By Les Johns | @KernelJohns

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Championship week is upon us, with wall-to-wall basketball in all its March Madness glory.

The mid-majors will be fighting for their single automatic bid, and the highly-regarded power conferences will largely be jostling for premium seeding.

The members of the SEC, however, who took a collective beating in the non-conference schedule, will be fighting for entry into the Big Dance in what may be the most entertaining conference tournament of the week.

The latest Bracketology from ESPN’s Joe Lunardi paints that very picture. Of the 12 teams he lists on the bubble, four are from the SEC. No other power conference has more than one.

Lunardi has the Cats in (barely) and Tennessee, Ole Miss and Alabama on the outside looking in. The only chance these teams have are to knock each other around, which is exactly what they will aim to do in Nashville starting Wednesday.

The only two SEC teams that appear to have NCAA bids locked up are Missouri and regular-season champion Florida.

UK moved into Lunardi’s hypothetical field after defeating Florida at Rupp Arena Saturday.

The Cats will play the winner of Thursday’s Vanderbilt vs. Arkansas game Friday at 7:30 p.m.  Most analysts believe a win Friday and the Cats will make the NCAA, but a loss puts them in serious jeopardy of being left out one year removed from winning the national title.

Both potential opponents are capable of beating UK, especially if the Cats fail to bring their best effort.

The Cats played  Vanderbilt twice during the regular season, winning the two games by a combined six points.  The Cats played Arkansas just once, at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, and took a, 73-60, loss.

The Cats have played significantly better this year in home contests, even going 4-0 at Rupp Arena in the games played since freshman forward Nerlens Noel went down with a torn ACL.

Bridgestone Arena in Nashville should provide the Cats a friendly, home court-like experience. The Cats are 11-1 in SEC Tournament games played in Nashville, and have won three of the four tournaments they have competed in there.

The 2013 SEC Tournament will be the 53rd in the league’s history, with the Cats winning 27 of the post-season titles.

Play begins with a double-header Wednesday, beginning at 7:30 p.m., and continues with four games Thursday. Games on both those days will be on the SEC Network (Channel 27 WKYT locally in Lexington).

The quarterfinals begin at 1 p.m. Friday, and will be telecast on ESPNU.

Semifinals and finals will be on ABC, starting at 1 p.m., Saturday and Sunday respectively.

Here is the bracket and a quick rundown on each team in order of seed:

1. Florida (24-6, 14-4 SEC)

Player to watch –  Senior forward Erick Murphy

Murphy is averaging 12.4 points and 5.2 rebounds per game, while hitting 46.6 percent of his shots behind the arc. He is the prototypical “stretch-4” player, who can hurt you posting up inside as well as from the perimeter.

Head coach Billy Donovan:

“I think we have to continue to work to get better. I think we have competent guys — guys who are capable. At the end of the day, you’re always going to help yourself in seeding, getting into the NCAA if you win games. That’s really what it comes down to.”

2. UK (21-10, 12-6 SEC)

Player to watch – Freshman forward Alex Poythress

Poythress pulled down 12 rebounds against Florida, in what head coach John Calipari credited as the guard’s best sustained effort of the season. If Poythress has turned the corner from an energy standpoint, the Cats could do some damage in Nashville.

Head coach John Calipari:

“I wish none of us played in the tournament. Let’s go on to the next tournament. There is an importance to the game. It’s not the tournament itself. But as far as playing in a tournament at this time — three games in three days — I’m not a big fan.”

3. Ole Miss (23-8, 12-6 SEC)

Player to watch – Junior transfer guard Marshall Henderson

Henderson leads the conference in both scoring (19.7 points per game) and swagger (infinite). He hits nearly four 3-pointers per game, connecting on 36 percent behind the arc. As Henderson goes, so do the Rebels.

Assistant coach Bill Armstrong:

“Our goal is to try to win the SEC Tournament. We just know that we are going in to the SEC Tournament to get as many wins as we can. We have actually played the three teams that we could play (Friday) twice already this year, so we are fairly familiar with them. We will be prepared for whoever it is we play.”

4. Alabama (20-11, 12-6 SEC)

Player to watch – Junior guard Trevor Releford

Releford leads the Tide in scoring (15.6 points per game), and is an excellent shooter. He gets to the free throw line and coverts 82 percent of his chances, and hits behind the arc at a 43.6 percent clip, even drilling a 50-foot buzzer-beater to defeat Georgia Saturday to keep Bama’s NCAA tournament hopes alive.

Head coach Anthony Grant:

“It’s a new season. We are looking forward to re-focusing and having an opportunity to play for a championship. We’re going to worry about ourselves and making sure we are where we need to be.”

5. Tennessee (19-11, 11-7 SEC)

Player to watch – Sophomore forward Jarnell Stokes

When Stokes starting putting it together this season, so did the Vols. Stokes has gathered double-digit rebounds 11 of the last 12 games, and has achieved a double-double a remarkable 14 times during the season.

Head coach Cuonzo Martin:

“The most important thing for us is to continue to get better. Florida is the team to beat, but you get in this tournament and anything can happen. Everybody knows everybody. The team that makes the most plays, makes the shots, makes key free throws and gets key stops have the best chance at winning games. I think anybody in the league can do it.”

6. Missouri (22-9, 11-7 SEC)

Player to watch – Junior guard Phil Pressey

The Tigers are explosive inside, with dual-threat tandem of Laurence Bowers and Alex Oriakhi, but Pressey is the straw that stirs the drink. Pressey leads the SEC and is seventh in the nation with 7.1 assists per game.

Head coach Frank Haith

“We are looking forward to getting to Nashville. I think our team has gotten better. We play well in neutral site games. You just have to go out and play — go out and compete.”

7. Arkansas (19-12, 10-8 SEC)

Player to watch – Depth

The Razorbacks swarm and overwhelm opponents, especially at Bud Walton Arena. They are led by sophomore guard BJ Young and bruising junior forward Marshawn Powell, but twelve players average more than nine minutes played per game.

They use their depth to pressure the ball, force turnovers and wear the opposing team out. That strategy could conceivable work even better as the tournament moves into the third or fourth day.

Head coach Mike Anderson

“The first game is the most important game in any tournament. This game here (against Vandy in first round), there is a lot at stake. Both teams will come out and compete real well. When you have a team that can shoot the basketball, they have a chance to win games. This is the rubber match, so it will be interesting to see how both teams come out to compete.”

8. Georgia (15-16, 9-9 SEC)

Player to watch – Sophomore  guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

Caldwell-Pope is all-everything for the Bulldogs, and was named SEC Player of the Year Tuesday. He leads Georgia in scoring (18 points per game) and rebounds (6.9 per game), while shooting 37 percent behind the arc and 80.9 percent from the free-throw line.

Head coach Mark Fox

“This has been a fun group to coach, and a team I have really enjoyed. We go into the tournament still enjoying each other and enjoying playing. There is great parity in our league right now. It should make for a very exciting tournament.”

9. LSU (18-11, 9-9 SEC)

Player to watch – Sophomore guard Anthony Hickey

Hickey shares the ball, averaging 3.8 assists per game, and is a stingy defender, averaging more than three steals per game, which leads the entire nation.

Head coach Johnny Jones

“Anytime you get into tournament play like this and guys have their backs against the wall — guys understanding that this could be their last opportunity — anything can happen in your conference tournament. When you look at what Florida has done, and the way they have played, you have to give them credit. It’s going to be a great tournament, but you are going to have to give Florida credit for what they have done during the year.”

10. Vanderbilt (14-16, 8-10 SEC)

Player to watch – Sophomore guard Kedren Johnson

As a sophomore, Johnson has had to serve as a leader to the young Commodores. He leads the team with 13.6 points and 3.6 assists per game, and also adds almost four rebounds per game from the guard spot.

Head coach Kevin Stallings

“We finished up the season strong, which we were happy about. We feel like our team has continued to get better throughout the course of the season, which is always one of our goals. It should be a very interesting tournament. Any one of a number of teams could win, and I think it will be interesting to see how in unfolds.”

11. Texas A&M (17-14, 7-11 SEC)

Player to watch – Senior guard Elston Turner (if able to play)

Turner dropped 40 on the Cats at Rupp Arena and averaged 17.7 points per game for the season, hitting 37.2 percent behind the arc and 83.5 percent from the free-throw line. Turner is questionable for the tournament, as he is dealing with a broken finger in his non-shooting hand.

Head coach Billy Kennedy

“We are just hoping to have everybody (healthy) , because we are going to need them all to beat Auburn.”

12. South Carolina (14-17, 4-14 SEC)

Player to watch – Junior guard Brenton Williams

Head coach Frank Martin has relied on Williams more in the final week of the regular season, and Williams delivered. He played more than 30 minutes in the last two games and scored 38 points against Mississippi State a week ago. He is 9-of-17 behind the arc in his last two games, and has hit more than 41 percent of his attempts on the season.

Head coach Frank Martin

“I’m proud of our kids for their fight and resolve of getting through a hard year. It’s five months of just absolutely grind mode. Now it’s the postseason and everyone’s exciting. Everyone starts zero and zero. We’re exciting for the opportunity to be a part of the SEC Tournament.”

13. Mississippi State (9-21, 4-14 SEC)

Player to watch – Freshman guard Craig Sword

The reigning SEC Freshman of the Week leads the roster-depleted Bulldogs in scoring at 10.3 points per game.  Sword scored 19 points, claimed five rebounds and dished six assists in the, 74-71, win against Auburn to finish the regular season. He also added a pair of blocks and steals.

Assistant coach Chris Hollender

“Our group is real excited about coming to work and playing every day. We’re playing a little bit better here the last few games. To come back and finish off the season with only six scholarship guys, we’re really proud about how they are competing every day.”

14. Auburn (9-22, 3-15 SEC)

Player to watch – Senior guard Frankie Sullivan

Sullivan leads the Tigers in both scoring (14.4 points per game) and assists (2.8 per game).

Head coach Tony Barbee

“You want to be playing your best and focusing on your team this time of year. You throw the records out the window. You throw how you played, or how you might have come up short — and you throw it out of the window. Everyone starts from scratch. It’s a chance for our seniors to go out with a winning postseason, and a chance for our newcomers to make a statement about what we are going to be going forward.”