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Throughout its history, SEC basketball has really been about one team: the Kentucky Wildcats. If you don’t quite understand the above video, you probably have not watched a lot of Kentucky basketball (fans hold a sign of the number 3 everytime they make a 3-point shot… I.E. so they make a lot of 3′s). Wildcat Men’s Basketball has had a dominant presence in a portion of every decade since the SEC’s inception in 1932. Only one coach that coached multiple seasons at UK finished with an overall losing record in his tenure: W.W.H. Mustaine, UK’s first ever men’s basketball coach. And no coach, after Kentucky’s first joined the original SEC, has left the university with an overall losing record.

There is no doubt the standard of excellence is high at basketball university USA.  Perhaps, where Kentucky has shined most has been in the tournaments. Kentucky has won over half of SEC tournaments in history (27 of 52), owns 7 total NCAA tournaments Titles (Second most to UCLA in history),  the most appearances (51) and wins (105, currently tied with North Carolina) in NCAA tournament history. If those stats were too much for you, then know UK also owns 2 NIT Titles in its history too (the only school with multiple NCAA and NIT tournament Titles). It’s no wonder Rupp Arena in Lexington, where the Wildcats play, is the biggest basketball arena in the nation, and regularly leads college basketball in attendance. More often than not considered the Yankees of basketball, fans annually expect a Sweet 16 and Final Four appearances from their Wildcat basketball squad. This year’s crop talent, despite their youth, is not letting expectations fan expectations down. Considered by many the best team in the nation, and tied with the Syracuse Orange for the best record in the NCAA so far this year, the Wildcats are a virtual lock for one of the four tournament #1 seeds. Barring an early exit in this year’s SEC tournament, they are in best spot to grab the overall #1 seed of the tournament’s field of 68.

Since this is the SEC’s first year eliminating its traditional East and West divisions from basketball standing within the conference, the top four teams overall will earn a first round bye into the the conference tournament. The top three teams of those four current teams look to be dangerous when March Madness comes around. Kentucky, if you haven’t guessed, is currently sitting 12-0 in conference holding the top seed.

Second in SEC standings, Florida has had the opportunity of playing the top three teams in the AP poll standings this season, Syracuse, Kentucky and Ohio State. All three games were losses, but besides the Gator’s 30 point blowout loss to Kentucky, the games against Syracuse and Ohio State were only 6 point and under losses. Lead by last year’s high school Gatorade Nation Basketball Player of the Year, shooting guard Bradley Beal, and by 5-8 point guard / team’s leading scorer, Ervin Walker, the Gator’s are looking to put up a much better showing against Kentucky the second time around at the end of the season.

For the first third of the season, third place Vanderbilt had been without their 6’11″ NBA center prospect, Festus Ezeli (Sr.). Still, the experienced Commodores were able to stay competitive thanks to great guard play by Vanderbilt’s other NBA prospects, Jeffrey Taylor (Jr.) and John Jenkins (Sr.). This older team has only gone 1-7 vs. AP top 25 teams so far this season, but two of those seven losses were competitive enough to go into overtime. Upcoming rematches against Florida and Kentucky will go a long way into where we see the Commodores are seeded in the NCAA tournament.

Four teams are 6-6 in SEC play, tied for fourth place, and looking for that last spot that gives first round going into the SEC Tournament. Two of those four teams are likely to make the tournament, possibly a third depending on how things shake up in the final weeks of the season. Mississippi State was favorite of the bracketologist’s teams to nab that fourth spot, and were ranked as high as 15th in the AP poll, until three recent losses in a row (two in OT) dragged them down to that four way tie in the standing. The biggest thing to watch for with Mississippi State will be to see how they rebound from those losses, and how well they end up performing in the SEC Tournament. Their next game at Kentucky, Tuesday night, could go a long way in having people forget those last three losses. Of course, any win against #1 Kentucky can go a long way in how people view your team, just read my article about the Indiana Hoosier’s men’s basketball team. John Calipari, Kentucky’s head coach, is coming as close as ever on cashing-in his first NCAA tournament Title this year with his young Wildcat team. And he’s doing it riding one of college basketball’s most storied programs. If Notre Dame is the best place in the NCAA to coach football, then Kentucky is the best place to coach college basketball.

- Martin