Does history give Kentucky an edge in the NCAA Tournament this year?

The South Eastern Conference has never really been considered the most dominate conference when it comes to basketball. The NCAA March Madness Tournament rolls around midway through March and usually 3 or 4 teams from the SEC will make the tournament. Everyone expects Kentucky to make the tournament every year with a high seed because they have been the “Big Cats” in the SEC for basketball. The SEC has long since been considered a football powerhouse conference, so teams like Alabama or Georgia that are so great during the football season, usually do not do anything during the basketball season. However, over the last couple years, the SEC has started to make a prominent appearance in March Madness. Last year, they had eight teams including Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri, Texas A&M, Auburn, Arkansas, Florida, and Alabama. This year, the number has stayed steady with 7 teams from the SEC making March Madness, with two teams being two seeds (Kentucky and Tennessee) and a three seed (LSU). The teams that came from the SEC this year are Kentucky, Tennessee, Auburn, Florida, LSU, Ole Miss and Mississippi St.

The history of each of these teams shows that only Kentucky and Florida would have enough experience to make it all the way to the end and win it all. Kentucky has made 58 total tournament appearance, the most out of any SEC team, and have won the tournament a whopping 8 times. That is also the high for any SEC team. Florida has made the tournament only 20 times and have won the National Title twice. This will only be Auburn’s 11th NCAA Tournament appearance, with the farthest they have ever made it was the Elite Eight once. LSU is a more experienced team, having made 22 appearance in the tournament. They are a three seed this year, and will be looking to make it farther than the farthest they’ve ever made it, the Final Four. Ole Miss is again a less experienced team. This will only be their 10th tournament appearance and have only made it past the Round of 32 once. Mississippi State have only made the tournament 11 times, but have still made it to the Final Four once. They are a 5 seed this year, which is still a considerably high ranking for an SEC team. Tennessee, the other two-seed SEC team, has made the tournament 22 times, but have only made it to the Elite Eight once and have never made it to the Final Four. They will be looking to improve that this year.

Those are all of the SEC teams’ histories in the NCAA tournament, and if history is correct, the only school that someone should confidently place a bet on to win the tournament is Kentucky. However, history is not everything and, when it comes to March Madness, anything can happen.

Sources:

NCAA March Madness Live

VOLSWire

Knox News