STF Conference Reports: SEC 3/6

I LOVE THE SMELL OF MARCH BASKETBALL IN THE MORNING!!!11!1!

And with that, welcome to one of the last SEC Reports of this peculiar basketball season. I've certainly enjoyed bringing you them and I hope you've enjoyed reading them. And as long as the Eric and Marco want me around, I'm definitely happy to keep bringing them.

I also hope my UK fanhood didn't stand out too badly. With that, let's talk some SEC Basketball.

It was another interesting week in the SEC. The teams in the West, save Mississippi State, seem unwilling to do anything to address the modicum of control they have/had over their post-season destiny.

For the past couple of weeks, five, or perhaps six SEC teams have been mentioned in regards of making the NCAA Tournament. However, now that the dust of conference play is starting to settle, only Tennessee, Mississippi State and Vanderbilt are locks. The Arkansas Razorbacks are a probable/maybe while Kentucky and Florida reside firmly on the proverbial bubble.

At most, only two of these last three teams will make it. The one left on the outside, looking in will have an opportunity to play in Madison Square Garden... and hey, college-sponsored field-trips to New York City can't be all bad, right? ;)

Stop. Update time:

Team of the Week - Tennessee
Bruce Pearl's SEC Champ squad was the only team to win two games during this past week, dispatching Kentucky on Sunday and the Florida Gators Wednesday night in Gainesville. Wednesday's tough win gave the Vols their first outright SEC regular-season title since 1967. All that's left for Tennessee is a decent SEC Tournament showing and they should lock up a two-seed in the Big Dance.

Worst Team of the Week - Florida
Well, Gators. You've done gone and did it: you just may have played your way right out of the Big Dance and into the NIT. A first for a modern defending National Champion? To wit, Billy Donovan's young `uns have lost six of 10 and two-in-a-row during the week between the SEC Reports (To Tennessee and Mississippi State). Florida finishes the season in Lexington, as UK celebrates the last home game of Ramel Bradley and Joe Crawford -- not the easiest environments to secure an NCAA Tournament-worthy win.

Player of the Week - Shan Foster
What can you say about Mr. Foster that hasn't already been said. His 42-point/3-pointer-to-win-the-game performance against Mississippi State Wednesday night can easily go down amongst the SEC's all-time best. While Vandy split this week, dropping one to Arkansas on the road (never the easiest place to play), Shan still put up 22 points while hitting six 3-point bombs to keep his team within reach at Fayetteville.

Against the Bulldogs, Foster hit nine from downtown. Folks, say "Hello" to your SEC Player of the Year.

Games to Watch
3/8 Vanderbilt at Alabama
3/8 LSU at Mississippi State
3/8 Ole Miss at Georgia
3/8 Auburn at Arkansas [ESPN Classic] 6:00
3/9 Florida at Kentucky [CBS] Noon
3/9 South Carolina at Tennessee

Remember, at STF, we are College Basketball. ;)