SEC Tournament 2019: Full Schedule and Complete Bracket Predictions

The regular-season race in the Southeastern Conference is coming down to the final week of the season, and it's a three-way battle between Tennessee (26-3, 14-2), LSU (24-5, 14-2) and Kentucky (24-5, 13-3) for the top spot in the standings.

After the regular season comes to a close, the SEC tournament will take center stage at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee, from March 13-17.

While Tennessee, LSU, and Kentucky fight it out for the top spot in the conference, the other 13 teams are battling for position as well. It is especially tight just below the first flight, as Mississippi State, Florida, Auburn, Ole Miss and South Carolina are all 9-7 and tied for fourth place.

The bracket schedule is set for the tournament, as No. 12 and 13 seeds will meet March 13 at 7 p.m. ET, followed by the No. 11 and 14 seeds going at it after that game is over.

The second round, which consists of teams seeded seventh and below, will play out March 14, followed by the quarterfinals March 15.

The semifinals and championship round will be held March 16 and 17, respectively. Teams playing in the championship game will play at least three days in a row, and if the teams at the lower end of the seedings happen to make a run, those teams could play four or five games on consecutive days.

Tennessee had won 19 games in a row in the middle of the season, but they are just 3-2 in their last five games. The two defeats came against LSU and Kentucky, but the Vols came back to defeat the Wildcats 71-52 in their second meeting of the season.

Tennessee is led by forward Grant Williams, who is averaging 19.3 points per game and connecting on 56.7 percent of his shots from the field. Guard Admiral Schofield is right behind Williams with an average of 16.4 points per night along with a shooting percentage of 47.5 percent. Three other Vols are averaging in double figures, and head coach Rick Barnes knows that he can get big games from a number of key players.

LSU comes into the final week of the regular season having won seven of its last eight games. Guard Tremont Waters is the Tigers' go-to player, averaging 15.3 points and 5.8 assists per game. Fellow guard Skylar Mays is averaging 13.7 points per night, while forward Naz Reid is scoring 13.5 points and 7.0 rebounds per night.

The Wildcats hope to climb over Tennessee and LSU, and John Calipari's team has two challenging games against Ole Miss (road) and Florida (home) to close the regular season.

Forward PJ Washington is leading the Wildcats with an average of 14.9 points per night while connecting on 52.4 percent of his shots from the field. Guard Tyler Herro is scoring 13.9 points per game, while guard Keldon Johnson is averaging 13.4 points and 5.8 assists per game.

Wade Payne/Associated Press

Predictions

There is no dominant team in the SEC this year, and the conference tournament should be wide open.

While teams like Mississippi State, Florida, Auburn, Ole Miss and South Carolina are all solid, it would be a surprise if any team besides Tennessee, LSU, or Kentucky would come away with the tournament title.

Look for the Vols and the Tigers to end up with the top two seeds in the tournament, and those two teams should meet in the championship round.

While both teams are relatively even on offense, Tennessee is the better defensive team, allowing an average of 67.5 points per game, while the Tigers are giving up 73.2 points per game.

Tennessee will take advantage of that difference and come away with the SEC tournament title.