SEC record in 2024 NCAA Tournament (Updated after First Round)

No conference came into March Madness with more teams in the 68-team field than the SEC's eight.

With Tennessee, Kentucky, Auburn and Alabama boasting top-4 seeding and South Carolina, Florida, Mississippi State and Texas A&M grabbing top-9 seeds, the conference was supposed to be well-represented throughout the tournament.

Spoiler Alert: The SEC's strength in numbers dwindled quickly.

SEC record in 2024 March Madness

After First Round: 3-5

No. 2 seed Tennessee took on No. 15 seed Saint Peter's but didn't fall victim to the Peacocks the way Kentucky did a couple of years ago. The Vols rolled 83-49 as Dalton Knecht put up 23 points and eight rebounds.

No. 3 seed Kentucky maybe needed a reminder of their Saint Peter's loss because they got caught off guard again in the first round. No. 14 seed Oakland stunned the Wildcats, 80-76. Freshman D.J. Wagner was 0-for-5 and the Wildcats committed 11 turnovers.

The SEC suffered another upset with No. 6 seed South Carolina falling to No. 11 seed Oregon, 87-73. Meechie Johnson had 24 points but the Gamecocks let Jermaine Couisnard deliver the performance of the tournament so far with 40 points, four rebounds and six assists.

No. 8 seed Mississippi State ran into Tom Izzo's Michigan State, the No. 9 seed. The Bulldogs shot 22.22 percent from three-point range while letting the Spartans shoot 50 percent from the field in the 69-51 loss.

By the end of Thursday, the SEC was 1-3. There was more pain on Friday.

No. 4 seed Auburn delivered another double-digit seed upset for the conference by losing to No. 13 seed Yale, 78-76. Chad Baker-Mazara was ejected three minutes into the game for a flagrant 2 foul. Even so, the Tigers had their chances to win but were 15-of-22 from the free-throw line, missing four opportunities from the stripe in the final minute of play.

The bleeding continued with No. 7 seed Florida suffering heartbreak at the hands of No. 10 seed Colorado, 102-100. The Buffaloes had a shot agonizingly bounce around on the rim then go in with two seconds left.

After five straight SEC losses, No. 9 seed Texas A&M saved the day with an emphatic 98-83 victory over No. 8 seed Nebraska. Three Aggies — Wade Taylor IV, Manny Obaseki and Tyrece Radford — had 20+ points.

No. 4 seed Alabama ensured there would be minimal drama for the SEC at the end of the first round despite an early deficit. The Crimson Tide trampled No. 13 seed Charleston, 109-96, with the final score looking closer than it was. Shooting 60 percent from the field and 56 percent from 3-point range is certainly a recipe for victory. Marc Sears was the star of the show with 30 points. Letting the Cougars score 96 points was the only concern.

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