Tennessee is projected to be a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history. They’ll need a second SEC Tournament title in the last three years to make sure that happens. The top-seeded Volunteers are coming off a home loss to Kentucky in the regular-season finale. Can they bounce back as a double-digit favorite in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals Friday against Mississippi State?
No. 9 Mississippi State appears to be headed to March Madness after opening the SEC Tournament with a 70-60 first-round win over LSU on Thursday. The Bulldogs have not been great as an underdog this season.