When Ole Miss and Alabama take the court Thursday night in the second round of the Southeastern Conference Tournament, it’ll be an elimination game in more ways than one.

Both teams enter the conference tournament likely needing deep runs — and maybe to win it all — to solidify their standing as candidates for an NCAA Tournament berth.

“We probably need to be playing on Sunday (the day of the championship game) to give ourselves any chance,” Ole Miss coach Andy Kennedy said after his Rebels beat Tennessee in the regular-season finale last Saturday.

At one point this season, both Ole Miss (20-11) and Alabama (17-13) seemed like locks for the Big Dance.

Ole Miss was 12-3 after beating Georgia on Jan. 9. Alabama had a five-game winning streak in February to go along with quality wins over Texas A&M, South Carolina, Notre Dame and Wichita State.

Both teams faltered badly when they needed to add to their resumés, however.

Ole Miss lost five out of six after its win over Georgia before rebounding late in the season to win four out of five heading into the tournament. Alabama has lost four out of five, with its only win coming at home against lowly Auburn.

The winner of Thursday’s game will get to face Kentucky in the quarterfinals on Friday and a chance at a major win to bolster its NCAA Tournament credentials. First, though, they need to get by the other.

Ole Miss won the only meeting between the teams this season, 74-66 on Jan. 7 in Oxford.

“None of that’s going to come into play unless we’re able to be successful against Ole Miss,” Alabama coach Avery Johnson said.

In other SEC Tournament games on Thursday, Florida will face Arkansas and Tennessee plays Vanderbilt in the afternoon session.

Tennessee beat Auburn in the first round Wednesday night, 97-59.

After Ole Miss and Alabama play at 6 p.m., Mississippi State and Georgia meet in the final game of the second round.

Mississippi State (14-16) will need to win the SEC Tournament to earn an NCAA berth, but has played well of late. It won four of its last six conference games as freshman Quinndary Weatherspoon (14.9 points per game) emerged as a star and a group of young players rounded into form.

Coach Ben Howland was hopeful the momentum the Bulldogs built over the past month carries into the postseason.

“I think it can, and should help teams that are playing well down the stretch,” Howland said. “We have been playing better in the stretch, which we’ve been talking about. Hopefully we’ll play our best game, which we need to do, against Georgia who is fighting to get into the NCAA Tournament.”

Like a lot of teams, Georgia (17-12) needs a strong showing in the SEC Tournament to lock up an NCAA bid. And, like the Bulldogs from Starkville, it seems to be playing its best basketball of the season right now.

Georgia has won three consecutive games, against fellow NCAA bubble teams Ole Miss, South Carolina and Alabama.

Georgia has four players averaging in double figures in scoring, led by guards J.J. Frazier (16.4 ppg) and Kenny Gaines (13.5 ppg), and forward Yante Maten (15.9 ppg, 8.0 rebounds per game).

Georgia has won four straight games against Mississippi State, including their only meeting this season.

Georgia beat Mississippi State 66-57 in Starkville on Feb. 13.

“It’s a whole new year,” Howland said. “It’s a single game. I don’t think what has happened in the past, good or bad, effects anything to do with our preparation. We want to win the game badly and so do they.”