Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
By Chris Marler
There are no more bye weeks, and all 16 teams in the conference are once again on the court this week. It’s the final push for March. Here’s a look at what to watch for in the SEC midweek games this Tuesday and Wednesday.
Latest Bracketology
There are still just four teams ranked from the conference and only one inside the top 18. Florida continues to hold the top spot in the SEC at No. 12. That’s a significantly stark contrast from last season when the SEC littered the top ten with five teams all season and five different teams being ranked at No. 1 at some point during the year.
That hasn’t stopped the SEC from being tied for the most teams projected in this year’s NCAA Tournament. As of Tuesday, the SEC has 10 teams projected in the field with Missouri being the first team out according to ESPN’s Joe Lunardi. Here’s a look at where each team would be currently seeded.
No. 3 Florida
No. 4 Vanderbilt
No. 4 Alabama
No. 5 Arkansas
No. 6 Tennessee
No. 6 Kentucky
No. 8 Auburn
No. 9 Texas A&M
No. 10 Georgia
No. 10 Texas
No. 11 Missouri
Where SEC teams stand in ESPN’s updated bracketology:
• No. 3 Florida
• No. 4 Vanderbilt
• No. 4 Alabama
• No. 5 Arkansas
• No. 6 Tennessee
• No. 7 Kentucky
• No. 8 Auburn
• No. 9 Texas A&M
• No. 10 Georgia
• No. 11 Texas (Last Four In)
• No. 11 Missouri (Last Team…— Blake Lovell (@theblakelovell) February 14, 2026
Game of the (Mid)Week
Alabama and Arkansas face off in Tuscaloosa in the lone ranked matchup of the week. Each team comes in on a hot streak with Arkansas winning three straight and Alabama winning four in a row after their embarrassing 23 point loss at Florida. Alabama has owned this rivalry as of late with five straight wins and six of their last seven against the Hogs. This has been one of the more underrated rivalries in the SEC over the last several years with four of those five wins coming by four points or less.
A win for Arkansas would help them further separate themselves as the lone No. 2 team in the SEC standings at 10-3 in conference play. A win for Alabama would push them to 9-4 in conference play and potentially create a five way tie for second in the conference.
SEC Men’s Basketball TV Lineup
February 17-18, 2026Tuesday:
South Carolina @ #12 Florida
LSU @ Texas
Georgia @ KentuckyWednesday:
#20 Arkansas @ #25 Alabama
Ole Miss @ Texas A&M
Oklahoma @ Tennessee
#19 Vanderbilt @ Missouri
Auburn @ Mississippi St#SECMBB X #ItJustMeansMore pic.twitter.com/THelN8njex— The New SEC (@TheNewSEC) February 17, 2026
Who’s on upset alert?
I don’t know if there is one. Vanderbilt travels to Missouri, and Missouri desperately needs a win. Vanderbilt has been tremendous on the road this season going 9-2 away from Nashville. Missouri is also coming off a 17 point loss at home to Texas. Georgia heads to Kentucky in a game where Kentucky is only a 7.5 point favorite, but Georgia has been sliding a bit and lost five of their last six.
The pick is neither of those, though. The pick is Auburn at Mississippi State. Auburn has lost four straight games and all by eight points or more. They’re also 2-5 on the road, and Steven Pearl announced that star Forward Keyshawn Hall is out indefinitely for disciplinary reasons. Give me Mississippi State at home in a Josh Hubbard legacy game one last time in Starkville.
Auburn HC Steven Pearl says on the pregame radio show that SF/PF Keyshawn Hall is out indefinitely due to disciplinary reasons
“Key did not live up to the standards of our program this week. It has been addressed… We’ll roll with the guys we finished with against Vanderbilt.”
— Justin Ferguson (@JFergusonAU) February 15, 2026
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