While the Southeastern Conference has won the last two national titles (courtesy of Florida) and is traditionally a power in college basketball this year is a different story.  The SEC is the worst of the six major conferences this year because of one simple reason: defense. 

The conference as a whole is suffering from a lack of commitment on the defensive end of the floor.  As Luke Winn of Sports Illustrated pointed out elite tournament teams are almost always very good when looking at their adjusted defensive efficiencies (these stats and explanations can be found at kenpom.com).  Every Final Four team since 2004 has ranked in the top 25 in defensive efficiency.  Only five teams have made even the Elite Eight while ranking outside this level.  Clearly, defense really does win championships in the college basketball, and there is plenty of statistical evidence to back it up.  That fact spells doom for the SEC.

The nation’s truly elite teams are efficient on both offense and defense.  Defense however, never takes a game off, and is a better indicator of a team’s quality than offense.  While most people believe Tennessee is capable of a Final Four run, I don't expect any team from the conference to make it past the Sweet 16.  While the Volunteers are fantastic on offense they rank 35th in defensive efficiency, just outside the level usually associated with Final Four teams.  While its certainly possible for them to succeed considering the potency of their offense, it certainly is not a blueprint for success.  The Vols, to their credit, have improved 10 spots defensively in the past two weeks so there is certainly a chance for them but there must continue focus on the defensive end every game.

Vanderbilt roared to a 16-0 start before losing to Kentucky in double overtime Saturday.  While the Commodores average 86 points led by Shan Foster and A.J. Ogilvy they rank just 110th in defensive efficiency.  They try to simply outscore their opponents, which will work for the rest of the regular season, but will make them a prime target for an upset.

Ole Miss proved its unbeaten start was not a fluke losing to Tennessee on the road by just two points.  But the Rebels, just like their conference brethren, are poor defensively ranking just 77th in the nation.  They do rank 12th in offensive efficiency which gives them hope in the first few rounds of the tournament, but that too will be a tenuous position.  Mississippi State is the league’s best defensive team ranking sixth in the nation, but the Bulldogs are just 115th on offense.  Arkansas is second best ranking 26th, but the Razorbacks are similarly one-dimensional ranking just 84th on offense.

I expect Tennessee, Ole Miss, Vanderbilt, and at least one other team to earn bids to the NCAA tournament, but the true quality of these teams will not be determined until then because of the weakness of the conference as a whole.  But when it comes down to March basketball, defense wins which will leave the SEC out on the losing end.