"Sweet 16-type environment every time you play": John Calipari hypes up "dominant" SEC days away from March Madness
John Calipari knows a thing or two about competing at the highest level of collegiate basketball. The Hall of Famer has led a handful of programs to playoff success, and he'll be aiming for more of the same with the Arkansas Razorbacks in due time.
Ahead of March Madness, Calipari decided to hype up the Southeastern Conference:
"All you do is look at the investment, the coaches in this league, the fans, how hard it is to win on the road. It is a Sweet 16-type environment every time you play."
This is Calipari's 16th season in the SEC. He spent the previous 15 as the head coach of the Kentucky Wildcats.
Heading into March Madness, the Auburn Tigers have the SEC's best record. The Florida Gators, Alabama Crimson Tide, Tennessee Volunteers and Texas A&M Aggies closely follow them. All these teams have lost less than 10 games in the 2024-25 season and should like their chances to win it all come the end of the season.
Which SEC teams are favorites for the 2025 national championship?
Here's a look at the Top 10 odds for the 2025 national championship:
- Auburn Tigers - +350
- Duke Blue Devils - +350
- Houston Cougars - +800
- Florida Gators - +850
- Alabama Crimson Tide - 12-1
- Tennessee Volunteers - 14-1
- Iowa State Cyclones - 20-1
- Michigan State Spartans - 25-1
- St. John's Red Storm - 25-1
- Texas Tech Red Raiders - 33-1
The Duke Blue Devils and Auburn Tigers are runaway favorites to win it all come April 7. The last time an SEC team won the men's national title was in 2012, when John Calipari led the Kentucky Wildcats to the title.
However, since then, teams like Auburn and Bama have made significant progress in their basketball operations. These teams are all in contention to win the biggest honor in collegiate basketball.
Speaking of March Madness, here's the 2025 schedule:
- First round: March 20 and 21
- Second round: March 22 and 23
- Sweet 16: March 27 and 28
- Elite Eight: March 29 and 30
- Final Four: April 5
- Championship game: April 7