Randy Smith: March Madness Hits High Gear

Fourteen of the 16 teams in the SEC are in the NCAA Tournament and that's insane. It's also a record for the most teams from one conference to ever be selected for the Big Dance. In addition, two of the four top seeds are from the SEC ( Auburn and Florida ), and, with that many teams in the field of 68, the chances of two SEC teams playing each other are really high. I think the committee got it right this year. Auburn is the number one overall seed for 2025 but the hottest team going into the tournament is Florida. The Gators took down Tennessee on Sunday to win the SEC Tournament Championship.

Tennessee is a number two seed and will face Wofford from the Southern Conference in round one. That game will be played in Kentucky's Rupp Arena Thursday at 3:50 p.m. with the Vols being a huge favorite over the 19-15 Terriers. The Big Orange played well in making the SEC Championship game with impressive wins over Texas and Auburn to make the finals. To win Coach Rick Barnes' first-ever national title, they simply must play their 'A' game each time they hit the floor and Sunday wasn't it.

The Volunteers were dominated on the glass by the Gators and totally outplayed in that 86-77 loss. They got great play from their guards, but the post players couldn't keep up with the tremendous depth Florida has up front. The Gators out-rebounded Tennessee 39-25 and the Vols' big men scored just 18 points between them. Florida did a great job defensively holding leading scorer Chaz Lanier to 11 points before he fouled out.

The Lady Vols are also going dancing as a number five seed. That seeding could have been higher, but they folded a bit toward the end of the season by losing four of their last five games. Still, they're 22-9 in Coach Kim Caldwell's first season and they tip it up against South Florida Friday night at 8:00 in Birmingham. The Lady Vols led the SEC in scoring this season and their fast-paced, hard-pressing attack may have worn them down a bit. Still, both teams have a great shot at a long run in this year's tournaments.

I haven't filled out a bracket in years because it's been a waste of my time. I always pick with my heart instead of my head and never do well. I think both Tennessee teams will do well and will win a few games but I think neither team will make the final four. We'll see.