Busting Brackets
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SEC Basketball: Buy or sell Kentucky, Tennessee and LSU

By Joe Cook-Shugart

LEXINGTON, KY - JANUARY 12: John Calipari the head coach of the Kentucky Wildcats gives instructions to his team against the Vanderbilt Commodores at Rupp Arena on January 12, 2019 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
LEXINGTON, KY - JANUARY 12: John Calipari the head coach of the Kentucky Wildcats gives instructions to his team against the Vanderbilt Commodores at Rupp Arena on January 12, 2019 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /
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LEXINGTON, KY – FEBRUARY 06: Admiral Schofield #5 of the Tennessee Volunteers celebrates during the 61-59 win against the Kentucky Wildcats in the game at Rupp Arena on February 6, 2018 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
LEXINGTON, KY – FEBRUARY 06: Admiral Schofield #5 of the Tennessee Volunteers celebrates during the 61-59 win against the Kentucky Wildcats in the game at Rupp Arena on February 6, 2018 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

SEC Basketball is one of the most top-heavy conferences in all of college hoops. LSU, Tennessee, and Kentucky lead the way at the top, and all three teams are capable of winning the conference and making a deep March run. Who will actually pull it off, and who will be sent home early?

While the depth of the league does not compare to that of the Big Ten and ACC, the 1-2-3 punch of the SEC could compete with any conference in college basketball. Kentucky is a blue-blooded juggernaut, Tennessee is primed to compete for a conference title for the second year in a row, and Will Wade’s LSU squad is one of the hottest teams in the country.

There exists a stereotype outside of the SEC’s geographic footprint that the conference and its fans (outside of Big Blue Nation) are really all about football. Frankly, I’m not buying that take (there is your first buy or sell of the article). There are far too many good teams and far too much quality basketball for fans of these schools to not take notice of and enjoy.

Based on a study performed last season, the SEC has the third-best winning percentage (excluding defunct conferences) in the NCAA tournament since the field expanded to 64 teams, behind only the ACC and the Big East. The three teams mentioned above are vital to maintaining that successful track record in March. Having said that, I’m not certain that they are all capable of carrying their weight come tournament time.

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