Kentucky sets off on its quest for a fifth consecutive SEC Tournament Championship this week when the postseason gets under way in Nashville and Cats Illustrated writers are tackling the big questions for the Wildcats in your familiar roundtable format.
Who should be considered the favorite to win the SEC Tournament?
Jeff Drummond: Until proven otherwise,you have to make Kentucky the favorite going into the SEC Tournament. The Cats have dominated this event since it was renewed in 1979, winning the title 19 times and making deep runs in most of the years when they did not. This may be the toughest year to bring home the hardware from Nashville, though, as the SEC can boast eight or nine teams capable of winning the championship. Still, the odds have to be fairly strong that UK, Tennessee or LSU gets the job done.
Travis Graf: As of right now, Tennessee should be the favorite to win the SEC Tournament. Kentucky has a few question marks surrounding Reid Travis and how the team will play with him getting back into the swing of things. The continuity is sure to be a tad off while the Cats ease him back into the rotation. Kentucky pummeled the Vols when Travis was 100%, but were blitzed down in Knoxville with him out of the lineup. It’s all speculation in regards to how the team chemistry will look when Travis takes the court again. The Vols, with less question marks at the moment, should be considered the front runners.
Warren Taylor: The 2019 SEC Tourney is one of the most balanced in years, especially with the league has three teams ranked in the top 10. LSU has the easiest road and should reach the finals even with the off-court distractions circling like sharks in Baton Rouge. Plus the Tigers have proven to be the most consistent team in the SEC, and their length and point guard will give every team in the tournament fits. Still, this is a pick I'd put in pencil because I believe any of the big three could come away with the trophy.
Justin Rowland: While Kentucky has obviously fared well in the tournament in recent years, I would give Tennessee and ever-so-slight advantage in the event this year because of the uncertain status of Reid Travis, the fact that it really seems to mean an awful lot to the Vols this year (maybe with last year's championship in the backs of their minds), and because Kentucky is unlikely to have its typical overwhelming fan advantage in a hypothetical matchup there. It's close but I would give the Vols a very tiny edge if I'm predicting a favorite to win it.
If one of the 'leading contenders' weren't to win the tournament this year, what league team is capable of playing the darkhorse?
Drummond: My darkhorse is Auburn, who comes into the SEC Tourney with some good momentum after its win over Tennessee to close out the regular season and will play in what appears to be the more manageable half of the bracket (Missouri, Georgia, Arkansas, Florida, South Carolina, LSU). There are no lofty expectations for Bruce Pearl's squad, so they're playing with house money compared to the top three teams in the league. The Tigers are also the most dangerous team when it comes to shooting the 3. If they get hot in Nashville, I could see them winning this event.
Graf: Alabama is a team that could possibly make some noise down in Nashville. As a team currently just outside of the NCAA tournament and looking in, the Crimson Tide are going to be playing with a sense of urgency. With Donta Hall manning the paint, John Petty’s ability to get hot from three and Kira Lewis Jr. coming into his own running the show, the Tide have some upside this weekend. Winning one or two games solidifies themselves an NCAA tournament bid and Avery Johnson’s crew knows this. Alabama has already proven that they can hang with (and beat) some of the big dogs in the conference, defeating Kentucky 77-75, losing to Tennessee 71-68 and losing to LSU twice by scores of 88-79 and 74-69.
Taylor: Ole Miss or Auburn. The Rebels and Tigers were dichotomies in expectation and reality this season. Auburn underperformed and Ole Miss was the surprise of the SEC. Ole Miss plays exceptional defense and gave Kentucky and Tennessee all they could handle in Oxford. One has to think the Rebels are motivated at the thought of possible rematches. Auburn can score in bunches and are hard to beat when 3-pointers fall for them.
Rowland: On the podcast yesterday David made the point that the Mississippi schools are similar in some respects and while they don't match up especially well against Kentucky because they lack size and UK gets out on shooters, I actually think one of those teams has the firepower in the backcourt to get hot and sometimes getting hot is what carries you through an event like this. I will say Mississippi State, but I don't think it's going to happen.
Where does Kentucky's NCAA seeding currently stand and what needs to happen in Nashville for the Cats to take a 1 seed or land in the best possible situation?
Drummond: I think the Cats currently have the fourth No. 1 seed for the NCAA Tournament due to their nation-leading Q1 wins, but they're going to be fighting off teams like Tennessee and North Carolina (and maybe a couple of others depending how these other conference tourneys play out) for that spot. If they get to Saturday night and the semifinals (where UK has traditionally dominated) I think they'll be in good shape to hold onto a No. 1. We've seen in the past that the results of Sunday's championship game rarely means much to the NCAA selection committee.
Graf: Currently, the Cats should be the third overall seed behind Gonzaga and Virginia with North Carolina and Duke rounding out the top 5. With the Chair of the Division One Basketball Committee saying that “the committee will have to evaluate how healthy Zion Williamson looks in the ACC tournament to properly seed Duke”, that could possibly throw a wrench into things. With Kentucky having the head to head win and better resumé than North Carolina, the Cats should control their own destiny in regards to those two teams. In my opinion, if Kentucky advances to the finals of the SEC Tournament, they should lock up a number one seed. If Kentucky were to lose to Tennessee in the semifinals, Kentucky would likely fall to a 2 seed, but nowhere below the sixth overall seed.
Taylor: Kentucky will have the hardest road of any potential 1 seed this week. They either have to face Alabama, who beat them earlier this year, or Ole Miss in the first round. Tennessee potentially waits in the semifinals and then LSU in the finals. The Cats need to get to the finals and two wins over quality opponents should make their resume rock-solid for a top seed on Selection Sunday.
Rowland: UK has a pretty firm grip on a No. 1 seed and I actually think they end up holding onto that spot because of their record in Quadrant 1 games and the fact that when Travis was on the court the committee saw that this team can be close to the juggernaut we expected preseason. But if they lose to Tennessee on Saturday, it's going to be close. Either way, I think it's likely they end up with Duke or North Carolina whether its as a one or two seed.
