This week’s SEC basketball mailbag is loaded with great questions.
Let’s dive in.
Who are the obvious leading candidates to replace Johnny Jones at LSU? Rick Stansbury? Kermit Davis (a former LSU asst)?
— Auric Goldfinger (@AuricGoldfnger) February 23, 2017
This year’s college basketball coaching carousel will be as crazy as it has been in a while.
Major jobs will likely open around the country, and a few of the jobs that are rumored to become available will definitely surprise people.
It’s too early to know who’ll be on LSU’s list due to the domino effect, but I do think you’ll hear both names thrown around.
Davis will likely be coming off another NCAA tournament appearance with MTSU, and Stansbury has added two big time players from Louisiana (Mitchell Robinson and Josh Anderson) in his 2017 recruiting class at Western Kentucky.
Two other names that might get consideration based on how other job openings are filled: Cal’s Cuonzo Martin and UNC Wilmington’s Kevin Keatts.
I think Martin leaves Cal sooner than later, and Keatts will be a home-run hire for any power conference program (NC State will have a close eye on him).
what's Alabama got to do to feel comfortable about getting in the NCAA tourney?
— Andrew (@aterry65) February 23, 2017
This question was asked before Alabama’s home loss to Georgia on Thursday night, but I’ll still answer it.
I can’t see Alabama getting in at this point unless these things happen:
- Win the last three games of the regular season (at Texas A&M, vs. Ole Miss, at Tennessee)
- Make a run to the SEC tournament final (and grab a couple of good RPI wins along the way)
I know Jerry Palm of CBS had them in before the Georgia loss, but I don’t think that was realistic. The Crimson Tide were still pretty far away at that point, and losing to the Bulldogs certainly didn’t help matters.
do you think Arkansas will finish in top 4 of SEC and what's their ceiling as far as NCAA seeding with remaining schedule?
— lyonsoccer87 (@Lyonsoccer_87) February 23, 2017
The Alabama defeat was big for the Razorbacks in terms of locking up a top four spot.
Arkansas is now 10-5 in the league (which puts them in third right now, although I think ultimately South Carolina finishes in that spot), and Alabama is 9-6. Mike Anderson’s team also scored the home win over Alabama to open February, so that’s another advantage in the race.
Here are the remaining schedules for both teams:
Arkansas
- at Auburn
- at Florida
- vs. Georgia
Alabama
- at Texas A&M
- vs. Ole Miss
- at Tennessee
Although the Hogs should be fine if they continue playing like they have in recent games, I don’t consider them a tournament lock just yet. That game at Auburn will not be easy, and the final two games against Florida and Georgia will be even tougher.
Win two of those three and avoid a bad loss in the SEC tournament, and Arkansas should wind up in that 7-10 range.
when you put up blind resumes up next to each other. SEC teams really look better than most of them. Why no love?
— Jordañ Harper (@HarperNation24) February 23, 2017
There’s still a stigma attached to SEC basketball based on how the conference has fared in recent years. But I just don’t think the traditional narrative applies this season, even if the league still isn’t fully back where it needs to be.
However, the image problem still exists. It won’t change until 5-6 teams start getting into the tournament on a regular basis, and this year could be a step in the right direction if a team emerges to grab that fifth spot.
It’s also important to remember that bracketology this time of year can involve a ton of guess work. It’s impossible to project certain aspects like conference tournaments, so things are constantly changing day to day.
Winning typically takes care of itself in these situations.
I agree that a few SEC teams seem to have better resumes than teams being placed above them right now (play around with this CBS team comparison to get a better idea), but winning more games will take care of that problem.
I know you've been asked this a lot and there's not an easy answer. But does win over MSU, split UK/UF + SECT win get VU in?
— Patrick Givens (@rick_givens) February 23, 2017
I’d say yes as of now.
I realize a 15-loss team has never gotten into the NCAA tournament, but it’s going to happen at some point.
And you simply can’t ignore the Commodores’ numbers:
- RPI: 47
- Overall strength of schedule: 2
- Non-conference strength of schedule: 1
The thing that could keep them out? That 20-point loss at Missouri. That’s going to really stick out for the committee on Selection Sunday.
Either way, the Commodores should be a fascinating case study if they enter March 12 with 15 losses.
https://twitter.com/Walkashmir/status/834610923004391425
15 is the new 14. We’ve all talked about that magic number of losses for years now, and I’m not sure it really applies this year.
The NCAA tournament bubble this season is not good. We say that every season, but this year’s bubble is rough.
With that said, I don’t see a scenario where you have three 15-loss teams getting in.
Although based on its appearance in most brackets, I’m convinced that Clemson might get in with 17 losses.
Maybe even 27.