CBS Sports ranks men’s basketball conferences after 2022-23 season
The 2022-23 men’s basketball season is well in the books after the UConn Huskies outlasted the San Diego State Aztecs in the NCAA Tournament Finals back on April 3. This year’s edition of March Madness fully lived up to its name as several Cinderella stories emerged, including the aforementioned Aztecs.
Now that the dust has settled, CBS Sports writer David Cobb undertook the task of power ranking all six of the major conferences, along with statistical justifications for his picks. Of those six, the Southeastern Conference emerged ranked fourth among its fellow peers. Here is why Cobb made his decision.
With six first-year coaches patrolling the sidelines, it was a transition season for the SEC, and that showed as the league’s average NET ranking fell roughly 10 spots from the 2021-22 season. Complicating matters further was the regression of Auburn and Kentucky after both earned No. 2 seeds in the 2022 NCAA Tournament. Both returned to the Big Dance, but neither made it past the first round. Alabama, Arkansas and Tennessee each reached the Sweet 16, but none of them made it to the Elite Eight. Quietly helping the SEC salvage an otherwise mediocre season were Missouri and Mississippi State. The Tigers reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament under first-year coach Dennis Gates while the Bulldogs finished strong to reach the First Four under first-year coach Chris Jans. Without the impressive work of those two conference newcomers, the overall body of work from the SEC would have been substandard.
BY THE NUMBERS
The top conference in the power rankings is the Big 12, which was fueled by terrific runs by the Kansas State Wildcats and Texas Longhorns, followed by the Big Ten which was solid across the board. The Big East — home of the title-winning Huskies — ranked third.
The SEC is followed in the power rankings by the Atlantic Coast Conference and Pac-12, respectively.
More Basketball!
Florida losing forward Alex Fudge to NBA draft
Here's where Florida basketball lands in ESPN's way-too-early bracketology
Florida bringing in Seton Hall transfer forward for official visit
Florida hoops hosting Charlotte transfer C on official visit
Gators add Iona G Walter Clayton Jr. through transfer portal
Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
Follow all your favorite Florida teams at Gators Wire, Jaguars Wire, Bucs Wire and Dolphins Wire!
