NCAA tourney stakes are high in Big 12/SEC Challenge

Kansas State's Cartier Diarra (2) shoots over West Virginia's Emmitt Matthews Jr. (11) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Saturday, Jan. 18, 2020, in Manhattan, Kan. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)College basketball teams have eight weeks to polish their credentials before the NCAA Tournament selection committee starts filling out the brackets in permanent ink. For now, based on the projections in pencil, Saturday’s slate of games in the Big 12/Southeastern Conference Challenge poses high stakes for those involved, especially in the SEC.

After landing eight and seven teams in the NCAA bracket the last two years, respectively, the SEC might have cost itself multiple bids with…