Ranking the major conferences

ESPN.com's Joe Lunardi and John Gasaway sat down and ranked the major conferences. Balancing measures of top-to-bottom strength like KenPom with less comprehensive metrics like AP rankings and projected seeds, they came up with their very own combined rankings. Here's how they see the power conferences shaping up, counting down from No. 6 all the way to No. 1.

1. Big 12
2. SEC
3. Big Ten
4. Big East
5. ACC
6. Pac-12

 

Lunardi: These are high times for SEC basketball, where the depth of teams and quality of play on the men's side has just about caught up to its longtime dominance in women's hoops. All the conference had to do was invest in top coaches, schedule better -- especially the old SEC West schools -- and, of course, win. It hasn't paid off in a national title since Anthony Davis led the Kentucky juggernaut all the way in 2012, but the conference is knocking on the door.
In the last six NCAA tourneys, the SEC has produced 15 Sweet 16 teams. That's 25% above the Big Ten's number, for instance, and more like the longtime ACC strategy. Bulk is what's needed once the games reach the 50/50 stage of the tournament. And it's going to happen again in 2024. The SEC is poised for a league-record bid total, and odds are one of those teams plays into April.

Gasaway: Joe's right. These are the best of times for an SEC that put eight teams into the field of 68 last March. Pollsters see Tennessee and Kentucky as the cream of the crop, but Alabama, Auburn, Texas A&M or, who knows, Florida or Mississippi State could have something to say about that. The Crimson Tide, for example, boast a truly fearsome offense on the one hand and five losses on the other. Whether or not this statistical prowess will translate into similarly impressive results on the court, Alabama and, increasingly, the league as a whole play a style that is both pleasing to the eye and worrisome to opponents.