Panned for early season losses and relatively weak non-conference schedules, the league has three teams still playing in the NCAA tournament. Florida, Kentucky and Tennessee – the only SEC squads to make the 68-team field – all advanced to the Sweet 16 over the weekend, giving the SEC a perfect 7-0 mark in college basketball’s premier event. ”I’m sure some people are pretty surprised at three SEC teams, because all I heard all year was that the SEC was in a down year and it was a weak SEC,” Florida guard Scottie Wilbekin said Monday. ”It’s pretty cool to see three SEC teams in the Sweet 16.” The Gators (34-2), the tournament’s overall top seed, will play fourth-seeded UCLA in the South Region on Thursday night in Memphis, Tenn. No. 8 seed Kentucky (26-10), which handed Wichita State its only loss of the season Sunday, advanced to face fourth-seeded Louisville on Friday night in the Midwest Region.

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