SEC Tournament preview: A S. Carolina-LSU showdown?

Are we destined for a South Carolina-LSU duel in the SEC Tournament final? Or, could Ole Miss, or even Auburn or Vanderbilt, crash the conference tourney championship showdown between the undefeated regular season SEC champs and the defending national champs?

The 2024 SEC Tournament tips off on Wednesday, Mar. 6 at Bons Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, SC. On Sunday, Mar. 10, the conference tournament champion will be crowned.

Undefeated South Carolina, the No. 1-seed in the tournament and the top-ranked team in the nation, is favored to repeat as tourney champs. Along with the Gamecocks, No. 2-seed LSU, No. 3-seed Ole Miss and No. 4-seed Alabama earned double byes to the quarterfinals.

The first round, second round and quarterfinals will be broadcast on SEC Network, while Saturday’s semifinals will be shown on ESPNU. Sunday’s championship game will be on ESPN. Will that title tilt be a duel between South Carolina and LSU? Or, could a team spoil another showdown between the Gamecocks and Lady Tigers?

A tourney run for Rebels, Commodores or Tigers?

Marshaling a Cinderella run in conference with two titans is an unenviable challenge. But, here are three candidates capable of mustering the effort.

No. 3-seed Ole Miss Rebels

Only in a conference with South Carolina and LSU can Ole Miss claim Cinderella status. Yet, it would not be too surprising if, on Sunday afternoon, Coach Yo’s team was dancing with the trophy as confetti fell from the rafters. The Rebels seem to have found their stride, closing out the regular season on a six-game winning streak. It’s been defense—dialed in at another level—that has driven their success; in their last three games, the Rebels have not permitted opponents to score more than 45 points. Ole Miss also is effectively turning their defense into offense, juicing an offensive attack that can stagnate in the half court due a lack of shooting and spacing. It’s formula that can fuel a SEC Tournament run.

No. 6-seed Vanderbilt Commodores

After finishing in 12th place with three conference wins last season, head coach Shea Ralph and the Commodores added six wins to their ledger and rose six spots in the standings. A sneaky Cinderella run would be an appropriate encapsulation of their improvement, while also securing their spot in the NCAA Tournament. (Currently, ESPN’s Bracketology has Vanderbilt as the second-to-last team in the 68-team field.) That the Commodores do not have a win over a ranked opponent, nor a victory over any of the five teams that finished above them in the conference standings, does raise doubts about their ability to play spoiler.

No. 7-seed Auburn Tigers

As with the Commodores, the 2023-24 season has been a tale of improvement for head coach Johnnie Harris and the Tigers. However, in contrast to their counterparts from Nashville, Auburn is upset-certified. The Tigers of the Plains took down the Lady Tigers of the Bayou in mid-January. The rematch in Baton Rouge also was not easy for LSU, as Auburn again gave the defending champs all they could handle. If the Tigers win their tournament opener, a second-round matchup against Arkansas, they’ll face the Lady Tigers in a rubber match. A win not only would earn them a berth in the SEC Tournament semifinals for the first time since the days of DeWanna Bonner in 2009, but also make them a near-lock for the NCAA Tournament.

Ready for the South Carolina-LSU rematch?

No offense to our potential Cinderellas or any other would-be conference tournament contenders, but a rematch of the late-January battle between the Gamecocks and Lady Tigers is the desired outcome for any unbiased women’s basketball fan.

No. 2-seed LSU Lady Tigers

LSU fans can credibly claim that, had Angel Reese not fouled out with just over four minutes remaining, the Lady Tigers could have prevented South Carolina’s second-straight undefeated regular season. Kim Mulkey’s Krewe will have the chance not only to avenge that loss, but also make a loud statement: the defending champs will not easily cede their crown. Winners of eight-straight games, the Lady Tigers appear to be peaking at the right time, long past any of the drama or dissension that surrounded the start of their season. LSU’s personnel also possess the combination of athleticism and skill required to compete with South Carolina for a full 40 minutes—and come out on top.

No. 1-seed South Carolina Gamecocks

The mantra of March is “survive and advance.” The Gamecocks often do more than survive—they thrive. And in close contests, it’s hard to bet against Dawn Staley’s squad because they always find a way to survive, whether by making the exact right rotation at the exact right moment, fighting over a screen to contest a shot or deter a drive, grabbing the extra offensive rebound that leads to second-chance points, turning a deflected pass into a transition score or, increasingly, draining clutch 3s. In the past, South Carolina overcompensated for subpar shooting by doing all the little things better than any opponent. Now, they maintain that level of execution, with the added element of dangerous, deep shooting. Thus far this season, it’s been an unbeatable combination.

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SEC Tournament schedule

All games at Bons Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, SC.

First round — Wednesday, Mar. 6

Game 1: No. 12 Kentucky vs. No. 13 Georgia, 11 a.m. ET (SEC Network)

Game 2: No. 11 Florida vs. No. 14 Missouri, approx. 1:30 p.m. ET (SEC Network)

Second round — Thursday, Mar. 7

Game 3: No. 8 Mississippi State vs. No. 9 Texas A&M, 12 p.m. ET (SEC Network)

Game 4: No. 5 Tennessee vs. winner of Game 1, approx. 2:30 p.m. ET (SEC Network)

Game 5: No. 7 Auburn vs. No. 10 Arkansas, 6 p.m. ET (SEC Network)

Game 6: No. 6 Vanderbilt vs. winner of Game 2, approx. 8:30 p.m. ET (SEC Network)

Quarterfinals — Friday, Mar. 8

Game 7: No. 1 South Carolina vs. winner of Game 3, 12 p.m. ET (SEC Network)

Game 8: No. 4 Alabama vs. winner of Game 4, approx. 2:30 p.m. ET (SEC Network)

Game 9: No. 2 LSU vs. winner of Game 5, 6 p.m. ET (SEC Network)

Game 10: No. 3 Ole Miss vs. winner of Game 6, approx. 8:30 p.m. ET (SEC Network)

Semifinals — Saturday, Mar. 9

Game 11: winner of Game 7 vs. winner of Game 8, 4:30 p.m. ET (ESPNU)

Game 12: winner of Game 9 vs. winner of Game 10, approx. 7 p.m. ET (ESPNU)

Championship — Sunday, Mar. 10

Game 13: winner of Game 11 vs. winner of Game 12, 3 p.m. ET (ESPN)