Harder: Win the SEC Tournament or reach the Final Four

[MdWIldcat55]

I'd say this year it'd be winning the SEC tournament. And I don't think it is all that close.

To reach the Final Four you'd have to win four games, but one is usually a layup for a 1-2 seed.

After that you'd have a #8-9 seed or a #7-10 seed, a #3-4 seed and a 1-2 seed - assuming chalk.

You'd have a tougher road to win the SEC tournament from Kentucky's position: Based on latest bracketology you'd have to beat teams with these projected NCAA seeds: #5 seed Alabama, #3 seed Tennessee and #1 seed Auburn - assuming chalk.

Not only that, you'd be playing the first two for the 3rd time, with horrible SEC referees presiding.

A testament to the SEC's strength this year.

 

[UKwootwoot]

In general? FF and it isn’t close. This year? SEC tourney

 

[southvillecat]

You sound like a Kansas fan acting like winning the big 12 is harder than a national championship lol

 

[bookerfan66]

It was dumb when Bilas said it about the ACC and the same when fans say it here.No comparison to the NCAA tourney.

 

[CastleRubric]

In general? FF and it isn’t close. This year? SEC tourney

agree completely

can see us getting bounced in R1 of the Sec this year

but making the final four

 

[track42]

I hope this is a joke.

 

[BlueBomb]

Making a Final Four is more difficult. That Elite 8 game has always and will be this time a toss up.

Although, I certainly understand the point.

 

[nealau76]

Final Four by a mile. Hardest thing to advance to in all of sports.

 

[cornbreadnmilk]

Good Lord man.Terrible thread.

 

[WeWant9]

SEC is real good this year. But I do not see the SECT being harder than making the FF. Way more pressure in the NCAAT than conference tournaments.

 

[MdWIldcat55]

To those who can't understand the concept, let me make it clearer:

Using the latest "Bracketology" to reach the Final Four, and assuming a win over a 15 seed, Kentucky would have to beat:

Marquette
Purdue
Baylor - That's assuming the best seed advances.

To win the SEC tournament Kentucky would have to beat:

Alabama for the third time
Tennessee in a rubber match
Auburn. - Assuming the best seed advances.

Anyone who thinks the first list of games is incredibly harder than the second list probably hasn't watched much college basketball this year.

 

[JonathanW]

This year, that's a valid question.

Let's look at it statistically (I can't help it).

Supposing/assuming:
odds beat Bama or Vandy, 85%
odds beat UT or USC or MSU, 65%
odds beat Auburn or Ark, 60%

odds win 1st rnd game, 99%
odds win 2nd round game, 90%
odds win Sweet 16 game, 65%
odds win Elite 8 game, 55%

So the calculated odds of winning the SEC-T = 33%;
and the calculated odds of making the Final 4 = 32%.

Pretty even!!!

 

[cornbreadnmilk]

To those who can't understand the concept, let me make it clearer:

Using the latest "Bracketology" to reach the Final Four, and assuming a win over a 15 seed, Kentucky would have to beat:

Marquette
Purdue
Baylor - That's assuming the best seed advances.

To win the SEC tournament Kentucky would have to beat:

Alabama for the third time
Tennessee in a rubber match
Auburn. - Assuming the best seed advances.

Anyone who thinks the first list of games is incredibly harder than the second list probably hasn't watched much college basketball this year.

You really are clueless.SEC tourney is no pressure.Lose and UK still moves on to the important one.NCAA is where it's all at.

 

[phyrekat]

Well, how many times has UK won the SEC tournament? How many times have they been to the Final Four?
UK has been to 60 SEC tournaments and won 31 of them.
They have been to 59 NCAA tournaments and have 17 Final Fours
Heck, the ratio of Final Fours to Elite 8's (17/38) is lower than SEC tourney titles to appearances (31-60)
I would say it's not even close which is harder, regardless of which year it is.

 

[TOMCATS1990]

Final 4 is much more difficult. SEC Tourney while this season is a gauntlet, you still in the back of your head know if you lose you have another game next week.

 

[Bigblueamdyou]

its the ncaa tournament and it will
always be

 

[ukmelanie]

Don't Kansas and Duke fans usually say this about their conference?Do you really want to join them.

 

[LowCountryCat]

I'd say this year it'd be winning the SEC tournament. And I don't think it is all that close.

To reach the Final Four you'd have to win four games, but one is usually a layup for a 1-2 seed.

After that you'd have a #8-9 seed or a #7-10 seed, a #3-4 seed and a 1-2 seed - assuming chalk.

You'd have a tougher road to win the SEC tournament from Kentucky's position: Based on latest bracketology you'd have to beat teams with these projected NCAA seeds: #5 seed Alabama, #3 seed Tennessee and #1 seed Auburn - assuming chalk.

Not only that, you'd be playing the first two for the 3rd time, with horrible SEC referees presiding.

A testament to the SEC's strength this year.

Is this a joke?

 

[Aike]

Without knowing the draw, going to say 15% to win the SEC Championship and 13% to go to FF.

Pretty close to a pick ‘em.

 

[bookerfan66]

Without knowing the draw, going to say 15% to win the SEC Championship and 13% to go to FF.

Pretty close to a pick ‘em.

Jay Bilas would be proud.Some can never laugh at him again.

 

[UKWildcats1987]

If we face alabama, tennessee and auburn we won't face 3 tougher opponents in the round of 32, sweet and elite 8. I think that was what the op was trying to convey.

Obviously the ncaa means a lot more and the pressure ratches up.

 

[STL_Cat]

Jesus, really. Looks like a KU fan post.

 

[track42]

Jesus, really. Looks like a KU fan post.

We would be making fun of Kansas fans but here idiots agree with it.Sad.

 

[Bungalow Bill]

It's close but I know I would rather we make it to the final 4 than win the SEC tourney championship. We have a ton of those. I want a shot at #9 with this group.

 

[Son_Of_Saul]

I'd say this year it'd be winning the SEC tournament. And I don't think it is all that close.

To reach the Final Four you'd have to win four games, but one is usually a layup for a 1-2 seed.

After that you'd have a #8-9 seed or a #7-10 seed, a #3-4 seed and a 1-2 seed - assuming chalk.

You'd have a tougher road to win the SEC tournament from Kentucky's position: Based on latest bracketology you'd have to beat teams with these projected NCAA seeds: #5 seed Alabama, #3 seed Tennessee and #1 seed Auburn - assuming chalk.

Not only that, you'd be playing the first two for the 3rd time, with horrible SEC referees presiding.

A testament to the SEC's strength this year.

You're getting started a bit earlier than usual with your preemptive excuse making, eh, Md?

 

[yes_takeaside]

Without knowing the draw, going to say 15% to win the SEC Championship and 13% to go to FF.

Pretty close to a pick ‘em.

Nah. Not based on statistics. A Sunday SEC title game will be like a home crowd for UK.

 

[turkeywildturkey]

You have to be kidding. Let’s see, win 3 games or 6. I’m going with winning 6 games being tougher.

 

[mbc82584]

I'd say this year it'd be winning the SEC tournament. And I don't think it is all that close.

To reach the Final Four you'd have to win four games, but one is usually a layup for a 1-2 seed.

After that you'd have a #8-9 seed or a #7-10 seed, a #3-4 seed and a 1-2 seed - assuming chalk.

You'd have a tougher road to win the SEC tournament from Kentucky's position: Based on latest bracketology you'd have to beat teams with these projected NCAA seeds: #5 seed Alabama, #3 seed Tennessee and #1 seed Auburn - assuming chalk.

Not only that, you'd be playing the first two for the 3rd time, with horrible SEC referees presiding.

A testament to the SEC's strength this year.

Nah it’s still a final four.

The SECT is all played in Tampa with vast majority UK fans.

the ncaa is at 2 sites where we are lucky to have 40-%.

 

[gossie21]

You have to be kidding. Let’s see, win 3 games or 6. I’m going with winning 6 games being tougher.

You don't have to win 6 games to get to the Final Four. You only have to win 4 games..... and the first one is a gimmee.

With that said, it is still much more difficult to make it to the Final Four. Even this year with a difficult top-4 in the SEC.

 

[TOMCATS1990]

Ask Virginia their are no automatic W’s in the NCAA Tourney.

 

[MdWIldcat55]

It's close but I know I would rather we make it to the final 4 than win the SEC tourney championship. We have a ton of those. I want a shot at #9 with this group.

There is no question that is true. As the OP, I could not agree with you more; I'd rather see Kentucky go to the Final Four than win the next three SEC Tournaments personally.

My question was simply, would it be easier to win the three games it would take (after the opening lay-up) to reach the Final Four or beat Alabama, Tennessee and Auburn if the favorites advance.

That seems to be hard for some (not you) to grasp. But the teams the Cats are likely to face to get through a region, will not be seeded any higher, and probably not as high, as Alabama, Tennessee and Auburn, making them on paper at least as difficult a run of games as those in any of the Four Regions.

 

[DeerTurkHunter1]

To those who can't understand the concept, let me make it clearer:

Using the latest "Bracketology" to reach the Final Four, and assuming a win over a 15 seed, Kentucky would have to beat:

Marquette
Purdue
Baylor - That's assuming the best seed advances.

To win the SEC tournament Kentucky would have to beat:

Alabama for the third time
Tennessee in a rubber match
Auburn. - Assuming the best seed advances.

Anyone who thinks the first list of games is incredibly harder than the second list probably hasn't watched much college basketball this year.

Uh beating Purdue and Baylor would be a lot harder than Tennessee and Auburn.

 

[ManOfManyNames]

From a physical standpoint, the conference tournament is likely more challenging because the minimum amount of games teams have to play to win are 3 in 3 days. That's physically hard to do. Not to mention having to play the same teams for 2nd and 3rd time. However, from a pressure standpoint, the NCAA is harder because it means more and is season ending if you lose.

 

[MdWIldcat55]

Uh beating Purdue and Baylor would be a lot harder than Tennessee and Auburn.

Not according to most trusted metrics.

KenPom, for example, has Tennessee rated better than Purdue, based in part on Purdue's relatively terrible defensive ranking of around 100.

Baylor is rated slightly ahead of Auburn in KenPom, but that includes games played before Baylor lost a key player, Tchamwa Tchatchoua. "Against Kansas State, his final full game before the injury, Tchatchoua scored 21 points, grabbed six rebounds and blocked a shot in 24 minutes".

To say beating Purdue and Baylor, with Baylor down a key player, would be "a lot harder" than beating Tennessee and Auburn is not supported by any metrics out there.

 

[GLR5555]

NCAA is one and done. SEC is really irrelevant in the big picture. The NCAA pressure to win is way more.

 

[CB3UK]

Uhhhh...the Final Four. Is this a serious question?

 

[CBBCrazy]

The Final Four hands down, gotta win 4 in a row against teams that have the same goal as you.

 

[STL_Cat]

There is no question that is true. As the OP, I could not agree with you more; I'd rather see Kentucky go to the Final Four than win the next three SEC Tournaments personally.

My question was simply, would it be easier to win the three games it would take (after the opening lay-up) to reach the Final Four or beat Alabama, Tennessee and Auburn if the favorites advance.

That seems to be hard for some (not you) to grasp. But the teams the Cats are likely to face to get through a region, will not be seeded any higher, and probably not as high, as Alabama, Tennessee and Auburn, making them on paper at least as difficult a run of games as those in any of the Four Regions.

Final Four.

 

[ukfan041]

Yikes! This some ole KU, UL, and dUKe fan logic/nonsense! NCAA and it’s not close…

 

[BBUK]

Jesus, really. Looks like a KU fan post.

Talking about MD55? He may be a lot of things but he is NOT a KU fan. He is UK through and through.