On Tuesday, Duke legend Mike Krzyzewski, more famously known as Coach K, shared his thoughts on the SEC’s dominance during a special NCAA tournament preview episode on his SiriusXM podcast. The SEC made history by sending a record 14 programs to the tourney.
Coach K shared that he is keen to watch how these programs will perform, particularly in the crucial early rounds, to see whether the selection of these teams is justified.
"I'm gonna be excited watching the record 14 SEC teams after one game," Krzyzewski said. "After two games, I just want to see if the metrics and the NET rankings, which put such a heavy emphasis on November and December games, hold up."
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From a resume standpoint, the SEC had the strongest season of any conference, landing two No. 1 seeds—Auburn and Florida. Florida won the SEC Tournament, while Auburn has struggled recently, losing three of its last four games.
Along with the two No. 1 seeds, Ole Miss, Oklahoma, Mississippi State, Alabama, Vanderbilt, Kentucky, Georgia, Tennessee, Arkansas, Texas A&M, Missouri, and Texas all joined the field of 68.
The Longhorns will still have to fight their way into the main bracket as they face Xavier in a First Four showdown on Wednesday.
Coach K picks Maryland as 'sleeper' program in NCAA Tournament
Coach K previewed the NCAA Tournament on his SiriusXM podcast on Tuesday, and he discussed one program that stood out as a potential sleeper in the competitive West Region.
"I think a sleeper in the region [West] is Maryland," Krzyzewski said. "They're in the Big Ten, but I don't think they get the exposure they would have in the ACC. They have a hell of a coach [Kevin Willard.]"
The No. 4 seed Maryland Terrapins have been one of the standout programs in the Big Ten this season, led by standout freshman and potential NBA lottery pick Derik Queen. The 6-foot-10 freshman is averaging 16.3 points and 9.0 rebounds this season.
The Terps finished with a 25-8 overall record and a 14-6 record in conference play earning a second-place finish in the Big Ten.
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