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SEC basketball sets new Sweet 16 record for most teams from a single conference
By Paul Harvey
Published:
SEC basketball was put under a microscope in this year’s NCAA Tournament after the league set a new record with 14 bids into the final field. However, the conference has emerged from the first weekend with another record to add.
Heading into the second weekend of the Big Dance, SEC basketball established a new record for the number of teams from one conference to reach the Sweet 16 in the same tournament. That record is 7 with the SEC eclipsing the ACC who set the record at 6 teams during the 2016 NCAA Tournament.
The 7 teams include Auburn and Florida, a pair of 1-seeds and popular picks to reach the Final Four and potentially win it all. Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Ole Miss and Tennessee round out the group to reach the Sweet 16.
So, what is the record for teams from a single conference in an Elite Eight? That mark was set by the Big East at 4 teams in 2009 during the prime of that league. The ACC later matched that record in 2016.
That means the SEC has a great chance to tie — or shatter — the Elite Eight record this week. We know that at least one SEC team is bound to fall out of the field with Tennessee and Kentucky facing off on Friday, but the other 5 SEC teams face opponents from outside of the conference.
What do the latest March Madness odds show for the SEC? Duke is still the favorite to win it all, coming in at +225 per BetMGM and ahead of Florida (+350) then Houston (+500).
As for the Final Four odds, Duke also leads those (-185) but Auburn (-135) and Florida (-130) are given great chances to reach the national semifinals. Tennessee at +240 and Alabama at +360 are also in the top half of the remaining field with the other SEC teams trailing off.
Paul Harvey lives in Atlanta and covers SEC football.
