How the Kentucky Wildcats can finish second (or fifth) in the SEC regular season standings
The Tennessee Volunteers locked up the SEC regular season title and the top spot in the upcoming SEC Tournament with a win over South Carolina on Wednesday, putting less pressure on themselves in Saturday's tilt against Kentucky.
However, the Wildcats will be feeling the strain as they are currently locked in a four-way tie for second place in the SEC, with a 12-5 record that is equal to Auburn, Alabama, and South Carolina.
That means among these four teams, one of them will finish second while another will finish fifth, kicking them out of the double-bye in the SEC Tournament and forcing them to play an extra game.
Unfortunately not all final games are created equal. Kentucky has the toughest draw, a true road game against the top team in the conference, while Auburn gets to host Georgia (6-11 in SEC), Alabama hosts Arkansas (6-11 in SEC) and South Carolina goes on the road against Mississippi State (8-9 in SEC).
So, with four teams all tied and playing one more game, the likelihood of Kentucky needing a tiebreaker to determine their final spot in the standings - and seed in the tournament - is pretty high.
The SEC policy on ties is as follows, according to a release from the conference:
When three or more teams are tied, the following procedure will be used in the following order until the tie is broken. If two teams remain tied after a tiebreaker provision, the two-team tiebreaker formula will be used.
A. Best winning percentage of games played among the tied teams (Example: Team A is 3-1, Team B is 2- 2 and Team C is 1-3 – Team A would be seeded highest, Team B second-highest and Team C lowest of the three).
B. Best winning percentage of the tied teams versus the highest seeded common opponent (and proceeding through the No. 14 seed, if necessary).
C. If two teams remain, coin flip by the Commissioner.
D. If three or more teams remain, draw by the Commissioner.
Kentucky is 2-1 against Alabama, Auburn, and South Carolina - putting them in an excellent position with the best record among the quartet. Alabama and Auburn are each 2-2, while South Carolina is 1-2.
So it becomes quite simple: If the 'Cats win on Saturday they finish second in the SEC, regardless of what else happens.
If they lose, they then have to rely on at least one of Alabama, South Carolina, and Auburn to lose as well or else they could finish fifth and miss out on a double-bye in the SEC Tournament - forcing them to play an extra game on their path to win a title and earn a higher seed in March.
The SEC Tournament, set to begin next Wednesday, March 13 in Nashville.
