The SEC basketball regular season has come to a close.
It was another excellent season for the conference, as the SEC is once again in the mix to pace all leagues in NCAA Tournament berths. ESPN’s Joe Lunardi currently projects 11 SEC teams to hear their names called on Selection Sunday.
However, several SEC programs still have work to do to secure their spots in the Big Dance. The SEC Tournament will provide teams with a final opportunity to improve their résumés before the NCAA Tournament bracket is finalized.
Predicting NCAA Tournament berths
Prediction markets like Kalshi can provide some insight into where these bubble teams stand entering Selection Sunday. Here’s a look at the Round of 64 qualification market for key SEC bubble team on Kalshi:
An important note: those odds reflect a team making the Round of 64, meaning teams who lose in the play-in round in Dayton will resolve to a ‘no’ in Kalshi’s market.
Texas A&M
Texas A&M got off to a great start in SEC play, but has lost 6 of its last 10 games overall. However, a win over Kentucky in the penultimate game of the season may be enough to send the Aggies to the Big Dance. Per Kalshi, A&M currently has the best odds of any SEC bubble team to reach the field of 64.
Texas
The Longhorns have been on the bubble for weeks and a loss to Oklahoma in their regular-season finale certainly won’t help their case. However, UT is favored to reach the NCAA Tournament thanks to prior victories over teams like Georgia, Vanderbilt and Alabama.
Missouri
Mizzou lost back-to-back games to end the regular season, but still appears to be in decent shape entering the SEC Tournament. Mizzou’s win profile is strong thanks to victories over Florida, Vanderbilt and Tennessee.
Auburn
Auburn went just 7-11 in SEC play and will likely miss the NCAA tournament as a result of a weeks-long slump down the stretch. However, a high number of excellent wins will give the Tigers a chance on Selection Sunday. They’ve already notched wins over St. John’s, Arkansas, Florida and Kentucky.
Oklahoma
A late inclusion into Lunardi’s bubble projection, the Sooners have won 6 of their last 8 games and are playing their best basketball of the season. Still, according to the latest Kalshi odds, Oklahoma remains a significant long-shot to make the NCAA Tournament.
Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
