The SEC often produces many of college basketball’s top teams, but the conference’s regular-season potency has not translated to much success in the national championship race of late. The 2012 Kentucky Wildcats are the last national champion to emerge from the league, and John Calipari’s 2014 squad was the last to reach the title game. In a year where the SEC could send up to eight teams to the NCAA Tournament, though, and with so much elite offense residing within the conference, perhaps the upcoming postseason will provide a breakthrough.
Auburn coach Bruce Pearl suggested during the conference tournament that the SEC is poised for a successful trip to the Big Dance, pointing to the league’s coaching staffs and numerous prolific offenses as assets conducive to deep postseason runs.
“I think our league is prepared to make a run in March,” Pearl said after defeating South Carolina in an 86-55 rout. “A bunch of us are. You saw a Mississippi State team beat a potential one-seed in Tennessee start to finish. They finished ninth in our league. Arkansas beat Duke at home, finished 10th in our league
