SEC Tourney Preview

At St. Pete Times Forum (Tampa, Fla.)
FIRST ROUND
Thursday, March 12
Game 1: E4 Kentucky vs. W5 Ole Miss, 1 p.m.
Game 2: W3 Mississippi State vs. E6 Georgia, 3:15 p.m.
Game 3: W4 Alabama vs. E5 Vanderbilt, 7:30 p.m.
Game 4: E3 Florida vs. W6 Arkansas, 9:45 p.m.

SECOND ROUND
Friday, March 13
Game 5: W LSU vs. Game 1 winner, 1 p.m.
Game 6: E2 South Carolina vs. Game 2 winner, 3:15 p.m.
Game 7: E1 Tennessee vs. Game 3 winner, 7:30 p.m.
Game 8: W2 Auburn vs. Game 4 winner, 9:45 p.m.

SEMIFINALS
Saturday, March 14
Game 9: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner, ESPN2, 1 p.m.
Game 10: Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner, ESPN2, 3:15 p.m.

CHAMPIONSHIP
Sunday, March 15
Game 9 winner vs. Game 10 winner, 1 p.m.


Team to watch: None of them. They all looked ugly during the year. Tennessee is the most talented team, but they sure didn't prove it. It might have been a rugged schedule that wore them down. This conference was not even close to the caliber that it usually is.

Player to watch: Jodie Meeks. The scorer from Kentucky averaged 24.7 points per game and shot 40% from beyond the arc. Meeks broke the single game record for points in a game at Kentucky when he lit up Tennessee for 54 in mid January.

Upset watch: The team that has been very quietly sneaking up the conference the past couple of weeks is Vanderbilt. They have A.J. Ogilvey coming around and could put together some wins that would lead to a conference championship.

Tourney watch: Tennessee and LSU are the only teams from the SEC that are safe. Florida, South Carolina, Kentucky, Auburn and Vanderbilt are all bubble teams. If any of these teams can go on a run, they will probably be dancing as well. Tennessee should win this tournament and become a tough out in the NCAA tournament.