Best BBall Conference in the NCAA?

[peaceloveunderstanding]

Interesting to see what teams, from what conferences are still in the tournament.

Big East 4

ACC 2

SEC 2

Pac Ten 2

Missouri Valley 2

Big 12 1

C-USA 1

West Coast 1

Colonial 1

The Big Ten had been consdered the srongest or second strongest conference all season has no team left in. The Missouri Valley that had had all kinds of comments about having the same number of teams in as the ACC still has the same number of teams in as the ACC. I don't know that anyone thought that George Mason would still be in. I can tell you that Alabama and Kentucky gave UCLA and Connecticut all that they wanted in their matchups.

And the other ACC team is a Big East transplant. The ACC is the third best conference in basketball right now.

Misouri Valley Conference all the way!

[TennBear]

And the other ACC team is a Big East transplant. The ACC is the third best conference in basketball right now.

Misouri Valley Conference all the way!

Let's see who is left in the Tourney:

LSU SEC

Florida SEC

George Mason Colonial

UCLA Pac 10

The SEC is looking very good. Add those two to how well Alabama and Kentucly looked before going down and you might have to rethink how many of you have placed the conferences.

[GoodNews]

go acc

[TennBear]

go acc

Unless your rooting for the Women, they're gone. The Women have three teams in their touney.

[TennBear]

Using the Tourneys as a measure, The SEC was the strongest league this year.

Won NCAA Florida

Made Final Four LSU

Won NIT South Carolina (2nd year in a row)

[krazeeboi]

So much for the "second rate" SEC.

[NCB]

So much for the "second rate" SEC.

Yea seriously. The SEC showed what it's made of in the tourney.

[PghUSA]

SEC as the premier basketball conference?!

Those football frat houses might disagree with that all over the south lol.

Lucky year I think, the ACC and BE hit their highs to early this season and didn't have any gas left in the tank for the postseason. I'll end the BE/ACC tie if the SEC has a few final four shows next year. Just got lucky this year.

[NCB]

I'll end the BE/ACC tie if the SEC has a few final four shows next year. Just got lucky this year.

I wouldn't call it luck. LSU and Florida were both very solid basketball teams who pulled it together and won when it counted. LSU played at Ohio State early in the year and lost in the final seconds, and played at UConn, and lost by one point. Their young age was a problem at the beginning of the year, but they pulled it together towards the end. Florida played well the whole year, and just kept moving forward after some tough losses and upsets. South Carolina was just a good basketball team. They upset Florida late in the season, made it to the SEC Championship Game, and went on to win the NIT. Arkansas and Kentucky both struggled at the beginning of the year, but also pulled it together when it mattered most, and Alabama played solid basketball through the whole year, and had a great showing in the NCAA Tourney against UCLA.

Luck? No.

Talent, coaching, and great play when it mattered most? I would say so.

I don't think the SEC needs to land more than one team in the Final Four next year to prove that it's a premier basketball conference, it just needs to continue to have teams playing well in the Tourney, and hopefully get a few teams into the Sweet 16.

[PghUSA]

Well if there are 3-4 teams in the Sweet Sixteen and some move on to the Elite Eight I'll grant you the SEC might be here to stay. Wasn't it just a few years ago that some mid-major conference had a lucky streak at the end of the season with 2 teams, people don't remember conference strength based on one or even two seasons but on a consistent showing at the S16 E8 or F4 level year in and year out decade after decade. That's why if the SEC doesn't have more then one team getting past the S16 in the next or next few seasons, it might just have been lucky. We will see I guess, but my problem with this year was that UCLA at best is up and coming and hasn't arrived yet, and to my recollection the closest calls by both SEC teams were against BE and ACC opponents. In hockey they would say that this season was decided by only a strange "bounce of the puck" with those contests being so close. Again might be mixing things up a bit but that is my recollection. SEC has nothing to be ashamed of but having watched college hoops for awhile I wouldn't be shocked to see them fade as fast as they got hot this season.

[eastsider]

Huh, the SEC hasn't been consistent year in, year out. If you look at the last 20 years you see:

SEC: 12 final four appearances - 7 final two - 4 championships

compared to:

Big East: 7 - 6 - 3

PAC 10: 7 - 4 - 2

Big XII: 10 - 4 - 1

Big 10: 15 - 7 - 3

ACC: 20 - 10 - 6

Looks to me like the SEC holds it own with the second most championships and third most final fours over the last two decades.

[krazeeboi]

And the stats don't lie!

[PghUSA]

eastsider,

good # crunching, but you failed to account for two things, first 20 years ago was 1987 not 1986 so you need to eliminate LSU's F4 '86 run, but I get your point, in the last generation or so etc.

If you wanted to give it a fair look though (starting with '86) the BE should really read:

4 Titles, 7 Title Games, 11 Final Fours

21 is an odd number, last generation (25 years or back to 1982) is a much more widely accepted mark for judging eras and success or failure. With the #s crunched there the BE reads:

5 Titles, 10 Title Games, 17 Final Fours

The SEC reads:

4 Titles, 7 Title Games, 13 Final Fours

There is a problem though when you consider the perception of the SEC as UK and "everybody else" when you take out the SouthEasternConference's snowbelt school it reveals that the SEC in roundball might just be Kentucky's stomping ground:

SEC snowless division in the last generation:

2 Titles, 4 Title Games, 8 Final Fours

5 Titles, 10 Title Games, 17 Final Fours for BE pretty spread out among Gtown, UConn, Syracuse, and Louisville, among others.

[TennBear]

eastsider,

good # crunching, but you failed to account for two things, first 20 years ago was 1987 not 1986 so you need to eliminate LSU's F4 '86 run, but I get your point, in the last generation or so etc.

If you wanted to give it a fair look though (starting with '86) the BE should really read:

4 Titles, 7 Title Games, 11 Final Fours

21 is an odd number, last generation (25 years or back to 1982) is a much more widely accepted mark for judging eras and success or failure. With the #s crunched there the BE reads:

5 Titles, 10 Title Games, 17 Final Fours

The SEC reads:

4 Titles, 7 Title Games, 13 Final Fours

There is a problem though when you consider the perception of the SEC as UK and "everybody else" when you take out the SouthEasternConference's snowbelt school it reveals that the SEC in roundball might just be Kentucky's stomping ground:

SEC snowless division in the last generation:

2 Titles, 4 Title Games, 8 Final Fours

5 Titles, 10 Title Games, 17 Final Fours for BE pretty spread out among Gtown, UConn, Syracuse, and Louisville, among others.

I like the fact that you are counting Louisville. One disapointing year in the conference and all of their past is there for the conference to claim. I, for one, do not think that any conference is the best every year. The Big East has a fine history in Basketball and is year in and year out one of the top conferences. I think that the SEC has been underrated year in and year out. While not normally in the top two, it is usually in the top four. This year was a good year for the SEC in the tournament. It was also another year in which the conference was considered down by the reporters all year. I also heard mention that The ACC, Big East, and Big Ten would be much stronger next year becasue they are young. The SEC was one of the youngest conferences this year. Alabama should have a full roster next year, they had 8 players at the end of the year and they nearly made it to the Elite Eight. Tennessee will have a full compliment of players next year. Another SEC team that did not have a full squad. If you look at the SEC East, every team looks like they could make it to the NCAAs next year. The SEC West has LSU and Alabama. Arkansas was not that far away and Mississippi State will not stay down for long. The Big East looks like a mess. Oh yes, they will have good teams. They may even get eight into the NCAAs, but Sixteen Teams and not having divisions is a joke. The Big East is about the worst planned mishmash that there is in sports. some of it is of their own making and some of it is the outcome of events. I can't see the Big East staying together like it is for long. I think that there will be too many unhappy members.

[eastsider]

good # crunching, but you failed to account for two things, first 20 years ago was 1987 not 1986 so you need to eliminate LSU's F4 '86 run, but I get your point, in the last generation or so etc.

If you wanted to give it a fair look though (starting with '86) the BE should really read:

4 Titles, 7 Title Games, 11 Final Fours

I didn't count LSU in '86 and got 12 final four appearances in 20 years, but if you want to count '86 then I get:

SEC: 4 titles - 7 title games - 13 final fours

BE: 3 titles - 6 title games - 7 final fours

21 is an odd number, last generation (25 years or back to 1982) is a much more widely accepted mark for judging eras and success or failure. With the #s crunched there the BE reads:

5 Titles, 10 Title Games, 17 Final Fours

The SEC reads:

4 Titles, 7 Title Games, 13 Final Fours

Over a 25 year period I get:

SEC: 4 - 7 - 15

BE: 5 - 10 - 12

ACC: 8 - 13 - 24

Big 10: 3 - 7 - 15

Big XII: 1 - 4 - 11

Pac 10: 2 - 4 - 7

Wasn't aware the Louisville was a member of the Big East in 1986, but I'll give you credit for being creative. I guess with that logic though, the ACC won the football national championship 1983, 1987, 1989, 1991, & 2001.

[PghUSA]

Hey works for me . . . lol, you sure on that math, I couldn't have been that off.

Every kid in America looks at Miami as ACC so if Miami comes out and says hey we were 5 time national champions, those fans think ACC not BE. The ACC can have UM those cheats deserve a school like that

[BHCav]

ACC

[rivercity123]

I think the SEC is gonna be fairly strong this year season. Florida, Alabama, LSU, Kentucky, and Tennessee all in the top 25. The preseason poll is doin'm justice. So, SEC might pose a bigger threat than they did last year.

[fooman03]

ACC is probably the most prestigous conference. But SEC is packed with a lot of talent this year and should be pretty competitive.

[rivercity123]

ACC is probably the most prestigous conference. But SEC is packed with a lot of talent this year and should be pretty competitive.

[fooman03]

I dont think Florida will last very long at number 1, I think this could be like last year when the number 1 team changes pretty often. I will say that I believe UNC will be very good this year, they had an amazing incoming class of freshman and have loads of talent on that team.

[NcSc74]

The new rules for the NBA should bring back the old days of domination for most ACC teams. UNC and Duke have been bleeding talent to the NBA. Especially Duke. As for now it is hard to tell but I say it is a toss up. My heart is ACC but Wake was a major disappointment. Losing Chris Paul really did them in. NCstate has a new coach now and in all fairness should have not gotten rid of Sendek. UNC has talent and a deep bench but it is the youth that bothers me. If they can play consistantly then I don't any reason why the can't win it all. Of course Duke is restocking and really I don't see them making much noise. It is the same ole problem with them...no bench. Marlyand needs to step up also. It seems they got hit with the NBA bug also but all of that should change. As for Virginia they are another disappointment also. The big east is good but when it comes down to tourney time the only guys that represent for you is UCONN. The big ten... welll the proof is in the pudding. The ACC has owned the you guys and I don't see that changing at all. I look forward to the UNC/Ohio state game and we will be able to see if all the hype about both teams is for real.

[nowensone]

My opinions on this thread's subject are too strong to post on this site, and wouldn't be completely bias free, though I will say that a couple of game announcers in the Big Ten in particular are far too biased and openly talk about how their conference is superior to others and via name how those other conferences are inferior. If doesn't help that they are completely full of sh!t, after all, it is hard for anyone to say the ACC is inferior, or any of several others, such as the BE, with a straight face. I know CB announcers are known for being dramatic (ahemvalvanoahem), but these guys are over the top.

[jungletobacco]

the ACC will have UNC and Boston College but thats all. the best conference in the NCAA is the SEC. Florida Tennessee Kentucky LSU and Alabama.

[swh1972]

I think the BigTen has been easy to overlook, but come tourney time, at least over the past seven or eight years, there seem to be quite a few BigTen teams that make it to make the Final Four. Just off the top of my head, I think the temas to make it include Michigan State, Illinois, Ohio State, Wisconsin, and Indiana. I don't know of many conferences that have this kind of balance. Big East is the same way, but the ACC is generally UNC, Duke, and a battle for third place.