SEC Tournament First Round Matchups
Bridgestone Arena sits quiet tonight, but come noon time tomorrow, it will be anything but. The SEC Tournament tips off in Nashville, bringing five days of high-stakes basketball where every possession matters. For some teams, it’s a final tune-up before the NCAA Tournament. For others, it’s a fight to keep their seasons alive. Four first-round matchups take center stage on Wednesday, each carrying its own set of storylines—redemption, desperation, and the unpredictability that March always delivers. By the end of the night, four teams will move on, and four will head home, their seasons over in an instant. The chaos is coming.
Arkansas vs. South Carolina: A Shot at Redemption
Arkansas and South Carolina will open the SEC Tournament with a rematch that carries major implications. Just two weeks ago, the Gamecocks dismantled the Razorbacks, 72-53, in Columbia. Arkansas never found a rhythm offensively, shooting just 28.8% from the field and 3-of-22 from three. Meanwhile, South Carolina’s Collin Murray-Boyles torched the Razorbacks for 35 points, exposing Arkansas’ defensive struggles in the paint.
This time, the stakes are higher. Arkansas sits on the NCAA Tournament bubble and cannot afford another loss to a South Carolina team that finished at the bottom of the SEC standings. The Razorbacks have bounced back with four wins in their last five games, and they’ll need big performances from D.J. Wagner, Johnell Davis, and Trevon Brazile to keep their postseason hopes alive. The key matchup will be slowing down Murray-Boyles, whose strength and skill overwhelmed Arkansas in the last meeting. If the Razorbacks can hit shots early and dictate the pace, they have a strong chance to advance.
Arkansas 73, South Carolina 68
Vanderbilt vs. Texas: A Familiar Foe
Vanderbilt and Texas square off in the second game of the SEC Tournament’s opening round, with both teams looking to regain momentum. The Commodores enter as the No. 12 seed (8-10 SEC), while Texas comes in as the No. 13 seed (6-12 SEC) after a rough end to the regular season.
These teams met in early February, and Vanderbilt erased an eight-point deficit to win 86-78 at Memorial Gymnasium. Jaylen Carey had a career night with 18 points and 14 rebounds, including nine offensive boards. The Commodores dominated the second half, shooting 57% from the field and controlling the glass.
Texas will look to Tre Johnson, the SEC Freshman of the Year, to lead its offense. He’s averaging 20.3 points per game but is coming off a 0-for-14 shooting night against Oklahoma. Both teams enter the tournament with inconsistent play—Vanderbilt dropped its last two games, while Texas has lost seven of its last nine. With a second-round matchup against No. 5 Texas A&M on the line, the battle in the paint and three-point shooting could decide this one.
Vanderbilt 79, Texas 74
Mississippi State vs. LSU: Can the Bulldogs Get Back on Track?
Mississippi State and LSU meet in a first-round night matchup, with both teams looking to shake off recent struggles. The No. 10 seed Bulldogs (20-11, 8-10 SEC) have dropped four of their last five games, while No. 15 seed LSU (14-17, 3-15 SEC) enters on a five-game losing streak.
The teams last met on March 1, with Mississippi State rolling to an 81-69 win. Josh Hubbard led the way with 30 points, while LSU’s Cam Carter started strong with 18 first-half points but was shut down after the break. Mississippi State will need another solid defensive effort to contain Carter, while LSU will look for a more balanced offensive attack after failing to crack 70 points in its last five games.
LSU’s three-point shooting (30.9%) is among the worst in the SEC, while Mississippi State’s defense has struggled away from home, allowing nearly 100 points per game in its last three road contests. The Bulldogs have won at least one game in the SEC Tournament for seven straight years, and they’ll be favored to extend that streak. The winner moves on to face No. 7 Missouri on Thursday night.
Mississippi State 81, LSU 70
Georgia vs. Oklahoma: Momentum vs. Experience
Georgia and Oklahoma close out the first round in a matchup of two teams trending in different directions. The No. 11 seed Bulldogs (20-11, 8-10 SEC) are riding a four-game winning streak, while the No. 14 seed Sooners (19-12, 6-12 SEC) have gone 3-2 in their last five but remain undefeated in neutral-site games (5-0) this season.
Georgia won the first meeting 72-62 in Athens, thanks to strong defense and balanced scoring from Dakota Leffew and Asa Newell (15 points each). Jeremiah Fears, Oklahoma’s leading scorer (16.3 PPG), was held to just two points on 1-of-11 shooting, something the Sooners will need to correct if they want a different outcome.
Oklahoma leads the SEC in free throw percentage (.797) and has two top-16 scorers in Fears and Jalon Moore, but Georgia has been one of the hottest teams in the conference down the stretch. The Bulldogs’ SEC-best four-game winning streak has them pushing for an NCAA Tournament spot, and they’ll look to keep that momentum going into the second round against No. 6 Kentucky.
Georgia 76, Oklahoma 72