By Marc Lawrence — The big question entering the SEC tourney this season is what to expect from long-time kingpin Kentucky?
For a team that has endured only its 2nd losing season since 1926-27 – one that has made 59 NCAA Tournament appearances, with 17 Final Fours and 8 Championships – they will need a major breakthrough in the SEC tourney (read: win every game) should they hope to return this year.
Perhaps our AWESOME ANGLE in this week’s PlaybookSports Basketball Newsletter will serve them well, as they are 21-2-1 ATS in the SEC tourney with a sub .850 win percentage when facing greater than .600 opponents.
We’ll learn today just how far they have fallen
NCAA Bubble Tournament
According to Jay Bilas of ESPN, the argument of whether the Big Dance would ultimately arrive at the finish line – the NCAA Bubble Tournament in Indianapolis – was never truly in doubt.
The only question was how many hoops would the game of hoops have to jump through – and at what cost.
Now, the NCAA Tournament Bubble Selection Committee will take over and make judgments on the vastly different résumés put before it.
Many will argue that this is the most difficult task in tournament history. Everyone will talk about eye tests and metrics. Football has a cutoff point of No. 5 to get into the title tourney. Basketball has two doors of entry into the title tourney: the automatic bid door and the at-large door. That is beyond fair.
The problem lies in the fact that the “little guy” doesn’t get as many opportunities for high-value wins, especially at the end of the season. That perception is true.
The playing field is not level – and with 350-plus teams, how could it be? The most galling part of the year for the “little guy” is this week – Championship Week – a time when the bottom drops out for most “little guys”.
All they can do is win the automatic bid. That’s it. The regular-season hay is in the barn.
To view Bilas’ Top 68 teams in advance of Selection Sunday, click here. FYI: Sitting precariously at 68 is Davidson.
Trending Today
When Gonzaga beat BYU, 88-78, to win the West Coast Conference championship on Tuesday, they rallied from a 10-point halftime deficit.
The win was the 23rd in a row by double-digits and marked the first time in 10 seasons they managed to overcome a halftime margin of 10 or more points.
