March 21, 201610 yr In thinking back to UK's 96 team, only 4 SEC teams made the tournament that season. Mississippi State made the Final Four that year...but then never really challenged again. The lack of consistency outside of Kentucky has been glaring. Florida won two titles, then went to the NIT the next two years. Arkansas died in the late-90s. LSU made a Final Four under John Brady but that's about it. Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina, Vanderbilt, even Auburn had good years but never could capitalize in the tournament. Expansion really benefited the ACC in basketball (and they didn't even need it), while the Big 10 (Maryland) and Pac-12 (Utah) also improved. The Big East became basketball-centric and the American still has several solid basketball programs. The SEC added a Texas A&M program on the uptick, but with the jury still out, and a Missouri program that was traditionally strong but appears to now be completely in the tank.
March 21, 201610 yr Facilities - SEC has some of the worst facilities in all of major basketball, no history to the really bad ones and no freshness/newness to the others. Coaching - Coaches in the SEC are not very good in the large scope of things. Yes, they have hired up the past couple of years, but over all they are bad. Football/baseball - South is talent rich in football/baseball.....that is all anyone talks about. The weather in all the states other than Kentucky has kids playing football 5 months and baseball the other 7. Recruits - This will/is changing. Outside the Northeast, the most talent rich area for basketball is.....Texas. Most of the top 100 hundred recruits are from the Northeast, Texas, or North Carolina./ Virginia. Until the addition of Texas A&M, the SEC had no in roads to any of those 3 areas.
March 21, 201610 yr 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 used to have a bet every year with a guy on the SEC getting more teams than the Big 10. Than we doubled it with the highest winning %.
March 21, 201610 yr The SEC has moments. In my lifetime I recall: 1980: UK and LSU were both in the top ten. 1981: LSU went to the Final Four. 1983: Cats lost in Elite 8 to UL and Georgia went to the Final Four the year after Dominique Hawkins left. 1986: KY had to beat Alabama 4 times to make the Elite 8 only to have LSU upset them after being 0-3 vs Cats and the Tigers make the Final Four. 1994: Florida makes their first Final Four. Arkansas wins it and goes to Finals next year. 1996: Cats win it. Miss State is in the Final Four. Georgia is defeated on a late shot by Syracuse in the Sweet 16. 2000: Florida makes the Final Four. 2006/7: Florida wins it and LSU made a Final Four somewhere in there. 2010: KY is upset in Elite Eight and TN loses on a late shot to miss out on the Final Four. 2012: KY wins it and Florida loses heartbreaker in Elite 8 to UL. 2014: Both UK and Florida make the Final Four. Florida was the favorite to win it all. So it's not like the SEC hasn't produced some Final Four teams and tourney runs other than KY. But the depth is not there. Usually a VERY top heavy league.
March 21, 201610 yr The SEC has moments. In my lifetime I recall: 1980: UK and LSU were both in the top ten. 1981: LSU went to the Final Four. 1983: Cats lost in Elite 8 to UL and Georgia went to the Final Four the year after Dominique Hawkins left. 1986: KY had to beat Alabama 4 times to make the Elite 8 only to have LSU upset them after being 0-3 vs Cats and the Tigers make the Final Four. 1994: Florida makes their first Final Four. Arkansas wins it and goes to Finals next year. 1996: Cats win it. Miss State is in the Final Four. Georgia is defeated on a late shot by Syracuse in the Sweet 16. 2000: Florida makes the Final Four. 2006/7: Florida wins it and LSU made a Final Four somewhere in there. 2010: KY is upset in Elite Eight and TN loses on a late shot to miss out on the Final Four. 2012: KY wins it and Florida loses heartbreaker in Elite 8 to UL. 2014: Both UK and Florida make the Final Four. Florida was the favorite to win it all. So it's not like the SEC hasn't produced some Final Four teams and tourney runs other than KY. But the depth is not there. Usually a VERY top heavy league. 98 UK wins it.
March 21, 201610 yr I think the fact that UK played so few good teams late in the year hurt them this season, both in tournament seeding and on-court performance.
March 21, 201610 yr The SEC has moments. In my lifetime I recall: 1980: UK and LSU were both in the top ten. 1981: LSU went to the Final Four. 1983: Cats lost in Elite 8 to UL and Georgia went to the Final Four the year after Dominique Hawkins left. 1986: KY had to beat Alabama 4 times to make the Elite 8 only to have LSU upset them after being 0-3 vs Cats and the Tigers make the Final Four. 1994: Florida makes their first Final Four. Arkansas wins it and goes to Finals next year. 1996: Cats win it. Miss State is in the Final Four. Georgia is defeated on a late shot by Syracuse in the Sweet 16. 2000: Florida makes the Final Four. 2006/7: Florida wins it and LSU made a Final Four somewhere in there. 2010: KY is upset in Elite Eight and TN loses on a late shot to miss out on the Final Four. 2012: KY wins it and Florida loses heartbreaker in Elite 8 to UL. 2014: Both UK and Florida make the Final Four. Florida was the favorite to win it all. So it's not like the SEC hasn't produced some Final Four teams and tourney runs other than KY. But the depth is not there. Usually a VERY top heavy league. beat my Bearcats in the Elite 8 at Rupp...painful.
March 21, 201610 yr I wonder if....... Because of Kentucky and the kids Cal is getting, strays other kids away from SEC teams and into other conferences.
March 21, 201610 yr Which is more impressive SEC football or ACC basketball? That would be a lopsided answer.
March 21, 201610 yr This board? SEC football I would think it would be a time frame that is needed. I could see a case for ACC if the Time frame is say the last 25 years. And if weight is given to a Final Four rather than a winner of the title.
March 21, 201610 yr It is hard to quantify the ACC basketball vs. SEC football debate, especially if you try to equate tournament success to bowl success. Too many variables on the basketball side. To me it is more of an eye test and feel test. If you take away the recent ACC additions, I just think of the ACC powers as Duke and Carolina. Others have had their blips and moments, but those are the mainstays. It is hard to say Syracuse and UL should be thrown into an equation that they recently became part of. For the SEC you have the mothership in Bama, same level as Duke/Carolina basketball. But you have Auburn, Florida, LSU, Georgia, and UT that I put on notches above NC State, Maryland, Wake, etc. in basketball.
March 22, 201610 yr It is hard to quantify the ACC basketball vs. SEC football debate, especially if you try to equate tournament success to bowl success. Too many variables on the basketball side. To me it is more of an eye test and feel test. If you take away the recent ACC additions, I just think of the ACC powers as Duke and Carolina. Others have had their blips and moments, but those are the mainstays. It is hard to say Syracuse and UL should be thrown into an equation that they recently became part of. For the SEC you have the mothership in Bama, same level as Duke/Carolina basketball. But you have Auburn, Florida, LSU, Georgia, and UT that I put on notches above NC State, Maryland, Wake, etc. in basketball. Maryland is now Big Ten.
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