SEC’s surprising run boosts league’s image
MEMPHIS — The “S-E-C!” chant so well known at football games across the South is coming to the Elite Eight.
Best known for winning national championships on the gridiron, the Southeastern Conference has more men’s basketball teams than any other league still alive and playing for a trip to the Final Four. It’s not unfamiliar territory for SEC powers Florida and Kentucky, but they have been joined by upstart South Carolina, which is making its first trip to a regional final in the NCAA tournament.
“No,” Kentucky coach John Calipari said sarcastically when asked about three SEC teams advancing. “There are not three SEC teams in the Elite Eight. We’re supposed to be a bad league. That’s got to be all these other leagues, right?”
Nope. The SEC, which struggled to get three teams into the bracket a year ago, sent two more teams to the regional finals than any other league, including the heralded
“There are not three SEC teams in the Elite Eight. We’re supposed to be a bad league. That’s got to be all these other leagues, right?”
— KENTUCKY COACH
JOHN CALIPARI
Atlantic Coast Conference, which sent nine teams to the tournament.
Seventh-seeded South Carolina throttled third-seeded Baylor 70-50 Thursday in the first semifinal of the East Region in New York. A day later, second-seeded Kentucky followed by knocking off No. 3 seed UCLA 86-75 in the South
Region to set up a final today with top-seeded North Carolina, the only ACC team to reach the Sweet 16.
And back in New York, East Region No. 4 seed Florida needed overtime and a buzzer-beater by Chris Chiozza late Friday night for a thrilling 84-83 win over eighth-seeded Wisconsin to continue the SEC’s postseason success.
Kentucky freshman standout De’Aaron Fox noted Florida blew the Wildcats out in Gainesville and that South Carolina was ranked when they played.
“I mean, right now, they’re just showing them how strong our conference is,” Fox said. “Three teams in the Elite Eight. Man, that’s tough to do. That’s almost 50 percent of the field.”
After the Sweet 16, the SEC was 10-2 with a .833 winning percentage that was the best of any league in the tournament.
The conference is guaranteed to take a loss today — but then it’s also guaranteed a win and a spot in the Final Four as Florida and South Carolina meet at Madison Square Garden. The SEC has been making sure people in the Big Apple know the league is in town with ads in case anyone is missing the action on the court.
SEC commissioner Greg Sankey made sure he was at the Garden and enjoying those “S-E-C!” chants. He wore a garnet tie for South Carolina in the first semifinal, then changed to blue-and-orange neckwear for Florida in the nightcap.
Florida coach Mike White said the SEC is a conference known for football but also basketball, gymnastics and softball.
The Gators won the 2006 and 2007 NCAA tournaments, and Florida is tied with North Carolina for the most Elite Eight berths since 2006 with seven. Just behind with six in that span are the Wildcats, whose eight national championships — with the most recent one under Calipari in 2012 — are second all-time behind UCLA’s 11.
White believes the SEC has established momentum in the sport despite some negativity about the conference possibly underachieving the past couple of years.
“We know the potential, and I think that our conference … is full of good coaches, tremendous talent, a lot of young talent, ” White said. “Recruiting classes continue to get stronger and stronger, and we have three in the Elite Eight.
“And who knows — I mean, I think the SEC’s going to be better next year, I really do. With the guys that are coming back, and again the young talent that will continue to grow within our league.”