Pumpkinhead said:
I don't necessarily disagree with such standards, though until the entire SEC conference as a whole gets better, I think it will be even more challenging for the SEC schools not named Kentucky to reach that high a bar.
The issue is partly an SEC conference problem right now, not just an individual school problem. The conference needs to get to the point where it is sending at least 5-6 schools per year to NCAA and not just 3 (like the last two seasons). The conference needs to get to the point where a 10-8 record in conference generally means an NCAA bid and not a death sentence.
The SEC conference keeps sending only 2-3 teams to NCAA outside of Kentucky, then you will continue see what you have been seeing the past 4-5 years. Not much consistency (outside Kentucky). The conference as a whole is making it that much harder on its members rising up and then staying afloat.
Now the past few years have seen some high profile hires like Pearl, Howland, Barnes, Avery Sr., but none of those guys seem to be panning out quick getting the conference quality up.
While I agree I'd like to see a better brand of college basketball conference-wide (from a viewer standpoint and also a resume building standpoint), but I think it's excuse-making to imply that because the conference is so bad it's "even more challenging" for A&M.
If the other teams aren't good, then it should be easier for A&M to beat them. A&M isn't because A&M isn't very good. I know the thought process may be that that if we're 10-8 in the SEC just because of the "numbers game", then we'd likely be at 0.500ish team in a better conference... but reality is we'd likely be under 0.500 if our opponents were better.
To use Kentucky as an example seemingly paints a picture that unless A&M is Kentucky, then with the current state of the SEC thinking that we can make the tournament most years isn't likely... and that's a buncha crap.
Maybe a rising tide lifts all boats, but if you've got a crappy boat then all a rising tide does is bury you deeper underwater.
A&M isn't a tournament team because of A&M... Not because the Arkansas' and the LSU's and the Missouri's aren't pulling their weight.