Big showdowns highlight last stretch of SEC regular season

With just a few games left in the regular season, the SEC remains one of the nation's strongest conferences, and though no clear front-runner has emerged, don't be surprised if half of the conference (or more) makes the men's NCAA Tournament field and some of these teams make deep runs.

The Athletic currently predicts eight SEC teams will make the tournament, only one behind the Big 12 and two more than anyone else. Yes, that's more than traditional basketball-heavy conferences like the Big Ten, Big East and ACC, which are predicted to have six, six and five teams, respectively.

Part of the SEC's strong showing is due to the teams at the top of the conference, which are currently Alabama and Tennessee. The rivals face off on Saturday, a game sure to attract national attention given its championship implications.

Tennessee, a contender for a top seed, may have blasted Alabama by 20 when they faced off in January, but a Tide win makes things very difficult for Tennessee's regular season SEC title hopes. Even with a loss, Alabama isn't out of contention, as Tennessee has to face ranked opponents Kentucky and South Carolina, both of which are also expected to be seeded in the top half of the NCAA bracket.

Speaking of Kentucky, it dominated Alabama, an expected No. 3 seed, by 22 points on Saturday, showing the Wildcats are no slouch, either. The Athletic has the Wildcats as a No. 6 seed, while ESPN has them at a No. 5.

The Gamecocks led the SEC earlier this year, though they are currently a game back of Tennessee and Alabama. Even if they fail to win the SEC regular season title, they can still make some noise in March. The Athletic has them pegged as a No. 7 seed, while ESPN put them at a No. 6. It's far from uncommon to see a seed like that make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament.

Auburn, predicted as a No. 4 seed by both projections, is also set up for success in March, and don't count out the Florida Gators. ESPN has the Gators as a No. 6 seed, while The Athletic has them at a No. 8.

Mississippi State could be a No. 8 or No. 9 seed, and The Athletic has Texas A&M as a No. 12 seed. ESPN didn't include the Aggies in the bracket, but they're not far off: They're expected to be in the first four out. 

If you've been keeping up with your math, that is all eight teams the SEC is expected to send to the tournament, but the conference isn't quite done yet.

Also on the bubble is Ole Miss, which is in the first four out for The Athletic and the next four out for ESPN. If the Rebels do enough, that could give the SEC nine teams in the tournament, tied for most among anybody.

Of course, this is all preliminary, and so much can change in the next couple of weeks. But if things continue as they've been going, it could be an SEC team, not one from the Big Ten or ACC, that brings home the hardware come tournament time.