What's at Stake in Oklahoma's SEC Tournament Battle With LSU?

Oklahoma’s first outing at the SEC Tournament was successful.

The Sooners blew away Florida 82-64 with a strong second half to set up a rematch with 4-seeded LSU.

Kim Mulkey’s Tigers took down OU 91-72 at the Lloyd Noble Center in January, but Jennie Baranczyk’s team hopes the growth since their last meeting with LSU will be on display on Friday afternoon (1:30 p.m., ESPN).

What is at stake in Oklahoma’s showdown in the quarterfinals at the SEC Tournament?

NCAA Tournament Implications

Oklahoma Sooners, Jennie Baranczyk and Sahara William — OU head coach Jennie Baranczyk talks with forward Sahara Williams in the Sooners' SEC Tournament contest against Florida. | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

On March 1, the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee announced their latest top 16 rankings.

The Sooners checked in at No. 12, meaning the Sooners would earn a 3-seed in the Big Dance and host the first two rounds of the tournament at the Lloyd Noble Center.

Louisville and Duke, who were rated ahead of OU at No. 9 and No. 10, respectively, both lost on March 1, meaning another Quad 1 win could see Oklahoma climb higher.

How to Watch Oklahoma vs. LSU

When: Friday, March 6
Time: 1:30 p.m.
Channel: ESPN

Even if the Sooners sit tight as a 3-seed, a slight move up amongst the other 3-seeds could dramatically change OU’s path.

Oklahoma was slotted to head to one of the two regionals that will play in Sacramento, the Sacramento 4 Regional with 1-seeded Texas.

The other regional site is at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth.

Though OU would still be paired up with a 2-seed in the Sweet 16 if everything went chalk, re-routing the road to Phoenix through Fort Worth would give Oklahoma fans an opportunity to show out in force and help give Baranczyk’s team an extra push.

Another Litmus Test

Oklahoma Sooners, Aaliyah Chave — Oklahoma guard Aaliyah Chavez pushes the pace at the SEC Tournament against Florida. | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

The toughest stretch of Oklahoma’s schedule came early in conference play.

The Sooners lost back-to-back-to-back contests against Ole Miss, Kentucky and LSU before upsetting South Carolina in overtime.

At the start of February, OU dropped games to Texas and Vanderbilt, and in the second game of the year, the Sooners fell to UCLA in Sacramento.

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Of those contests, South Carolina, UCLA, Texas, Vanderbilt and LSU are all under serious consideration for either a 1-seed or 2-seed on Selection Sunday.

Baranczyk has been pleased with the growth of her freshmen, including star Aaliyah Chavez, and sophomore Zya Vann throughout the year.

The Sooners’ current seven-game winning streak includes triumphs over Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee, all of which were ranked at the time, and Friday’s meeting with LSU can serve as another opportunity for OU’s underclassmen to show they’ve learned from past mistakes and taken the necessary steps for Oklahoma to go on a magical run in March.