SEC as best college basketball conference ever? Jay Bilas has point but don’t forget Big East

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SEC basketball baptized another believer.

Jay Bilas, ESPN’s erudite college hoops voice, abandoned his east coast allegiance and saluted the SEC’s fiefdom.

“This is the most powerful basketball league, top to bottom, that there has ever been,” Bilas said Tuesday on the SEC Network. “I have never seen anything remotely like what we’re seeing in the Southeastern Conference this year.”

Oh, my! Best ever? That’s lofty praise from a blue-blooded Dukie. Such words could be considered treason for ACC or Big East fans.

Nobody should dispute the SEC’s claim to the best conference this season after it dunked on non-conference competition, but are we ready to award GOAT status?

The 1985 Big East would like a word.

The 2011 Big East, too.

What about when the ACC snagged three No. 1 seeds in 2019 and Virginia took home the title?

For Bilas, this SEC season trumps all of that and more.

Bilas’ opinion is no crackpot musing. He knows ball. He’s enjoyed a front-row seat to quality hoops throughout his three decades broadcasting games.

Auburn forward Johni Broome (4) shoots the ball against Tennessee guard Jahmai Mashack (15) during the second half at Neville Arena.

A Big East and SEC expert weighs in

But, did Bilas suffer from recency bias anointing the SEC? I knew I needed to consult with Mike Tranghese, the former Big East commissioner who spent three decades in a conference synonymous with basketball. Tranghese later joined the SEC to help galvanize its hoops.

Forty years after No. 8 seed Villanova became the O.G. Cinderella and won the national championship, Tranghese can still rattle off results from the Big East’s magical 1985 season. Six of the Big East’s nine teams made the NCAA Tournament. Georgetown and St. John’s joined Villanova in a Final Four resembling a Big East Invitational that Memphis stumbled into.

The Big East’s six qualifiers combined for an 18-5 March Madness record. Five Big East teams won at least one tournament game. Four reached the Sweet 16,…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/sec-best-college-basketball-conference-110316099.html

Author : USA TODAY Sports

Publish date : 2025-02-14 11:03:00

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