1.  Will Kentucky play at 100 percent?
There are coaches you can count on to have their team mentally and emotionally prepared for every single opponent, no matter how much their team is favored by. On the other side of the spectrum, you have your John Caliparis. Back when Conference USA was a multi-bid league, Calipari’s Memphis Tigers consistently bowed out earlier than expected to lower-seeded opponents. Coach Calipari, now with Kentucky, has stated on record that winning the Southeastern Conference means “nothing” to him. If Kentucky appears to have a one-seed in the NCAA Tournament locked up, don’t be surprised to see their stars catching some z’s on the bench.

2.  Will the bubble teams do enough?

Barring an impressive string of victories, Florida, Mississippi State and Ole Miss will likely be sweating until Selection Sunday. However, at this point in the season, every team controls its destiny. Even if none of the three pulls off a run at the conference title and the automatic qualifier that comes attached to it, a win over one of the top seeds or another bubble team would go a long way in securing an invite to the Big Dance. The team that benefits most from the bracket’s setup is Miss State who receives a first-round bye as the top seed out of the West and will likely only need a win over Florida or LSU to nab a bid.

3.  Will Vanderbilt avoid a repeat at Bridgestone Arena?
Earlier in the season, the Commodores took part in the four-team Sun Belt Classic at the erstwhile Sommet Center. Simply playing in Nashville proved not to be home court advantage enough as the Commodores were upset by Western Kentucky, 76-69. While Vanderbilt was still struggling to find its identity at that point, the loss was fresh off the heels of an underwhelming performance at the Maui Invitational. If Vanderbilt is to win the SEC Tournament or stand a chance in the NCAA Tournament, they will need to improve their play away from Memorial Gym.

4.  Will we see another Georgia?
In 2008, the Georgia Bulldogs entered the conference tournament tied in dead last with a conference record of 4-12. Not a single person outside of the team huddle thought that they stood a chance to advance to the quarterfinals. Yet they won the whole thing. If any team is likely to be Georgia this year, it’s … well, Georgia. The Bulldogs hold wins over Vanderbilt, Tennessee and Florida and has held its own against Kentucky twice. The only way Georgia can get into the NCAA Tournament is by winning it all, and the Bulldogs have proved that they can take down the big dogs of the SEC on any given night.

5.  Will the extra day hurt Tennessee?
After failing to secure a coveted first-round bye, Tennessee will need to win four games in four days in order to take home the conference championship. While every win will help the Vols elevate their seed in the NCAA Tournament, at what point do the costs outweigh the benefit? The Vols are already without three players for the remainder of the year, and Wayne Chism is banged up. If Tennessee is to go deep in the SEC Tournament, they may be running on fumes come the following weekend.