SEC Record in NCAA Tournament: How is the SEC doing in March Mardness? [Updated for Final Four]
Eight SEC teams made it into the NCAA Tournament this year, including No. 1 overall seed Alabama. What is the SEC record in March Madness so far?
The SEC is well-represented in the NCAA Tournament as the conference seeks its first March Madness champion since Kentucky in 2012.
The No. 1 overall seed Alabama was joined by Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri, Texas A&M, Arkansas, Auburn and Mississippi State on the bracket with matchups beginning this week.
So how has the conference done so far?
SEC March Madness Record going into Final Four
Going into the Final Four, the record of SEC teams in March Madness was 9-8 with no teams remaining.
Elite Eight:
No teams from the SEC made it into the Elite Eight. The only consolation for the conference? The three teams that knocked the final SEC representatives out of the tournament all went on to earn Final Four berths.
Sweet 16:
Arkansas’ blowout loss to No. 4 seed UConn was a portent of things to come for the SEC in the Sweet 16. The Razorbacks fell, 88-65, to the Huskies on Thursday.
Not long later, Tennessee ran into the tournament’s biggest Cinderella, falling 62-55 to No. 9 seed Florida Atlantic.
On Friday’s opening game, No. 5 San Diego State proved to be too much for Alabama to handle. The tournament’s top overall seed was stunned 71-64 but the Mountain West underdogs.
Round of 32:
No. 4 seed Tennessee opened the Round of 32 with a win for the conference, besting No. 5 seed Duke, 65-52.
Then Arkansas pulled off a true shocker, overcoming a 10-point deficit to dump defending national champion and No. 1 seed Kansas out of the tournament in a 72-71 victory. Head coach Eric Musselman was so hyped he went shirtless for the celebrations.
No. 7 seed Missouri could not keep the good feelings going for the SEC. They were shellshocked in a blowout upset to No. 15 seed Princeton, 78-63.
No. 9 seed Auburn at least put up a fight against No. 1 Houston. They had a 10-point halftime lead but got swamped in the second half, losing 81-64.
Alabama had no problems with No. 8 seed Maryland, besting the Terrapins 73-51.
On Sunday, Kentucky played a back-and-forth affair with No. 3 Kansas State. They lost 75-69.
Round of 64:
No. 1 overall seed Alabama avoided the drama that befell Purdue by blowing out Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, 96-75.
No. 7 seed Texas A&M may have been the higher seed facing No. 10 Penn State, but the Nittany Lions are one of the hottest teams in CBB right now and they proved it with a 76-59 upset.
Tennessee also had a nervous start to the tournament but they managed to make it through over No. 13 Louisiana, 58-55.
There was less of a worry around No. 7 seed Missouri’s 76-65 victory over No. 10 Utah State.
Both Arkansas and Auburn faced 9-8 matchups against Big Ten teams and both came out on top. No. 8 Arkansas bested No. 9 Illinois, 73-63, before No. 9 Auburn topped No. 8 Iowa, 83-75.
On Friday, No. 6 seed Kentucky didn’t have any trouble with No. 11 Providence, winning 61-53.
First Four:
Mississippi State had to play in the First Four as a No. 11 seed. However, they couldn’t make it through to the Round of 64, falling to Pittsburgh, 60-59.
Next. March Madness bracket predictions with Sweet 16 set. dark
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