SEC Tournament Bracket: For Florida and Auburn, It All Comes Down To This

Thursday night Florida will take on Auburn at the SEC Tournament. Many of the network pundits believe that this game will decide Florida's NCAA Tournament fate. Sound familiar?

Last year Auburn and Florida met in the semifinals. It was widely speculated at the time that the winner might get an NCAA berth. But when Mississippi State won the whole thing, Auburn was left out in the cold.

At the time, the two teams had no way of knowing that would happen. So they treated the game like it was a playoff game. It came down to the last possession. Florida needed to hit a three pointer to tie the game. Nick Calathes passed the ball to Erving Walker in the corner. His shot was blocked. Florida was off to the NIT for the second year in a row.

Walker was crushed. He cried before he could get off the court. His teammates shielded him from the cameras while he hid his face in his jersey. I have to believe this team has been motivated by that moment all year. To get a shot at the same team that knocked you out last year has to be something the Gators are looking forward to.

If the so called experts are right and the Gators need only to beat Auburn to secure a berth, then this would be a sweet way to get there. Erving Walker has got to be praying for a chance to make the big shot in this one. I look for him to have a great game.

Florida has three years of frustration to take out on the Tigers. Let's hope they get it all out. To have to wait for another year, would be devastating, and another trip to the NIT would be excruciating. To get to the Big Dance this year would give the program a huge shot in the arm. Also, it would give the program some much needed momentum going into recruiting.

To end the season on a four game losing streak after the huge win against Tennessee would set the program back. The last two years, the late season collapses were blamed on a soft non-conference schedule that supposedly did not get the team ready for conference play.

This year the Gators beefed up the non-conference schedule. They even started out 8-0 with wins over Michigan State and Florida State. They looked like a lock. But another late season losing skid has the Gators on the bubble once again. If the bubble pops, what will their strategy be then?

The Gators just need to win on Thursday and then beat MSU on Friday. Then there won't be any need for excuses.