NCAA tournament: SEC (Georgia) has passed ACC (Tech)
Georgia has punctuated SEC's rise in basketball by making tournament. (Jason Getz/AJC)
Georgia obviously is ahead of Georgia Tech in basketball right now.
But has the SEC also moved past the ACC?
When the NCAA tournament field was announced Sunday night, the SEC had more teams (five) in the bracket than the ACC (four — and that includes Clemson, which must play a preliminary round game against Alabama-Birmingham Tuesday).
The ACC has two of the top six teams in the country, Duke and North Carolina, according to RPI. But the conference was obviously down this season. The SEC is on the rise, led by the improvement at Georgia under coach Mark Fox.
This isn’t a debate about “tradition” but rather where things are at right now. After Kentucky beat Florida Sunday, and before the tournament field was announced, coach John Calipari said: “I hope, I really hope, that Georgia’s in. I really hope that Alabama’s in. I really do. This league is better than everybody wants to give it credit for. The coaching and the players are outstanding. And there were talking heads today — I usually don’t listen to Digger Phelps because he’s usually wrong — but he said that when those teams get in the tournament, they win games. And I’m telling you, we lost to both of those teams [Georgia and Alabama]. They will win games.”
(Postscript: Alabama didn’t get in, despite being Georgia in the final regular season game and in the conference tournament.)
Here are the two conference’s tournament teams, including RPI.
♦ ACC: Duke (5), North Carolina (6), Florida State (46), Clemson (57)
♦ SEC: Florida (10), Kentucky (12), Vanderbilt (26), Tennessee (36), Georgia (39).
Seems kind of obvious which conference is better right now, doesn’t it?
By Jeff Schultz
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241 comments Add your comment
jhoffman
March 14th, 2011
10:47 am
I propose we try an ACC-SEC challenge to test this theory. Over or under: the SEC would win 3.5 games…under
RambleOn84
March 14th, 2011
10:48 am
Schultzie,
You won’t be bought while I’m around. I may not have the influence or audience you do, but I won’t be undercut by anyone. I can currently be bought by little more than a pat on the back.
Tiger Blood
March 14th, 2011
10:48 am
Calipari said the same s**t ever year when he was cheating his way through C-USA.
murfdawg
March 14th, 2011
10:49 am
Maybe next year they can have a ACC vs SEC in basketball. I’m sure the ACC has gotten tired of beating the Big 10/11/12 every year.
joe
March 14th, 2011
10:49 am
GA over Tech, maybe, but Duke > KY, UNC > FL, so ACC still better at the top.
Typical Democrat
March 14th, 2011
10:50 am
This is all George Bush’s fault.
JSS
March 14th, 2011
10:54 am
@ Jeff Schultz…
No doubt, Price has come a LONG way; but he’s a Chuck E. Cheese version of Stanley Roberts… I’m just glad it is almost over… They better hope the NBA does an NFL style lockout and scares off the underclassmen…
That triple post offense requires continuity. If they leave, that is like Jordan and Pippen hitting the road, you suddenly transform into Tim Floyd!
Hewitt Fan
March 14th, 2011
10:54 am
@Jeff
you are 100% right…The SEC is 20x better than the ACC..I like how the refs let the kids play over there..Either you have good players or you dont!…Kentucky is the traditional power, but the refs give them nothing..If Ole miss has the best team, they will win the conference..In the ACC Duke and NC are going to be 1 and 2 no matter what!.I noticed the PLAYERS are the STARS of the SEC not the coaches…In the ACC its all about the COACHES..Coach K this, Coach K that..The ACC is a joke..I was happy that VT and BC sorry a$%’es were not invited to the NCAAS!…
Hewitt Fan
March 14th, 2011
10:55 am
@Jeff
If you put Duke on the court with Florida without ACC refs, Florida wins by 25 easily!..UGA would blow Duke out by 10 at least with decent refs!
5150 UOAD
March 14th, 2011
10:56 am
The GREAT BASKETBALL CHALLANGE was the ACC Big EAST challenge a few years back. The Big East stopped it because the ACC was killing them and their chances at High seedings in the NCAA Tourney. An ACC SEC Challenge will never happen. The SEC is scared to even try to go head-to-head against the ACC. That right there tells the truth if the SEC is better than the ACC.
RambleOn84
March 14th, 2011
10:57 am
Wow Jeff, you have a VERY credible supporter in “Hewitt Fan.”
" WE ARE ............
March 14th, 2011
10:57 am
“Well, um, ah, we may not be much in football but for sure WE ARE a basketball school (GT) or a basketball conference.” Right???????????????
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAH
SEC has done it again.
GTBob
March 14th, 2011
10:57 am
UGA would blow Duke out by 10 at least with decent refs!
You are reaching new levels of insane.
5150 UOAD
March 14th, 2011
10:58 am
Hewitt Fan
Give it a rest. THE REFS the refs it is all the refs. DUDE go love on your little Atlanta Celtics and scream and intimidate the AAU refs.
Luke
March 14th, 2011
11:00 am
RPI doesn’t take into account close/blowout losses. That being said, only two teams will realistically make it to the Sweet 16 – Florida and Kentucky. Tennessee will hit a brick wall when they play Duke, Washington is the most explosive seed under 4 in the tournament, and Vandy has a trend of fizzling out in the tournament (Richmond is also a tough team to prepare for). out of them all, none of them make it to the Elite 8.
As far as the SEC having 5 teams and the ACC having 4, one can argue that VT and BC should have made the tournament over the likes of VCU and UAB, but having a play-in game of the same conference just does not make sense. I’m almost certain that if Georgia, Alabama, or even Florida played in the ACC, they’d be middle of the pack with Maryland and Miami.
Beast from the East
March 14th, 2011
11:01 am
Anyone that follows college hoops knows that the ACC is usually the best…..usually. I don’t think that is the case this year. I think people will be surprised at the SEC’s showing in the tournament. The conference was tough this year and I think that we could have as many as 3 teams make the Sweet 16. Having said that, we could also have none. That’s the beauty of the tournament. It’s all decided on the court……not by voters.
DawginLex
March 14th, 2011
11:03 am
Jay Bilas is right. The NCAA is watered down this year. No great teams so the thing is wide open as to who can win it.
Florida as a 2 seed is a joke. That decision was made before they lost to Kentucky. It must have gotten down to needing a 2 seed and a 4 seed and they didn’t feel UK was worthy of the 2.
The ACC is a crapfest this year. Duke is very good but UNC is up and down. It comes down to matchups. florida got a better draw than UK even though UK is clearly better than them now.
PFFT
March 14th, 2011
11:04 am
The ACC still won 5 national titles over the past decade. It just got more polarized as DukeUNC separated themselves from the rest of the field.
JSS
March 14th, 2011
11:06 am
Luke
March 14th, 2011
11:00 am
“RPI doesn’t take into account close/blowout losses.”
The RPI doesn’t but the Selection Committee does in assessing team performance. And it killed a lot of teams chances.
JDawg1785
March 14th, 2011
11:08 am
I am a total SEC homer and am proud that the conference outdid the ACC this year in hoops. That being said, just because the Dawgs enjoyed a better season than their in-state ACC rivals doesn’t mean the conference has surpassed the ACC in the sport as a whole. I know I’d much rather face Kentucky in the tournament than Duke.
Enrique Palazzo
March 14th, 2011
11:10 am
I never understood the ACC’s claim about being superior…if you look at the all time #’s, at total national championships, etc, it is very even between the ACC and SEC. I think a lot of people forget about Kentucky’s dominance in the past, which rivals UNC’s or Duke’s.
DawginLex
March 14th, 2011
11:10 am
Kentucky has 7 national titles.
Florida has 2
Arkansas has 1
Beast from the East
March 14th, 2011
11:12 am
DawginLex,
Why is UF a joke at #2? They went 13-3 in the regular season then 2-1 in the conf tourney. Both wins were over tourney teams. They had an awful day shooting the ball against UK and lost. It happens to the best of teams. Their RPI is as high as #8. Their SOS is #4. Again, why is a 2 seed a joke? Don’t let your hatred for all things UF cloud your judgement.
Ben
March 14th, 2011
11:16 am
Beast from the East, I was about to post the same thing. UF had a GREAT season. UNC got beat down in the ACC title game as well. Does that mean that UNC is a joke? No, it means anyone can be beat but the committee rewarded UNC and UF for their SEASON. Both were regular season conference Champs.
They completely deserve a #2 seed and could do some damage in this tourney. (and I’m a Georgia fan)
DawginLex
March 14th, 2011
11:17 am
Not hating at all. Florida is good. It has been stated by many folks that they are overseeded. They are a 3 at best and maybe a 4.
They got a huge break and they have the best road to the Final Four of all the SEC teams.
UK’s bracket is loaded.
DawginLex
March 14th, 2011
11:20 am
ACC/SEC challenge?
Kentucky opens with Duke next year.
Beast from the East
March 14th, 2011
11:21 am
DawginLex,
UF went 11-3 against the RPI top 50. Maybe there is another school in the country that had that many wins over quality teams, but if there is I’m not aware of it. I think their resume speaks for itself. Now, I just hope we don’t get bounced early….lol!
Hewitt Fan
March 14th, 2011
11:21 am
@GTBob
If UGA played Duke, UGA would have the best 2 players on the court, Trey(CELTIC) and Lesile..FLA,KEN, and Vandy all have more talent than Duke..I was happy when they sent Duke out west and not to Charlotte with ACC refs like they do most years…If Fox would play his bench and quit the Booby Cremins iron man system, they will beat NC…Remember what happened to Duke last time they were sent out west..VCU 79 Coach k 77…When other conference refs do Duke games, they are not scared to blow the whistle at all…They make them play and then you see that Duke is protected by the ACC refs…In the VCU game, Paulus tried the famous DUKE FLOP and the ref looked at him like he was stupid…
DawginLex
March 14th, 2011
11:22 am
Your bracket is there for the taking.
But Pitt will be a tough game but that would be Elite 8
GTBob
March 14th, 2011
11:22 am
Florida is good but they should never have been a 2 seed over Kentucky or Uconn. They are easily the worst of the 2 seeds. It probably should have been Kentucky as a 3 and Florida as a 4.
3-4
March 14th, 2011
11:22 am
Nice Schultz. Stir the pot my friend. It’s your job and you did great. Its a good debate and one that can be argued just like the VT snub. VCU over VT? Since VCU gets into NCAA, they are better than VT or Bama?
Ncaa Tournament | Video, Torrent, Downloads | Poodlesnatcher
March 14th, 2011
11:24 am
[...] NCAA tournament: SEC (Georgia) has passed ACC (Tech) | Jeff Schultz – Jeff Schultz [...]
RambleOn84
March 14th, 2011
11:26 am
Individual<team play, "Hewitt Fan."
What you AAU morons don't realize is how you are ruining the game by focusing on nothing but talent and the NBA.
You hate Coach K because he takes less talented (but still very talented) guys and consistently wins. He gets them to play together and it WORKS.
So sit down, shut up, and observe a winner on Duke's sidelines…cuz we all know you'll never be one with your horrible attitude.
Texas Pete
March 14th, 2011
11:26 am
The SEC passes the eye test this season but I am not willing to disrespect the ACC and say that the SEC has passed them in basketball. The SEC has become just as capable at producing elite caliber teams but the ACC might still be better top to bottom and is more consistent. The ACC has always been about Duke and UNC with a random draw of some other team having a great season. The SEC used to be all Kentucky and Arkansas but has quickly evolved to Florida, Kentucky, and Tennessee being consistent quality programs with several others having their random ups and downs.
All that said, ACC basketball is nowhere near SEC football. Sure, Duke and UNC produce a lot of basketball titles but that’s about it. Every once in awhile a team like Tech or WF sneaks into the Final Four but there is hardly any signficant depth to ACC basketball to put it in the discussion of SEC football.
SEC football has produced 4 different BCS Champions the past 10 years and 5 if you want to add in UT’s national championship a few more years back. Aside from that, the SEC typically has several teams in the final Top 10 as well as more just outside each year. I think that is a better display of depth without worrying about bowl and tournament invites or wins and loses.
A lot of people would argue that the Big East is more elite than the ACC in basketball as of late and are closer to SEC football than ACC basketball when measuring performance from top to bottom year in and year out.
Jeff Schultz
March 14th, 2011
11:28 am
RambleOn84 — They can both be indicators but not necessarily. The only standard in football to make a bowl is that you must win six games and conferences have automatic bowl tie-ins. Neither is the case in basketball. It’s all on merit.
yeah
March 14th, 2011
11:29 am
Going by SEC football fan logic the top teams in the ACC are better( elite is the word many use) and thus this makes the ACC the better conference. The ACC had somewhat of a down year but Duke and UNC are good teams with loads of talent….either one or both could make a run to the final four….I dont see an SEC team that can honestly. The ACC lost some good coaches recently and Maryland had a down year. Luckily, Paul Hewitt is gone, and Sidney Lowe will probably follow. The ACC needs GT to get back to its former level, and NC State used to be a consistently good program…they will get back to that with the right coach. Wake Forest really screwed itself over by firing Dino…VT, UM, and UVA will fade back into irrelevance when GT and NC State get back to top form. Clemson is looking pretty good with the hire they made, and I expect GT and NC State to make similar progress under good coaches…whomever they may be. If you want to see how important SEC basketball is you should have been in the dome this weekend…the place was half empty.
Jeff Schultz
March 14th, 2011
11:29 am
RambleOn84 — By the way, you did undercut me. Lowest bid I would accept is pat on the back and either 2 beers or 1 scotch.
Jeff Schultz
March 14th, 2011
11:30 am
JSS — If I were Mark Fox and you called me Tim Floyd, I’d run you over with a Winnebago.
FAN
March 14th, 2011
11:30 am
There is not 1 team in the SEC that Duke wouldn’t completely and utterly man handle!
Jeff Schultz
March 14th, 2011
11:31 am
Hewitt Fan — I’m looking forward/hoping to see some good ACC/SEC matchups in this tournament. I’m curious.
yeah
March 14th, 2011
11:34 am
Texas Pete….Maryland? Hello! They had an amazing run during the early 2000s. NC State has a storied history as well. I agree that Duke and UNC dominate, but other teams have consistently good to great programs in the ACC. Also GT was one game away from another Title….also Wake hasnt made a final four since 1962…just saying. I think the SEC is to football as the ACC is to basketball…its a very fair comparison.
dawggirl
March 14th, 2011
11:35 am
Okay, so off-topic, but does Tony Barnhart not work for the AJC anymore? He was supposed to return today, and now his last blog saying that has been deleted off the UGA page.
Best of luck to the Dawgs on Friday!
Beast from the East
March 14th, 2011
11:35 am
@ yeah,
I was at the dome on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The dome was not half empty. UK brought about 20,000 fans. When their games were over about 30-40% of their fans left.The announced attendance yesterday was 21,400. The four day total was a little over 195,000 people. I’d hardly call that empty.
GTBob
March 14th, 2011
11:35 am
Hewitt Fan, lets look at the four common opponents that Duke and UGA had this season.
UAB: Duke wins by 21, UGA wins by 2.
St Louis: Duke wins by 37, UGA wins by 2.
GT: Duke wins by 22, UGA wins by 1.
Temple: Duke wins by 17, UGA loses by 7.
The average difference in those games was Duke by 25 points. Not to mention Duke just won their conference tournament are a 1 seed and are defending National Champions. To claim that UGA would beat them by at least 10 points is utterly insane. Regardless of your stupid ref conspiracy theories.
Jeff Schultz
March 14th, 2011
11:36 am
3-4 — I’m not on the Virginia Tech-got-screwed bandwagon at all. Virginia Tech ranked 64th in RPI. VCU 49th. That’s not everything but it’s significant. But I agree that, despite RPI, Alabama has a good argument for the 2 late wins over Georgia.
yeah
March 14th, 2011
11:38 am
I went thursday and friday. UK was the only team that drew a significant crowd. It was kind of boring to be honest…it just doesn’t feel like a big east or ACC game. Hang your hat on UK fans if you like, but every other team had very little fans there supporting them…even UGA.
Jeff Schultz
March 14th, 2011
11:39 am
Dawggirl — Tony actually hasn’t been an AJC employee for a couple of years almost but he was free-lancing back blogs (like Mr. College Football). I believe that’s not the case any more as he is going to CBS Sports full time.
dawggirl
March 14th, 2011
11:40 am
Thanks, Jeff. I wasn’t sure how to word it, but you answered the question well.
Beast from the East
March 14th, 2011
11:42 am
@ yeah,
I was just pointing out actual numbers. Obviuosly, UK fans far outnumber everyone else. They live and breathe basketball. If you took Duke and UNC out of the equation for the ACC tourney, how much better would their attendance be? The Big East has the best tourney. It helps that it is in the most populated city in the continent with a 16 team field, though doesn’t it?
Worm
March 14th, 2011
11:43 am
The Big East has watered down the ACC talent level..