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Normally Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams talk football on the “SEC Football Unfiltered” podcast from the USA TODAY Network. However, they shared their basketball insights on a special NCAA Tournament show.
While they might normally talk football, they had no trouble agreeing on which SEC basketball team faces the most March Madness pressure. The answer — Kentucky.
Adams: Kentucky. “Ask me again next year, and my answer will be the same. Ask me again the year after that, well, you get the idea. It’s always Kentucky. You want to be Kentucky’s coach? You get the reins of a tradition-rich program with an elite fan base and excellent resources. You also get the maximum pressure. Calipari’s success at Arkansas does Pope no favors. This first-round draw does Kentucky little favor, either. No. 10 Santa Clara is good enough to slay a blue blood.”
Toppmeyer: “Of course it’s Kentucky. Big Blue Nation demands banners, not participation ribbons. Pope will have a new boss soon with Mitch Barnhart retiring as athletic director and moving into a golden parachute role. Pope is good for now, but an early exit paired with new leadership spells Year 3 heat. Better to win a few games this March and show a hint of momentum.”
Really nothing to argue with that either one said about the annual pressure at Kentucky. it’s just a fact of life for Big Blue Nation and whoever the coach is.
The two did differ on a SEC sleeper team to make the Elite Eight.
Adams went with Arkansas and Toppmeyer took Vanderbilt, the two teams that played in the SEC Tournament final that Arkansas won.
Adams: “Arkansas. Get hot, stay hot. Darius Acuff is the SEC’s best player. He’s exactly the type of dynamic freshman you’d expect from a Calipari lineup.”
Toppmeyer: “Vanderbilt. The Commodores beat Florida in the SEC Tournament, a flash of what they can achieve when their shooters are hitting. Vanderbilt is fueled by multiple 3-point marksmen, including star guard Tyler Tanner. If their jumpers are falling, they could go deep.”
