FAYETTEVILLE -- The emphasis SEC schools have placed on basketball -- mandated by the late Mike Slive as commissioner after the conference had three teams in the NCAA Tournament in 2013 and 2014 -- is evident the past two seasons.
The SEC had a record eight teams make the NCAA Tournament in 2018, and this season followed it up with seven.
Four SEC teams made the Sweet 16 -- Auburn, Kentucky, LSU and Tennessee -- for the third time. It also happened in 1986 and 1996.
But there's a less cheerful side to the SEC's progress in basketball.