Although the SEC got a record 8 teams into the NCAA tournament...I ask the question...are we really better as a conference if no one advances past the sweet 16?
The league had to get better. But more is needed. Given the quality of coaching, it's likely to occur.
For some historical context ... In 1983, as I recall, we were at the very bottom of the conference and went on the road to beat top-ranked UCLA. A lot of truly great players up and down the rosters back then, and the SEC was seen by many as the top league in the country.
They lost to UGA in the tournament final. You may be thinking about the previous year when they beat UK in Lexington to win the SEC tournament. Then made it to the Sweet 16 beating St. Johns and losing to eventual national champion NC with Worthy, Perkins, Jordan, etc. in a close one - scared them to death. Black couldn't guard Whately. That was a great Bama team. It was a pity they were matched up with NC so early, they were Final Four worthy.Not really "contextable" - that team also beat G'town with Patrick Ewing and 3-4 All-Americans by 20 to win a tournament (Winston Tire Classic in LA, presaging the win at Pauley) then beat UK to win "the" (SEC) tournament, only to get blowed out by 25 in the first round of the NCAA tournament by the mighty Lamar Tech Cardinals of Beaumont, Tejas.
Close - Phillips, Hurt and Lockett fouled out, three others had 3 fouls. NC was 26-31, Bama 11-16 on FTs. The game was close throughout - the game seemed closer than the 5 pt final. Worthy, who only scored 16, was tough at crunch time. Half of his pts from the line. Jordan scored 11.After we beat St. John’s with Chris Mullen and Walter Berry, our door prize was Carolina in Raleigh. Some friends and I got tickets. What a cow palace that place was. Awful.
Our entire front line and the two top inside reserves fouled out. As I recall, Carolina made something like 35 foul shots and only won by 5. We ran them down in the second half but could not keep anybody on the court.