The 2020-21 men’s basketball season was one of the most tumultuous in recent memory due in large part to the coronavirus pandemic, which ravaged many teams and even forced some programs to skip the campaign. Despite the setbacks, Division I NCAA basketball successfully pressed on all the way through March Madness to its grand finale in Indianapolis.
COVID-19 took its toll on every conference in one way or another, though the playing field was anything but even between the various leagues. Nonetheless, some saw greater success than others, and CBS Sports’ David Cobb took it upon himself to construct a power ranking of the top conferences in the nation now that the dust has all settled.
At the top of the heap was the Big 12, led by the Baylor Bears who took home this year’s NCAA crown. Next up was the Pac-12, which comes as a bit of a surprise though it was the most improved conference last season and seems to be continuing its upward trajectory. The Big 10 on the back of the Michigan Wolverines came in third, which put the Southeastern Conference in fourth place. Here is Cobb’s breakdown of the SEC.
4. SEC
Even with Kentucky down and Auburn enduring a self-imposed postseason ban, the SEC had a better season on the whole than it did in 2019-20. The league’s six NCAA Tournament bids were two more than it was projected to receive in 2020. That success can be attributed to a pair of second-year coaches in Nate Oats at Alabama and Eric Musselman at Arkansas, who have injected fresh life into the league.
BY THE NUMBERS
- 4th in NCAA Tournament bid percentage: 6 of 14 (42.9%)
- 4th in NCAA Tournament record: 7-6 (53.8%)
- 2nd in top 75 NBA Draft prospects: 12 (0.86 per team)
- 3rd in average NET ranking: 64.6 (64.9 last year)
- 4th in average NET ranking excluding bottom two teams: 51.3 (54.5 last year)
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