By ADAM ZAGORIA
They call it the SEC/ACC Challenge but it wasn’t much of a challenge for the SEC this year.
The thing ended in a 14-2 bloodbath in favor of the SEC.
Overall, the SEC is 26-3 against the ACC this year. The only losses were the two in the Challenge and LSU lost to Pitt in an MTE.
“I do think the financial resources are a big deal,” Alabama coach Nate Oats told reporters after his No. 10 Crimson Tide throttled No. 20 North Carolina, 94-79, at the Dean Dome.
“I think the league decided they wanted to be good at basketball.”
“The league decided they wanted to be good at basketball.”
— Josh Graham (@JoshGrahamShow) December 5, 2024
Here is Alabama coach Nate Oats on the SEC’s dominance against the ACC in hoops this season. pic.twitter.com/TxZ6jhuxBL
The ACC salvaged some pride on Wednesday when Cooper Flagg and No. 9 Duke earned an 84-78 win over No. 2 Auburn at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The only other ACC win was Clemson over No. 4 Kentucky on Tuesday, so the ACC did knock off the No. 2 and 4 teams in the nation.
Aided by 18 first-half points from Isaiah Evans and a 22-point, 11-rebound, double-double from Flagg, the Blue Devils improved to 38-15 all-time in top-10 matchups at home.
Evans and Flagg were joined in double-figures by Tyrese Proctor and Caleb Foster, who chipped in 12 and 11, respectively. Flagg also added a team-high four assists and was joined by Sion James as leaders in steals (three) and blocks (two).
The days of the ACC ruling the college basketball world may be in the past. Since 2000, the ACC has won eight national championships, tied with the Big East most of any conference. But this year, the conference ranks worst among power leagues on Kenpom and Torvik, and it features seven teams outside the top-100 of the NET.
On the other hand, the SEC is dominating. It ranks as the best conference via the metrics websites and the SEC leads the country with four teams in the top-10 of the NET (Tennessee, Auburn, Florida and Kentucky).
The last national title from an SEC program was Kentucky in 2012. Could this be the year the conference breaks through? If the SEC/ACC challenge is any indication, it just might be.
Here are the full results:
Tuesday, December 3rd
Notre Dame 48, Georgia 69 | SEC leads 1-0
South Carolina 73, Boston College 51 | SEC leads 2-0
Arkansas 76, Miami 73 | SEC leads 3-0
California 93, Missouri 98 | SEC leads 4-0
Syracuse 70, Tennessee 96 | SEC leads 5-0
Wake Forest 44, Texas A&M 57 | SEC leads 6-0
Ole Miss 86, Louisville 63 | SEC leads 7-0
Georgia Tech 61, Oklahoma 76 | SEC leads 8-0
Florida State 75, LSU 85 | SEC leads 9-0
Kentucky 66, Clemson 70 | SEC leads 9-1
Wednesday, December 4th
Virginia 69, Florida 87 | SEC leads 10-1
Alabama 94, North Carolina 79 | SEC leads 11-1
Pittsburgh 57, Mississippi State 90 | SEC leads 12-1
Vanderbilt 80, Virginia Tech 64 | SEC leads 13-1
Texas 63, NC State 59 | SEC leads 14-1
Auburn 78, Duke 84 | SEC leads 14-2
Follow Adam Zagoria on Twitter
Follow ZAGSBLOGHoops on Instagram
