Jay Bilas Sounds Off on SEC’s Tournament Hopes – Will They Back Up the Hype?
The SEC may have set a record for the most NCAA Tournament bids, but according to Jay Bilas, success isn’t just about getting in—it’s about making a deep run. Speaking on The Paul Finebaum Show on Monday, the longtime ESPN analyst and former Duke player pointed to past examples of conferences that dominated the selection process but crumbled when it mattered most.
Bilas recalled the 2022 Big Ten fiasco, where the conference sent nine teams to the tournament, only to see just two reach the Sweet Sixteen and none make the Final Four. Even worse, Purdue was stunned by No. 15 seed Saint Peter’s in the Elite Eight.
Despite those cautionary tales, Bilas remains confident in the SEC’s strength—but he knows the doubters are waiting.
“I think the strength and the numbers probably indicate that the league is gonna do well, but not every one of the 14 teams is gonna win,” Bilas said. “That’s just the nature of the tournament. You may have an injury, face a hot team, and get clipped. That’s OK. But what you don’t want is what happened to the Big Ten a few years ago.”
He warned that if the SEC underperforms, critics will be quick to pounce.
“The Big Ten was recognized as the best conference in the country,” Bilas continued. “Then they went into the tournament and laid an egg. That let people say, ‘See? You weren’t that good.’ It’s not necessarily fair, but that’s how people see it. You’ll have competitors coming after you.”
The SEC’s High Stakes
Of the 14 SEC teams in the tournament, six earned top-four seeds, showing just how dominant the conference was in the regular season. Every SEC squad also finished inside the top 100 of both the NET Rankings and KenPom—a strong sign that the league is built for a deep run.
However, this is March Madness, and Cinderella stories are inevitable. If the SEC finds itself on the wrong side of an upset, the narrative could shift quickly from dominance to disappointment.
Adding to the pressure, the SEC expanded this year, welcoming Oklahoma and Texas—both of whom made the tournament. The Longhorns, however, must first get past Xavier in the First Four to officially join the Round of 64.
That game kicks off the SEC’s tournament journey, but the real action begins Thursday, when the league’s top contenders take center stage. Now, it’s time to see if the SEC can prove its dominance—or if history will repeat itself.
