SEC Basketball

[AU64 10,122]

Last year the SEC surprised a lot of folks...me included as some teams got much further into the tournament. So this year we thought the SEC would be improved...and what ! ! ! Other than UK (which makes up for everyone else I guess) the SEC teams were gone early.

One SEC team made it to the final 8 in the NIT (Vandy) and all SEC teams except UK were gone by the Sweet 16 of the NCAA.

Seems it anything, the SEC took a step back this year.

Is there any hope for SEC basketball .....other than UK ?

[augolf1716 21,093]

yes

Last year the SEC surprised a lot of folks...me included as some teams got much further into the tournament. So this year we thought the SEC would be improved...and what ! ! ! Other than UK (which makes up for everyone else I guess) the SEC teams were gone early.

One SEC team made it to the final 8 in the NIT (Vandy) and all SEC teams except UK were gone by the Sweet 16 of the NCAA.

Seems it anything, the SEC took a step back this year.

Is there any hope for SEC basketball .....other than UK ?

yes

[AU64 10,122]

yes

Last year the SEC surprised a lot of folks...me included as some teams got much further into the tournament. So this year we thought the SEC would be improved...and what ! ! ! Other than UK (which makes up for everyone else I guess) the SEC teams were gone early.

One SEC team made it to the final 8 in the NIT (Vandy) and all SEC teams except UK were gone by the Sweet 16 of the NCAA.

Seems it anything, the SEC took a step back this year.

Is there any hope for SEC basketball .....other than UK ?

yes

Obviously I should have asked a better question: What will it take for any SEC school besides UK to be a factor in basketball in the years to come ? ...that schools have not been trying for the past 10 years?

[augolf1716 21,093]

Better coaches/recruiting. With AU and Miss St. recent hires and bammers new one, expect him to be good as well, the entire conference will get better. Look at what LSU is doing with the new recruits they have coming in. Wow

I think Auburn raised the bar by hiring BP. All the other schools have no choice

yes

Last year the SEC surprised a lot of folks...me included as some teams got much further into the tournament. So this year we thought the SEC would be improved...and what ! ! ! Other than UK (which makes up for everyone else I guess) the SEC teams were gone early.

One SEC team made it to the final 8 in the NIT (Vandy) and all SEC teams except UK were gone by the Sweet 16 of the NCAA.

Seems it anything, the SEC took a step back this year.

Is there any hope for SEC basketball .....other than UK ?

yes

Obviously I should have asked a better question: What will it take for any SEC school besides UK to be a factor in basketball in the years to come ? ...that schools have not been trying for the past 10 years?

sorry couldn't resist.

[AU64 10,122]

Better coaches/recruiting. With AU and Miss St. recent hires and bammers new one, expect him to be good as well, the entire conference will get better. Look at what LSU is doing with the new recruits they have coming in. Wow

I think Auburn raised the bar by hiring BP. All the other schools have no choice

yes

Last year the SEC surprised a lot of folks...me included as some teams got much further into the tournament. So this year we thought the SEC would be improved...and what ! ! ! Other than UK (which makes up for everyone else I guess) the SEC teams were gone early.

One SEC team made it to the final 8 in the NIT (Vandy) and all SEC teams except UK were gone by the Sweet 16 of the NCAA.

Seems it anything, the SEC took a step back this year.

Is there any hope for SEC basketball .....other than UK ?

yes

Obviously I should have asked a better question: What will it take for any SEC school besides UK to be a factor in basketball in the years to come ? ...that schools have not been trying for the past 10 years?

sorry couldn't resist.

Sure...meanwhile...do you have any encouragement...or will the SEC schools just continue to pay multi-million dollar salaries for coaches that can only make it into the top 32 every now and then. SEC schools have invested a ton of money into facilities, coaches and players....and still, it is likely that the majority of SEC schools are losing money in basketball. If money could turn things around ..it already would be done.

[augolf1716 21,093]

Well all I can say is the new hires are proven winners in Power 5 conf. so far.........were before they were so called up and comers from lesser conf. We shall see.........................

[Texan4Auburn 1,626]

I had some friends in Chicago make a good point one time about SEC basketball. The difference between the SEC and the Big 10 they thought had to do with the culture. The majority of your big guys in the south have a tendency to go with football over basketball if given the choice. There they were more willing to go with basketball up there. The overall importance that the fans and the conference itself put on the sport influenced those decisions.

Least that was their theory.

[AU64 10,122]

Well all I can say is the new hires are proven winners in Power 5 conf. so far.........were before they were so called up and comers from lesser conf. We shall see.........................

Guess so....we've shuffled at least a couple dozen coaches through the league in the past 10 years with mixed results....and by now, Donovan at UF has more years in the conference than about all other coaches combined. ...and he was an up and comer too of course. Just look at UK's coaches over that time...before Calipari....some good coaches that did not stay for one reason or another.

[InfernoOrangeSS 321]

I had some friends in Chicago make a good point one time about SEC basketball. The difference between the SEC and the Big 10 they thought had to do with the culture. The majority of your big guys in the south have a tendency to go with football over basketball if given the choice. There they were more willing to go with basketball up there. The overall importance that the fans and the conference itself put on the sport influenced those decisions.

Least that was their theory.

Very good theory. I think this is also why the USA lags behind in Soccer/Fütball in world competitions. Their best athletes all play the game. Our best go with the big 4 sports.

[AU64 10,122]

Consider that if Jeremy Johnson grew up in Raleigh or Richmond or Philly...he would probably be playing an important role in his second "sweet sixteen" instead of trying to finally win some meaningful playing time at AU...having spend two good years of his life mostly playing clean-up.

As noted...in the SEC region, the best athletes usually end up playing FB and for the most part the best coaches end up coaching FB also.....which typically means that even the best BB players in Alabama, or Miss and several other states along the gulf coast don't get the quality of fundamental coaching that HS kids in ....say Kentucky or Indiana get. JMO ....but the stats pretty much prove it out if you look at rosters ...and just observe the skill level of players from the Big10 or ACCC or Big East in the tournament the past couple weeks.

Sure, every now and then there is a Chris Porter or a Barkley or someone else special but what we usually see is the few top BB recruits from the gulf coast states with national-level talent end up with someone in the ACC or elsewhere....Booker from Moss Point, MS apparently never even looked at an in-state school...and who can blame him.

Maybe like the Big10 does by importing football players from the south...the SEC is going to have to find a way to bring the better Midwestern and big city basketball players south if there is hope of consistently having good teams. The idea that AU can win by recruiting the same regions from which we get our football players is just a fantasy. BP has been shopping around at distant locations....mostly JUCOs so far....will be interesting to see if he can bring in some top HS players from the basketball crazy parts of the country.

[Mikey 16,545]

During his student days at AU Pat Sullivan played on an intramural basketball team. I remember several of us commenting at the time that had Sullivan been a native of Kentucky he'd have been a basketball point guard in college, he was that good. So yes, I do think the culture of where a kid grows up has a lot to do with what college sport he chooses.

[FoundationEagle 637]

Last year the SEC surprised a lot of folks...me included as some teams got much further into the tournament. So this year we thought the SEC would be improved...and what ! ! ! Other than UK (which makes up for everyone else I guess) the SEC teams were gone early.

One SEC team made it to the final 8 in the NIT (Vandy) and all SEC teams except UK were gone by the Sweet 16 of the NCAA.

Seems it anything, the SEC took a step back this year.

Is there any hope for SEC basketball .....other than UK ?

Interesting to note: the argument all year as to why we were supposedly a better team but the record didn't show it was that the SEC was soooo much better this year...

Of course we proved in the tourney that we are better, but the whole argument leading up to there was apparently hogwash

[InfernoOrangeSS 321]

Last year the SEC surprised a lot of folks...me included as some teams got much further into the tournament. So this year we thought the SEC would be improved...and what ! ! ! Other than UK (which makes up for everyone else I guess) the SEC teams were gone early.

One SEC team made it to the final 8 in the NIT (Vandy) and all SEC teams except UK were gone by the Sweet 16 of the NCAA.

Seems it anything, the SEC took a step back this year.

Is there any hope for SEC basketball .....other than UK ?

Interesting to note: the argument all year as to why we were supposedly a better team but the record didn't show it was that the SEC was soooo much better this year...

Of course we proved in the tourney that we are better, but the whole argument leading up to there was apparently hogwash

I don't agree. I think the SEC was better than the year before, just not good enough to make a dent in the NCAA Tourney. I think this team would have had a better record against last year's SEC. Just my opinion, but it is what it is.

[gravejd 3,267]

The NCAA is a crap shot. Anybody can win one game and it doesn't prove the winning team is better. Last year the SEC over achieved in the tournament. This year they under achieved a bit. Hard to draw conclusions about league strength in a one and done setting. IMO. Just because Villanova didn't make the final four doesn't mean they were over rated. Just that they got outplayed that one day.

[cooltigger21 0]

The NCAA is a crap shot. Anybody can win one game and it doesn't prove the winning team is better. Last year the SEC over achieved in the tournament. This year they under achieved a bit. Hard to draw conclusions about league strength in a one and done setting. IMO. Just because Villanova didn't make the final four doesn't mean they were over rated. Just that they got outplayed that one day.

Yes this. With the format of the tournament, all it takes is a be bad game or one really good player to have a special game and what shouldn't happen, does. In a single game anything can happen.

[AU64 10,122]

The NCAA is a crap shot. Anybody can win one game and it doesn't prove the winning team is better. Last year the SEC over achieved in the tournament. This year they under achieved a bit. Hard to draw conclusions about league strength in a one and done setting. IMO. Just because Villanova didn't make the final four doesn't mean they were over rated. Just that they got outplayed that one day.

Yes this. With the format of the tournament, all it takes is a be bad game or one really good player to have a special game and what shouldn't happen, does. In a single game anything can happen.

True...but when just about all the entries have a "bad day" on day #1 (three lost and one barely got by Wofford).....there is pretty good reason to wonder about whether they deserved to be there.

[WarTiger 3,896]

One thing I think being overlooked is the outlook in the preseason. Most didn't expect the SEC to have more than 2 teams in the tournament. Getting more than that in the tournament shows that SEC basketball is getting better. I realize the SEC lost except for Kentucky (hope they lose saturday), but they still got there. Next year will be an interesting year with so many new coaches in the league. The league is clearly improving as a whole. Auburn was clearly better and will be better even still next year.

[mcgufcm 4,096]

LSU is going to be fantastic next year, even without Mickey and Martin. Ben Simmons and Antonio Blakeney are that good. That team will make a leap next year.

Auburn will keep getting better. If MSU lands Malik Newman on top of adding Ben Howland, they're going to be a tournament team. Malik is the real deal.

The primary flaw with the theory that Southern athletes don't play basketball is: Ben Simmons (FL), Jaylen Brown (GA), Malik Newman (MS), Skal Labissiere (TN). Those are the top four players in the 2015 signing class. All from the deep South. We produce top talent. The question is where is that talent going. Labissiere is committed to UK, Malik and Brown both have UK in their top 3 (probably top 2). So yeah, it's hard to imagine any team in the conference really threatening them.

[augolf1716 21,093]

LSU is going to be fantastic next year, even without Mickey and Martin. Ben Simmons and Antonio Blakeney are that good. That team will make a leap next year.

Auburn will keep getting better. If MSU lands Malik Newman on top of adding Ben Howland, they're going to be a tournament team. Malik is the real deal.

The primary flaw with the theory that Southern athletes don't play basketball is: Ben Simmons (FL), Jaylen Brown (GA), Malik Newman (MS), Skal Labissiere (TN). Those are the top four players in the 2015 signing class. All from the deep South. We produce top talent. The question is where is that talent going. Labissiere is committed to UK, Malik and Brown both have UK in their top 3 (probably top 2). So yeah, it's hard to imagine any team in the conference really threatening them.

I agree with you but I believe Simmons is from Australia his been at Monteverde since Jan. 2013.

[mcgufcm 4,096]

Totally fair, but his development happened in Florida. He started there as a sophomore. Three years playing ball in the South, but yes, he's Australian.

[augolf1716 21,093]

Totally fair, but his development happened in Florida. He started there as a sophomore. Three years playing ball in the South, but yes, he's Australian.

Agreed.....also Mondeverde is always loaded with talent

[Mikey 16,545]

LSU is going to be fantastic next year, even without Mickey and Martin. Ben Simmons and Antonio Blakeney are that good. That team will make a leap next year.

Auburn will keep getting better. If MSU lands Malik Newman on top of adding Ben Howland, they're going to be a tournament team. Malik is the real deal.

The primary flaw with the theory that Southern athletes don't play basketball is: Ben Simmons (FL), Jaylen Brown (GA), Malik Newman (MS), Skal Labissiere (TN). Those are the top four players in the 2015 signing class. All from the deep South. We produce top talent. The question is where is that talent going. Labissiere is committed to UK, Malik and Brown both have UK in their top 3 (probably top 2). So yeah, it's hard to imagine any team in the conference really threatening them.

Of course one can name individuals. It's the numbers that make a difference and there are a LOT of potential basketball players in this part of the country that choose football instead. Let these same guys grow up in New York and they play basketball, not football.

[AU64 10,122]

LSU is going to be fantastic next year, even without Mickey and Martin. Ben Simmons and Antonio Blakeney are that good. That team will make a leap next year.

Auburn will keep getting better. If MSU lands Malik Newman on top of adding Ben Howland, they're going to be a tournament team. Malik is the real deal.

The primary flaw with the theory that Southern athletes don't play basketball is: Ben Simmons (FL), Jaylen Brown (GA), Malik Newman (MS), Skal Labissiere (TN). Those are the top four players in the 2015 signing class. All from the deep South. We produce top talent. The question is where is that talent going. Labissiere is committed to UK, Malik and Brown both have UK in their top 3 (probably top 2). So yeah, it's hard to imagine any team in the conference really threatening them.

Of course one can name individuals. It's the numbers that make a difference and there are a LOT of potential basketball players in this part of the country that choose football instead. Let these same guys grow up in New York and they play basketball, not football.

Yep and IMO does not matter who the coaches are in the SEC states, most of the better players are elsewhere.....just take a look at any Rivals list of the best basketball players to see how few there are in our normal recruiting region...and how many schools that would like to have them.

[cole256 17,039]

It's usually just a size aspect. Johnson at qb is the nfl prototype. At power forward to small. At small forward maybe a little small at 2 guard he'd be ideal. But to be honest most football players aren't tall enough to play football. The fundamental coaching thing is Just made up though. Booker grew up in Michigan BTW but that's a point as well, you can't even really make those assumptions accurately because we don't even know where all these kids come from.

The school's with the most tradition in college basketball aren't in the south. So the best players go to those schools. My cousin is a top 100 player being recruited nationally right now. Every since he was little his favorite school was north Carolina, just how it is. If you put up all the guys in the south against guys from the north they are just as talented and skilled.

[jared52 4,354]

uat just hired Avery Johnson. I did not see that coming. No idea what he's going to be like in the college game. Seems like a bit of a gamble for uat.