1997 SEC men's basketball tournament

none August 2023 March 2026 1997 SEC Men's 12 Pyramid Arena Memphis, Tennessee Kentucky Wildcats 21st Rick Pitino 5th Ron Mercer Kentucky 172,027 Jefferson Pilot Sports (1st Round, Quarterfinals, Semifinals) CBS (Championship game) The 1997 SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament took place from March 6–9, 1997 at The Pyramid Arena in Memphis, Tennessee. The Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team won the tournament and the SEC’s automatic bid to the 1997 NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Tournament by defeating the Georgia Bulldogs by a score of 95–68 in the championship game.1996-97 Southeastern Conference Schedule and Results | College Basketball at Sports-reference.com1996-97 Southeastern Conference Season Summary | at Sports-reference.com Television coverage The first round, the quarterfinals, and the semifinals were regionally televised and syndicated by Jefferson Pilot Sports. The championship game was televised nationally on CBS. Tournament notes This was the second time that The Pyramid hosted the SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament. The 1997 tournament was Rick Pitino’s final tournament title win before he left the University of Kentucky to take a coaching job with the NBA's Boston Celtics. Bracket Quarterfinals Semifinals Championship game W4 Alabama 80 E5 Florida 66 E3 #24 Georgia 75 W6 LSU 54 E4 Vanderbilt 73 W5 Mississippi State 67 W3 Auburn 67 E6 Tennessee 54 E1 #4 South Carolina 72 W4 Alabama 61 W2 Arkansas 63 E3 #24 Georgia 65 W1 Ole Miss 64 E4 Vanderbilt 62 E2 #6 Kentucky 92 W3 Auburn 50 E1 #4 South Carolina 63 E3 #24 Georgia 78 W1 Ole Miss 70 E2 #6 Kentucky 88 E3 #24 Georgia 68 E2 #6 Kentucky 95 References Category:SEC men's basketball tournament Category:1996–97 Southeastern Conference men's basketball season SEC men's basketball tournament Category:Basketball competitions in Memphis, Tennessee Category:College basketball tournaments in Tennessee Category:1990s in Memphis, Tennessee