SEC Tournament 2018: Schedule and Bracket Predictions for Conference Tourney

The SEC has been one of the most tumultuous conferences in men's basketball, as few teams have earned our trust since the start of conference play.

The topsy-turvy nature of the league should set up a fantastic SEC tournament in St. Louis, Missouri, in which any team could come out victorious.

Kentucky has the most raw talent of any side in the SEC, but that doesn't mean it contains the best team entering next week's expected chaos.

Spots in the NCAA tournament will be up for grabs at the Scottrade Center, with a handful of SEC programs having work to do to improve their respective resumes, so every game carries some type of meaning.

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. Texas A&M

9. Alabama

10. Georgia

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 Texas A&M def. No. 9 Alabama

No. 5 Florida def. No. 12 South Carolina

No. 7 Missouri def. No. 10 Georgia

No. 6 Mississippi State def. No. 11 LSU

Quarterfinals Predictions

No. 8 Texas A&M def. No. 1 Auburn

No. 5 Florida def. No. 4 Arkansas

No. 2 Tennessee def. No. 7 Missouri

No. 3 Kentucky def. No. 6 Mississippi State

Semifinals Predictions

No. 5 Florida def. No. 8 Texas A&M

No. 2 Tennessee def. No. 3 Kentucky

Final Prediction

No. 2 Tennessee over No. 5 Florida

Bubble Situation Could Become a Mess

The teams in the middle of the SEC are walking on eggshells heading into St. Louis.

Mississippi State, Missouri, Texas A&M and Alabama are the four teams with the most to lose next week, while Georgia has an outside chance to qualify for the NCAA tournament.

Thursday could be the most dramatic day, since four of those teams are expected to play each other in the second round.

The survivors of the second round must prove their worth the next day in the quarterfinals against the SEC's locks to make the NCAA tournament, while Mississippi State needs to pick up a quality win.

Rogelio V. Solis/Associated Press

Each of the programs mentioned above has displayed qualities of an elite team at some point in the season, but they've also lost our faith with disappointing losses.

Outside of Mississippi State's need for a quarterfinal win, Alabama might be under the most pressure to produce at the SEC tournament, as it's on a four-game losing streak with a trip to Texas A&M ahead Saturday.

However, you could make a case for Alabama to make a run during tournament season because of the superstar it possesses in freshman Collin Sexton. The same could be said about Missouri if Michael Porter suits up.

Don't Count Out Florida's March Experience

The one team in the SEC we aren't talking about enough is Florida.

The Gators carry experience from last year's trip to the Elite 8 into March, with Chris Chiozza and KeVaughn Allen hoping to provide a spark over the next few weeks.

Alex Menendez/Getty Images

While Florida might not be the best team in the SEC, it holds an intangible that Tennessee, Auburn, Arkansas and Kentucky don't have, which could propel it into the SEC tournament final.

Mike White's team could make a further case to be the team to beat in the SEC if it knocks off Kentucky at home to conclude the regular season Saturday.

A win over the Wildcats would extend Florida's winning streak to three games, including victories over Auburn and Kentucky.

The battle-tested Gators are tied with Alabama for the most wins of any SEC team against ranked opposition with five, two of which came in nonconference play against Gonzaga and Cincinnati.

If the Gators build up more confidence with success in the SEC tournament, they could be one of the most dangerous teams in the NCAA tournament as a No. 5 or No. 6 seed.

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90

Statistics obtained from ESPN.com