SEC looks to put 3 in Elite 8

[tigers68]

The rest of the country has yet to notice, but the SEC has really actually started TRYING to be good in basketball.  Hell, the coaching hires alone should tell you that.  Rick Barnes hired at Tennessee, Bruce Pearl at Auburn, Ben Howland at Miss. St, and now Cuonzo Martin is back in the conference at Missouri (and they landed the biggest recruiting coup of the year in MPJr), Frank Martin at USCe.  Folks the SEC is about to become a BEAR of a basketball conference.  I predict that in three years, half the teams in the conference will make the NCAA Tournament.

[Atlhogfan1]

The rest of the country has yet to notice, but the SEC has really actually started TRYING to be good in basketball.  Hell, the coaching hires alone should tell you that.  Rick Barnes hired at Tennessee, Bruce Pearl at Auburn, Ben Howland at Miss. St, and now Cuonzo Martin is back in the conference at Missouri (and they landed the biggest recruiting coup of the year in MPJr), Frank Martin at USCe.  Folks the SEC is about to become a BEAR of a basketball conference.  I predict that in three years, half the teams in the conference will make the NCAA Tournament.

It is why the mediocrity has gotten deeper and we have fewer truly bad teams.  More competitive teams.  Still don't believe enough programs truly care i.e. LSU. 

[RME]

So it's crazy to think that the Hogs would have beaten Butler tonight and gone to the Elite 8 if they had made it past UNC (hard to deny how much of an influence officiating had on their ability maintain and hold their lead)? And the games are in Memphis? Really? That's the stuff Clay Travis makes fun of us for? Don't think so.

Crazy to think we would've won it? No, absolutely not.

But to act like it's a certainty? The poster said, "This team really made a sweet 16- final 4."
Yeah. That's a little outlandish.

[ShadowHawg]

It is why the mediocrity has gotten deeper and we have fewer truly bad teams.  More competitive teams.  Still don't believe enough programs truly care i.e. LSU.

Half the conference pays more for their coaches than we do. Nothing is a greater indication of "caring" than that.

[revolution]

Notice how ESPN and all the major media outlets are running stories today touting the SEC for having 3 of the Elite 8 teams, no other conference more than one?

They just can't get away from their pre-conceived narrative.  Before UCLA and Arizona went down, they were ready to anoint the PAC 12 as the best performing conference, with a nod to the SEC for doing better than expected.

If the ACC or Big East or even Big 12 or Big 10 had 3 teams in the Elite 8, we would be inundated with the media telling us how they had proved they were the top conference.

East and West coast media has SEC-envy.  Quick to bash, slow to appreciate.

[Dominicanhog]

I think one of the real travesties not discussed is how the top 4 seeds of the SEC had to play in only 2 Regions.. no way  they should be playing each other..

No other conference had their top 4 seeds in less than 3 regions, I think ACC, B1G, P12 all had their top 5 in 4 regions ..   SEC had 5 teams in 3 regions..

[YtownHog]

I think one of the real travesties not discussed is how the top 4 seeds of the SEC had to play in only 2 Regions.. no way  they should be playing each other..

No other conference had their top 4 seeds in less than 3 regions, I think ACC, B1G, P12 all had their top 5 in 4 regions ..   SEC had 5 teams in 3 regions..

This is big.  I said when the brackets were revealed that it was crap they stuck the best 4 teams in 2 regions.  There's absolutely no need to do that.