The men’s college basketball regular season only has one more weekend left. By this time next week, major conference tournaments will be well underway.

The SEC figures to have one of the more-intriguing conference tournaments this year. Auburn, Kentucky, Arkansas and Tennessee are all elite teams, and squads like Alabama, LSU and Florida are wildcards.

Meanwhile, teams like Florida, South Carolina and Texas A&M are desperate for wins to cling to NCAA Tournament hopes. It should be a busy weekend with only a few days left before Selection Sunday!

As we prepare for the regular-season finales, let’s dive into your questions for this week’s SDS Mailbag:

Robert:

After midweek wins, Florida, South Carolina and Texas A&M all still seem to at least have some hope of making the NCAA Tournament field. What do each of those 3 teams need to do to make March Madness?

It really looked like Florida was going to suffer a bad road loss at Vanderbilt on Tuesday night. But a miraculous 9-0 run in the game’s final 30 seconds saved the Gators’ postseason hopes (and possibly coach Mike White’s job).

To me, if they beat Kentucky on Saturday in Gainesville, they’re in the NCAA Tournament no matter what happens in next week’s SEC Tournament. Lose that game and they probably need 2 wins in the SEC tourney (since their first game will be against a lesser foe in Round 2).

For South Carolina, winning at Auburn on Saturday is a must. Obviously, that’s a monumental task, as the Tigers haven’t lost at Auburn Arena all year. Then, there’s Texas A&M. The Aggies close the regular season at home against Mississippi State on Saturday. The Bulldogs might be demoralized after Wednesday night’s home loss to Auburn.

If the Aggies win that game, they’ll have 20 wins on the season. Another win in the SEC Tournament and Selection Sunday gets a lot more interesting for Buzz Williams and company. If they get to 21 victories, they’ll be watching some of these mid-major tournaments and be rooting for the favorites to win so there are no bid thieves taking valuable spots away from bubble teams.

Joe:

SEC wide receivers have been popular picks in Round 1 of recent NFL Drafts. Guys like Treylon Burks (Arkansas), Jameson Williams (Alabama) and George Pickens (Georgia) are being mentioned as potential first-round picks this year. If you were an NFL GM, which SEC receiver would you take?

It’s true – SEC WRs are dominating the NFL right now. Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase of LSU are 2 of the best young receivers in the game. Alabama has sent Jerry Jeudy, DeVonta Smith, Jaylen Waddle, Calvin Ridley, Julio Jones, Amari Cooper and many other star receivers to the NFL during the Nick Saban era. Deebo Samuel has become a star for the San Francisco 49ers after coming out of South Carolina. Texas A&M’s Mike Evans is one of the most consistent pass catchers in the league.

This year, I think Pickens is a Day 2 guy. And, I think he’ll be a great value there and a contributor to whatever team takes him. But, Williams and Burks are the 2 first-round guys from the SEC in the 2022 class.

Speaking of Evans, he’s my NFL comp for Burks – a big, strong guy with great hands who gets open and makes big plays consistently. That’s a guy you want on your team. Williams is a speedy deep threat and a guy who can shake defenders on quick routes. He’s an elite player, too, but he’s coming off an ACL injury and might not be able to contribute much in 2022.

I’d take Burks, and I really hope he falls to my Green Bay Packers at No. 28, but I seriously doubt he’ll be on the board by then. If Williams is there, though, I hope the Packers scoop him up and let him get healthy for 2023.

Manny:

Alabama, LSU and Georgia have all won national championships during the College Football Playoff era. Which SEC team will be the next to win its first CFP title?

It’s tempting to say Texas A&M. I don’t think the Aggies will do it in 2022. I don’t even think they’ll make the Playoff field this fall. But, give that elite recruiting class some time to jell. I think the Aggies will be solidly in the mix for the 2023 and 2024 titles, assuming they are able to find an elite quarterback (whether it is Haynes King or someone else).

As far as other contenders go, Ole Miss won 10 games under Lane Kiffin. Ditto Kentucky under Mark Stoops. Sam Pittman has Arkansas on the rise and Josh Heupel is doing the same at Tennessee. Meanwhile, Billy Napier brings plenty of excitement to Florida.

The problem? None of those schools had top-10 recruiting classes in 2022. Kentucky led the way at No. 13. Ole Miss played the transfer portal game really well, yes, but probably not well enough to get past Alabama in the SEC West.

So, with a potential recruiting juggernaut looming in College Station, I’ll say the Aggies are the next SEC program to lift the CFP trophy. But, first, I think Alabama is going to win Nick Saban’s eighth national championship in 2022.

Kyle:

Rank the cities hosting the regional finals in this year’s NCAA Tournament (Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, San Antonio).

I have actually lived in San Francisco and Philadelphia and grew up in Illinois, so this question is right up my alley! I have to admit that I’ve never been to San Antonio, so I’m going to rank it based on what I think it would be like.

So, here’s how I’d put together my rankings of those cities:

  1. San Francisco
  2. Philadelphia
  3. San Antonio
  4. Chicago

San Francisco gets the top spot because of the weather and the areas surrounding the city, not necessarily the city itself. When I lived in Philadelphia, the food scene was amazing. It truly is one of the most underrated food scenes in the country (and not just because of cheesesteaks).

San Antonio seems like it probably has a great BBQ scene (it is in Texas, after all), and I’ve heard nice things about the River Walk, so I’ll put it at No. 3. Then, bringing up the rear is Chicago. Too big. Too cold in the winter. The Chicago Cubs and Chicago Bears play there. Michael Jordan isn’t on the Bulls anymore. A lot working against the Windy City.

Have a question for next week’s Mailbag? Tweet at us using #SDSMailbag or email me at ASpencer@SaturdayDownSouth.com.