The SEC

"The SEC is just that good.

Yes, you read that correctly; and no, I’m not crazy or biased. The SEC is the most difficult conference in college basketball based on RPI rankings.

The Wildcats, Ole Miss Rebels, Georgia Bulldogs, Tennessee Volunteers, LSU Tigers, Arkansas Razorbacks, Texas A&M Aggies and Alabama Crimson Tide are all ranked in the top 50 RPI. That’s more than every other conference in college basketball, and what’s crazy is that the preseason No. 2 SEC team, the Florida Gators, aren’t even in the top 70. Three teams picked to finish in the bottom half of the conference by the preseason media poll have a top 50 RPI."

http://www.rantsports.com/ncaa-basketbal...-of-focus/

I posted long ago that SEC money would improve the other sports, especially basketball. It is starting.

Edit
More metrics:

"Basketball analytics website Kenpom.com’s ratings count seven SEC teams in the top 43 and 10 in the top 86.

Even a team such as Missouri, which was the only SEC team to post a losing record in nonconference play, cracks the top 150 on the strength of the 12th-toughest schedule in the country. Six other SEC teams rank in the top 50 in strength-of-schedule, and Arkansas is just outside that list."

http://www.columbiatribune.com/sports/mu...947f5.html

2nd Edit
Some More metrics:

"Through Wednesday's games, the league had 11 teams in the top 100 of Ken Pomeroy's advanced statistical ratings. Those teams have combined for 26 top-50 wins and just 10 sub-100 losses – metrics the NCAA Tournament committee values. UK, Arkansas, LSU, Tennessee, South Carolina and Ole Miss have at least three top-50 wins apiece.

Remarkably, this is all without any help from Florida, which after four consecutive Elite Eight appearances and last year's Final Four is finally in the midst of a down season."

http://www.courier-journal.com/story/spo.../22190053/

Maybe your fans will start to draw and fill up your arenas so other fans will realize there is good BB in the SEC. Cuse had a classic game with UGA back in '96.

(01-25-2015 11:40 AM)Lurker Above Wrote:  The SEC

"The SEC is just that good.

Yes, you read that correctly; and no, I’m not crazy or biased. The SEC is the most difficult conference in college basketball based on RPI rankings.

So the SEC is a basketball conference now?

That's good, it's fine for the SEC to be FB first but there's also no reason that it can't support some really great basketball too.

Our place in that group isn't going to last. Our HC is awful and I have no idea how he's conned our AD into keeping him around other than next year's recruiting class (which was put together by the assistant coaches)

they actually have 7 in the top 50. Same number as the ACC and Big East

What makes it so bizarre, seeing as how the SEC is the best BBall conference, as per the OP, that it has 5th best conference RPI (4th best among the P5, leading the Pac12 for once, so this does seem to be an unusually good year for the SEC, if they are not dead last among the P5, but trailing the Big East as well as the Big12, ACC and BigTen).

Kentucky and the 13 dwarves.

It's good news and I still don't care.

(01-25-2015 11:40 AM)Lurker Above Wrote:  The SEC is the most difficult conference in college basketball based on RPI rankings.

Mmm, no it's not.

This reminds me of when Mike Brown (Bengals owner) said that the Bengals were the best program in the NFL because they're the only team that made it to the playoffs 4 of the last 5 years.

You're picking the only statistic that favors you, even though it only favors you if you stretch the truth (since a higher % of the BE and B12 are in the top 50, so you lose even on this metric), and proclaim that not only are you not an abysmal failure, but you're actually the very best. No one is buying it.

(01-25-2015 12:26 PM)TexanMark Wrote:  Maybe your fans will start to draw and fill up your arenas so other fans will realize there is good BB in the SEC.

Doesn't matter...as sadly, too many think just being the most popular/highest attended teams are always the best, in any sport.

SEC (overall) doesn't have nearly the tradition (or support) of many other conferences in basketball...heck, believe the Big Ten (prior to Rutgers joining) has lead the nation in basketball attendance for 38 years...but most seasons, they were far from being the best conf.

(01-26-2015 08:24 AM)KnightLight Wrote:  SEC (overall) doesn't have nearly the tradition (or support) of many other conferences...heck, believe the Big Ten (prior to Rutgers joining) has lead the nation in basketball attendance for 38 years...but most seasons, they were far from being the best conf.

A bit of a vague claim ... what "most seasons" means and how far from the best is "far from the best"?

I don't know how reliable RealTimeRPI.com & CBS Bracketology are, but they give:
2013-2014: 2. Big Ten / 7. SEC (RealTimeRPI)
2012-2013: 2. Big Ten / 8. SEC (RealTimeRPI)
2011-2012: 1. Big Ten / 4. SEC (RealTimeRPI)
2010-2011: 2. Big Ten / 6. SEC (RealTimeRPI)
2009-2010: 4. SEC / 5. Big Ten (RealTimeRPI)
2008-2009: 1. Big Ten / 2. SEC (CBS Bracketology)
2007-2008: 5. SEC / 8. Big Ten (CBS Bracketology)

That looks like "close to the best", "most of the time" in the recent past.

Would that be the same RPI that has Kansas at #1 ahead of Kentucky, or some other RPI?

(01-27-2015 06:46 AM)BruceMcF Wrote:  

(01-26-2015 08:24 AM)KnightLight Wrote:  SEC (overall) doesn't have nearly the tradition (or support) of many other conferences...heck, believe the Big Ten (prior to Rutgers joining) has lead the nation in basketball attendance for 38 years...but most seasons, they were far from being the best conf.

A bit of a vague claim ... what "most seasons" means and how far from the best is "far from the best"?

I don't know how reliable RealTimeRPI.com & CBS Bracketology are, but they give:
2013-2014: 2. Big Ten / 7. SEC (RealTimeRPI)
2012-2013: 2. Big Ten / 8. SEC (RealTimeRPI)
2011-2012: 1. Big Ten / 4. SEC (RealTimeRPI)
2010-2011: 2. Big Ten / 6. SEC (RealTimeRPI)
2009-2010: 4. SEC / 5. Big Ten (RealTimeRPI)
2008-2009: 1. Big Ten / 2. SEC (CBS Bracketology)
2007-2008: 5. SEC / 8. Big Ten (CBS Bracketology)

That looks like "close to the best", "most of the time" in the recent past.

Hence why I mentioned how they have lead the nation in hoop attendance for 4 decades.

Believe Big Ten has won 6 National Titles since 1961...but only once since 1990 (Michigan State in 2000).

Pretty much the opinion of most of The SEC outside of Kentucky. One that I happen to agree with I might add. Basketball is just something to do until spring practice starts.....
CJ

(01-26-2015 12:34 AM)HeartOfDixie Wrote:  It's good news and I still don't care.

(01-27-2015 11:13 AM)KnightLight Wrote:  

(01-27-2015 06:46 AM)BruceMcF Wrote:  

(01-26-2015 08:24 AM)KnightLight Wrote:  SEC (overall) doesn't have nearly the tradition (or support) of many other conferences...heck, believe the Big Ten (prior to Rutgers joining) has lead the nation in basketball attendance for 38 years...but most seasons, they were far from being the best conf.

A bit of a vague claim ... what "most seasons" means and how far from the best is "far from the best"?

I don't know how reliable RealTimeRPI.com & CBS Bracketology are, but they give:
2013-2014: 2. Big Ten / 7. SEC (RealTimeRPI)
2012-2013: 2. Big Ten / 8. SEC (RealTimeRPI)
2011-2012: 1. Big Ten / 4. SEC (RealTimeRPI)
2010-2011: 2. Big Ten / 6. SEC (RealTimeRPI)
2009-2010: 4. SEC / 5. Big Ten (RealTimeRPI)
2008-2009: 1. Big Ten / 2. SEC (CBS Bracketology)
2007-2008: 5. SEC / 8. Big Ten (CBS Bracketology)

That looks like "close to the best", "most of the time" in the recent past.

Hence why I mentioned how they have lead the nation in hoop attendance for 4 decades.

Believe Big Ten has won 6 National Titles since 1961...but only once since 1990 (Michigan State in 2000).

However the Big Ten does have the most Final Fours since 2000. And Maryland won the NC in 2002. So it's not like they've been completely inept.

(01-27-2015 12:55 PM)CardinalJim Wrote:  Pretty much the opinion of most of The SEC outside of Kentucky. One that I happen to agree with I might add. Basketball is just something to do until spring practice starts.....
CJ

(01-26-2015 12:34 AM)HeartOfDixie Wrote:  It's good news and I still don't care.

Patently false.

It's what we do till Baseball starts!

(01-27-2015 11:13 AM)KnightLight Wrote:  Believe Big Ten has won 6 National Titles since 1961...but only once since 1990 (Michigan State in 2000).

While the SEC has had six national titles since 1990 won by three different schools. The SEC has three titles in the last nine years, the most of any conference. OK, I cheated. If you go back 10 years, the ACC also has three. The Big 10 and PAC in that span ...... zip.

(01-27-2015 12:55 PM)CardinalJim Wrote:  Pretty much the opinion of most of The SEC outside of Kentucky. One that I happen to agree with I might add. Basketball is just something to do until spring practice starts.....
CJ

(01-26-2015 12:34 AM)HeartOfDixie Wrote:  It's good news and I still don't care.

Yeah ~ one reason that the Vols have done relatively well in SEC BBall over the year is that they are one of the places where they give a damn about it.