The SEC/ACC Challenge ended up 14-2 in the SEC’s favor this year. The men’s NCAA Tournament bid disparity could end up almost that bad — a record-smashing 14 SEC teams in the field of 68 because Arkansas keeps rising, and a match of the ACC’s lowest all-time output of three because North Carolina, Wake Forest and Pitt can’t do enough late.

Mike Lopresti is a member of the US Basketball Writers Hall of Fame, Ball State journalism Hall of Fame and Indiana Sportswriters and Sportscasters Hall of Fame. He has covered college basketball for 43 years, including 39 Final Fours. He is so old he covered Bob Knight when he had dark hair and basketball shorts were actually short.