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How Many SEC Teams Made the NCAA Tournament?
The SEC dominated Selection Sunday, smashing the NCAA tournament record for most teams in the field. Bruce Pearl's Auburn Tigers earned the tournament's No. 1 overall seed. The Florida Gators, who won the SEC tournament Sunday, earned a one-seed out of the conference.
March Madness will be chock-full of SEC representatives. The Tennessee Volunteers were given a two-seed after they finished 27-7 with a loss to Florida in the conference tournament final. Alabama is a two-seed, too. With the most teams from a single conference in the field, fans will see the SEC from the top to the bottom of the bracket.
Here is every team from the SEC who heard their name called Sunday and earned a bid in the 68-team field:
Total SEC Teams in the NCAA Tournament
The SEC has 14 teams in this year's NCAA tournament, an all-time record for any conference. Of course, conference realignment and expansion across the country plays a big part in that. But still, 14 teams in the Big Dance is an impressive feat. Just two SEC teams (LSU and South Carolina) won't play in the NCAA tournament. Last season, the SEC netted eight total tournament bids.
Florida took home the conference's automatic bid by taking down Tennessee in the SEC tournament final Sunday, with the rest of the SEC's representatives earning an at-large bid.
Behind the SEC's 14 teams, the Big Ten was next closest with eight schools entering the field of 68.
SEC Teams & Their Tournament Seeds
Fans will see SEC teams across this year's NCAA tournament bracket. Auburn and Florida both earned a one-seed, with the Tigers taking home this year's top overall seed. Tennessee and Alabama are two-seeds. Texas was on the bubble and earned the lowest seed of the bunch, playing as a No. 11 in a First Four game against Xavier.
Here is every SEC team who made the tournament and their respective seeds:
SEC School | Region | Seed | Regular Season and Conference Finish |
|---|---|---|---|
Auburn | South | No. 1 | 28-5 (15-3) |
Florida | West | No. 1 | 30-4 (14-4) |
Tennessee | Midwest | No. 2 | 27-7 (12-6) |
Alabama | East | No. 2 | 25-8 (13-5) |
Kentucky | Midwest | No. 3 | 22-11 (10-8) |
Texas A&M | South | No. 4 | 22-10 (11-7) |
Ole Miss | South | No. 6 | 22-11 (10-8) |
Missouri | West | No. 6 | 22-11 (10-8) |
Mississippi State | East | No. 8 | 21-12 (8-10) |
Oklahoma | West | No. 9 | 20-13 (6-12) |
Georgia | Midwest | No. 9 | 20-12 (8-10) |
Vanderbilt | East | No. 10 | 20-12 (8-10) |
Arkansas | Midwest | No. 10 | 20-13 (8-10) |
Texas | Midwest | No. 11 | 19-15 (6-12) |
Toughest & Easiest Matchups for SEC Teams
The top-tier SEC teams should breeze through the first round, but anything can happen. It's March.
John Calipari's Arkansas Razorbacks have an intriguing matchup in the first round against Bill Self's Kansas Jayhawks. If Calipari's squad can get through Kansas, it would set up a potential second-round matchup with Rick Pitino and his two-seeded St. John's team.
Mississippi State plays Baylor in the first round as the eight-seed in the East region. If the Bulldogs advance, they could play giant slayers with a second-round showdown against Duke. Although Florida should get by Norfolk State handily in the first round, they could play the two-time defending champion UConn Huskies in the round of 32.
Missouri may be on upset watch in the first round, as they drew a tough matchup against the 30-3 Drake Bulldogs, an 11-seed.
Can a SEC Team Win the National Championship?
The SEC has as good a shot as any conference to take home the national title. I mean, they have the most representatives from a single conference ever. Auburn and Florida highlight the conference's title hopes as two one-seeds. Auburn has the best chance, in theory, as the tournament's No. 1 overall seed.
Just behind Auburn and Florida is Alabama and Tennessee, who both have two-seeds. All four of the SEC's top teams have won 25 games or more this season, in the country's toughest conference nonetheless. Alabama made a run to last year's Final Four, losing to the eventual champion UConn Huskies.
There could be a SEC team that makes a run outside of the best four teams. Alabama did just that last season as a four-seed.
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Blake Silverman is a contributor to the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Before joining SI in November 2024, he covered the WNBA, NBA, G League and college basketball for numerous sites, including Winsidr, SB Nation's Detroit Bad Boys and A10Talk. He graduated from Michigan State University before receiving a master's in sports journalism from St. Bonaventure University. Outside of work, he's probably binging the latest Netflix documentary, at a yoga studio or enjoying everything Detroit sports. A lifelong Michigander, he lives in suburban Detroit with his wife, young son and their personal petting zoo of two cats and a dog.