In 1985, the Big East Conference sent three schools to the Final Four: St. John’s, Georgetown and eventual national champion Villanova. It remains the only time in history that a single league as filled three of four spots for the national semifinals.
But with the Southeastern Conference’s fine showing this past weekend in the Big 12-SEC Challenge, is it folly to believe America’s best football conference could also send three teams to this year’s Final Four?
When Kentucky can win by 18 points at Kansas, when Auburn can outclass Oklahoma by that same margin and Alabama can swat away defending national champion Baylor by nine, is it least in the realm of possibility that all three of those programs could wind up in New Orleans on the first weekend of April? And if three get there, is it any less possible that one of them will emerge as champ?
Heck, if the SEC can have two member schools reach the College Football Playoff title game, why not the same scenario for the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament crown?
Were I to pick a Final Four today, I probably wouldn’t go that way. After watching UCLA crush Arizona last week inside the Bruins’ Pauley Pavilion, I’d probably pick Auburn, Gonzaga, Michigan State and UCLA on the first week of February.