Kentucky Wildcats: How SEC Expansion Could Impact Kentucky and SEC Basketball

By now I'm sure you have heard about the pending marriage between Texas A&M and the SEC. And naturally, when it comes to SEC sports, football is the only sport that anyone is really thinking about right now.

But if the Aggies and some of the other rumored schools that might be joining them do indeed enter the SEC, the impact will very likely be greater in terms of on the field/court competition in basketball than football. And while that might be considered heresy down here in the south, it is unquestionably true.

So here is a look at how Texas A&M and some of the other rumored schools will fit into the SEC and impact the conference as a whole and Kentucky in particular.

Texas A&M

While Texas A&M is no doubt a "football school," the reality is that over the last decade or so the Aggies have been as much as, if not more, of a power in college basketball. And that will likely continue in the SEC.

The Aggies have been a regular in the NCAA tournament as of late and their new head coach Billy Kennedy is no stranger to the tournament himself coming from perennial contender Murray State. And, if Texas A&M does get into the SEC it won't hurt that the Kennedy is from SEC country himself (New Orleans) when it comes to recruiting.

Texas A&M would probably enter the SEC West as one of the top teams on a yearly basis. With the available talent in Texas at their disposal, and a more balanced sports approach than their SEC West counterparts, I don't think it's too far of a stretch to see the Aggies becoming the dominant program in the West depending on who else joins the conference.

Missouri

Missouri is another rumored entrant into the SEC, and much like Texas A&M the move could be a boon to their basketball program. While Missouri has been pretty good in the Big 12 and has made many a NCAA Tournament, in the SEC Missouri could become a power.

Again, the SEC largely doesn't care about basketball. Missouri does a lot, at least compared to SEC schools.

In the SEC West, much like I said with Texas A&M, Missouri would instantly come in and be at the top of that division. And being one of the few basketball friendly schools in the SEC would instantly help Missouri's recruiting as they could finally tap into some of the incredible athleticism to be found in SEC country.

If Texas A&M and Missouri both entered the SEC and got placed in the West, that division might finally start challenging the SEC East for conference supremacy on the whole.

West Virginia

West Virginia would be a perfect addition to the SEC. In football the Mountaineers would provide a good program that would probably regularly fight it out to be the sixth or seventh best team in the SEC—which is not a bad thing. But in basketball, wow!

For the first time ever, Kentucky might actually have a consistent challenger to the throne in the conference. Yes, Florida and others have had their moments of being Kentucky's rival...but it never lasts. The fans don't care for long and eventually the schools go back to just being "football schools."

West Virginia, however, could be another animal entirely. WVU is a rabid basketball school and already fits as a natural rival for Kentucky. And on the court these two have an exciting, albeit limited, history between them. In fact, WVU and Kentucky have met in two of the more intense NCAA Tournament games you will ever see over the last two seasons.

While Kentucky would still be the big dog in the conference if WVU joined, at least they would finally have to fight a little bit to keep that spot.

Virginia Tech

Would anybody be happier with a move to the SEC than Seth Greenberg? I can't think of anyone.

As it is now, Greenberg is toiling away in a conference where he just can't quite compete and get the attention that his teams probably deserve. No matter how many times they upset Duke, the Hokies just can't get any love and almost always end up on the outside looking in at the big dance.

Were they to move to the SEC however, I think the Hokies could be a regular in the big dance. The way I see it Virginia Tech would be no worse than the fifth best team in the SEC as of right now which would put them in line for an NCAA birth in most years.

Not every year mind you, but most years.

And if they could come along with WVU then you not only add two good basketball programs to the mix, but you also import a great rivalry to a conference that just loves its rivalries. I would really like this addition to the SEC.

I just don't like it as much as Seth Greenberg would.

Kentucky and the SEC

So how would these additions to the SEC impact the Kentucky Wildcats. Odds are not a whole lot in the grand scheme of things, but there would be some subtle changes.

For starters, as I mentioned with WVU, Kentucky would finally have a consistent challenger to the throne. As it is now, Kentucky just doesn't have a regular team to battle for league titles. And while that's fine and I won't complain too much, I hate that there isn't a true basketball rival for Kentucky within the SEC. With WVU, Kentucky would finally get that.

Overall, the changes would be a net positive for the league and Kentucky, as all of the additions being discussed at least include above average basketball teams and programs that actually care about the sport. And stepping up the league's profile in the sport will only make Kentucky winning the league look better and help for seeding purposes. I seriously doubt that the NCAA selection committee would have stuck Kentucky with a four seed last year had they gone through WVU, Missouri and Texas A&M to win the SEC tournament.

So yes, football is obviously the driving force behind these possible additions, but for the sake of the league's basketball profile I really want these moves to work out. The league would benefit greatly on the court and in the media, and it would really be a win-win for the schools being mentioned and the SEC.

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