NASHVILLE, Tenn. — It was all hugs and smiles.
Players celebrated, fans cheered, and blue and white confetti poured down from the rafters of Bridgestone Arena like a never-ending storm.
With No. 8 Kentucky’s 82-65 win over Arkansas (25-9) on Sunday afternoon in the final game of the SEC Tournament, the Wildcats proved once again that they are the conference’s most elite team. The win marked Kentucky’s third straight conference tournament championship and its 30th such title in program history.
“This is a talented group,” UK coach John Calipari said. “I know they say there are other teams more talented. But I’ll take mine… . It should be a fun NCAA Tournament.”
However, despite its dominating performance in the last game before the start of the Big Dance, one thing remains clear: Kentucky (29-5) may own the SEC, but the conference’s other teams have loosened the Wildcats’ long-held vice grip over the league.
The Razorbacks were competitive through parts of Sunday’s game and even held a brief lead early in the opening half. And even with Kentucky in firm control for much of the second half, Arkansas fought back, going on a 15-3 run in a four-minute span to cut the score to 73-64.
In Saturday’s semifinal game between UK and No. 5-seed Alabama, the Crimson Tide gave the Wildcats all they could handle in a physical, back-and-forth contest before running out of gas in the game’s final minute.
Seventh-seed Vanderbilt (19-15) may have had the biggest upset of the SEC Tournament.
After dismantling Texas A&M the day prior, the Commodores went into overtime with second-seed Florida (24-8) on Friday.
Vanderbilt outscored the Gators 14-4 in the extra period to hand UF an exit in the tournament’s quarterfinals. It also gave the Commodores their third straight win over Florida this season.
“Each team in our league is good,” UF coach Mike White said following the loss. “I think (Vanderbilt is) the most improved team during the season in the league. They’ve come a long way.”
Following Sunday’s selection show, five SEC teams — Kentucky, Florida, South Carolina, Arkansas and Vanderbilt — were selected to compete in March Madness. Only three teams made the tournament last season.
The Gators were named a No. 4 seed and are set to play East Tennessee State on Thursday in Orlando.
“This is the best this league has been since 2005,” Calipari said of the SEC. “Let’s see how we advance to see what this league really is.”
Contact Ray Boone at rboone@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter @rboone1994.
Kentucky players celebrate after the Wildcats won the Southeastern Conference Tournament on March 12, 2017, in Nashville, Tennessee.
