THE SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE THREAD

No. 8 Tennessee rallies past No. 4 Kentucky 82-78

Tennessee's Lamonte' Turner picked a perfect time to snap out of his shooting slump.

Turner sank a go-ahead 3-pointer with 30 seconds left as No. 8 Tennessee rallied to beat No. 4 Kentucky 82-78 in a Southeastern Conference Tournament semifinal thriller Saturday. Before making that shot, Turner had gone 8 of 52 from 3-point range over his last 10 games and 1 of 19 over his last five contests.

read more http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=401119821

 

No. 22 Auburn reaches SEC tourney final, downs Florida 65-62

The Auburn Tigers are stringing together some impressive accomplishments with coach Bruce Pearl. Now they have a chance at something particularly special before the NCAA Tournament.

Jared Harper hit a 3-pointer with 12 seconds left as No. 22 Auburn held off Florida 65-62 Saturday to reach the Southeastern Conference Tournament championship for the first time since 2000.

Read more http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=401119820

 

No. 22 Auburn routs 8th-ranked Tennessee 84-64 for SEC title

The Auburn Tigers are taking home their first Southeastern Conference Tournament championship since 1985 and aren't satisfied.

Not with the NCAA Tournament up next.

Bryce Brown scored 19 points, and Auburn won the SEC Tournament title by routing eighth-ranked Tennessee 84-64 on Sunday.

Read more http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=401119822

 

Mays scores 19, LSU escapes with 79-74 win against Yale

As LSU's comfortable lead started to disappear, most of the crowd at Veterans Memorial Arena turned on the Tigers.

Underdog Yale became the hometown team in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.

Skylar Mays heard the cheers -- and then silenced them.

With suspended coach Will Wade watching from afar, Mays hit four free throws in the final 15 seconds to help embattled LSU slip by 14th-seeded Yale 79-74 in the East Region on Thursday.

Read more http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=401123438

 

Bluegrass romp: Kentucky blows out Abilene 79-44 at NCAAs

Kentucky could afford to be down a man against NCAA Tournament newcomer Abilene Christian.

Going forward, the Wildcats are surely going to need that guy who was zipping around the arena on a scooter, most of his lower left leg covered by a hard cast.

With PJ Washington sidelined by a sprained foot, second-seeded Kentucky still romped past the small Texas school 79-44 on Thursday night -- a huge mismatch that was over by halftime.

The Wildcats shot 60 percent in the opening period, held No. 15 seed Abilene Christian to 5 of 26 from the field, and went to the locker room with a 39-13 lead. They led by as many as 36.

read more http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=401123403

 

No. 10 seed Florida stops Nevada comeback for 70-61 upset

Florida was cruising toward a surprisingly easy victory over Nevada in its opening NCAA Tournament game.

Then Nevada furiously tried to stave off the upset with a frantic second-half push that fell just short. Florida nearly squandered a double-digit lead before finally stopping the comeback and closing out a 70-61 Thursday night victory in the West Region.

Read more http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=401123406

 

Missed FTs, late pass cost NMex St in 78-77 loss to Auburn

A.J. Harris had an easy layup for the tie. He wanted a win for New Mexico State.

It didn't work out, but boy-oh-boy, what a way for the Aggies to go down swinging Thursday against fifth-seeded Auburn in the NCAA Tournament.

With the clock ticking down, Harris passed on an open layup and kicked out to wide-open teammate Terrell Brown, who was spotted up for the game-winner behind the arc. Brown was fouled as he took the shot, but missed two of three free throws with 1.1 seconds left, and New Mexico State fell 78-77.

Read more http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=401123402

 

Tennessee holds off Colgate to advance to NCAA second round

Tennessee didn't let an underdog fight back again and pull off a shocker in the NCAA Tournament.

Last year the Volunteers advanced to the second round as a No. 3 seed and were stunned when 11th-seeded Loyola of Chicago hit a jump shot with 3.6 seconds left for a 63-62 win that sent the Ramblers and Sister Jean to the Sweet 16.

read more http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=401123397

 

Mizzou's Porter re-tears ACL after missing '18-19



Missouri sophomore big man Jontay Porter recently re-tore the ACL that caused him to miss the entire season, a school spokesman confirmed to ESPN on Saturday.

The 6-foot-11 Porter was in Denver when he suffered the injury. He missed the 2018-19 season after initially tearing his right ACL and MCL in October during a closed preseason scrimmage against Southern Illinois.

Read more http://www.espn.com/mens-college-ba...2851/mizzou-porter-re-tears-acl-missing-18-19

 

Bama parts ways with Johnson after 4 seasons



The University of Alabama and men's basketball coach Avery Johnson have parted ways after four seasons.

Johnson, who previously coached the NBA's Dallas Mavericks and Brooklyn Nets following a 16-year playing career, went 75-62 and made one NCAA tournament appearance at Alabama. On Wednesday, the Crimson Tide lost 80-79 in overtime to Norfolk State in the first round of the NIT.

Read more http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/26348878/bama-parts-ways-johnson-4-seasons

 

Kentucky shuts down Magee, beats Wofford 62-56 at NCAAs

Everywhere Fletcher Magee turned, there was a hand in his face, a body in his way, a relentless wave of blue that was intent on making sure he never found any alone time.

Kentucky totally and completely shut down the most prolific 3-point scorer in Division I history.

Read more http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=401123433

 

Auburn blows past Kansas 89-75 to reach Sweet 16

Bruce Pearl's Auburn rebuilding project took a massive leap.

The Tigers are headed to the Sweet 16 for the first time in 16 years.

Bryce Brown scored 25 points and hit seven 3-pointers, leading Auburn to an 89-75 takedown of mighty Kanas Saturday night in the Midwest Region.

Read more http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=401123434

 

Waters' drive beats Maryland 69-67, sends LSU to Sweet 16

It's probably the same play suspended LSU coach Will Wade would have called.

After all, it worked several times during the regular season. And now it has the Tigers in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2006.

Tremont Waters drove by three defenders and scooped in a banking layup with 1.6 seconds remaining to give third-seeded LSU a 69-67 victory over sixth-seeded Maryland in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday.

Read more http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=401123440

 

Tennessee blows big lead, rallies for 83-77 OT win over Iowa

Admiral Schofield ran around the court in sheer joy, waving a March Madness towel after Tennessee made it back to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2014.

The rest of the Volunteers? Just trying to breathe normally again.

Tennessee avoided one of the biggest meltdowns in NCAA Tournament history Sunday, letting a 25-point lead slip away before SEC player of the year Grant Williams asserted himself in overtime for an 83-77 victory over Iowa.

Read more http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=401123423

 

Herro late 3-pointer lifts Kentucky over Houston, to Elite 8

Kentucky got its big man back, and PJ Washington helped get the Wildcats to the Elite Eight for the seventh time in 10 years -- with big boost from Tyler Herro.

Herro hit a 3-pointer with 25.8 seconds left to give second-seeded Kentucky the lead after Houston had erased a double-digit deficit, and the Wildcats escaped their Midwest Regional semifinal with a 62-58 win Friday night.

Read more http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=401123391

 

Hot-shooting Auburn upsets No. 1 North Carolina 97-80

The euphoria of reaching the Elite Eight for the first time in 33 years had already worn off and Auburn coach Bruce Pearl was left to arrange his bravest smile on his face.

His trigger-happy Tigers were moving on in the NCAA Tournament.

They were doing it without their most versatile player.

Behind yet another 3-point barrage, No. 5 seed Auburn overcame a slow start to roar past top-seeded North Carolina 97-80 in the Midwest Region semifinals Friday night. But the victory came only after sophomore forward Chuma Okeke, who already had scored a game-high 20 points and pulled down 11 rebounds, sustained a gruesome injury to his left knee in the closing minutes of the game.

Read more http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=401123392

 

Auburn tops Kentucky 77-71 in OT for first Final Four trip

The confetti was still swirling around Auburn coach Bruce Pearl when he gazed over a team headed to the first Final Four in school history and declared, "This one was for Chuma!"

"The next two," Pearl added with a triumphant grin, "are for Auburn."

Drawing inspiration from injured forward Chuma Okeke, the No. 5 seed Tigers finished off a joyful romp through college basketball royalty by bringing down the winningest program of all. Their 77-71 overtime win over second-seeded seed Kentucky in the finals of the Midwest Region on Sunday came after blowouts of Kansas and North Carolina that served notice: Auburn is more than a football school.

read more http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=401123390

 

Blackshear gets double-double, No. 6 Florida beats UNF 74-59



Kerry Blackshear Jr.'s Florida debut came in front of his mom and several other family members. It's one of the reasons he chose to play in Gainesville, about a two-hour drive from his hometown.

It also made his first game with the Gators even more special.

Blackshear had 20 points and 10 rebounds, looking every bit as good as advertised as No. 6 Florida opened its most anticipated season in more than a decade with a 74-59 victory over North Florida on Tuesday night.

read more https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=401169796

 

Maxey leads No. 2 Kentucky past No. 1 Michigan State 69-62



Kentucky's latest freshman star is a guard from Texas who likes to smile wide and take big shots.

Tyrese Maxey scored 26 points, including a clutch 3 that beat the shot clock with a minute left, and the second-ranked Wildcats opened the season with a 69-62 victory over No. 1 Michigan State on Tuesday night in the Champions Classic.

read more https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=401169795

 

Doughty, No. 24 Auburn top Georgia Southern 83-74 in opener



The Auburn Tigers debuted their new look, minus the stars that led them to the program's first Final Four and also without the barrage of 3-pointers.

Samir Doughty scored 20 points to lead No. 24 Auburn to an 83-74 victory over Georgia Southern on Tuesday night in the opener for both teams.

read more https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=401169797