A banner year in the SEC continues.

The league that has been hailed as one of the best in the history of the sport took a big step toward a huge milestone: earning the most NCAA Tournament bids for a conference in a single season. The current high is 11 by the Big East in 2011.

With as many as 10 bids locked up already, Arkansas and Georgia earned huge home victories to get closer to ensuring invitations of their own. The Hogs dramatically topped Mississippi State 93-92 while Georgia kept Vanderbilt at arm’s length late and posted a 79-68 victory. And the conference’s biggest brand, Kentucky, earned a second straight key victory — this time on the road over a surefire NCAA Tournament squad, Missouri, via a 91-83 final. Even without Jaxson Robinson, the Wildcats look like a threat to make a run in March.

Just one week after an embarrassing performance against South Carolina, the SEC’s worst team, Arkansas has fully course-corrected via wins over Vanderbilt and Mississippi State. And speaking of Vandy, that’s who Georgia beat on Saturday afternoon, helping the Bulldogs finish their regular season on a four-game winning streak.

It was not easy — or pretty — for the Razorbacks. They comfortably led for most of the second half, but a furious Mississippi State rally put the Hogs faithful back on high alert. Chris Jans’ squad even took the lead briefly.

After a massive D.J. Wagner 3-pointer to break an 89-89 tie with 44 seconds remaining, Mississippi State’s Josh Hubbard quickly answered with a triple of his own to knot the score at 92-92. That set up a vital possession for the Hogs, with seismic postseason implications on the line.

The Hogs did what a John Calipari team does best: attack the bucket with relentless physicality. Trevon Brazile missed an initial attempt, but Jonas Aidoo gathered the loose ball and eventually got fouled on a shot at the rim. He hit a go-ahead freebie with 11 seconds remaining, and Mississippi State’s attempts at a game-winner on the other end went astray.

Wagner, a sophomore guard, led the Hogs with 24 points and five assists while Aidoo racked up a double-double off the bench, posting 21 points and 10 rebounds. A resurgent Nelly Davis continued his strong play, as well, with 15 points.

That puts John Calipari’s Hogs in solid — if not completely safe — position. Sitting in most bracketologists’ fields prior to this win, Arkansas solidified that standing with another Quad 2 triumph, but a bad loss in the SEC Tournament (vs. South Carolina on Wednesday) and/or a series of bid stealers could force the Razorbacks into sweaty status on Selection Sunday.

Georgia, meanwhile, took care of the Commodores in far more businesslike fashion. Though Vandy got as close as five down the stretch, the Dawgs pushed the lead back to double digits and cruised to the finish line. With 15 points apiece, Asa Newell and Silas Demary paced balanced scoring effort.

Unlike Arkansas, Georgia almost certainly does not need a win in Nashville. With a loss, the Bulldogs would still be 20-12 overall, with multiple needle-moving high-end wins (neutral court against St. John’s, home over Florida) to supplement that impressive win total. The Bulldogs can breathe easy on Selection Sunday, and they almost certainly will be clear of the First Four in Dayton, as well.

Kentucky, meanwhile, made a statement in Columbia, Mo. Mark Pope’s Wildcats led for the final 35 minutes, never letting Missouri get closer than six in the second half. Amari Williams and Andrew Carr were brilliant in the paint, combining for 30 points and 20 rebounds while Otega Oweh stayed hot as a scorer, pouring in 22 points for his fifth game of 20-plus in his last seven outings.

That victory positions Kentucky well for a top-four seed when the bracket is unveiled in a week. The Wildcats are up to nine Q1 wins, tied for the fourth most in the country. One of the major concerns around Pope’s hiring for Big Blue Nation was his lack of success in the NCAA Tournament. Thanks to a terrific regular season, though, he has the path ahead to remove that stigma.

Elsewhere around the country, St. John’s stunned Marquette at the buzzer in overtime, 86-84. Already secured as the outright Big East champion with only NCAA Tournament seeding left at stake, Rick Pitino’s squad displayed the kind of competitive fire that is a hallmark of his coaching style.

Double-double machine Zuby Ejiofor got the game-winning bucket thanks to a fantastic feed from sophomore guard Simeon Wilcher. But the story of the game for the Johnnies was Kadary Richmond, who racked up a triple-double in the dramatic victory.

The Johnnies continue to vault further up the NCAA Tournament seed line, and it is looking more and more likely that their path will go through Providence and Newark. Pitino will be more than comfortable staying in the Northeast.

After that crushing home loss, Marquette has still not beaten an NCAA Tournament-caliber team since Jan. 3 and is limping into the postseason. A challenging matchup with a bubbly and desperate Xavier team awaits in the Big East Tournament on Thursday.