advance to the quarterfinals and beat LSU and Georgia, respectively. As with any tournament, the door is open for the underdogs to make a statement.

Speaking of matchups, here’s a look at the SEC tournament bracket:

While the downside of bubble teams cannibalizing each other’s NCAA hopes in the conference tournament is still present, there is also the opportunity for the majority of those borderline teams to improve their records and advance to March Madness in good standing.

That’s for borderline teams only, though, as some SEC teams’ dreams are too big even for a would-be Cinderella:

Vanderbilt aside, what can the healthy SEC teams look forward to heading into the conference tournament? Well, Ole Miss will be happy it has All-SEC first-teamer Stefan Moody on its squad when facing the winner of South Carolina and Missouri on Thursday:

Meanwhile, Texas A&M will be counting on its own first-teamer Danuel House to go toe-to-toe with LSU’s Jarell Martin and Jordan Mickey if the Aggies make it to the quarters on March 13:

According to Eamonn Brennan’s latest Bubble Watch, Texas A&M is as middle-of-the-road as they come. Per Brennan, the Aggies have “mostly won the games they should win and lost the games they should lose.” That makes for a respectable season, but is it good enough to dance?

They lack a marquee victory (or victories) that makes a resume pop under the selection committee microscope, but a high-pressure win over LSU (third in the conference, 22-9 overall) in the quarterfinals could certainly qualify and help their cause.

If the Aggies want to pull that upset, though, they’ll have to be as dedicated with their tape study as their fellow students appear to be with their regular homework:

Unfortunately for LSU and Texas A&M, the winner of that quarterfinal will face Kentucky and will have far more to fear than this retro image of John Calipari in questionably short athletic apparel—disturbing as that may be:

The SEC and USA Today Coach of the Year will be intent on going the distance for the first perfect season since the Indiana Hoosiers accomplished the feat in 1976. For Calipari, that means executing a perfect SEC tournament.

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Kentucky is chasing Bob Knight's 1976 Indiana Hoosiers - the last men's CBB team to finish the season undefeated. pic.twitter.com/r8qyXjfj5L

— ESPN College BBall (@ESPNCBB) March 10, 2015"

With eight players averaging more than 20 minutes per game, Calipari has seemingly mastered the challenge of having a squad full of future draft picks firing on all cylinders—even coming off the bench.

Aaron Harrison and Devin Booker are both averaging about 11 points per game, while Karl-Anthony Towns, Willie Cauley-Stein, Andrew Harris and Trey Liles are each contributing between eight and 10 points per game.

However, Kentucky’s play at the other end of the court is actually even more impressive. As a team, the Wildcats are ranked third in the nation in points allowed and second in blocks per game. What do they always say about defense winning tournaments? Keep in mind defense is just one reason why fans would rather avoid Kentucky as long as possible:

There is every sign that the Kentucky basketball juggernaut will steamroll any opponent in the conference tournament, as the Wildcats have already gone 18-0 in the regular season. Therefore, Arkansas, Ole Miss and Georgia will be thanking their lucky stars they can’t meet the Big Blue Nation until the championship game on March 15.

Look for Georgia to be particularly happy about its circumstances, as the highest-seeded opponent the Bulldogs could face in their opening game would be Ole Miss—a team they swept during the regular season. They are also on somewhat of a hot streak, having won four of their last five games (the single miss was only an eight-point loss to Kentucky, so that’s more like a loss with an asterisk for good effort).

Anyway you slice it probability-wise, things are poised for a huge Georgia-Arkansas showdown in the semifinals. Georgia will be looking to avenge its slim January 6 loss to the Razorbacks by taking better care of the ball (the Bulldogs had 17 turnovers to Arkansas’ nine in their four-point loss).

However, SEC Player of the Year Bobby Portis—yes, he goes to Arkansas, not Kentucky—may have different ideas. Portis scored 21 points against Georgia that night, and the rest of his season suggests it wasn’t a fluke:

As a nine seed in Joe Lunardi’s latest Bracketology, Georgia is craving a win over projected five-seed Arkansas to avoid having to play the No. 1 seed in its region in the second game of the NCAA tournament. A win still might not be enough to move it up to a seven seed, but losing certainly won’t do the job, so the Bulldogs know they have everything to play for.

Given the setup of this year’s SEC tournament, no team is really in danger of knocking itself out of March Madness contention—except maybe projected 10-seeds LSU and Ole Miss, if they lose their opening games in appalling fashion.

Conversely, a team like Texas A&M could make a last-second grab for glory by winning its opening two games.

Also, teams like Georgia and Ole Miss that are on the non-Kentucky side of the bracket could make a strong run to the final to earn a slight boost in their NCAA tournament seeding.

"

.@olemissmbb preparing for the #SECTournament this afternoon. #HottyToddy pic.twitter.com/tmdjYcQ7x1

— Julie Owen (@JulieKOwen) March 11, 2015"

Look for Texas A&M to upset LSU (the Aggies swept the Tigers during the regular season) for a statement win to show the committee it belongs on their dance card.

As for the championship game of the SEC tournament: keep an eye out for a Georgia-Kentucky final (with a Wildcats win, of course).

The SEC tournament kicks off Wednesday with Mississippi State-Auburn at 7 p.m. ET, followed by South Carolina-Missouri at 9 p.m. ET. Though the first round may not involve the most exciting teams as far as March Madness is concerned, you can bet the fans are more than pumped to settle a personal score or two.