SEC Basketball Trends

College basketball is a unique sport in that there is a gigantic universe of 362 teams (and growing), but within this vast landscape there are a number of different ecosystems – the different conferences.

Given the general trends and a sport in which hundreds of teams compete at the same level, the focus of programs is not so much on competing with the 361 other teams, but rather on competing within your league. While non-conference games are still an important part of the college basketball calendar, the more important part remains league play. We saw a perfect example of this with the Gators last year as they didn’t accomplish much in the non-conference portion of the season and they weren’t expected to be an NCAA Tournament team, but as they turned around in the season SEC took care of business, they could manage it comfortably.

This trend will only continue as leagues add more conference games, eliminating non-conference opportunities – something that is the case in major major basketball. With the SEC adding Oklahoma and Texas, it’s possible the league could add even more conference games in the future to try to balance schedules as much as possible.

This means that teams in the SEC should keep an eye on trends and happenings around the league to align their roster and style of play with what works. While the style may not put them in a position to win outside of the conference, if it does win in the league, it’s probably worth it.

To objectively look at the style of play in the SEC, here are some league stats from the 2023-24 season. Each number is the league’s ranking across all leagues nationally (33 or 32 plus independent leagues if you want to get technical). Seeing where the SEC ranks in some of these categories should give a good indication of some trends around the league – trends that the Gators should keep a close eye on.

Offensive Efficiency: 4

Many people think of the SEC as a wild, rock-and-roll fighting league – but that’s not the case at all. This is a league full of teams that can score, and that means you’ll probably need to be able to rack up points quickly if you want to compete. This could continue from last season, where the Gators were better in SEC play than non-conference play – they couldn’t get the stops they needed to beat some of the more methodical teams in November and December, but the SEC morphed into much more of a points competition that suited their style.

Tempo: 4

Once again we have a statistic that shows the SEC’s age as a physical “grind it out” league is long past. This is one of the fastest leagues in the country and you need players who can keep up with that pace.

Sales percentage: 8

As mentioned, the SEC ranks fourth nationally in offensive efficiency, so the offense appears to be well ahead of the defense right now. However, the defense was good in one area when it came to forcing turnovers. To compete in the SEC, you need guards who can handle pressure.

Offensive rebounding percentage: 2

This is a statistical category that the Gators certainly helped in as they were one of the best offensive rebounding teams in the country, but they weren’t alone as there were a number of SEC teams that dominated on the glass . This is an area where the SEC’s old-fashioned reputation holds true – teams are incredibly physical on the glass.

Block percentage: 1

This isn’t something you can particularly prepare for or build your roster around, but it’s just interesting to note that the SEC is the best in this category while also being a high-scoring league.

Three-point attempt rate: 12
Three-point percentage: 24

This is an area the league has struggled with for several years. Let’s take a look back at where the SEC ranks in three-point percentage.

2022-23: 32

2021-22: 29

2020-21: 22

2019-20: 28

… I could go on for a few more years, but you get the point – the SEC hasn’t shot well at all in the past.

This is an area where Florida could take a look at its defensive strategy relative to league trends. Right now, Florida’s defense is all about blocking three-point attempts and driving the action toward the rim. One has to wonder if the Gators would be better off changing that strategy and defending the rim at a higher level and instead giving up more three-point attempts, knowing full well that the SEC will be a subpar shooting league. Of course, these days rosters change more than ever and you can’t just rely on the league finishing 22nd or worse in three-point percentage again, but if this trend continues, the Gators could be in good hands to change their philosophy. Most teams in the league base their offense on scoring at the rim and not shooting as many threes, and Florida’s defense can’t keep up as well considering their willingness to give up shots at the rim and to get threes at the same time.

The different trends that develop in different leagues are what make college basketball so great, and now that you know some of the trends in the league, you can know what to look for as the 2024-25 season begins.