ADOLPH RUPP
selecting teams for NCAA.
That occurred in 1951 when Vanderbilt upset Kentucky 61-57 in the title game. However, the NCAA invited UK because of its regular season play (14-0 in SEC) and the Wildcats went on to capture the NCAA title, Adolph Rupp's third in a four-year-old period. In thirty years at SEC tourneys, Kentucky leads with 13 titles. Alabama with 4, is the only other team to win more than one.
Not until 1979 did the SEC revive the post season tourney. This time, proponents argued it would give the SEC another entry in the NCAA, plus add more money to the dwindling financial coffers around the league.
During the first three years of the renewed tourney, supporters were right on target on both counts. Last year, the SEC distributed some $60,000 to each school as its share of the proceeds. It may reach $100,000 this year.
More importantly, two of the three tourneys enabled underdogs to win a place in the NCAA. In the first renewal back in 1979, Tennessee finished second in the regular season and then won the title with a thrilling overtime win over Kentucky. LSU, the regular season champion, was also invited.
In 1980, LSU, Kentucky and Tennessee   were   issued invitations
after a wild affair in Birmingham. Last season, Ole Miss took Birmingham by storm and scored the biggest upset of all as the pretenders fell by the wayside long before the championship game.
Although most league coaches would like to change the regular season foremat and reduce the number of conference games from 18 to 14, the overwhelming number still favors the post season tourney.
They point to the fan interest, to the financial rewards and to one last opportunity of salvaging a poor season with a strong showing at the end.
Auburn coach Sonny Smith, for instance, loves it. He is also one of a minority who has some positive thoughts about the tourney being staged in Lexington although he still has some reservations.
"It's good," says Smith of the tourney. "It has changed our league and given it some media attention nationally. It provides monies to the schools and has made the presidents open their eyes to the fact that basketball could be a real money-maker. As far as the tourney being held in Lexington, I have two feelings about it.
"First, I think it's great because it is THE basketball spot in our league. There's more attention to basketball in Lexington and the fans are more knowledgeable. More media attention is going to be given to the tournament in Lexington and it's going to help basketball in our league from that standpoint. I have one negative view about it because I don't believe that a coach in the league should have been given any advantage and I felt the Wildcats got an advantage by playing on their home court, but as a coach you should feel that way."
However, if recent history is any indication, home-standing Kentucky could be in for a shocking surprise.
In 1979, LSU was a big favorite and although Tennessee finished second in the regular season race, many predicted Alabama would be just as strong because the tourney was being played in Bama's home-away-from-home, Birmingham. Alabama was awesome in the opening round with an 81-64 win over Florida but was ousted by Kentucky, 101-100, in what many consider to be the greatest game in the history of the SEC tournament.
In 1980, Alabama won its first game only to be eliminated by LSU in the semi-finals. Last March, Alabama was upset by Georgia in its first game. So much for being the game-site sentimental favorite.
Nevertheless, Kentucky could be entering the tournament with a 28-game home court winning streak if the Cats beat Florida and Mississippi State in their two final home games of the regular season. That would be the longest current home court win streak in the South.
Earlier this season, Kentucky snapped Alabama's 17-game home court streak late in the season and on the very same day, Georgia broke LSU's 23-game home court streak. When the ten SEC clubs get together at Rupp Arena this week, UK's streak will be in jeopardy.
With some 100,000 fans rooting for their respective teams, only the unexpected can be anticipated. By the week's end, there will be plenty of upsets, electrifying slam dunks, tears and jeers for everyone.
And when some of the old-timers remember when it took two days just to ride the train to Atlanta
JOHN MAUER
for that first SEC tournament back in 1933, you know the SEC has come a long way, from the very bottom to the very top.
Legends like Adolph Rupp, Babe McCarthy and John Mauer would be mighty proud today. They gave birth to basketball in the South and the sport has enjoyed unmatched growth over the past five decades. Someway, sometime, those fellas will make their presence known this week. Just you wait and see.
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