It’s getting harder and harder to place a SEC team on my top 25 ballot for The Associated Press.
For the second straight week, I placed only one SEC team on my ballot: Tennessee. And the Vols slipped from No. 8 to No. 19 on my ballot because of the double-digit loss at Temple.
In recent seasons, the SEC got off to stumbling starts that included embarrassing losses, coaches counseled patience (which is in ever-decreasing supply throughout sports and society) and, sure enough, the league saved face by March.
So, that has to be the plus side to this season’s stumbling start. Through Sunday, the SEC had a 1-4 record against ranked teams. Tennessee beat Georgetown for the only victory.
Maybe more telling is the SEC’s 6-12 record against teams from the other major conferences: ACC (1-4), Big 12 (1-2), Big Ten (1-2), Big East (2-2) and Pac 10 (1-2).
Embarrassing losses include Mercer beating Alabama and Auburn, Oregon outclassing Alabama in Maui, Missouri State beating Arkansas, Loyola of Chicago beating Georgia, VMI beating Kentucky, Charleston beating South Carolina and Illinois-Chicago beating Vanderbilt.
True, Arkansas lost at Missouri State and South Carolina at Charleston in tight, competitive games. But Vandy lost by 19 at home to Illinois-Chicago.
The SEC will have a few chances to score public relations points this week. Tennessee plays against Marquette in Nashville on Tuesday and Mississippi State plays at Cincinnati on Thursday.
The game I’ll be looking for is LSU against Texas A&M in Houston on Saturday. The unbeaten Tigers will get on my ballot with a victory.
Here’s this week’s ballot:
1. North Carolina
2. Pittsburgh
3. Connecticut
4. Texas
5. Oklahoma
6. Xavier
7. Gonzaga
8. Duke
9. Louisville
10. Syracuse
11. Wake Forest
12. Purdue
13. Villanova
14. Miami (Fla.)
15. Notre Dame
16. Davidson
17. UCLA
18. Georgetown
19. Tennessee
20. Ohio State
21. Baylor
22. Missouri
23. Michigan
24. Memphis
25. Arizona State
4 comments ↓
Jerry, Ole Miss also plays Louisville in Cincinnati on Thursday. I didn’t know UC was playing MSU on the same day. If so, the SEC has 2 chances in one night to redeem themselves.
If Kentucky wants to be competitive in the conference this is definitely the year.
Jerry,
Could not agree more when it comes to your comments on the SEC. The conference is down.
It is extraordinarily difficult to rank teams this year, so I won’t knock you on your poll. It is simply UNC and then everyone else. I know this may be blasphemy, but this year’s UNC team is better than the ‘96 Cats.
The most fascinating story that has taken place this year thus far that no one is really talking about is the growth of parity in college basketball. Bad losses are here to stay for a while as the game becomes more unpredictable. Mid-majors unite!
Nate
P.S. Cleveland State??? Are you kidding me?! Gotta love college basketball!
[...] Our own Jerry Tipton is having a hard time finding a spot for an SEC team on his AP college basketball top 25 ballot. [...]
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