As the regular season comes to an end, the bracket for the 2026 SEC men’s basketball tournament is starting to take shape. There aren’t many conference games left, so teams are fighting for the best possible seeding before the action moves to Nashville.
There will be 16 teams in the tournament, and the winner will get the conference title and a spot in the NCAA Tournament. The top four seeds will get two byes into the quarterfinals, so the competition for those slots is quite essential. The Florida Gators are in first place right now following a great conference season. They are followed by the Alabama Crimson Tide, Arkansas Razorbacks, and Tennessee Volunteers. These clubs have the best chances of making it to the tournament right now.
Below is a look at the latest bracket projections, matchups, and what is at stake as teams prepare for the postseason.
Current SEC tournament seeding
Here are the current projected seeds based on conference standings:
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Florida Gators (15-2)
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Alabama Crimson Tide (12-5)
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Arkansas Razorbacks (11-5)
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Tennessee Volunteers (11-6)
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Missouri Tigers (10-7)
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Vanderbilt Commodores (10-7)
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Kentucky Wildcats (10-7)
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Texas Longhorns (9-7)
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Georgia Bulldogs (9-8)
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Auburn Tigers (7-10)
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Oklahoma Sooners (6-11)
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Mississippi State Bulldogs (5-12)
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Ole Miss Rebels (4-13)
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LSU Tigers (3-14)
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South Carolina Gamecocks (3-14)
The top four teams will advance directly to the quarterfinal round, while seeds five through eight will enter in the second round.
Tournament schedule and matchups
The SEC tournament will run from March 11 to March 15, with games played across five days.
First Round – March 11
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No. 9 Texas vs No. 16 South Carolina
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No. 12 Oklahoma vs No. 13 Mississippi State
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No. 10 Georgia vs No. 15 LSU
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No. 11 Auburn vs No. 14 Ole Miss
Second Round – March 12
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No. 8 Kentucky vs Winner of Texas/South Carolina
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No. 5 Missouri vs Winner of Oklahoma/Mississippi State
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No. 6 Vanderbilt vs Winner of Auburn/Ole Miss
Quarterfinals – March 13
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No. 1 Florida vs Winner of Game 5
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No. 4 Tennessee vs Winner of Game 6
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No. 2 Alabama vs Winner of Game 7
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No. 3 Arkansas vs Winner of Game 8
Semifinals – March 14
Championship – March 15
The final will determine the SEC tournament champion.
What’s at stake?
As teams get ready for the NCAA Tournament, the SEC tournament has big effects. The winner gets a spot in March Madness without having to play in the tournament. Other teams will try to improve their resumes and their seedings.
Teams like the Florida Gators and Alabama Crimson Tide are already good candidates for high seeds in the NCAA Tournament, but a deep run may get them an even better spot. The Missouri Tigers and Auburn Tigers, on the other hand, may need to do well in Nashville to improve their prospects of making the tournament field.
With conference pride and postseason hopes on the line, the SEC tournament is expected to deliver several high-stakes matchups as March Madness approaches.
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