Is the SEC improved this season?

[Biggus Piggus]

National rankings of Arkansas's 2013-14 opponents in Ken Pomeroy's system:

5. Florida (2nd last season)
14. Kentucky (67th last season)
23. Tennessee (75th last season)
49. Missouri (31st last season)
53. LSU (100th last season)
69. Ole Miss (36th last season)
103. Vanderbilt (95th last season)
110. Alabama (60th last season)
123. South Carolina (210th last season)
134. Georgia (103rd last season)
137. Auburn (207th last season)
164. Texas A&M (105th last season)
199. Mississippi State (250th last season)

Home wins last season - Vanderbilt, Auburn, Mississippi State, Tennessee, Florida, Missouri, Georgia, Kentucky, Texas A&M
Road win last season - Auburn
Road losses last season - Texas A&M, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Alabama, Vanderbilt, Florida, LSU, Missouri

Home wins this season - Kentucky, Auburn
Home losses this season - Florida, Missouri
Road losses this season - Texas A&M, Georgia, Tennessee, LSU

Remaining home schedule - Alabama, LSU, South Carolina, Georgia, Ole Miss
Remaining road schedule - Vanderbilt, Missouri, Mississippi State, Kentucky, Alabama

You'll know the wheels are off if ... Arkansas finishes below 7-11 in the SEC. That would require five more road defeats and at least one loss at home.

You'll know the Hogs have turned the corner if ... they finish 10-8 or better in the SEC. The Vanderbilt, Alabama and Mississippi State games should be winnable, if the team is playing well. And a 5-0 finish at home should be possible too.

[ICEman]

It appears that the conference as a whole is up about a dozen RPI slots from last year. 

[kuhog]

If the SEC is a better league this year, I haven't been able to tell. For a conference that has 14 teams that participate in it, it's hard to believe only 2 to 4 teams are projected to get an invitation to the NCAA's. Which makes it more difficult for me to understand why we can't be consistently be one of the 2 to 3 teams in such an awful basketball conference.

[arkjay19]

I think the league is improved, but it was a pretty low bar to start with.  Instead of having Kentucky and everyone else like some years in the recent past, I think Florida, Kentucky and Missouri are all legit tournament teams.  Vandy, LSU, Tennessee and Ole Miss are all teams that could earn a spot in the NCAAT field.

[Biggus Piggus]

It appears that the conference as a whole is up about a dozen RPI slots from last year. 

Rated about the same - Florida, Vanderbilt
Rated higher this season - Kentucky, Tennessee, LSU, South Carolina, Auburn, Mississippi State, Arkansas
Rated lower - Missouri, Ole Miss, Alabama, Georgia, Texas A&M

[HawgAdvocate]

Warren Nolan & CBS both currently list the SEC's 2014 conference RPI at - .5592, which is 7th nationally

In 2013, the SEC finished with a .5380, which was 9th nationally.

So right now the SEC has moved from 9th to 7th, with still more than half the conference season still to go.

[cityhog]

Meh. It's as good of an excuse as any that's been thrown out there yet.  So, why not?

[HF#1]

Meh. It's as good of an excuse as any that's been thrown out there yet.  So, why not?

[Breems]

Meh. It's as good of an excuse as any that's been thrown out there yet.  So, why not?

MA is failing.  No need to wait. Enjoy now. And nobody posted after Auburn because it was Auburn, not an accomplishment.

It was not improvement! It was a less talented opponent with a lesser coach. Nothing at Arkansas is linear. And MA blows games with poor scouting, poor preparation for specific opponents who know his team inside out, and dumb decisions about player rotations.

I hardly think it's being used as an excuse. It's just discussing the improvement of the SEC.

[cityhog]

I hardly think it's being used as an excuse. It's just discussing the improvement of the SEC.

Oh, ok. Just a thinly veiled excuse. C'mon. You and I both know we're all looking for any possible, sensible reason this season is shaping up to be worse than last year.