Just checked out Seth Davis’s bracket as published at the Athletic. A lot of irony in there. He picked Bama to win it all but did not pick a single (not one) other SEC men’s team to win. How can you say Bama is the best when you are simultaneously implying “they didn’t beat anybody.” (btw, here is his bracket which I have to think is behind a paywall) https://cdn.theathletic.com/app/uploads/2023/03/12230520/0312_23MensBracket_SethDavis-1.pdf
For what it’s worth I like it when journalists go out on a limb a little bit and don’t follow chalk…but 1-7 for the SEC? I know he would say it is all about the matchups but at some point I think you step back and realize “wow, I didn’t pick the SEC to win a single game outside of Bama.” Just hard to believe with the talent and the coaches in this league that March Madness is going to be a total bust. But…we’ll see.
By RPI, the SEC’s second best team is UT at #22. Of course, Arkansas has fallen like a hot potato. We were beat last week by the Aggies, the SEC’s #2 team by W/L record, but they were destroyed by Alabama. Outside of Bama beating Houston, not much good can be said about the SEC this season, thus far. [Maybe Tenn besting Kansas, but then they also lost to Colorado.]
Why would you look at RPI? Nobody else does, including the committee. There’s a reason they got rid of it; it’s a glorified strength of schedule measure.
Back to OP, I noticed that too but I doubt he considered conference affiliation at all. And by the way I bet he’s dead wrong.
I never get a good vibe after reading The Athletic when it comes to Arkansas
sports. It may be a personal injustice only but have difficulty accepting that as well.
And I definitely have disagreement issues with most all of Seth Davis’ articles…
On the other hand, Austin Mock of The Athletic ran his computer model of the tournament, says we’ll beat Illinois and have a decent chance to beat Kansas, enough that it’s worth a small wager.
It’s an international website. They’re not going to be homers for anyone. If that’s what you want, not happening. But they get stuff ESPN and others don’t get.
