SEC basketball coaches mentioned they have been constructed for March Insanity, then obtained embarrassed

SEC basketball is having a no good, very dangerous, rotten begin to the 2024 males’s NCAA match. As upsets have began to inflict the bracket in March Insanity, a typical theme is showing: SEC groups are as a rule on the flawed facet of a Cinderella story.

Eight SEC groups made the sector of 68: No. 2 seed Tennessee, No. 3 seed Kentucky, No. 4 seeds Auburn and Alabama, No. 6 seed South Carolina, No. 7 seed Florida, No. 8 seed Mississippi State, and No. 9 seed Texas A&M. Earlier than the primary spherical ends, 5 of these groups have already been eradicated.

The SEC’s struggles in March have grow to be much more magnified as followers and media members began to dig up assured quotes from a number of the league’s prime head coaches earlier than the match.

On Friday, Auburn grew to become the most recent upset sufferer from the SEC by the hands of No. 13 seed Yale. The Tigers have been in management within the first half, however Yale placed on an unimaginable show of shot-making to get the sport shut, after which wrestled away the win within the last seconds. Yale beat Auburn, 78-76, for one of many greatest upsets of the match up to now. Additionally on Friday, No. 10 seed Colorado knocked off No. 7 seed Florida on Ok.J. Simpson’s unimaginable game-winner.

It was even worse for the SEC on Thursday. No. 3 seed Kentucky suffered a surprising upset to No. 14 seed Oakland, 80-76, in essentially the most jarring results of March Insanity up to now. Oakland reserve Jack Gohlke grew to become an in a single day legend by hitting 10 three-pointers within the win. Additionally on Friday, No. 11 seed Oregon beat No. 6 seed South Carolina, and No. 9 seed Michigan State beat No. 8 seed Mississippi State, 69-51.

The receipts have been being pulled up as quickly because the losses piled up for the SEC. Take this quote from Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl lower than every week earlier than the match began:

“Our league is ready to make a run in March,” Pearl mentioned after an SEC match recreation. Certain doesn’t seem to be it!

Kentucky head coach John Calipari talked loads about how his ‘Cats have been made for March. Now he would possibly simply be on the new seat. It was all good only a month in the past:

“I’ve obtained all my teaching buddies name, they usually say, ‘I like your staff.’ And I like this staff too. We’re constructed for March,” Calipari mentioned. “Now, actual merely, now we have to get extra bodily. We’ve to get 50-50 balls, and that features rebounds which can be free that we haven’t gotten. We’ve obtained to get, let’s say 10% higher defensively.”

Florida coach Todd Golden additionally obtained obtained:

“It’s one in every of if not the perfect league in America,” Golden mentioned. “Each night time you’re going up towards NBA gamers on the opposite facet. When you don’t put your greatest foot ahead, for those who’re not aggressive, bodily, able to go, you’re going to get popped.”

Okay, possibly that one is truthful. The SEC was rated because the fourth greatest league in DI males’s basketball this 12 months by KenPom’s fashions, behind the Large 12, Large Ten, and Large East.

Both method, Kentucky and Auburn’s early exits are a black eye for the league. You might discover this publish doesn’t contact on the league winner within the common season: Tennessee. The No. 2 Volunteers earned a blow win, 83-49, over Saint Peter’s. Is that this the 12 months Rick Barnes lastly breaks by means of once more in March? It appears like now or by no means with Dalton Knecht within the fold.

Barnes was fairly assured, too.

The SEC’s story isn’t totally written but within the males’s NCAA match. It positive hasn’t been an excellent begin, although.