Minus one laggard team, SEC Basketball gained a statement start to the 2026 NCAA Tournament. The conference could not match last year's record for teams participating in the Big Dance. Ten SEC teams made it this season, compared to 14 last season.
For much of the 2025-26 season, claims were made that the SEC had slipped from being the top basketball conference in 2024-25. Arguably, the best measurement to rate conferences is the NCAA Tournament. Some argue the SEC's slide began in last season's NCAA Tournament. The SEC had two Final Four teams and the NCAA Tournament Champion last season, but finished second to the Big Ten in win percentage.
The SEC's Big Dance record last year was 22-12 (64.7%), just behind the Big Ten's winning percentage of 66.7%, from a 14-7 record.
Through the 2026 Play-in Games and the first half of the First Round, the SEC's record is 5-1. The 11-seed Texas Longhorns have won twice, beating North Carolina State 68-66 on Tuesday night and beating 6-seed BYU 79-71 on Thursday night. Inserting a random opinion - it is always good for the SEC when Will Wade loses, as his NCSU team did on Tuesday night.
Other SEC Basketball First Round Results
In other Thursday games, 5-seed Vanderbilt beat McNeese State 78-68; 4-seed Arkansas beat Hawaii 97-78; and 10-seed Texas A&M beat 7-seed St. Mary's 63-50.
In Friday's First Round games, 4-seed Alabama plays 11-seed Hofstra; 6-seed Tennessee plays 9-seed Miami-Ohio; 7-seed Kentucky plays 10-seed Santa Clara; 10-seed Missouri plays 7-seed Miami; and 1-seed Florida plays 16-seed Prairie View.
If Kentucky can hold off Santa Clara, Friday could bring another one-loss day for the SEC, or better, with a sweep if Missouri can knock off a favored Miami team.
Kentucky opens the Friday schedule with an 11:15 AM CST game, followed by Alabama at 2:15, Tennessee at 3:25, Florida at 8:25, and Missouri at 9:10 PM.
On Thursday, the SEC's laggard team was the Georgia Bulldogs. Perhaps Mike White thought defense was optional in the Big Dance. His Bulldogs lost to St. Louis 102-77.
Note: Tournament scores provided by the NCAA