With just one game to go, all eyes are on the SEC conference tournament. Tennessee has clinched the #1 seed while the remaining seed order will come down to each team’s final regular season game. If the tournament is anything like the regular season, expect the unexpected; which is why the question must be raised, is Tennessee a lock to win the championship, or will someone else be crowned champion?

It’s hard to pick against the Volunteers the way they are playing. In their last 3 games, they’ve defeated Auburn, Alabama, and South Carolina. This is as impressive of a stretch that any team in the conference has had and possibly the most impressive. They are definitely the favorites entering the tournament. Not just because they are the #1 seed but because they are the SEC’s most complete team. Dalton Knecht and Zakai Zeigler are leading the conference in points and assists per game, respectively, and as a whole, Tennessee has one of the best if not the best defense in the SEC. 

That said, Tennessee’s path to winning the championship will require them to beat possibly 1 or 2 of the top teams twice and maybe even three times. This is not an easy feat which means Tennessee is not a lock to win the championship and this remains a wide open race.

So, if not the Volunteers, who is the most likely to cut down the nets? 

I think any of the top teams (Tennessee, South Carolina, Auburn, Kentucky, Florida, and Alabama) are capable of winning the whole thing. Tennessee is the favorite, but if they don’t win the conference championship, I think either the Auburn Tigers or the South Carolina Gamecocks will be cutting down the nets. 

The old adage “defense wins championships” has not gone anywhere even though offense now plays a more important role in a team’s championship potential. The toughest part of any conference tournament is playing in consecutive days. Fatigue is inevitable especially at this point in the season, and it’s just a matter of time before tired legs lead to shots falling short.

The offensive firepower that Kentucky, Alabama, and Florida possess is impressive and if they string together several highly efficient offensive nights, they’re capable of winning the whole thing. However, I don’t think that will happen, and without a reliable defense to fall back on, I think they all 3 come up short. 

The Gamecocks and Tigers have the scoring potential as well as the defensive soundness to make a run through the tournament. Between the two, I trust the Gamecocks more, despite losing to Auburn just weeks ago. They’ve proven the ability to beat 2 top conference teams both on the road and at home. Auburn is a solid team who will not be an easy out, but they are not elite away from home, and have yet to beat one of the top SEC programs on the road. This makes them hard to trust.

Also, any tournament is built for guards, and I think South Carolina has better guard play than the Tigers. From Meechie Johnson to Ta’Lon Cooper, Myles Stute, and Jacobi Wright, the Gamecocks have dynamic guards who are at their best when the ball is moving around quickly. 

I still believe that the Volunteers are the most likely to win the SEC tournament,  but if they have an off night and slip up, watch out for the Gamecocks.