John Calipari believes four SEC teams could reach Final Four if NCAA gives it a chance to happen

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For several years John Calipari touted the need for Southeastern Conference basketball overall to improve. For the last several years Calipari has touted the lack of respect nationally for SEC basketball.

Kentucky and Auburn both are in the running for No. 1 overall seeds. Tennessee and Arkansas are both likely high seeds as well.

“What I hope is they separate the top four of us (in different regions in the NCAA Tournament) and we’re all in the Final Four,” Calipari said after Tuesday’s win over Ole Miss. “My guess is they’ll put us and another team from our league in the same region.

“They’ll put two of us and two of them so only two of you can advance. But if we’re all spread out, we could have four teams in.”

However, Calipari was just getting warmed up with advice for the NCAA Selection Committee.

“Why don’t we get eight teams in (the NCAA)? Why are we not talking about other teams that are in the middle of the pack in our league?” Calipari said.  “I think we should be getting eight teams in. I’ve said it, what the goal should be is eight.”

That’s likely not going to happen. ESPN  bracketologist Joe Lunardi has six SEC teams in his latest tourney projection: Kentucky, Auburn, Tennessee, Arkansas, Alabama, and LSU.

The Big Ten had nine teams in Lunardi’s NCAA bracket while the Big East had seven and the Big 12 six like the SEC.

Kentucky closes regular season play Saturday at Florida. A win would assure UK of at least a No. 3 seed in the SEC Tournament next week.

Point guard Sahvir Wheeler said UK is not looking ahead and is in no hurry for this season to end.

“I am not wanting to get to the finish line (end of the season), especially with the team that we have,” Wheeler said. “We know what we’re capable of and the ceiling of our team and we know how special we are. Trust each other, share the ball. I mean, we can take this thing pretty far.”

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