SEC Men’s Tournament quarterfinals recap
| March 17, 2024 | Sports,
Game 7 of the SEC men’s tournament gave the tournament its first major upset as Chris Jans’ Bulldogs dominated the top-seeded Volunteers with a 20-point win.
Paint points and pace were the keys; Mississippi State dominated in both facets.
Even as Tennessee looked to up the tempo with their press, State stayed disciplined and worked its half-court offense, cashing in easy looks inside the paint. The Volunteers, by contrast, lacked offensive rhythm, shooting an abysmal 31% from the field.
The Bulldogs took a commanding 19-point lead into the locker room at halftime and never looked back. While the Vols got as close as 12 in the second half, a massive 3-pointer from Josh Hubbard and continued dominance in the paint (the Bulldogs outscored Tennessee 42-14 in the painted area) allowed Mississippi State to cruise to a quarterfinal victory.
Mississippi State offered a physical challenge that Tennessee never really answered. Rick Barnes and his team will have to return to the drawing board.
The last seven days have been horrific for a Tennessee team that wrapped up the SEC regular season title last Wednesday. After this weekend’s result against Kentucky and their quarterfinal loss, concern is growing in Knoxville.
They will have at least a week off before the start of the NCAA Tournament, where they will almost now assuredly play as a No. 2 seed.
In reality, Rick Barnes would not have proven anything he has not already by winning this tournament. The real test will come over the next few weeks as he looks to take Tennessee to its first Final Four.
For Chris Jans’ team, the last two wins put them comfortably in the field and now put them just two wins away from their first SEC Title since 2009. Cameron Matthews and Josh Hubbard led the way with both scoring 18 each.
Jans’ team poses a physical challenge that tests anybody in the country. If you want to beat the Bulldogs, you must earn it by matching their physicality.
Game 8: Auburn defeated South Carolina in a quarterfinal blowout.
The second game of the day lacked the shock value of the opener but matched the game in terms of its one-sidedness, as the Auburn Tigers breezed past the South Carolina Gamecocks for the second time this season to advance to the semifinals, winning 86-55.
Bruce Pearl’s team was dominant with their athleticism and length, completely shutting down South Carolina offensively. Auburn’s Johni Broome opened up his SEC Tournament account with a double-double, finishing with 18 points and 10 rebounds.
One could hardly recognize the South Carolina team that took the floor against Auburn.
Auburn’s offensive masterclass flustered South Carolina, and the Gamecocks failed to generate nearly any open looks against Auburn’s ferocious and unrelenting defense. This matchup was always going to be difficult for South Carolina as they typically create advantageous matchups with their athletic big men, but Auburn matched them in that category better than perhaps any team in the country.
The combination of Dylan Cardwell and Johni Broome kept the likes of BJ Mack and Colin Murray-Boyles at bay.
South Carolina also failed to stay with Auburn in transition as the quickness of the Tiger backcourt burned South Carolina over and over.
Lamont Paris’ team can manage games as well as anyone in the country when they are in control, but they struggle immensely when they fall behind. This loss against Auburn was another example of how this team can struggle to score for large periods, which leaves them vulnerable when they fail to get stops.
By contrast, the Auburn Tigers put on display for the entire country how dominant they can be. When their guards are playing well and they face teams who cannot match their athleticism, they can embarrass you as they did to South Carolina today.
The question marks remain about their ability to score when their guards are forced to make plays; they should have the opportunity to assuage some of those concerns if they can put together a strong performance against Mississippi State tomorrow.
Game 9: The Aggies narrowly defeated the Wildcats.
For the second year in a row, Kentucky exited at the quarterfinal round, and now TX A&M’s coach Buzz Williams is a win away from his third straight SEC Title game. The Aggies led wire-to-wire notching a 92-84 win over Kentucky.
The Aggies hit the ground running knocking down their first four 3-pointers, igniting a 48-point first half, headlined by Wade Taylor who finished with 18, and Tyrece Radford’s 12 points.
While Kentucky put on an effective shooting display, the Wildcats struggled to stay with the quickness of Texas A&M’s backcourt allowing Aggie guards to get around with impunity.
Kentucky had chances aplenty to overtake the Aggies in the second half with the crowd behind them but could not get the stops they needed. Calipari even tried to throw zone at the Aggies to throw them off, but they would not be denied.
Radford and Taylor got buckets anytime the Aggies needed them as the pair combined for 55 on the evening. For a game played at Kentucky’s pace, Texas A&M looked fairly comfortable, and for a team that seemed like they had played themselves out of contention, the Aggies now find themselves on the right side of the bubble.
For Kentucky, it was a final reminder of how volatile this team is. Their flaws were on full display as they seemed unable to get key stops and often found themselves getting out-toughed. It will be a long week of soul-searching for these Cats if they want to be ready to compete next week.
Game 10: Florida’s scoring spree lifted them over Alabama.
The final game of the day followed suit as the Florida Gators eased past Alabama to advance to earn themselves a date with Texas A&M.
Alabama coach Nate Oats challenged his team to step up the effort on the defensive end, and early on it seemed as if his team answered the call, but Florida steadily wore them down with its length. A 23-4 run to close the first half gave the Gators all the cushion they needed.
Florida coach Todd Golden went to a lineup that included Thomas Haugh at 6’9 and Alex Condon at 6’11, which proved to be too much for Alabama to handle as almost every shot was contested at the rim.
Zyon Pullin and Walter Clayton also put together strong offensive performances helping the Gators to 102 points on the night. It was yet another reminder of how porous this Alabama defense can be and how challenged they are offensively. Even though Sears was not Superman, he still finished with 22.
This marks the fourth straight disappointing result for Alabama who will be reeling as they head into the NCAA Tournament. A beatdown in Gainesville, a home loss to Tennessee and an overtime escape against Arkansas preceded today’s bloodbath. The initial response to Oats’challenge was not what he hoped for.
Florida still seems like a team built for March with howthey can play defensively coupled with their backcourt’s ability to create shots. Golden’s men will be as tough as anybody and have a real shot to bring home some hardware from Nashville this week.