2001 SEC men's basketball tournament

2001 SEC men's basketball tournament
Classification	Division I
Season	2000–01
Teams	12
Site	Gaylord Entertainment Center Nashville, Tennessee
Champions	Kentucky (24th title)
Winning coach	Tubby Smith (3rd title)
MVP	Tayshaun Prince (Kentucky)
Attendance	203,489
Television	Jefferson Pilot Sports (1st Round, Quarterfinals, Semifinals) CBS (Championship game)
SEC men's basketball tournaments ←  2000 2002  →

2000–01 Southeastern Conference men's basketball standings

v t e	Conf.							Overall
Team	W		L		PCT			W		L		PCT
East
No. 8 Florida	12	–	4		.750			24	–	7		.774
No. 9 Kentucky †	12	–	4		.750			24	–	10		.706
Georgia	9	–	7		.563			16	–	15		.516
Tennessee	8	–	8		.500			22	–	11		.667
South Carolina	6	–	10		.375			15	–	15		.500
Vanderbilt	4	–	12		.250			15	–	15		.500
West
No. 14 Ole Miss	11	–	5		.688			27	–	8		.771
Arkansas	10	–	6		.625			20	–	11		.645
Alabama	8	–	8		.500			25	–	11		.694
Mississippi State	7	–	9		.438			18	–	13		.581
Auburn	7	–	9		.438			18	–	14		.563
LSU	2	–	14		.125			13	–	16		.448
† 2001 SEC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll

The 2001 SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament took place on March 8–11, 2001 in Nashville, Tennessee at the Gaylord Entertainment Center.

The Kentucky Wildcats won the tournament and received the SEC’s automatic bid to the NCAA tournament by defeating the Ole Miss Rebels by a score of 77–55. ^[1]

Television coverage

The first, quarterfinal, and semifinal rounds were televised by Jefferson Pilot Sports, in its 15th season as the SEC's regional syndicated rightsholder. The SEC Championship Game was televised by CBS.

Tournament notes

• This tournament marks the first time the SEC Tournament was played at Gaylord Entertainment Center (now Bridgestone Arena), and the third time that Nashville was the host city of the event with Vanderbilt University's Memorial Gymnasium having hosted the tournament in 1984 and 1991.

Bracket

First round

Second Round

Semifinals

Championship game

W5

Auburn

66

E4

Tennessee

73

W1

#14 Ole Miss

86

E4

Tennessee

73

W1

#14 Ole Miss

74

E2

#5 Florida

69

E2

#5 Florida

69

W3

Alabama

61

E6

Vanderbilt

59

W3

Alabama

78

W1

#14 Ole Miss

55

E1

#15 Kentucky

77

E5

South Carolina

69

W4

Mississippi State

62

E1

#15 Kentucky

78

E5

South Carolina

61

E1

#15 Kentucky

87

W2

Arkansas

78

W2

Arkansas

77

W6

LSU

72

W6

LSU

63

E3

Georgia

62

References

1. "No. 14 Ole Miss Falls To No. 15 Kentucky In SEC Final". Ole Miss Rebels. March 11, 2001. Retrieved November 20, 2025.