Auburn, Florida, Houston and Dukeproved better than their peers throughout the regular season. They earned uncontroversial No. 1 seeds.
Once March Madness begins, it operates under no duty to respect regular-season results.
This became one of those rare tournaments, though, in which the nation’s four best teams turned back Cinderella, tamed the madness and supplied a Final Four that will be a two-round showcase of the nation's elite.
All four No. 1 seeds advanced to the Final Four for just the second time in tournament history. With apology to the defeated underdogs, I relish these matchups that offer the foundation for an epic Final Four, following a somewhat mundane tournament – at least by March Madness’ riveting standards.
Here are five burning thoughts and predictions before the Final Four begins Saturday in San Antonio:
SEC lives up to its reputation during March Madness
After the SEC qualified an NCAA-record 14 teams, the tournament would help settle the debate of whether the SEC delivered the greatest season ever for a conference. And while debate continues, know this: The SEC lived up to its reputation for being far and away the best conference this season, if not all-time.
The SEC started shakily, but after cutting loose six teams before the second round, the SEC’s cream rose to the top and proved mighty sweet. By comparison, the Big Ten went 8-0 in the first round, then faded badly before the home stretch. Big Ten teams finished 13-8, with only Michigan State reaching the Elite Eight and none making the Final Four.
In defense of the Big Ten, it could have been much worse. (See the Big East for details.)
The SEC takes a 21-12 record into the Final Four. Never mind the losses. After qualifying 14 teams, it became guaranteed the SEC would produce a minimum of 13 losses.
The SEC accounted for seven Sweet 16 spots, then supplied half of the Elite Eight and half of the Final Four. That's success.
The tournament performance elevates the SEC past the 2011 Big East, which earned 11 NCAA bids but produced a modest 13-10 record, although UConn won the national championship.
So, the SEC becomes the conference GOAT?
