SEC-Big12 Pairings released

[Muskie]

Link (http://collegebasketball.nbcsports.com/2017/05/25/no-kentucky-vs-kansas-as-secbig-12-challenge-matchups-released/)

No Kentucky versus Kansas. But Calipari does get the chance to dine with Huggins.



Baylor at Florida
Tennessee at Iowa State
Texas A&M at Kansas
Georgia at Kansas State
Oklahoma at Alabama
Oklahoma State at Arkansas
TCU at Vanderbilt
Mississippi at Texas
Texas Tech at South Carolina
Kentucky at West Virginia

[xubrew]

Link (http://collegebasketball.nbcsports.com/2017/05/25/no-kentucky-vs-kansas-as-secbig-12-challenge-matchups-released/)

No Kentucky versus Kansas. But Calipari does get the chance to dine with Huggins.



Baylor at Florida
Tennessee at Iowa State
Texas A&M at Kansas
Georgia at Kansas State
Oklahoma at Alabama
Oklahoma State at Arkansas
TCU at Vanderbilt
Mississippi at Texas
Texas Tech at South Carolina
Kentucky at West Virginia



Two of those games strike me as good showcase games. The rest...meh.

What's interesting is when the Big Twelve and Pac Ten (at the time) started the Hardwood Series, the whole idea was to get a brand name team on the schedule in late November/early December in order to boost interest in basketball at that time. Now the SEC and Big Twelve have moved their series to the end of January in order to boost interest not in basketball, but in the event itself.

But, here is an idea. If they are going to play it at the end of January, suppose they waited to announce the match-ups? That way you're guaranteed to get the best match ups. They already know who all the home and road teams are, so that part can be predetermined.

I think TCU is a team to watch in the Big Twelve, and Alabama is a team to watch in the SEC. Neither have been in the NCAA Tournament picture lately, but one or both of them will likely be in it this upcoming season.