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Alabama Crimson Tide and the SEC Tournament

Selection Sunday is a month away for the Crimson Tide. The same day will be the SEC Tournament Final. The Crimson Tide is No. 2 among all SEC teams in SEC Tournament Championship history.

By Ronald Evans

Mar 9, 1990; Orlando, FL, USA; FILE PHOTO; Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Wimp Sanders reacts on
Mar 9, 1990; Orlando, FL, USA; FILE PHOTO; Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Wimp Sanders reacts on / RVR Photos-USA TODAY Sports
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Despite the SEC Tournament having been historically akin to a Kentucky Wildcats invitational, the Alabama Crimson Tide has done well in SEC Tournaments. The Wildcats have won it 31 times or 32 if their vacated 1988 win is counted. Alabama is the No. 2, SEC team with eight SEC Tournament wins. Tennessee has five SEC Tournament wins, followed by Florida with four and Mississippi State with three.

Ole Miss, Vanderbilt, Georgia, and Auburn have won the SEC Tournament twice. Arkansas and LSU have won one SEC Tournament each, along with former SEC member, Georgia Tech. A complete list of SEC Tournament Champions is available here.

The SEC Tournament began in 1933 and Kentucky, coached by the legendary Adolph Rupp won the first one. Hank Crisp coached the Alabama Crimson Tide to an SEC Tournament Championship in the 1934 season.

There was no SEC Tournament in 1935. The competition returned in 1936 and continued through the 1952 season.

The SEC Tournament was reborn in 1979 with Tennessee winning by beating Kentucky in overtime. After three years in Birmingham, the tournament went to Kentucky's Rupp Arena in 1982. Alabama, led by Ennis Whatley, shocked the Big Blue Nation, beating the Cats 48-46. It was the first of Wimp Sanderson's five SEC Tournament Championships.

Over the past 10 seasons, the tournament has been held seven times at Nashville's Bridgestone Arena. It is in Nashville this season and will continue to be held in Nashville through at least the 2030 season.

Barring a total collapse in the last seven SEC regular season games, Alabama will be one of the double-bye teams that will not play until the Quarterfinals on Friday, Mar. 15.

The SEC's bottom four will open the tournament on Wednesday night, Mar. 13. The top four SEC teams skip Thursday play when the two winners from Wednesday night and six other teams compete. The Quarterfinals are on Friday, with the Semifinals on Saturday and the SEC Championship Game on Sunday at noon.

Alabama Crimson Tide and Selection Sunday

A couple of hours after the conclusion of the Sunday game, the NCAA Tournament field will be released. The SEC is expected to have 7-9 Big Dance teams. The 2023-24 Alabama Crimson Tide is already an NCAA Tournament lock. A 2-seed is not out of the question for the Crimson Tide. A 3-seed or a 4-seed is not a lock yet, but the Tide is close.

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