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The greatest Thursday in SEC Tournament history sets up a Quarterfinal Friday to remember
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NASHVILLE — It was almost 1 in the morning on Friday when a barnstorming Otega Oweh turned the corner with the game and Kentucky‘s hopes for a date with Alabama in the SEC Quarterfinals hanging in the balance.
Oweh had been in this spot against his old team before. Just 2 weeks ago, in fact. That’s when the talented wing, playing back in Norman for the first time since transferring from Oklahoma to Kentucky this offseason, powered his way into the paint and made an off-balance floater for a game-winning basket in an 83-82 Big Blue victory.
Would Oweh do it again in Nashville? After 2 uncharacteristic turnovers helped the Sooners grab the lead with just 5.6 seconds to play, it was the ultimate blend of redemption and déjà vu on a SEC Tournament Thursday filled with redemption arcs and March magic.
As Oweh’s corner-turning drive turned into a game-winning layup, sending the blue clad and bleary eyed Big Blue Nation, whose passion made a frenzied environment out of a game played at an unseemly hour, into rapturous, roaring applause.
Oweh made it because of course he did.
There was no other fitting way for the greatest single day in SEC Tournament history to end other than a last second winner by Kentucky, the program that has painted Atlanta and Nashville and everywhere in between blue at this event for as many Marches as one can remember. Oweh mentioned the Kentucky fans in the postgame, noting the way the late hour didn’t affect the passion of the Kentucky faithful who packed Bridgestone Arena to the bitter end.
Named 2nd Team All-SEC by the coach’s this week (and first team All-SEC on the SDS Media Ballot), Oweh put on a show for Kentucky’s fans, pouring in 27 points as Thursday night bled into Saturday morning, adding 5 assists, 3 steals, and 4 rebounds in the win. Mark Pope insists the junior will be a head coach one day, and his moxie and poise, despite being booed by Sooners fans from pregame introductions and nearly every subsequent touch of the basketball, showed the foundation for Pope’s praise.
“I’m just trying to hoop,” Oweh said after the win. “You can’t take that stuff personally. It’s not really the team. Although, it feels good, for sure. I don’t know. We’re all competitors, and we just want to go out there and get a win and do good in front of the crowd.”
Oweh left to chants of Ote-ga, Ote-ga, a late night salute from Kentucky fans too filled with love and excitement to leave.
“Big Blue Nation never fails to surprise me,” Oweh said. “You hear about it. But just living in the moment, it’s crazy. It was so late. It was packed anyway. There was so much blue, so much energy. We fed off that, for sure. This is a night we’re all going to remember. We have to cherish this moment, all these moments, and try to remember where our feet are, right? It’s a blessing to play for Kentucky.”
It was a blessing to see 4 basketball games as compelling as the ones played Thursday.
Four games. Three decided by just 9 total points. Two buzzer beaters. Another game in double overtime. Another game, Missouri and Mississippi State, tied with just 4:15 to play.
Big time coaches. Big time crowds. Big time performances.
Oweh was just one of several SEC stars who shined in front of huge crowds on Thursday.
Sean Pedulla set the tone in Game 1, when he buried this shot to send John Calipari and Arkansas home.
Prior to that shot, Pedulla had gone 0-6 from beyond the arc on the afternoon, scoring just 7 points and coughing up an uncharacteristic 4 turnovers. His make ushered in a redemption arc tone to SEC Tournament Thursday, and earned the ultimate “shooters shoot” praise from none other than Atlanta Hawks and former Oklahoma star Trae Young, who was clearly among the throngs of thousands locked in on the SEC Tournament Thursday afternoon.
It was hard not to feel for another transfer, Arkansas’ Trevon Brazile, who has overcome multiple knee injuries to become a key figure for the Hogs this season, especially down the stretch. Brazile was masterful Thursday, scoring 15 points and grabbing 11 rebounds in driving a furious Arkansas comeback. But Brazile missed 2 free throws that would have given Arkansas the lead late, setting up Pedulla’s heroics. IAs Brazile walked off the floor, jersey over his eyes to cover tears, it was a reminder that March moments are beautiful and magical, of course, but painful and fickle, too.
In a Texas-Texas A&M rivalry tilt that might have been the day’s best game, Wade Taylor IV left understanding Brazile’s pain.
A living Aggie legend, Taylor IV’s final SEC Tournament ended after just 1 game, despite a 29-point, 7-rebound effort where the senior drew a preposterous 13 fouls and made 17 free throws, willing the Aggies back from substantial deficits again and again against a desperate Texas team. In the end, though, it was Taylor IV’s final shot, a right sideline three that would have leveled the second overtime at 92, that spoiled a splendid day.
On the other bench, Texas may or may not make the NCAA Tournament. They’ll have a compelling argument for at least a trip to Dayton next week, though, thanks to heroics from steady graduate student Kadin Shedrick and future lottery pick Tre Johnson. First, Johnson made this NBA triple to give the Longhorns a two-point lead in the second overtime.
Then Shedrick, who returned home to Texas to finish his career, made vital free throws down the stretch, capping an afternoon when he went 10-10 down at the stripe, bucking the 64% season percentage that suggested he’d be a safe bet to foul. But what’s March without seniors bucking scouts to continue playing meaningful basketball.
Texas will have to hope the Selection Committee values the SEC Tournament more than they have in the past, but Thursday’s victory gave Hook Em’ six Quad 1 wins on the season, which ought to at least earn a trip to the First Four. Beat Tennessee on Friday and perhaps the Horns worry less about bid thieves over the weekend.
Missouri opened the night session with their first win over a team in the NCAA Tournament field in nearly a month.
But here’s the thing about conference tournaments.
Redemption comes to great teams, too. After losing 5 of 6 to close the regular season, Missouri arrived in Nashville and used a Thursday night rock fight to get their mojo back.
The Tigers closed the game on a 16-4 run, winning 85-73 by rediscovering the defense and physicality that helped them reach a top 15 ranking after walloping Alabama 110-88 last month. Tamar Bates and Tony Perkins, lunch pail players who help form one of the nation’s most underrated backcourts, scored 45 points on a ruthlessly efficient 14-22 from the floor and 14-14 from the stripe, a reminder of the clinical offense that helped Mizzou defeat 3 teams ranked in the top 5 this season, including the Florida team they’ll play on Friday night in the quarterfinals. Ranked 5th in the nation in offensive efficiency, per KenPom, the Tigers are made for March if they guard and rebound, which they did down the stretch Thursday night.
That strong Missouri close set the table for the thriller between Oklahoma and Kentucky that ended in Oweh’s majestic game-winner.
By the time Kentucky finished speaking to the media, it was nearly time to do it all again in 8 hours.
Sleep deprived or no, how could you not be excited for what’s next?
Four Friday quarterfinal games, headlined by four potential No. 1 seeds and at least 7 programs that are locks for the NCAA field. A potential national player of the year and as many as 3 First Team-All Americans will play Friday, too, coached by 2 future Hall of Famers (Barnes, Pearl), 4 coaches who have been to the Final Four (Barnes, Pearl, Beard, Oats) and 3 of the nation’s brightest young coaching stars (Golden, Pope, Gates).
As Oweh said, remember where your feet are. Try to live in the moment.
These are special days (and nights).
Let’s do it again Friday.
Neil Blackmon covers Florida football and the SEC for SaturdayDownSouth.com. An attorney, he is also a member of the Football and Basketball Writers Associations of America. He also coaches basketball.
