The Top Ten Modern Moments of the SEC Tournament

1)  Georgia Wins in 2008 After a Tornado Hits Atlanta

The events that transpired in the 2008 SEC tournament quarterfinal matchup between Alabama and Mississippi State is perhaps one of the most memorable and scary moments in college basketball history.  With around two minutes left in overtime, a tornado apparently passed over top of the Georgia Dome, which led to catwalks violently shaking and debris falling into the crowd.

The teams came back out and started the game at 10:30, almost an hour after the game was stopped, leading to a Mississippi State victory.  The Georgia-Kentucky game that was supposed to follow the Bama-MSU game that night was postponed to the next day and was played at Alexander Memorial Coliseum, the home court of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.

Only family members, credentialed officials, and bands were allowed to attend the remaining games.

Georgia pulled off a major overtime upset against the Wildcats and then were forced to play Mississippi State immediately after that, a game that was also an upset, as MSU was the number one seed from the western division.  Finally, Georgia had to play the number two seed from the west-the Arkansas Razorbacks.

The fact that Georgia, the worst team in SEC play during the season made it this far was unbelievable.  It would take a miracle for them to upset Arkansas to win their third game in two days.  Yet, by the power of whatever benevolent being is out there, Georgia managed to upset Arkansas to win their first SEC tournament championship in 25 years and gain an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament as a 14 seed, wielding a 17-16 record.

Unfortunately, they could not duplicate the magic that they seemed to have in the SEC Tournament, and fell in the first round of the big dance to 3 seed Xavier.