Whats wrong with SEC basketball??

#1
OldandStillaVol

OldandStillaVol

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#1
We all know only 3 SEC teams made it this year to NCAA. I saw somewhere that SEC was ranked eighth in the nation in basketball. Can you imagine if SEC football was ranked eighth in the nation???

I don't want this thread to be a flame on C. Martin but why isn't the quality of basketball better in the SEC (KY and Fl being exceptions)? Is it poor coaching/recruiting? lack of hs basketball talent in the region?, inherent nature of the game (12 man rosters vs 80+ football rosters)?

People say that fans don't care but when SEC teams have good seasons, the fans fill the arenas.
 
#5
#5
In basketball, standout talent tends to be much more diluted. Teams are a lot smaller, and that kid either wanting his shot at the NBA or just trying to make a name for himself can accomplish his goals in the OVC just as easily as the SEC. The power conferences will still get the lions share of talent, though. Budgets, level of competition and cache are all things that account for that. But the balance of power in basketball is much more ephemeral than in football. Football seems to experience 5-10 year swings, whereas things can change drastically in basketball in the course of a year or two.
 
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#7
#7
This was just a down year, probably the worst one the league has had in years. Overall, I'd say you can look at teams this year and see it trending upwards starting next season.

OOC scheduling in our league is a huge problem that needs to be addressed immediately though. Absolutely killing us in March.
 
#8
#8
I think the SEC has made some moves to get some good coaches in place. The expansion was a positive move for the league as well.
I also buy into the fact that other leagues are overrated. In other conferences they beat each other and its parity and everyone is just that good. In the SEC you lose and you are ****tier than the ****tiest.

The 1 seeds lost a combined 18 games this year. 2 seeds lost 24 games combined. Their losses are credited more than the SEC's victories.

That being said, it was a down year for the SEC. Other fans get mad but the strength of the SEC is judged by the strength of UK, Florida to an extent and then at least one other team who has a strong OOC record. This year we were down, Florida was inconsistent and in turn the bottom fell out.
 
#9
#9
Conference strength is cyclical. Players follow coaches, not programs. Coaches move around. Therefore, conferences go up and down.
 
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#10
#10
It is usually the guard play. It was particularly bad across the board this year for UT and UK.
 
#12
#12
I don't remember a year when there were more than two or three really good SEC teams.

How many Final Fours have Tennessee and Bama been to combined?

Try zero. The highest either has finished is top eight.

The SEC is not a basketball LEAGUE. Kentucky yes. Florida since Donovan yes. Arkansas once upon a time.

Anybody want to name any other teams in the SEC in any era? Any more final fours?

This is the way other conferences feel when football is discussed. The SEC has cornered the market. Now we know what that feels like, to be on the outside looking in with no way to change it.
 
#13
#13
SEC Final Fours in Basketball:

Arkansas:
1941
1945
1978
1990
1994
1995

LSU:
1953
1981
1986
2006

Miss State:
1996

Florida:
1994
2000
2006
2007

Georgia:
1983

Kentucky:
1942
1948
1949
1951
1958
1966
1975
1978
1984
1993
1996
1997
1998
2010
2012

cherokeechief said:
I don't remember a year when there were more than two or three really good SEC teams.

How many Final Fours have Tennessee and Bama been to combined?

Try zero. The highest either has finished is top eight.

The SEC is not a basketball LEAGUE. Kentucky yes. Florida since Donovan yes. Arkansas once upon a time.

Anybody want to name any other teams in the SEC in any era? Any more final fours?

This is the way other conferences feel when football is discussed. The SEC has cornered the market. Now we know what that feels like, to be on the outside looking in with no way to change it.
Click to expand...
 
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#14
#14
Brian McCat said:
Conference strength is cyclical. Players follow coaches, not programs. Coaches move around. Therefore, conferences go up and down.
Click to expand...

Yes, conferences go up and down but what I wonder is whether SEC is going up in future or if this is the new norm. Take out UK and UF. Examine the next tier of teams, Missouri, UA, UT, Ark, LSU, Mississippi, Vandy. UT should be better next year but then probably drops off again, the others???
 
#17
#17
SEC basketball was never really a big competition. As I've grown up, it's always been 2 or 3 teams that run the SEC. And then every couple years a team might compete a bit before falling back down.

For me, SEC is more football dominated, basketball being a bonus.
 
#18
#18
LittleCat said:
SEC basketball was never really a big competition. As I've grown up, it's always been 2 or 3 teams that run the SEC. And then every couple years a team might compete a bit before falling back down.

For me, SEC is more football dominated, basketball being a bonus.
Click to expand...

To say that SEC has never been competitive is a ridiculously short-sighted assertion.

"As I've grown up" is a small sample of years. Teams always rise and fall.

Would you believe that the SEC has more bids to the NCAA conference than the ACC? the Big 10? The Pac 12? In fact, the only conference with more bids to the NCAAT is the Big East. Bids to the NCAAT = competitive. Not dominant per se, but competitive.

NCAA Men's Division I Tournament bids by school and conference - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 
#22
#22
Brian McCat said:
To say that SEC has never been competitive is a ridiculously short-sighted assertion.

"As I've grown up" is a small sample of years. Teams always rise and fall.

Would you believe that the SEC has more bids to the NCAA conference than the ACC? the Big 10? The Pac 12? In fact, the only conference with more bids to the NCAAT is the Big East. Bids to the NCAAT = competitive. Not dominant per se, but competitive.

NCAA Men's Division I Tournament bids by school and conference - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Click to expand...

The SEC has always had a lot of average teams. That doesn't mean we are a better conference. UT, UK, and Bama were all close to getting in. Lets say they somehow got in to the tourney this year and some of those teams like Boise, MTSU, etc got left out. Even though we could have gotten 6 teams in, does that mean we're better than the acc, mwc, acc,a10, etc in comparison to tourney entries? Sure, we might have more bids but most would be low seeded one-win teams at best.

I probably should have clarified. Inside the SEC, it's always been less competitive in the reg. season. The sec tourney has always been very competitive.

And yes, I said "as I've grown up" because thats all I was referring to. I wasn't applying my statement to anything else.
 
#24
#24
Shaun1985 said:
:rock: FYP! Also, I'll be in Birmingham in a couple of weeks. I'll be sure to bring some of this Tennessee swag to your people....let's hope it rubs off
Click to expand...

There's a good shelter not far from the bus station so you won't have to walk very far.
 
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