Breaking down the field with SEC Network analyst Dane Bradshaw

Ahead of No. 2-seed Texas A&M's battle with No. 10 Arkansas in the conference tournament, SEC Network basketball analyst and former Tennessee hooper Dane Bradshaw dived into tonight's matchup and looked into the rest of the field.

Key notes on Dane Bradshaw interview

• Arkansas’ locker room has improved dramatically. They lost three games in a row to close out the regular season. They brought back Nick Smith. All the signs said he was a lottery pick, and he was not coming back. There were some growing pains, but their ceiling was higher if you could get him in the lineup. The win over Auburn was a quality win. I don’t know if this is the two best teams in the SEC facing off, but in terms of athleticism and size, I can’t wait to see it.
   
• Texas A&M is the blueprint of having an identity. They were the most disappointing team in non-conference. They got it figured out. Excluding Dexter Dennis not playing against Mississippi State, they have the same lineup with the same guys coming off the bench. There are not many teams that can say they have had that consistency. They make you play to their style. They are the aggressor. They crash the glass. My hats off to the way they have performed and got so hot during conference play, so they don’t have to worry on Selection Sunday like last year.
   
• The momentum from the SEC Tournament could carry over but not necessarily. Tonight, win or lose, I thought Arkansas had to have that win and not because of the NCAA Tournament. You have to feel good about something. You need something to be positive about and hang your hat on. Tennessee won its first SEC Championship last year. It didn’t carry over into the NCAA Tournament.
   
• I’m so SEC oriented. Kentucky has been reality TV this year. They lose to South Carolina at home. They were 1-7 against Quad I teams, but they turned it around. They would fix a problem, and another one would pop up. They had a huge win at Bud Walton Arena to cap off the regular season. They will enter March Madness with a shot to be a pretty decent seed.
   
• I do think Alabama has locked in a No. 1 seed. They should be rewarded with the tough schedule they have played. Look at the parody in the SEC. Look at Arkansas and Auburn. That’s a No. 7 seed and No. 10 seed team of two NCAA Tournament teams. Alabama has been able to capture that title pretty convincingly. They will be a No. 1 seed in my mind. 
   
• The injuries are really disappointing. Zakai Zeigler for Tennessee, Colin Castleton for Florida and Liam Robbins for Vanderbilt. Tennessee is a balanced team. They do not have that one superstar that can carry them. I don’t think Tennessee is a top-16 team in the country. They could be a No. 3 seed, and I could see them being a Sweet 16 team.
   
• Midseason, I would have said it was a down year for the SEC. Defenses were ahead of offenses. Kentucky looked like they were headed to NIT. Mississippi State was getting eaten up in conference play. Those teams have gotten through the field. Eight, maybe nine teams could potentially be in the tournament. I’m not thrilled with the seeding. It’s top-heavy. Alabama and Tennessee will have more favorable paths.
   
• It goes back to non-conference for A&M. They are trouble for teams that will face them. They are playing as a 3-seed. They are playing better than Tennessee. They are one of the top 12-15 teams in the county. Maybe that’s a stretch. If A&M is a No. 5 or No. 6 seed, there’s not a better team in that country that will be in that slot.