How many teams play in the sec basketball tournament

How many SEC basketball teams will make NCAA Tournament?

Selection Sunday is finally in sight, which will thankfully halt all the projecting, speculating, and (ugh) lobbying concerning who’s in and who’s out of the first “normal” NCAA men’s basketball tournament in three years.

John Calipari is lobbying. Of course he is. The Kentucky coach has been shouting from the mountain tops, or nearest Zoom room, that the SEC deserves eight teams in this year’s Big Dance. Saturday, via Twitter, Calipari expanded the number of those deserving to nine.

“Any team in the SEC that’s 9-9 should be in the NCAA Tournament,” Cal tweeted. “The top four teams in our league went 35-1 at home. Crazy! We are the best league and our teams deserve that respect!!”

Cal’s not wrong about the respect part. Four of the AP’s top 15 teams reside in the SEC. If you go by the coach’s 9-9 criteria, however, nine league teams would hear their names called Sunday night — Auburn, Tennessee, Kentucky, Arkansas, LSU, Alabama, Texas A&M, Florida and South Carolina.

The so-called bracketologists aren’t so bullish, however. As of Tuesday, ESPN’s Joe Lunardi had six SEC teams in his field of 68, compared to eight from the Big Ten and seven from the Big East. CBS Sports’ Jerry Palm also had eight Big Ten teams in his field of 68, compared to just six from the SEC.

So is the Big Ten that much better than the SEC? Depends on who you ask. Analytics savant Ken Pomeroy has the Big 12 ranked as is his No. 1 conference, just ahead of the SEC. (Never mind that the SEC won the SEC/Big 12 Challenge for the second straight year.) He puts the Big Ten third. Computer whiz Jeff Sagarin has the Big 12 at No. 1, the Big Ten at No. 2 and the SEC at No. 3.

OK, so let’s make the individual case for the SEC nine:

Auburn: Bruce Pearl’s Tigers won the league outright. Next question: Is Auburn a No. 1 seed? Palm and Bill Bender of the Sporting News say yes. Lunardi and Patrick Stevens of the Washington Post say no.

Tennessee: The Vols won nine of their last 10, including home wins over Auburn, Kentucky and Arkansas. Lunardi, Palm, Bender and Stevens all have Tennessee as a No. 3 seed. Considering its No. 8 NCAA NET ranking and No. 10 strength of schedule, according to Sagarin, Tennessee could easily be a No. 2.

Kentucky: A no-show for last year’s COVID-restricted dance party, the Cats are back. Most everyone has Calipari’s club as a No. 2 seed, with an NET ranking (No. 4) strong enough to snatch a No. 1.

Arkansas: Since Jan. 12, the Razorbacks are 14-2 with losses at Alabama (by one) and Tennessee (by four). Eric Musselman’s Hogs are a consensus No. 4 seed.

LSU: After a 15-1 start, Will Wade’s club finished the regular season 21-10. An NCAA NET ranking of No. 16 not only assures the Tigers a spot in the field but possibly a No. 5 seed.

Alabama: Bama’s in the field, thanks in part to a No. 27 NET ranking. Most have Nate Oats’ club as a No. 5 seed, but an early SEC tourney knockout would be the Tide’s third straight loss.

Florida: The first of the SEC bubble teams, the Gators are among the “first four out” or “next four out” for Lunardi, Palm and Stevens. Florida defeated Auburn but lost to Arkansas and Kentucky at home over the last two weeks. Bender has the Gators as a 12-seed. Still, Florida needs a first-round SEC tourney win over Texas A&M.

Texas A&M: Conversely, the Aggies need a first-round SEC tourney win over Florida. A&M has played its way onto the bubble by winning five of its last six games. A deep run in Tampa could put Buzz Williams into the field.

South Carolina: At 18-12, the Gamecocks are a long shot. Frank Martin’s club was 0-6 against the league’s Big Four and is ranked No. 90 by the NET. Anything less than an SEC title game appearance isn’t likely to catch the committee’s eye.

John Clay

John Clay is a sports columnist for the Lexington Herald-Leader. A native of Central Kentucky, he covered UK football from 1987 until being named sports columnist in 2000. He has covered 20 Final Fours and 37 consecutive Kentucky Derbys. Support my work with a digital subscription

1 interesting fact about every SEC team in the NCAA Tournament

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

Chris Wright | 7 months ago

The SEC has 6 teams in the NCAA Tournament. It’s the 4th consecutive time the league has sent at least that many representatives to the dance.

All 6 have the same aspirations but clearly different ceilings.

Here’s 1 interesting NCAA Tournament tidbit you didn’t know about each of the 6.

Alabama

Nate Oats is keeping heady company.

Wimp Sanderson made a habit of winning 20 games and reaching the NCAA Tournament in the same season. But those accomplishments have been much rarer for other Tide coaches.

In fact, if Alabama wins its opening game to get to 20 victories, Oats will join Sanderson, CM Newton, Mark Gottfried and David Hobbs as the only Tide coaches to win 20 games and reach the NCAA Tournament in the same season 2 years in a row.

Sanderson is the only Tide coach to accomplish that back-to-back streak multiple times.

If Oats leads Alabama to the Sweet 16, he’ll:

• Join Sanderson as the only Tide coaches to reach the Sweet 16 in consecutive seasons
• Join Sanderson as the only Tide coaches to reach the Sweet 16 more than once.

Arkansas

Eric Musselman already has won more NCAA Tournament games (2) in his first 3 years than any coach in program history. Obviously he hopes to add to that total, beginning Thursday night against Vermont.

Only 2 other Arkansas coaches even compiled 1 NCAA Tournament win in their first 3 seasons at Arkansas: Eugene Lambert (1 win in Year 3) and John Pelphrey (1 win in Year 1).

Program legend Nolan Richardson didn’t win his first NCAA Tournament game until Year 4. Eddie Sutton needed the same amount of time to pick up his first win, too.

Auburn

Bruce Pearl has won 5 NCAA Tournament games at Auburn.

That might not sound like much — after all, it takes 6 wins to capture the national title — but perspective is everything. If Pearl leads the Tigers to the Sweet 16, he’ll tie Sonny Smith’s program record for most NCAA Tournament wins.

• Sonny Smith (11 seasons): 7 NCAA Tournament wins
• Bruce Pearl (8th season): 5 NCAA Tournament wins
• Cliff Ellis (10 seasons): 5 NCAA Tournament wins

Smith, Pearl and Ellis are the only coaches in program history who have won an NCAA Tournament game. No other Auburn coach even reached the NCAA Tournament.

Kentucky

This is somewhat difficult to believe given how John Calipari has gone all-in on “one-and-done” roster building, but Jack Givens still holds the program (and SEC) record for most points by a freshman in a Final Four game.

Now, in fairness, not all of Calipari’s star freshmen reached the Final Four, obviously, but quite a few did.

Givens scored 24 in Kentucky’s semifinal victory over Syracuse in the 1975 Final Four. TyTy Washington would love the opportunity to break that mark this season.

Of course, Givens was even better as a senior — leading Kentucky to the 1978 national championship by scoring 41 in the title game against Duke. That, too, is a Kentucky and SEC record.

LSU

This has to a be a record, right? LSU’s interim coaches have won more NCAA Tournament than the coach who led them to said NCAA Tournament appearances.

Will Wade led LSU to the NCAA 3 times — but he only coached the Tigers once. He won 1 game in last year’s NCAA Tournament. Wade was suspended before the 2019 NCAA Tournament and fired with cause before this NCAA Tournament.

In 2019, interim coach Tony Benford won 2 NCAA Tournament games and led the Tigers to the Sweet 16.

Kevin Nickelberry has replaced Wade this time. The Tigers play their opener Friday night against Iowa State.

Tennessee

This is Rick Barnes’ 26th trip to the NCAA Tournament. That is 6th all-time and the most by any coach with SEC ties. (Barnes’ breakdown: 4 appearances with Tennessee, 16 with Texas, 3 with Clemson, 3 with Providence.)

Here’s how that compares with the 2021-22 SEC head coaches. (* means the coach no longer is at that school. ** Ben Howland’s status has not been determined.)

• Tennessee — Rick Barnes: 26 NCAA Tournament appearances
• Kentucky — John Calipari: 21
• Auburn — Bruce Pearl: 11
• Mississippi State — Ben Howland**: 11
• Georgia — Tom Crean*: 9
• Texas A&M — Buzz Williams: 8
• Ole Miss — Kermit Davis: 6
• Alabama — Nate Oats: 5
• Arkansas — Eric Musselman: 5
• LSU — Will Wade*: 5
• South Carolina — Frank Martin*: 5
• Florida — Mike White*: 4
• Missouri — Cuonzo Martin*: 4
• Vanderbilt — Jerry Stackhouse: 0

Chris Wright

An award-winning editor with previous stints at the Miami Herald, The Indianapolis Star and News & Observer, Executive Editor Chris Wright oversees editorial operations for Saturday Down South. Follow him on Twitter @CWrightSDS.

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Basketball: official rules of the game in brief

Basketball is a team sport in which players throw the ball with their hands into the opponent's basket. In a duel, 2 teams of 5 field players compete, and the number of substitutions is not limited. The goal of the game is to score more points by throwing into someone else's ring than the opponent. To do this, teams are allowed to dribble and pass according to the official rules.

Today basketball is considered to be one of the most demanded and popular sports on the planet. It is included in the program of the Summer Olympic Games. In addition, world and European championships, various club rating tournaments, for example, the NBA and the Euroleague, are regularly held. Both men and women play professional basketball, but in separate categories (mixed teams are not allowed).

Basic Rules

The International Basketball Rules were adopted in 1932, but have been adjusted more than once. The final set of rules was approved in 2004. It includes all sorts of amendments regarding the nuances of holding national and international tournaments.

The starting line-up for a match must have 10 players on the court (5 from each side). Each team must be in its own half. During the game, the ball can only be touched by hands. Running with the ball is allowed in parallel with hitting it on the floor. It is forbidden to kick the projectile, cover it with the body, throw it into the basket with a fist. A gross violation is a run when a basketball player has taken more than one step with the ball in his hands without hitting it on the floor. In this case, accidentally touching the ball with the foot or back is not considered a violation (at the discretion of the referee).

The victory in the match is won by the team that, after the final beep, scored the most points. In case of a tie, additional time is assigned - 5-minute overtime. If, after the first overtime, the opponents could not determine the winner, a second overtime is assigned, and so on.

For different types of ball hits in the ring, different numbers of points are counted:

• for a free throw - 1 point;
• for a throw from close or medium distance - 2 points;
• for a shot from outside the three-point line - 3 points.

A basketball game always starts with a jump ball in the center circle. Then the teams play for 4 quarters of 10 minutes each with breaks of 2 minutes. In the NBA, a quarter is 12 minutes long. The break in the middle of the match is equal to 15 minutes. After it, the opponents change baskets.

In addition, each team receives 2 time-outs for the first half of the game and 3 time-outs for the second. Their duration is 30 seconds. A time-out taken by one side extends to the other. Unused time-outs may not be carried over to the next half or extra period. In each overtime, the opponents have 1 time-out.

Official competitions may be held indoors or outdoors. The size of the field is 28 by 15 m. The height of the shield is 2.9 m, its dimensions are 1.8 by 1.05 m. The basket is a metal rim covered with a net with a hole in the bottom for the ball. The ring is attached at a distance of 15 cm from the lower edge of the shield and 3.05 m from the field level.

In the men's category, the circumference of the ball should be in the range from 74.9 to 78 cm, and the mass - from 567 to 650 g. In the women's category, the circumference will be 72.4-73.7 cm, the mass - from 510 to 567 g.

Rule violations

The list of official violations of the rules in basketball includes:

• Out. Standard position when the ball has gone out of the playing area.
• Dribbling violation. It is fixed for the following set of actions: dribbling, stopping, covering the projectile with both hands and continuing to dribble.
• Jogging. The ball carrier moves more than one step without hitting the ball to the floor, or more than two hits without subsequently throwing into the ring.
• Jump from a place with the ball in hand.
• 3-Second Rule. An attacking player is in a rectangular area under the opponent's hoop for more than 3 seconds while his team has possession of the ball in the attacking area.
• 5 second rule. During the throw-in, the player does not put the projectile into play for more than 5 seconds, or the player, while in possession of a “live” ball, does not pass and throw for more than 5 seconds.
• 8 second rule. The team in possession of the ball in the backcourt did not take it out of the frontcourt line within 8 seconds.
• 24th second rule. The team in possession of the ball did not make a single shot at the opponent's ring in 24 seconds. The counter is reset when the projectile touches the shackle of the ring. After this touch, the attacking team has the right to rebound and gain possession of an additional 14 seconds.
• Ball return violation. The attacking team must bring the ball into the defensive zone, after which a new possession begins.

If a player of the attacking team has been infringed, they are entitled to:

• continuation of the countdown from the moment of stop if the team had 14 or more seconds of possession;
• a new 14 second possession if the team had less than 14 seconds of possession at the time of the violation;
• new 24 second possession if the kick-off in the defensive zone will be made by the team in possession of the ball at the time of the infringement.

Types of fouls

A foul in basketball is a foul play violation. It is given by the referee for non-compliance with the rules of personal contact with the opponent or for unsportsmanlike behavior on the court. The player who committed such a violation receives a personal reprimand (foul).

The following types of fouls exist in official tournaments:

• Personal foul. If the infringement is made against an opponent who is not in the throwing phase, then the offending team shall take the throw-in. In the event of a foul on a player who was in the shooting phase, the affected team will shoot as many free throws as the number of points taken from them by the foul. If the shot during the foul was scored, then the injured player receives an additional 1 free throw.
• Mutual foul. This refers to a situation where players from different teams commit personal fouls at the same time. As a result, both offenders are punished with a personal foul, but there are no free throws.
• Offensive foul. It is fixed by the referee for grabbing or interlacing the defender's arm, using an outstretched arm at the moment of dribbling in order to move the opponent to the desired distance from the ball, as well as when pushing the defender away from the teammate in possession of the ball in order to prevent him from taking the projectile.
• Technical foul. Violation of the rules, not caused by contact with the opponent. It implies disrespect for the referee, coach, opponent, violations of a procedural nature, delay of the game. For such a foul, the opposing team receives 2 free throws.
• Unsportsmanlike foul. Deliberate violation of the rules when the player did not even try to play the ball. If an unsportsmanlike foul was committed on a player in the shooting stage, then the affected team will attempt a number of free throws equal to the number of points lost. If the foul is committed on a player who is not in the throwing stage, then the injured player performs 2 throws. For 2 such fouls, the player is removed from the court until the end of the match with the possibility of replacement.
• Disqualifying foul. A gross unsportsmanlike violation for which the player is immediately removed from the site. In this case, a foul can also be received by a spare game, the coach and any official of the team. An additional penalty will be the assignment of free throws to the basket of the offending side (similar to an unsportsmanlike foul).

For 5 personal fouls, the player must leave the pitch, but he is allowed to remain on the bench until the end of the match. A disqualified basketball player must leave the technical area.

Coach may be disqualified for a match:

• for committing two technical fouls;
• in the event of one technical foul, whereby a substitute or an official present commits 2 technical fouls;
• for 3 technical fouls by substitutes or officials.

National Basketball League

NBA (NBA) is considered the main national tournament in the world. Represents the men's professional league in North America, which involves the best basketball clubs in the United States and Canada. The NBA is one of the TOP-4 professional sports leagues in North America (NHL, NFL, MLB) and is widely covered by hundreds of TV channels around the world.

League was formed in 1946 as the Basketball Association of America, but was later expanded and renamed the NBA. The League's headquarters is based in New York City at the Olympic Power Building. Since 2004, the tournament has included 30 teams, which are divided geographically into the Western and Eastern conferences. In turn, each conference consists of 3 divisions of 5 clubs. Teams play the regular season first, then top out in the playoff rounds:

• Regular season.

The first stage of the NBA championship lasts 171 days. The season starts in early October. For 171 days, each team plays 82 matches, that is, approximately every other day. Such a density of games often leads to injuries to basketball players, but the organizers do not deviate from the usual format due to the financial side of the issue (television rights, advertising, etc.).

Get new forecasts: Vkontakte and Telegram .

During the regular season, each club plays 4 games against divisional opponents, 4 games against 6 teams in its own conference, 3 games against the remaining 4 clubs in its own conference, and 2 games against each team in the opposing conference. The season calendar is based on the results of the previous season and the wishes of the team management. At the same time, matches can be played even on Christmas holidays.

In February, the regular season goes on a short break for a stellar weekend. For several days, the League organizes various basketball-related competitions, and completes the festive program of events with the NBA All-Star Game.

• Playoffs.

The elimination stage starts at the end of April. The playoffs feature the top 8 teams from each conference. At the same time, the first 4 places in the conference receive 3 division winners and the best team in terms of winning ratio in the regular season. The remaining 4 places for this conference go to the teams with the best difference of wins and losses.

A pair of teams determines the winner in a series of matches up to 4 wins. Theoretically, a confrontation series can include from 4 to 7 games. Home court advantage is given to the team with the highest win rate. Until the semi-finals, only opponents from their own conference can meet in one branch of the tournament grid. The semi-finals determine the winner of the conference, while the Grand Finals help determine the best NBA team entered for the season.

Euroleague draw

Euroleague is Europe's leading basketball tournament for men's club teams. Only representatives of countries included in the European structure of FIBA ​​(International Basketball Federation) can participate in it. The name of the tournament may change depending on the sponsorship contract, for example Turkish Airlines Euroleague. Euroleague matches are broadcast in more than 200 countries around the world.

Only clubs that have received a long-term license based on the Euroleague club rating can take part in the tournament. Championships in national championships, victories in Eurocups and other achievements are taken into account.

Euroleague draw consists of 3 stages:

• Regular season.

It is attended by 16 teams, which are collected in one group. The grid is simple: each team plays one match at home and away with each opponent from the table (30 matches in total). The games of this European Cup tournament are held according to a special calendar, approximately 3-4 rounds per month (on weekdays). At the end of the regular season, the top 8 teams are determined, which automatically advance to the playoff round.

• Quarter-finals.

The first round of the non-eliminating tournament consists of 4 pairs. The first place plays with the eighth, the second - with the seventh, the third - with the sixth, the fourth - with the fifth. The advantage of the home court is given to the team that took the highest place in the previous stage. A series of matches is played up to 3 wins. The winners of the pairs advance to the Final Four.

• Final four.

The final stage of the Euroleague is held according to the Olympic system at one stadium for 2 days. On the first day, the semi-finals are played, on the second - the match for 3rd place and the main final. At each stage, the teams hold one face-to-face meeting.

International team tournaments

The most significant tournaments among national basketball teams include:

• World Championship.

This is the most rated and prestigious tournament for national teams, which is held under the auspices of FIBA. The World Cup is held every 4 years among men's teams. The debut draw of the championship took place in 1950 in Buenos Aires and brought together only 10 teams under its banner. The winner of that tournament was the team of Argentina, which managed to beat the powerful US team in a bitter struggle. From 19For 53 years, the Women's Basketball World Cup has been held every 4 years. The first world champions were Americans.

For the first time, Soviet male basketball players won the World Cup in 1967, and women - in 1959. Today, Russian teams regularly qualify for the main championship of the planet, but rarely compete for medals. Americans, Serbs, Spaniards, Greeks, Argentines are considered the flagships of world basketball.

• European Championship.

Tournament for national teams of European countries. It is held every 2 years. The debut championship among men was played at 1935, among women - in 1938. The best result of victories at the European Championship was with the USSR team, which took gold 14 times. The Russian national team is traditionally ranked among the favorites of the tournament, regularly making it to the decisive rounds of the playoffs.

• Olympic Games.

Basketball was first introduced at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. In 1904, only exhibition matches of the best basketball players in the United States were held. It was the Americans who became the first Olympic champions in basketball, who are still considered the main favorites of each next Olympic Games. The USSR team took gold for the first time at 1972 year. The debut women's tournament at the Olympics was held in 1976. Today, professional basketball players are allowed to the Olympic championship.

Development history

The idea of ​​creating basketball belongs to the American teacher of the Massachusetts College J. Naismith. In December 1891, he decided to diversify the traditional gymnastics classes and tied two peach baskets to the railing of the balcony of the sports hall. The students were divided into two teams, whose members had to throw the maximum number of balls into their basket.

Naismith's game was only vaguely reminiscent of modern basketball, since there was no dribbling, and players could only throw a projectile to themselves, standing still, and throw it into the basket in any way. Nevertheless, the game became popular in the US and Canada. It was included in an expanded physical training program for students in schools and colleges. Gradually, the rules began to improve, dribbling, zoning of the site, shields appeared.

The formation of professional basketball took place at the beginning of the 20th century with the emergence of a number of serious basketball clubs. The main problem of the initial stage of the development of the discipline was the lack of a single organization that could control the activities of teams and leagues. The players could easily play for different teams, and the meetings themselves were held in sports halls that did not meet the standards.

In 1932, the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) was formed in Geneva. This organization began to gradually unite national basketball associations and make demands for official tournaments. Thanks to FIBA, basketball has gained worldwide popularity.

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