SEC MBB: What's a successful and disappointing season per school?

[jbcarol]

Here's how past SEC teams have fared in the NCAA Men's Final Four

By Creg Stephenson |

Alabama is the latest SEC team to reach the NCAA Men's Final Four, the ninth different conference member to reach the national semifinal.

Eight other SEC programs have combined for a total of 32 previous trips to the Final Four. Eleven of those have won national championships.

Five current members of the SEC have never made a Final Four. Missouri, Tennessee and Vanderbilt have never advanced farther than the Elite Eight; Ole Miss and Texas A&M have never been past the Sweet 16.

NOTE: This list does not include Arkansas' four trips to the Final Four before joining the SEC in 1991.

1. Kentucky (1942)
Coach: Adolph Rupp

Top players: Ermal Allen, James King

Final Four results: Lost to Dartmouth 47-28 in national semifinal.

Final record: 19-6

2. Kentucky (1948)
Coach: Adolph Rupp

Top players: Ralph Beard, Alex Groza, Wallace "Wah Wah" Jones

Final Four results: Beat Holy Cross 60-52 in national semifinal; beat Baylor 58-42 in championship game.

Final record: 36-3


3. Kentucky (1949)
Coach: Adolph Rupp

Top players: Ralph Beard, Alex Groza, Wallace "Wah Wah" Jones

Final Four results: Beat Illinois 76-47 in national semifinal; beat Oklahoma A&M 46-36 in championship game.

Final record: 32-2



4. Kentucky (1951)
Coach: Adolph Rupp

Top players: Bill Spivey, Cliff Hagan

Final Four results: Beat Illinois 76-74 in national semifinal; beat Kansas State 68-58 in national championship game.

Final record: 32-2


5. LSU (1953)
Coach: Harry Rabenhorst

Top player: Bob Pettit

Final Four results: Lost to Indiana 80-67 in national semifinal; lost to Washington 88-69 in third-place game.

Final record: 22-3


6. Kentucky (1958)
Coach: Adolph Rupp

Top players: Vernon Hatten, Johnny Cox, John Crigler

Final Four results: Beat Temple 61-60 in national semifinal; beat Seattle 84-72 in national championship game.

Final record: 23-6




7. Kentucky (1966)
Coach: Adolph Rupp

Top players: Pat Riley, Louie Dampier, Larry Conley

Final Four results: Beat Duke 83-79 in national semifinal; Lost to Texas Western 72-65 in national championship game.

Final record: 27-7


8. Kentucky (1975)
Coach: Joe B. Hall

Top players: Kevin Grevey, Jimmy Dan Conner, Rick Robey

Final Four results: Beat Syracuse 95-79 in national semifinal; lost to UCLA 92-85 in national championship game.

Final record: 26-5


9. Kentucky (1978)
Coach: Joe B. Hall

Top players: Jack Givens, Rick Robey, Kyle Macy

Tournament seed: No. 1 in Mideast Region

Final Four results: Beat Arkansas 64-59 in national semifinal; beat Duke 94-88 in national championship game.

Final record: 30-2




10. LSU (1981)
Coach: Dale Brown

Top players: Howard Carter, Rudy Macklin

Tournament seed: No. 1 in Midwest Region

Final Four results: Lost to Indiana 67-49 in national semifinal

Final record: 31-5


11. Georgia (1983)
Coach: Hugh Durham

Top players: Vern Fleming, Terry Fair

Tournament seed: No. 4 in East Region

Final Four results: Lost to North Carolina State 67-60 in national semifinal.

Final record: 24-10


12. Kentucky (1984)
Coach: Joe B. Hall

Top players: Melvin Turpin, Kenny Walker, Sam Bowie

Tournament seed: No. 1 in Mideast Region

Final Four results: Lost to Georgetown 53-40 in national semifinal.

Final record: 29-5


13. LSU (1986)
Coach: Dale Brown

Top players: John Williams, Derrick Taylor, Don Redden

Tournament seed: No. 11 in Southeast Region

Final Four results: Lost to Louisville 88-77 in national semifinal.

Final record: 26-12


14. Kentucky (1993)
Coach: Rick Pitino

Top players: Jamal Mashburn, Travis Ford, Dale Brown

Tournament seed: No. 1 in Southeast Region

Final Four results: Lost to Michigan 81-78 in OT in national semifinal.

Final record: 30-5


15. Arkansas (1994)
Coach: Nolan Richardson

Top players: Corliss Williamson, Scotty Thurman, Corey Beck

Tournament seed: No. 1 in Midwest Region

Final Four results: Beat Arizona 91-82 in national semifinal; beat Duke 76-72 in national championship game.

Final record: 31-3




16. Florida (1994)
Coach: Lon Kruger

Top players: Dan Cross, Craig Brown, Andrew DeClercq

Tournament seed: No. 3 in East Regional

Final Four results: Lost to Duke 70-65 in national semifinal.

Final record: 29-8


17. Arkansas (1995)
Coach: Nolan Richardson

Top players: Corliss Williamson, Scotty Thurman, Corey Beck

Tournament seed: No. 2 in Midwest Region

Final Four results: Beat North Carolina 75-68 in national semifinal; lost to UCLA 89-78 in national championship game.

Final record: 32-7


18. Kentucky (1996)
Coach: Rick Pitino

Top players: Tony Delk, Antoine Walker, Walter McCarty

Tournament seed: No. 1 in Midwest Region

Final Four results: Beat UMass 81-74 in national semifinal; beat Syracuse 76-67 in national championship game.

Final record: 34-2




19. Mississippi State (1996)
Coach: Richard Williams

Top players: Darryl Wilson, Dontae' Jones, Erick Dampier

Tournament seed: No. 5 in Southeast Region

Final Four results: Lost to Syracuse 77-69 in national semifinal.

Final record: 26-8


20. Kentucky (1997)
Coach: Rick Pitino

Top players: Ron Mercer, Derek Anderson, Anthony Epps

Tournament seed: No. 1 in West Region

Final Four results: Beat Minnesota 78-69 in national semifinal; lost to Arizona 84-79 in overtime in national championship game.

Final record: 35-5


21. Kentucky (1998)
Coach: Tubby Smith

Top players: Jeff Sheppard, Nazr Mohammed, Scott Padgett

Tournament seed: No. 2 in South Region

Final Four results: Beat Stanford 86-85 in overtime in national semifinal; beat Utah 78-69 in national championship game.

Final record: 35-4



22. Florida (2000)
Coach: Billy Donovan

Top players: Mike Miller, Udonis Haslem, Donnell Harvey

Tournament seed: No. 5 in East Region

Final Four results: Beat North Carolina 71-59 in national semifinal; lost to Michigan State 89-76 in national championship game.

Final record: 29-8


23. Florida (2006)
Coach: Billy Donovan

Top players: Joakim Noah, Corey Brewer, Al Horford

Tournament seed: No. 3 in Minneapolis Region

Final Four results: Beat George Mason 73-58 in national semifinal; beat UCLA 73-58 in national championship game.

Final record: 33-6


24. LSU (2006)
Coach: John Brady

Top players: Glen "Big Baby" Davis, Darrel and Tasmin Mitchell

Tournament seed: No. 4 in Atlanta Region

Final Four results: Lost 59-45 to UCLA in national semifinal

Final record: 27-9



25. Florida (2007)
Coach: Billy Donovan

Top players: Joakim Noah, Corey Brewer, Al Horford

Tournament seed: No. 1 in Midwest Region

Final Four results: Beat UCLA 76-66 in national semifinal; beat Ohio State 84-75 in national championship game.

Final record: 35-5


26. Kentucky (2011)
Coach: John Calipari

Top players: Brandon Knight, Terrence Jones, Doron Lamb

Tournament seed: No. 4 in East Region

Final Four results: Lost to Connecticut 56-55 in national semifinal.

Final record: 29-9


27. Kentucky (2012)
Coach: John Calipari

Top players: Anthony Davis, Doron Lamb, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist

Tournament seed: No. 1 in South Region

Final Four results: Beat Louisville 69-61 in national semifinal; beat Kansas 67-59 in national championship game.

Final record: 38-2



28. Florida (2014)
Coach: Billy Donovan

Top players: Casey Prather, Michael Frazier, Scottie Wilbekin

Tournament seed: No. 1 in South Region

Final Four results: Lost to Connecticut 63-53 in national semifinal.

Final record: 36-3


29. Kentucky (2014)
Coach: John Calipari

Top players: Julius Randle, James Young, Aaron Harrison

Tournament seed: No. 8 in Midwest Region

Final Four results: Beat Wisconsin 74-73 in national semifinal; lost to Connecticut 60-54 in national championship game.


30. Kentucky (2015)
Coach: John Calipari

Top players: Aaron Harrison, Karl-Anthony Towns, Devin Booker

Tournament seed: No. 1 in Midwest Region

Final Four results: Lost to Wisconsin 71-64 in national semifinal.

Final record: 38-1




31. South Carolina (2017)
Coach: Frank Martin

Top players: Sindarius Thornwell, PJ Dozier, Chris Silva

Tournament seed: No. 7 in East Region

Final Four results: Lost to Gonzaga 77-73 in national semifinal.

Final record: 26-11


32. Auburn (2019)
Coach: Bruce Pearl

Top players: Bryce Brown, Jared Harper, Chuma Okeke

Tournament seed: No. 5 in Midwest Region

Final Four results: Lost to Virginia 63-62 in national semifinal.

Final record: 30-10


Alabama will add to the league's Final Four legacy beginning on Saturday night.

[jbcarol]

O'Gara: Ranking the SEC's 12 Final Four teams of the 21st century

For the first time in the 2020s, the SEC has a Final Four team.

Alabama got the conference its first Final Four team since, ironically enough, 2019 Auburn. It's interesting to think that if you include 2017 South Carolina, the SEC's 3 most recent Final Four teams all came from predominantly "football schools."

12. 2017 South Carolina
It was an excellent run for Frank Martin's squad to the Final Four, where it beat a trio of top-4 seeds and it nearly knocked off runner-up Gonzaga. The Gamecocks absolutely took advantage of getting those opening weekend games in Greenville, SC and it helped that the Region opened up when No. 1 seed Villanova lost to 8-seed Wisconsin. Sindarius Thornwell and Co. shook off a 3-6 stretch heading into the NCAA Tournament — that's why the 7-seed happened. This was a team that defended its tail off and got hot at the perfect time

11. 2006 LSU
I'll never forget how unstoppable Tyrus Thomas was in the NCAA Tournament and how much I hated it that my Chicago Bulls became convinced that he'd be the face of the franchise because of that NCAA Tournament. Thomas and Glen "Big Baby" Davis were a force in March. There were questions about the SEC that year, and then LSU and Florida both made the Final Four. That team, which felt slighted to only get a 4-seed, deserves a ton of credit for beating 1-seed Duke with a senior JJ Redick, who was held to 3-for-18 shooting in the Sweet 16. But getting blown out by UCLA with a 45-point effort in the Final Four was a tough ending

10. 2014 Kentucky
A decade ago, John Calipari was a master at getting an incredibly talented team to play to its potential at the right time of year. What a concept, I know. That 2014 team was a preseason No. 1 who was a borderline Top-25 squad heading into the postseason. Then it won 5 consecutive NCAA Tournament games by single digits en route to the title game with late-game heroics galore. Aaron Harrison's shot to beat Wisconsin in the Final Four was the stuff of legend, as was when he did it the previous week in the Elite Eight against Michigan. That team had incredible talent, but it gets knocked for double-digit pre-NCAA Tournament losses, as well as how much it played with fire in March.

9. 2024 Alabama
If Alabama shocks the world and beats UConn as a 12-point underdog (via DraftKings Sportsbook), yes, this ranking will change.

8. 2011 Kentucky
When John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins went 1-and-done, the thought was that Calipari's second team in Lexington would again need freshmen stars to maximize its potential. Terrence Jones, Brandon Knight, Doron Lamb — the original hope was that Enes Kanter would be part of that but he was ruled ineligible because he played professionally in Europe — all did that en route to becoming the Cats' 3 leading scorers. Calipari's first Final Four team at Kentucky won all 4 of its NCAA Tournament games by single digits, but it ran into the buzzsaw that was 2011 Kemba Walker

7. 2000 Florida
We don't talk enough about the raw deal the Gators got with a 5-seed after it was no worse than No. 12 in the AP Poll for the entire regular season. Nonetheless, that squad was the first real sense that this "Billy Donovan" guy knew what he was doing. After surviving that first-round scare against Butler — Mike Miller's buzzer-beater in overtime was the difference — the high-powered Florida scoring attack beat its next 4 NCAA Tournament foes by an average of 12.5 points, including a stunning Sweet 16 win against top-seeded Duke with Jay Williams, Shane Battier, Carlos Boozer and Mike Dunleavy. That team couldn't hang with Tom Izzo's "Flintstones" squad that beat all of its NCAA Tournament foes by double digits

6. 2019 Auburn
I know what you're thinking — why have 2019 Auburn ahead of 2000 Florida when the former lost in the semifinals? Fair question. That 2019 Auburn team was a missed double-dribble call from playing in a national championship, and I thought the Tigers would've beaten Texas Tech. I truly believe that 2019 Auburn was much, much closer to being 2006 Florida than some realize. That Jared Harper/Bryce Brown combination was electric, and it speaks volumes that Auburn endured the season-ending Chuma Okeke injury in the middle of the blowout win against top-seed UNC in the Sweet 16 and still advanced to its first Final Four. Beating 3 consecutive blue bloods to do that (Kansas, UNC and Kentucky) was what made that run even more impressive. It's easy to forget that Auburn fouled a 3-point shooter and nearly blew a late lead in the first round against New Mexico State.

5. 2014 Florida
It's a forgotten Donovan team in some ways because it didn't play in a title game. But we forget this team:

A) Was the first team to go 18-0 in SEC play
B) Swept the regular season and conference tournament titles
C) Earned the No. 1 overall seed
D) Won 30 consecutive games entering the Final Four
E) All the above
It's "E." It's always "E."

4. 2006 Florida
Fun fact: In 2006, I remember being a sophomore in high school in the suburbs of Chicago and watching Florida for the first time all year in the SEC Tournament. I was hooked. Joakim Noah became my guy —

3. 2015 Kentucky
I'm admitting that I might've underrated Kentucky. It had all the makings of being the first undefeated Division I national champion since 1975-76 Indiana. But the only reason I didn't put the Cats even higher is I think both 2012 Kentucky and 2007 Florida would've tapped into 2015 Kentucky's weakness because they had a big guy who could stretch the floor.

2. 2012 Kentucky
I have a unique perspective on the SEC's most recent national champ. I was there for the "Watford for the win" game at Indiana, and I was there for the Sweet 16 revenge that the Cats got on IU in the Georgia Dome. In 3 months, that team got so much better. There was a much clearer offensive identity, which was fueled by Anthony Davis becoming Anthony Davis. But what made that team so good was that Davis actually had a bad offensive night in the title game, and yet, that was never in doubt. Doron Lamb became a lockdown shooter, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist was a force driving to the basket and Terrence Jones had the throwback mid-range game that could take over at a moment's notice. That run through the NCAA Tournament was pure dominance. They were significantly better than anyone who took the floor because they could beat you in a variety of ways.

1. 2007 Florida
There's a reason why nobody has repeated since 2006-07 Florida. It's extremely hard. Returning your top 6 players doesn't happen in a normal year, much less when you get extremely hot in March and win a title. That's as unique as it gets. Florida had to grind through certain parts of the regular season. It lost 3 games by double digits to unranked conference foes in the final 2 weeks of the regular season. but it worked through that and played like the team we saw in the previous NCAA Tournament. It didn't matter that Florida faced UCLA in a rematch, or that Greg Oden's Ohio State squad awaited in the national championship. Donovan's squad wouldn't be denied. Sure, you could argue that 2015 Kentucky was more dominant for the majority of the season, but the mental toughness that 2007 Florida showed as the defending champs will stand the test of time.

[jbcarol]

Mark Pope talks title expectations, following Coach Cal on SportsCenter

by:
Jack Pilgrim
•

Mark Pope is finding his groove as the next head coach of Kentucky, crushing his opening introduction at Rupp Arena before doing the same in his debut call-in radio show with Tom Leach. He checked all of the boxes and then some.

Next up? An appearance on ESPN's SportsCenter, a brief afternoon segment Wednesday where he talked about his first days in Lexington and coming down from the high of not only filling up Rupp, but being forced to turn away 5,000 people at his first press conference.

To say it's helped with early recruiting would be an understatement.

"It's amazing. I say this all the time, especially recruiting for the last few days, but I don't know anywhere else that you can go and work hard with a team and hang a banner, then walk back into the gym 30 years later and that's the reception you get," Pope said on SportsCenter. "That is unique to BBN and the Kentucky faithful. It's just an amazing program to be a part of. There's nothing like it."

First up? Expectations and his decision to embrace them at the highest level. Pope understands most coaches tend to temper those big dreams and take this process one step at a time, but he doesn't want to be like most coaches. Coming from experience as a player, he knows shooting for the stars is the only way to do things at Kentucky.

It's on him to land those shots.

"I think the first step is is knowing what the assignment is, right? We talked about this in the press conference, it's tradition and it's universal that when you accept a new head coaching job, you try and manage expectations and kind of set an achievable standard. That just doesn't exist at the University of Kentucky," Pope said. "There's one standard and it never changes. If you hang banners, you're successful and if you don't, you're not. That's one of the things that makes this place special, knowing that going in and embracing that going in is really a part of what we do."