After an exciting Thursday in Nashville that saw two teams with faint NCAA Tournament hopes keep those flickering flames alive by holding off teams with red-hot scorers, Friday might be a day when dreams die at the SEC Tournament.
SEC Tournament 2016 schedule and bracket: Kentucky, Texas A&M arrive on Friday
The SEC’s big bads are finally set to tip off in Nashville.
Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
That’s because Florida and Alabama, those teams with aims on playing their way into March Madness, will be matched up against Texas A&M and Kentucky, the conference’s top two seeds, in Friday quarterfinals. And the Aggies and Wildcats each scored wins over the bubblicious Gators and Crimson Tide earlier this year.
In the day’s other two quarterfinals, LSU will take on Tennessee, and South Carolina will face off with Georgia.
Tennessee has been the surprise of this tournament so far, incinerating Auburn and upsetting Vanderbilt; LSU must hope that Ben Simmons and company can stop the suddenly rolling Volunteers and keep the Tigers' own prayer of winning the SEC crown and the dance ticket that comes with it from going silent. South Carolina, meanwhile, is probably safely within the NCAA Tournament field, and Georgia firmly outside it, such that the Gamecocks can likely survive a loss, while the Bulldogs need this win and two more.
Bracket
You can keep up with the SEC Tournament bracket, schedule and scores here.
Schedule (all times Eastern)
Friday, March 11 (Quarterfinals)
Game 6: No. 1 Texas A&M 72, No. 8 Florida 66
Game 7: No. 4 LSU 84, No. 12 Tennessee 75
Game 8: No. 2 Kentucky 85, No. 7 Alabama 59
Game 9: No. 3 South Carolina 64, No. 6 Georgia 65
Saturday, March 12 (Semifinals)
Game 10: No. 1 Texas A&M vs. No. 4 LSU (Noon, ESPN)
Game 11: No. 2 Kentucky vs. No. 6 Georgia (2:30 p.m., ESPN)
Sunday, March 13 (Championship)
Game 10 winner vs. Game 11 winner (Noon, ESPN)
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