NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Most Final Fours don’t end up with four of the top six teams in the country, but the SEC tournament semifinals did — and all four of those teams entered Saturday’s play at Bridgestone Arena with hopes of an NCAA Tournament No. 1 seed.
Auburn will get one, which was assured before the Tigers lost 70-65 to Tennessee in the first semifinal. And Florida’s latest show of dominance — a 104-82 rout of Alabama in the other semifinal — should cement a No. 1 seed for the Gators (29-4) as well.
That’s how the final version of Bracket Watch, published Sunday morning, will have it: Auburn, Duke, Florida and Houston, in that order, as the No. 1 seeds. The NCAA selection committee announces the field of 68 on Sunday evening.
“I believe that this team has from start to finish done enough to be the No. 1 overall seed in this tournament,” Auburn coach Bruce Pearl said after Saturday’s loss, accurately, even though his Tigers (28-5) have lost three of their last four. “Our resume is historically one of the strongest resumes in the history of college basketball.”
For the sake of maximum TV drama, it would be more fun if the Gators and Vols (27-6) were playing for the last No. 1 seed — which would be the first in Tennessee history. This is the rubber match, with each team winning lopsided games at home. But Florida’s profile and performance are undermining the drama.
Even before watching Florida destroy Alabama, Tennessee coach Rick Barnes said Saturday: “I think it’s obvious that Auburn and Florida have played themselves into a 1 seed, which they should.”
‘SHIP SUNDAY 🔜 pic.twitter.com/sFnw6EvOmr
— Florida Gators Men’s Basketball (@GatorsMBK) March 15, 2025
The Vols are pursuing a reward, though, beyond a banner for winning the conference tournament of one the most powerful leagues in men’s basketball history. If Tennessee ends up ahead of Alabama (25-8) on the committee’s seeding list, the Vols should get to start their NCAA Tournament run closer to home in Lexington, Ky. That would likely put Alabama in Cleveland to start.
Senior point guard Zakai Zeigler led the Vols to the upset with 20 points, four rebounds, four assists and his usual tireless defense in 35 minutes. National player of the year frontrunner Johni Broome had 23 points and seven rebounds for Auburn, with two passes out of double teams late for open shots that didn’t fall. But he also went 5-for-12 from the foul line.
Walter Clayton Jr. led the Gators with 22 points and had five teammates in double figures. The Gators hit 12 3-pointers and scored a whopping 1.387 points per possession.
(Photo of Zakai Zeigler: Steve Roberts / Imagn Images)
