Mr.SEC says the SEC isn't down, but more of a sign of a trend

[ColonelSteve]

In an age when the NCAA Tournament has been expanding, the number of SEC tourney berths has been declining. This is more than a down year… it’s a trend:


Tournament # of Bids (League Rank) Tourney Record Best Finish
2012 4 (5th among leagues) 10-3 National Champion
2011 5 (3rd among leagues) 7-5 Final Four
2010 4 (5th among leagues) 6-4 Two in Elite Eight
2009 3 (6th among leagues) 1-3 Round of 32
2008 6 (2nd among leagues) 4-6 Sweet Sixteen
2007 5 (4th among leagues) 11-4 National Champion
2006 6 (2nd among leagues) 13-5 National Champion
2005 5 (3rd among leagues) 5-5 Elite Eight
2004 6 (tied for 1st among leagues) 7-6 Elite Eight
2003 6 (tied for 1st among leagues) 6-6 Elite Eight



From afar, the SEC has continued to have success — in most years — in the NCAA Tournament regardless of its dwindling number of bids. But in many of those seasons, the SEC was dominated by just one or two teams. That’s a far cry from the top-to-bottom toughness produced by the very same schools on the gridiron.

Using mathematician/hoops guru Ken Pomeroy’s computer rankings as a guide, here’s a look at the SEC teams that finished in his top 20 over the past decade:



2012: #1 Kentucky, #12 Florida, #16 Vanderbilt

2011: #6 Kentucky, #16 Florida

2010: #3 Kentucky

2009: None

2008: #14 Tennessee

2007: #2 Florida, #14 Kentucky

2006: #1 Florida, #10 LSU, #15 South Carolina, #17 Arkansas, #20 Kentucky

2005: #6 Florida, #10 Kentucky, #18 Alabama

2004: #9 Kentucky, #17 Mississippi State

2003: #2 Kentucky, #12 Mississippi State, #14 Florida, #17 LSU, #18 Georgia



As you can see, the number of top 20-caliber teams from the SEC has fallen drastically. There were 17 SEC teams in the final top 20 of Pomeroy’s rankings from 2003 to 2007. From 2008 to 2012, there have been just seven teams in his final top 20 rankings.

Worse, of the 24 top 20 slots filled by SEC squads in the last decade, 14 were filled by two schools: Florida and Kentucky. Compare that to the SEC’s football success where in the last five years Alabama, Auburn, Florida, LSU, Georgia, South Carolina, Arkansas and Texas A&M have all had top 10-type seasons.

(In case you’re wondering Pomeroy’s current hoops rankings have Florida #1 and Kentucky #18. No other SEC schools rank in his top 20. Same song, different verse.)

http://www.mrsec.com/2013/02/why-is-...ketball-money/

[akaukswoosh]

Good thing the SEC has UK and Florida has Donovan. LoL