SEC Tournament 2020: Bracket Seeds, Odds, Matchups and Predictions

Keegan PopeMar 10, 2020

When the SEC tournament tips off Wednesday night in Nashville, much of the attention surrounding it will be focused in Lexington. With Kentucky guard Ashton Hagans briefly leaving the team due to personal reasons before the Wildcats played Florida this past Saturday, both UK fans and the rest of the SEC awaits word on whether he'll return.

The Wildcats are the presumptive favorite to win their fifth SEC tournament title in the last six seasons, and Hagans is a big reason for that. The freshman from Cartersville, Georgia, leads the team in assists (6.4 per game), is fourth in scoring, fifth in rebounds and arguably the team's best perimeter defender and largest offensive catalyst.

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Without him, Kentucky will still be a hard team to knock out in Nashville, especially because of the way Big Blue Nation travels to this event. But if he does return, it's hard to bet against the Wildcats' guard trio of Hagans, Immanuel Quickley and Tyrese Maxey, who combine to average better than 41 points per game.

On UK's heels will be Auburn, who beat Kentucky somewhat handily in their first matchup on Feb. 1, LSU, Mississippi State and a Florida team looking for revenge after being swept by John Calipari's squad this year.

Here's how the entire bracket, which you can find here, breaks down, along with our predictions.

No. 14 Vanderbilt (Odds to win SEC Tournament via Caesars Palace: +100000)

The Commodores have been without leading scorer, Aaron Nesmith, since January, and despite impressive campaigns from guards Saben Lee and Scotty Pippen Jr., they don't have enough firepower to knock off a suddenly resurgent Arkansas team in the play-in round.

No. 13 Georgia (+10000)

Georgia fans hoped that potential top-five draft pick Anthony Edwards could turn around their basketball fortunes. He's carried the Bulldogs to this point, but Wednesday night will be his last in red and black. Ole Miss' guard combo of Devontae Shuler and Breein Tyree will be enough to send Georgia home early.

No. 12 Ole Miss (+12500)

Coming off an NCAA tournament appearance in Kermit Davis' first season at the helm, Ole Miss had high expectations of a top-half finish in the SEC and a return to the Big Dance with Shuler and Tyree. The Rebels will beat Georgia, eke out a win against fifth-seeded Florida before falling to in-state rival Mississippi State—a team desperate to get off the bubble—in the quarterfinals.

No. 11 Arkansas (+1500)

Before star guard Isaiah Joe went down with an injury in early February, the Razorbacks had the looks of a lock for an at-large bid. Five straight losses took them out of that conversation, but three wins in the five games since Joe returned have them squarely on the bubble.

With Joe and Mason Jones, the SEC's leading scorer, back together, Eric Musselman's squad could be dangerous. The Razorbacks will easily dispatch Vanderbilt and send South Carolina packing in a second-round upset. They'll face a wildly unpredictable LSU squad in the quarterfinals, and the duo of Joe and Jones will be just enough to get a win and guarantee a spot in March Madness. But let's not get too crazy: A semifinal date with Auburn will be the Razorbacks' demise.

No. 10 Missouri (+6000)

On certain nights, Cuonzo Martin's squad looks like a surefire tournament team. On most others, you wonder how exactly the Tigers won seven SEC games in the first place. After falling to first-round opponent Texas A&M twice during the regular season, Martin's squad is unable to prove third time's the charm and heads back to Columbia with a lot of offseason questions.

No. 9 Alabama (+2200)

There are few better offenses in the league than Alabama's when the Crimson Tide are cooking. But Rick Barnes has Tennessee playing well (except against Auburn), and the Vols are right on the cusp of a tournament berth. Advantage Tennessee.

No. 8 Tennessee (+2000)

Tennessee has gotten more than anyone would've expected out of forward John Fulkerson, who is averaging 13.7 points and 5.9 rebounds this year after averaging just 3.1 and 2.6 a year ago. The Vols will beat Alabama and might have enough left in the tank to keep it close with Kentucky, but Calipari's squad will have plenty of rest and revenge on their mind after Tennessee's 81-73 win at Rupp Arena last week. Looks like the NIT for UT.

No. 7 Texas A&M (+7500)

Buzz Williams is very likely the SEC Coach of the Year, and for good reason. The Aggies weren't expected to avoid the play-in games on Wednesday, and instead, they're on the fringe of the NCAA tournament conversation. Expect them to knock off Missouri for the third time, but they won't be able to overcome Auburn.

No. 6 South Carolina (+2500)

Frank Martin's squad has been enigmatic this year, and the SEC tournament second round will be no different. South Carolina will give an underseeded Arkansas team a good run, but there are very few duos in the SEC—if any—that are better than Mason Jones and Isaiah Joe. The Gamecocks will miss the Big Dance for the seventh time in Martin's eight years in Columbia.

No. 5 Florida (+700)

No team has been a bigger disappointment than the Gators in the SEC this year. They're still a likely lock for the tournament regardless of their performance in Nashville, but they'll be a little closer to the bubble after a loss against Ole Miss in Round 2.

No. 4 Mississippi State (+700)

Yes, your eyes are correct. The fourth-best team in the SEC this year is a bubble team. The Bulldogs were less than impressive in the non-conference schedule but have turned things around in SEC play. Awaiting them on Friday in their first game of the tournament will be an Ole Miss squad coming off two wins in two days. But the combination of double-double machine Reggie Perry and guards Tyson Carter, Robert Woodard and Nick Weatherspoon will be too much for the Rebels to overcome.

No. 3 LSU (+450)

The Tigers have plenty of talent to win the whole thing; the question is which team will show up. Arkansas, coming off a pair of wins and feeling good about its NCAA tournament hopes, will have plenty of momentum when these teams face off on Friday. But Will Wade's squad will be well rested, and will make just enough plays to hold off the Razorbacks and get back to the semifinals.

No. 2 Auburn (+300)

On paper, you could argue Auburn is the most-talented team in the league. Samir Doughty has scored in double figures in 13 of his last 14 games, and coach Bruce Pearl has plenty of slashers to surround him with. The Tigers should easily take care of Texas A&M in the quarterfinals and squeak past LSU to get back into the SEC title game after winning the tournament a year ago.

No. 1 Kentucky (+225)

Kentucky's fate gets a whole lot more interesting if Ashton Hagans doesn't return after a one-game sabbatical. But assuming he does, it's hard to see the Wildcats losing to Tennessee a second time, and they have too much guard talent for Mississippi State to overcome.

They'll meet Auburn in the title game in an arena that will almost feel like a Kentucky home game because of Big Blue Nation. The Tigers will give them a run, but Kentucky sneaks out of Nashville with some much-needed momentum heading into Selection Sunday.

Here's how and where you can watch it all unfold.

(Note: All times Eastern; some start times approximated.)

First round: Wednesday, March 11

Game 1: No. 12 Ole Miss vs. No. 13 Georgia | 6 p.m. on SECN

Game 2: No. 11 Arkansas vs. No. 14 Vanderbilt | 8:25 p.m. on SECN

Second round: Thursday, March 12

Game 3: No. 8 Tennessee vs. No. 9 Alabama | 12 p.m. on SEC Network

Game 4: No. 5 Florida vs. Game 1 winner | 2:25 p.m. on SEC Network

Game 5: No. 7 Texas A&M vs. No. 10 Missouri | 6 p.m. on SEC Network

Game 6: No. 6 South Carolina vs. Game 2 winner | 8:25 p.m. on SEC Network

Quarterfinals: Friday, March 13

Game 7: No. 1 Kentucky vs. Game 3 winner | 12 p.m. on ESPN