How the SEC Tournament Can Affect Vanderbilt Basketball's NCAA Tournament Seeding

The Commodores are preparing for their first NCAA Tournament appearance in eight years.

Mar 4, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores guard MJ Collins Jr. (2) drives to the basket against the Arkansas Razorbacks during the first half at Memorial Gymnasium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

The Vanderbilt basketball team (20-11, 8-10) finished the season in 12th place in the SEC with five quad-one wins and is looking to add a sixth to improve its NCAA Tournament resume as they prepare for the SEC Tournament in Nashville.

The Commodores play in the second matchup in the early window on Wednesday against 13-seed Texas, a team Vanderbilt beat a month ago in Memorial Coliseum 86-78. Should they win on Wednesday they'll take on 5-seed Texas A&M in the same timeslot on Thursday, a team they beat 86-84 on the road two weeks ago.

The SEC Tournament bracket is here.

Who cuts down the nets in Nashville? pic.twitter.com/jDC5YIiTRg

— Joe Gaither (@JoeGaither6) March 9, 2025

Vanderbilt is playing with house money in its own backyard as the Commodores are on the right side of the bubble and firmly in the NCAA Tournament field looking to return to the dance for the first time since 2017. The Commodores are largely projected as a to draw a nine-or-10-seed in the NCAA Tournament but could improve its standings with a strong SEC Tournament as the field features 13 teams projected in the NCAA Tournament field.

The Commodores will have a fight on its hands in the opening round with the Longhorns, despite defeating them a month ago. Texas is projected as one of the "First Four Out" teams by ESPN's Joe Lunardi on Sunday, potentially putting their season on the line in Bridgestone Arena against Vanderbilt. The Longhorns are just 2-5 since losing to the Commodores at the beginning of February.

Vanderbilt's five quad-one wins puts the Commodores in the NCAA Tournament field but the SEC Tournament field broke nicely for the 'Dores to add even more to its resume. The Commodores defeated Texas and Texas A&M in their only two matchups of the year and split its series with Tennessee, including leading late against the Vols in Knoxville before succumbing to Zakai Zeigler in the second half. If the Commodores defy the odds and add three more quad-one wins they'll find themselves on semifinal Saturday pushing the committee for more favorable seeding.

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