Florida’s rise could not have come at a better time.
Here’s everything you need to know to head into this weekend’s SEC Championship Game in Nashville.
Can Florida State run back?
Florida is back, right?
The Gators are off to a rough start this season after winning the national championship last year. They lost early on and then fell completely out of the national rankings by early January.
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But now, this team feels completely different. The Gators defeated Kentucky 84-77 on Saturday to end the season with their 11th straight win. They also lost just twice since the start of the new year and finished the season with a 25-6 record and their first regular season title since 2014. They also won the championship by three complete games while the rest of the league kind of beat themselves to it.
Now, that’s not to say there isn’t someone else in the SEC who can compete with Florida State. Arkansas looked solid at times, even though Florida led it by more than 30 percentage points last month. Alabama has won nine of its last 10 games to climb back up in the conference standings and earned a double bye after losing to Florida State by 23 points. After a 16-0 start, Vanderbilt evened the score slightly but still maintained its position in the SEC.
But all eyes in Nashville this week will be on the Gators, who suddenly look capable of winning back-to-back championships again. As long as they don’t fall early, Florida State might actually be a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, which can only help that goal.
Just a few months ago, the idea seemed unlikely.
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SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament Basics
Time: March 11-15
Location: Bridgestone Arena | Nashville, TN
TV: ESPN, SEC Network
Brackets for the SEC men’s basketball tournament have been set. (U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission)
SEC Men’s Basketball Schedule, Results
All times ET
Wednesday, March 11 – Round 1
Game 1 | No. 16 LSU vs. No. 9 Kentucky | 12:30 PM | SEC Network
Game 2 | No. 13 Mississippi State vs. No. 12 Auburn | 3 p.m. | SEC Network
Game 3 | No. 15 Mississippi State vs. No. 10 Texas | 7 p.m. | SEC Network
Game 4 | No. 14 South Carolina vs. No. 11 Oklahoma State | 9:30 PM | SEC Network
Thursday, March 12 – Round 2
Game 5 | G1 Championship vs. No. 8 Missouri | 12:30 PM | SEC Network
Game 6 | G2 Champions vs. No. 5 Tennessee | 3 PM | SEC Network
Game 7 | G3 Championship vs. No. 7 Georgia | 7 PM | SEC Network
Game 8 | G4 Champions vs. No. 6 Texas A&M | 9:30 PM | SEC Network
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Friday 13 March – Quarter-finals
Game 9 | G5 Championship vs. No. 1 Florida State | 1 PM | ESPN
Game 10 | G6 Champions vs. No. 4 Vanderbilt | 3:30 PM | ESPN
Game 11 | G7 Championship vs. No. 2 Alabama | 7 PM | SEC Network
Game 12 | G8 Championship vs. No. 3 Arkansas | 9:30 PM | SEC Network
Saturday 14 March – Semifinals
Game 13 | G9 Winner vs G10 Winner | 1 PM | ESPN
Game 14 | G11 Champions vs G12 Champions | 3:30 PM | ESPN
Sunday, March 15—Championship
Game 15 | G13 Champions vs G14 Champions | 1 PM | ESPN
