[King Kong]

Agreed,  we have exceeded expectations at this point in the season.  I am beyond excited about what this team has accomplished thus far. 

Also agreed,  the sec is brutal this year.  We're just two games or so away from getting into conference play.  Based on our performance thus far,  I believe we stand a really good chance,  of having success in the conference this year.  We have as good of a shot as anyone.  

We have proven again and again,  that we won't give up.  Pope has proven again and again,  he will make necessary adjustments,  to give us a chance to win games. 

Just imagine being coach Pope.  First you got to put together a team,  from scratch.  Have limited time to get a group of strangers,  playing together and one the same page.  Then the pressure that comes with being hc at KY.  You play Duke,  what 3rd game of the year,  was it.  Then Clemson,  is good.  Gonzaga is at the top of college basketball year in and out.  Ohio St.  has had some really great teams over the years.  Oh yeah,  and the sec may very well be the toughest conference this year,  in the long history of college basketball!

I believe we work and battle and give ourselves a chance in the conference.  I really like our chances based on our performance so far.

[Old School Hound]

SO, if you had to predict how many losses we'll have in reg. season conference play, how many do you say?

[Cactus Jack]

SO, if you had to predict how many losses we'll have in reg. season conference play, how many do you say?

I'd say seven (7) losses in regular season conference play is the safest bet, but I don't think eight (8) or more is out of the question.

Think we'll go 4-2 or 3-3 against the teams we play twice. Out of the home and home with Alabama and Tennessee, not shocked if we lose both to one and split with the other. Even if we split with both, there's still a chance Memorial Magic will get us (they're sandwiched between A&M, Alabama, and at Tennessee.

Think we'll lose 1-2 more games at home. Most likely candidates for those are Auburn (who we play after trips to Oklahoma and Alabama), Arkansas (who we get after the trips to Vandy and Tennessee and with a trip to Ole Miss on deck), and one to Texas A&M or Florida (who we thankfully get early but we'll still be down Kriisa). If we're to have six conference losses or less, we'll need to do well in these games or there's no margin for error elsewhere.

Think we'll lose 2 more away games. There'll be a random loss at Missouri, Texas, Mississippi State, or Georgia and we'll have a tough one against Ole Miss and Oklahoma. Ole Miss will be up for the game and the Sooners could well be on the bubble or in need of a big win when they host us late; their biggest non-conference wins are over Arizona (who was ranked at the time but currently 4-5 with no resume wins) and Louisville (who is now 6-5 with a 20 point loss to Ole Miss & a team that is so banged up that you aren't optimistic that things get much better for them).


Given what we have on tap and that we'll be getting everyone's best shot, I don't think that the #5 or #6 seed is out of the question, but neither is the #2 or #3 seed. If we didn't have to play Alabama and Tennessee twice, I'd feel different. If we had another perimeter defender, I'd be much more optimistic.

Barring another injury, I'd take what we have today and going into the SEC Tournament as the #4 seed with the last double-bye if you gave me the option of taking that or just seeing how everything would play out from here.

Past that, I think the scenarios above (i.e., one more big time win against an Alabama or Tennessee, then some solid top 15 or top 25 wins) and a double-bye, followed by one win in the SEC Tournament is enough to get a three (3), four (4), or five (5) seed. That makes for a very manageable first round game, and think we take care of business there.

Had said before the season that making the Round of 32 would be a success and still feel that anything past that is gravy. At the same time, I feel much better about our chances of making a run to the Final Four than I felt when I'd made the initial post (and think that's probably the same for everyone).

[Van Hagar]

Speaking of getting a double bye in the SEC tourney—now that the conference has 16 teams, are they still going to use that format for the conference tournament? I hadn’t read anything on it. With 16 obviously you could just have a bracket where everyone would have to play right from the jump, but that wouldn’t reward your top regular season teams. Just wondering.

[Cactus Jack]

Speaking of getting a double bye in the SEC tourney—now that the conference has 16 teams, are they still going to use that format for the conference tournament? I hadn’t read anything on it. With 16 obviously you could just have a bracket where everyone would have to play right from the jump, but that wouldn’t reward your top regular season teams. Just wondering.

Can't copy and paste or add the bracket here (link below), but there will still be double byes.

https://www.secsports.com/2025-sec-mens-...nt-bracket

[Van Hagar]

Thanks, CJ, and wow with this format it would certainly be in any teams best interest to at the very least finish in the top eight of the regular season standings, otherwise you are looking at five very difficult games in five days to win a title.

[Cactus Jack]

Thanks, CJ, and wow with this format it would certainly be in any teams best interest to at the very least finish in the top eight of the regular season standings, otherwise you are looking at five very difficult games in five days to win a title.

If you are the league commissioner, it's probably best for bubble teams needing wins too. Much less chance of a 2024 NC State getting in, but coming in as a 9-11 seed, you'll get a game against one of the three worst, then a good chance to upset 6-8.

Coming in at #6-8, you'll probably still have a good shot at a quality win. That's 1-2 wins depending on your seed and then a shot at knocking off one of the top 3 and being locked in.

Definitely much more difficult to win it as the #9 or lower, but playing one or two games at your level and then getting hot for three or four more isn't entirely out of the question.

No way around there not being at least one or two teams in the 8-12 range who are capable of going to the finals or winning it if things fall right this season.


If I had to pick today:

1. Auburn
2. Tennessee
3. Alabama
4. Kentucky

5. Florida
6. Texas A&M
7. Ole Miss
8. Mississippi State

9. Arkansas
10. Texas
11. Georgia
12. Oklahoma

13. Missouri
14. LSU
15. South Carolina
16. Vanderbilt

Kentucky could quickly drop off the #4 line though.

[rookie57]

SO, if you had to predict how many losses we'll have in reg. season conference play, how many do you say?

5

---

Thanks, CJ, and wow with this format it would certainly be in any teams best interest to at the very least finish in the top eight of the regular season standings, otherwise you are looking at five very difficult games in five days to win a title.

If you are the league commissioner, it's probably best for bubble teams needing wins too. Much less chance of a 2024 NC State getting in, but coming in as a 9-11 seed, you'll get a game against one of the three worst, then a good chance to upset 6-8.

Coming in at #6-8, you'll probably still have a good shot at a quality win. That's 1-2 wins depending on your seed and then a shot at knocking off one of the top 3 and being locked in.

Definitely much more difficult to win it as the #9 or lower, but playing one or two games at your level and then getting hot for three or four more isn't entirely out of the question.

No way around there not being at least one or two teams in the 8-12 range who are capable of going to the finals or winning it if things fall right this season.


If I had to pick today:

1. Auburn
2. Tennessee
3. Alabama
4. Kentucky

5. Florida
6. Texas A&M
7. Ole Miss
8. Mississippi State

9. Arkansas
10. Texas
11. Georgia
12. Oklahoma

13. Missouri
14. LSU
15. South Carolina
16. Vanderbilt

Kentucky could quickly drop off the #4 line though.

I think they are better than Alabama

[Cactus Jack]

I think they are better than Alabama

I've watched Alabama a couple of times (they did look good in those games) and maybe it's a matter of having seen Kentucky too much (i.e., to play down to lesser competition, which I didn't witness Bama do against North Dakota) but I think Alabama is more talented and probably a better overall team.

At the same time, I still like Alabama's overall schedule better than ours. They do have Kentucky and Auburn twice, but they also seemed to fare a little better with who they play at home versus away and when they play some of the teams I have in the #5 to #12 range above. They do have a pretty rough looking three game stretch (at Tennessee, vs. Florida, and at Auburn) to end the season and play Kentucky and Mississippi State at home the week before that. I suspect that if Kentucky passes them in the SEC standings, it will need to be at that time.

FWIW, I think Oregon is usually underrated (and their tournament runs show that). The Ducks have beat Texas A&M by 10 and Alabama by 2. Their only loss is to currently ranked UCLA (by 2).

All of that to say, Alabama is really good and a little more talented than we are top to bottom. We could obviously beat them on a given night, but I think they have more ways to beat us than we have to beat them if we're talking about playing or simulating the game 10-20 times.