The Southeastern conference is 185-23 in non conference play. It has 31 Quad 1 wins, and is projected to have 13 bids to the 2025 NCAA tournement. They have programs that have been consistently near the top in recent years with Alabama and Tennessee. It seems that any team can beat any team on a given game. This is verifed early into conference play. The unpredictability is what makes SEC the must watch conference out of the power 5. There are a few reasons behind this dominance.
Coaching: There are alot of well known coaches who can recruit high -schoolers and bring in transfers. John Calipari, Rick barnes, Nate Oats, and Bruce Pearl to name a few. The combination of elite players with elite coaches is what puts these top tier SEC programs in national title contention. For example, John Calipari has a reputation of bringing highly touted recruits and getting them to the NBA. Nate Oats earned his postition at Albama by climbing the ranks at buffalo before joining the crimson tide. In the past 5 years with alabama he got them a number 1 overall seed, a final 4 appearance. A SEC tournement title, and regular season title. He has them playing a modern style of ball. I also give credit to coaches of this conference for helping multiple teams to top level offenses.
Investment: Programs have invested in facilities, fans have invested in their team, and commisioner Greg Sankey helped change the SEC. It is hard to win on the road and a big reason for that is fans are invested. Kentucky’s fans have been invested for years. Investment in facilities, construction, and rennovations at Ole Miss and Auburn increased their relevence. Auburn was gifted a new practice facility in recent years that allowed their team to practice at advantageous times. Ole Miss has benefited in improved facilites largely impart to the womens basketball, golf, and baseball teams success. These investments have attracted coaches.
Sceduling: The SEC sceldules tough competiton in the non conference to increase their relevence when the commitee selects the feild of 68. Auburn’s SOS (Strength of Scedule) ranks 2nd in the nation. They have played Duke, Memphis, Iowa State, Houston and Purdue in the non conference. Alabama’s SOS ranks 15th. They have played Purdue, Illinois, Houston, Oregon, and North Carolina. Kentucky’s ranks 20th. They have played duke, Clemson, Gonzaga, Louisville, and Ohio State. When SEC programs play these big time nationally televised games and win these games, thats how they become the best conference in america.
Money and NIL: The SEC has the money, a lot from SEC football. The money from football programs is trickling down to the basketball programs and athletes. This conference gives the athletes the abiliy to promote themselves
Portal: A lot of SEC teams top teams are lead by transfers. When players transfering a lot of times its to win while being part of the contribution to winning. The SEC got portal players from a lot of different programs. The programs in this league have gotten a balance of veteran transfers through the portal and young freshmen from prep schools, high school teams and AAU programs. Veteran leadership comes from the portal where players were playing at a high level before transfering.
Youth: There are alot of AAU programs in the southeast and high school players from the southeast that want to stay home.
Every SEC team will be battle tested and have close games. This experience with pressure will help them come march madness where SEC teams will be challenged. If there were many blowouts and if the SEC was top heavy rather than having talent more widely distributed, they wouldent know what the pressure of having many close games decided by a possesion or two.