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The SEC Tournament semifinal between the Florida Gators and Alabama Crimson Tide on Saturday should decide which program gets the final No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, according to ESPN bracketology expert Joe Lunardi.
With Selection Sunday being just one day away, it's the busiest time of the season for bracketologists such as Lunardi, who have spent all year trying to figure out which 68 teams will make the NCAA Tournament field. Florida has long been considered a No. 1 or No. 2 seed, but the Gators don't quite have the same résumé as Auburn, Duke and Houston. Lunardi says Auburn is in regardless of what happens in the final two days of the SEC Tournament, and the other two programs have all but solidified their No. 1-seed status by making their respective conference tournament finals.
Ahead of Saturday's game, Lunardi has Florida as the No. 1 seed in the West Region, along with Michigan State, Kentucky and Arizona as the respective Nos. 2-4 seeds.
Lunardi believes that the SEC will send 13 programs to the Big Dance this year, five more than the projected numbers for the Big Ten and Big 12. Along with projected No. 1 seeds Auburn and Florida, Alabama and Tennessee are the top two No. 2 seeds, Kentucky is the fourth No. 3 seed (No. 12 overall) and Texas A&M is the third No. 4 seed (No. 14 overall).
Lunardi includes Arkansas and Oklahoma as part of his Last Four Byes category and has Vanderbilt sneaking into the tournament as one of the Last Four In. Texas is the only SEC team that is close to a tournament bid but projected to miss the field as part of Lunardi's First Four Out.
Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida Gators men's basketball vs Alabama to decide final No. 1 seed
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With Selection Sunday being just one day away, it's the busiest time of the season for bracketologists such as Lunardi, who have spent all year trying to figure out which 68 teams will make the NCAA Tournament field. Florida has long been considered a No. 1 or No. 2 seed, but the Gators don't quite have the same résumé as Auburn, Duke and Houston. Lunardi says Auburn is in regardless of what happens in the final two days of the SEC Tournament, and the other two programs have all but solidified their No. 1-seed status by making their respective conference tournament finals.
Ahead of Saturday's game, Lunardi has Florida as the No. 1 seed in the West Region, along with Michigan State, Kentucky and Arizona as the respective Nos. 2-4 seeds.
Lunardi believes that the SEC will send 13 programs to the Big Dance this year, five more than the projected numbers for the Big Ten and Big 12. Along with projected No. 1 seeds Auburn and Florida, Alabama and Tennessee are the top two No. 2 seeds, Kentucky is the fourth No. 3 seed (No. 12 overall) and Texas A&M is the third No. 4 seed (No. 14 overall).
Lunardi includes Arkansas and Oklahoma as part of his Last Four Byes category and has Vanderbilt sneaking into the tournament as one of the Last Four In. Texas is the only SEC team that is close to a tournament bid but projected to miss the field as part of Lunardi's First Four Out.
Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida Gators men's basketball vs Alabama to decide final No. 1 seed
Continue reading...
