The Emerging SEC

The ‘Football Conference’ is a Basketball Power

(Kansas City, MO) – There will be a Southeastern Conference team in this year’s Final Four. When Kentucky and Auburn battle Sunday afternoon one of those Elite Eight teams will be prevail and head for Minnesota’s Final Four. The SEC is suddenly a basketball power.

Seven SEC teams qualified for the NCAA Tournament and three made it to the Sweet Sixteen. Eight conference teams went dancing last season. Sunday the Wildcats and Tigers participate in the Elite Eight game.  Kentucky is used to this. John Calipari’s team has been to eight Sweet Sixteens in the last ten years and seven Elite Eight games.

Auburn Is Crashing the Party

Under coach Bruce Pearl, the Tigers have become an SEC contender. They won the conference tournament, earned a five seed and have defeated New Mexico State, Kansas and North Carolina to arrive at this lofty place. Auburn fans are noticing. Toomer’s Corner has been rolled!

For the second straight season War Eagle has participated in March Madness. Pearl’s team (29-9) has won 55 games the past two seasons. This is nothing new for the affable Pearl. He led Milwaukee to two NCAA Tournaments in four seasons. His Tennessee squads took six trips to the ‘Big Dance’ advancing to the Sweet Sixteen three times.

With Kentucky and Auburn leading the way, the SEC is 11-and-4 in this year’s tournament. The SEC, the ACC and the Big Ten all had two teams among the last eight teams standing.

KenPom.com calls the SEC the fourth best league behind the Big 12, Big Ten and ACC.

Transcendent Coaches

Where they coach, they win and they win big.

Few coaches have accomplished what the hall of famer Calipari has achieved. He is a staggering 56-18 in the NCAA Tournament and is an overwhelming 12-3 in Sweet Sixteen games. No one dances as long as ‘Coach Cal’.

Pearl seems to live for postseason play. At Division 2 Southern Indiana he won 83% of his games and went to nine NCAA tournaments. Pearl’s Tennessee teams never missed March Madness and three of his teams went ‘Sweet’.

Both coaches have been the ‘national’ coach of the year. Pearl seven times and Calipari with ten trophies.

Overall Strength

Five SEC teams were ranked in the top 20 of the NCAA’s NET. Twelve league teams received votes in the national polls. Conference teams won 131 Quadrant 1 and 2 games, ranking second nationally and every SEC team played a top 80 strength of schedule.

Pearl says the SEC has arrived as a ‘basketball power’.

“How about last night in Kansas City when the SEC chant came out there?” queried Pearl. “That wasn’t just Auburn fans chanting that. That was Kentucky fans. One of the things I am glad is the SEC is going to have a team in the Final Four and I’m really glad about that, because this league has worked really hard to get better and gain respect. I’m glad Auburn is a small part of that.”

This basketball power will be on display Sunday in Kansas City.

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