The talk in the ACC thread made me think about SEC basketball. What happened?

 

The SEC actually was a pretty good basketball conference during the 90's and up to about 5 years ago. Arkansas, Florida, LSU, Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi State, Tennessee all had some really good teams during that time. The SEC usually performed well in the tournament, almost always posting a winning record in the tournament. The SEC was filled with great athletes on the court. What happened?

The SEC had a bad season. That's how the cookie crumbles sometimes.

The schools care about football more because it makes them money.

Over hyped like the SEC always has been!

Over hyped like the SEC always has been!

 

Overhyped? Who is overhyping the SEC? Most people are commenting about how poor the conference is. Please don't bother to respond. I only posted this to refute your comment for other posters. I will now put you on block again while we discuss this.

The SEC has been down to 2-4 good teams since Florida won it all. I've always considered the SEC as a top 3-5 conference since those days.

 

The ACC, Big 10 and Big 12 have been much better than the SEC for over 5 years.

I'm really not sure what happened to the SEC to be honest. It just seems like more and more recruits these days choose ACC schools if they don't choose UK.

Overhyped? Who is overhyping the SEC? Most people are commenting about how poor the conference is. Please don't bother to respond. I only posted this to refute your comment for other posters. I will now put you on block again while we discuss this.

 

:laugh:

The SEC has been down to 2-4 good teams since Florida won it all. I've always considered the SEC as a top 3-5 conference since those days.

 

The ACC, Big 10 and Big 12 have been much better than the SEC for over 5 years.

 

I agree with this. What happened? The debate used to be will the SEC get 5 or 6 teams in the tourney. There would be that many really good teams. And they would play well in the tournament. For the past few years it seems to get gradually worse every year.

Overhyped? Who is overhyping the SEC? Most people are commenting about how poor the conference is. Please don't bother to respond. I only posted this to refute your comment for other posters. I will now put you on block again while we discuss this.

 

Please don't feel the animals, especially after midnight.

I agree with this. What happened? The debate used to be will the SEC get 5 or 6 teams in the tourney. There would be that many really good teams. And they would play well in the tournament. For the past few years it seems to get gradually worse every year.

 

It's weird. And when more than 4 teams get in it seems like it is out of sympathy and they ruin your bracket.

 

This is a great thread, BTW. I think most folks 30 years of age and above are used to the SEC being a top 3 conference at worst.

I think just the atmosphere of sec games is boring to recruits. When you watch an sec game that doesn't involve UK, the atmosphere at schools gyms is overall very boring. When UK is playing at a school it's a fun environment but doesn't seem to be for other games.

 

The Sec is starting to get more good coaches though. So hopefully it starts getting better.

Hard to blame a top recruit for wanting to leave SEC country, unless they go to UK. Look at Newman and Simmons. Doesn't seem like they enjoyed their collegiate experience.

I haven't really thought about it as I've never considered the conference to be a good basketball conference. Seems like they've never had but one or two decent teams in any one year.

With good coaches will come better results, but the SEC has never been that great on a consistent basis. In thinking back to UK's 96 team, only 4 SEC teams made the tournament that season. I would say it averages 4 a season into the dance. Some years more, some years less. Never an upper tier league, but not a cellar dweller.

 

The realignments of the past decade have also skewed the perspective of how good or bad conferences traditionally are.