Sometimes the tournaments with a clear favorite are the most interesting, due to the countless other story lines that then take center stage.
In the SEC Tournament, plenty of teams will be looking for big time performances out of their stars in hopes of garnering an NCAA Tournament birth.
Karl Anthony-Towns, Kentucky: Even if Anthony-Towns isn’t at his best, Kentucky would still be an overwhelming favorite to stay undefeated until the NCAA Tournament. However, with his recent play, it’s hard to imagine him not continuing that momentum this week. Could this be the week where even those living under a rock for much of the season fall in love with the freshman’s game and potential?
Jarell Martin and Jordan Mickey, LSU: These two first-team all-conference nods are the key to the Tigers’ hopes of garnering a bid for the NCAA Tournament. Once thought to be a near-lock, LSU is now sitting on the wrong side of the Bubble in many projections. If that is to change, Martin and Mickey will need to be explosive offensively and stifling defensively. We’ve seen many flashes of the former, but it’s the latter that will determine what kind of day the LSU team has on Selection Sunday.
Jalen Jones, Texas A&M: With leading scorer Danuel House looking doubtful for the SEC Tournament, or at least doubtful for the first couple rounds, Jones will need to step up his own offensive production for the Aggies to have a chance at a run. If he doesn’t, A&M will likely be waiting for their name to be called during the NIT announcement show. Jones is certainly capable of being a big time play maker for this team, and if Alex Caruso steps up his offensive production as well, that will allow Jones to operate with much less pressure.
