February 17, 2014 · 7:13 AM

In the South, we can’t walk and chew gum at the same time.

Shorter Joe Dean, Jr.:  It’s football’s fault that SEC basketball sucks so badly.

16 Comments

Filed under SEC Football

16 responses to “In the South, we can’t walk and chew gum at the same time.”

  1. Hogbody Spradlin
    February 17, 2014 at 7:57 AM

    I think Mr. String Music Jr. confuses correlation with causation. Football doesn’t help matters but it’s not the bogeyman.

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  2. Bulldog Joe
    February 17, 2014 at 8:19 AM

    The third best basketball team in the SEC is Georgia, who got hammered by its out of conference schedule this year.

    Yes. SEC basketball is bad.

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    • Hogbody Spradlin
      February 17, 2014 at 9:49 AM

      Along similar lines. Back in the late 60’s Kentucky was suffering through a down period, to the point that Adolph Rupp lamented: “Look at that, we’re losing the Georgia, GEORGIA!”

      Excepting a few very short periods, we’ve never been confused with Kentucky, UNC, or Duke

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    • PTC DAWG
      February 17, 2014 at 10:00 AM

      UGA, whole not world beaters, has gotten better this year…it happens.

      Great crowd in Athens this past Saturday.

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  3. Scorpio Jones, III
    February 17, 2014 at 8:23 AM

    I think we should improve basketball in the SEC. As long as it does not interfere with football.

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  4. joyridingdawg
    February 17, 2014 at 8:27 AM

    It has always been this way and it will always be this way.

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  5. I Wanna Red Cup
    February 17, 2014 at 8:38 AM

    We’re too dumb to make it in a northern town………but if UF can be competent in hoops so can UGA

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  6. Reverend Whitewall
    February 17, 2014 at 8:51 AM

    Somewhat off topic, but that chart in the article, you would have been hard pressed to convince me that outside of the SEC, the Big 10 and Old Big East have the least amount of 1st round picks. Especially the Big East with their basketball-centric schools.

    I had really gotten out of watching college basketball the last 10 years or so, but I’ve enjoyed watching Big 10 basketball this year. The coaching and talent is just a totally different level. You could take their 7th or 8th best team, drop them in the SEC, and they’d be battling with UF for best team in the conference.

    Basically, the opposite of football. 🙂

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  7. I Wanna Red Cup
    February 17, 2014 at 9:11 AM

    The lack of interest in college BB regular season is due to the 65 team playoff. Keep that in mind in the coming years when CFB goes after more money and expands the playoff to more teams.

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    • Ol Dawg
      February 17, 2014 at 10:39 AM

      Come on, it’s the One-and-Done that’s done in college basketball, even in the ACC. Winters in the Carolinas used to mean delicious TV viewing on weeknights because of ACC basketball. Now, the talent level across the league is way down or too unpolished, and fan interest is fast waning.

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  8. Scott W.
    February 17, 2014 at 10:09 AM

    The grey area of recruiting is the linchpin. Resources spent elsewhere hinder this crucial part of college BB in the conference. To get talent that could just go to the NBA you have to offer incentive.

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  9. No One Knows You're a Dawg
    February 17, 2014 at 12:22 PM

    I think football does play a role, but the issue is more with coaching than recruiting. In college football, good coaches at smaller schools almost always take the opportunity to move up to a bigger program, even when that program is struggling (see: Texas) because it means significantly more money and a better chance to win a NC. But in basketball, the disparity in money and opportunities for success simply aren’t as great between BCS “football” schools and the mid-majors. Coaches may make less per year at mid-majors, but this is often balanced out by longer term contracts. As for on-court success, thanks to the tournament there are arguably better opportunities to win it all at some mid-majors than at the football powerhouses. What this means is that the BCS football powers have more difficulty insta-fixing their basketball programs with big offers to top coaching talent. Therefore for good or bad, college basketball coaching talent is much more spread out than in football.

    (Also, not having a future NBA player on a team isn’t unusual. There are 346 Div. 1 basketball teams and only 35-40 college players a year make an NBA team.)

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  10. JRod1229
    February 17, 2014 at 4:52 PM

    During the BCS era the SEC won the National Championship 4 times. Only the ACC won it more (6 times). So yes while it is generally dominated by a few teams the SEC continually produces champions and there is decent money to say they could produce another one this year.

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