The exact moment the SEC became a basketball conference is still up for debate. What Rick Barnes can tell you is when his league was barely known for basketball. It was 1987, the beginning of what will someday be a hall of fame career for Tennessee's current coach.

The SEC has made plenty of history this season, including setting a record with 14 teams in the NCAA Tournament. The country's best basketball conference can make even more history in the Elite Eight.

Greg Sankey has seen a lot of football excellence during his time as SEC commissioner, but right now it's all about basketball.

The SEC’s surprise Sweet 16 team is Arkansas, which only two months ago was 0-5 in league play and firmly outside the NCAA tournament picture. John Calipari’s Razorbacks have since won 12 of 17 games, culminating with Saturday’s thrilling upset of the best St. John’s team in at least two decades.

Seven SEC teams qualified for the Sweet 16, a new NCAA Tournament record. Here's how the conference has performed in 2025 March Madness.

According to a post by the SEC, Sears made the most threes by an SEC player in NCAA Tournament history. He knocked down 10 threes in the game, shooting 62.5% from beyond the arc.

Most underrated? Most challenging projection? Some of these guys may move up boards or warrant a closer look over the next year.

The SEC has made good on its reputation as the strongest conference in college basketball so far in the 2025 SEC tournament, with a record seven teams reaching the Sweet 16.