No conference has impressed more than the SEC in the NCAA Tournament. To be fair, the SEC had a whopping 14 teams make the cut, but the Elite Eight consists of four teams from that conference. Yes, there's mathematically a 50 percent chance that the national champion will come from the SEC.
As impressive as it is to have half of the Elite Eight consisting of SEC programs, it'd be even cooler to see three or four of those teams advance to the Final Four. It feels safe to say that the SEC has a decent shot to pull off that feat.
The Tennessee Volunteers probably aren't favored to beat a tough Houston Cougars team, but with their high-end defense and outstanding guard play from Chaz Lanier and Zakai Zeigler, an upset is far from impossible. The same can be said about the Alabama Crimson Tide beating the Duke Blue Devils, but is anyone really in a position to bet against a team that just scored 113 points in their Sweet 16 game? When Alabama's offense is clicking, they're impossible to stop. The Florida Gators have the good fortune of playing the lowest-seeded team remaining, the Texas Tech Red Raiders. Sure, it won't be easy for Florida, but they should advance.
It really feels as if the one thing that's standing in the SEC's way of complete and utter college basketball dominance is Tom Izzo and his Michigan State Spartans.
SEC dominance hedges on the conference doing something it has never done before
For the best team in the SEC, the Auburn Tigers, to advance to the Final Four, they're going to have to outlast the Spartans in their Elite Eight matchup. Now, on paper, this doesn't feel like an impossible task. The Tigers were the No. 1 seed in the South Region, while the Spartans were the No. 2 seed. On paper, the Tigers should win this game. A historical element suggests it's not going to be that easy, though.
Tom Izzo remains UNDEFEATED vs SEC teams in the NCAA tournament pic.twitter.com/ighI2AbAbP
— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) March 29, 2025
Izzo, Michigan State's long-time head coach, has gone undefeated in ten tries against the SEC. This includes a dramatic come-from-behind win over No. 6 Ole Miss of the SEC in the Sweet 16.
Now, if an SEC team was going to end Izzo's dominance against the conference, it'd be the Tigers considering the season they've had and the players they have on their roster. However, it's just hard to bet against an NCAA Tournament legend like Izzo. Until the buzzer sounds and an SEC team finally beats Izzo, SEC fans will continue to cringe whenever they see the 70-year-old roaming the sidelines.