Ranking the Power 6 Conferences

Of the power 6 conferences that make up college basketball this is our current ranking of them:

 

1. BIG 10

2. BIG 12 

3. PAC 12

4. SEC

5. BIG East

6. ACC

 

For starters, the BIG 10 has five teams currently in the top 17 in the AP Poll. In 2021, nine BIG 10 teams made the NCAA tournament and we could see a similar number this year. Unfortunately, only one (Michigan) of those nine teams made it to the sweet 16 as the rest were sent home early. Even so, the depth and firepower that lies within the conference makes it an absolute gauntlet to get through. Multiple player of the year candidates include Johnny Davis, E.J. Liddell, Jaden Ivey, Zach Edey, Trevion Williams, Kofi Cockburn, and more. No other conference has talent at this depth. 

 

The BIG 12 comes in second mainly because of their top 3 teams sit inside the AP top 10 currently. Kansas sits atop the conference with defending champs Baylor a game behind them in conference play. Texas Tech also has the experience and firepower to make another legitimate run at a championship. Chris Beard has Texas in the mix as well, making the BIG 12 dangerous come March. 

 

The PAC 12 and SEC are very similar but both conferences lack the depth to have them ranked higher. In the PAC 12, Arizona and UCLA will both be tough outs when the tournament comes around. USC and Oregon are solid but are not quite championship caliber. In the SEC Auburn and Kentucky hold top spots with plenty of young talent for a run. After that, Tennessee and Arkansas are the only teams who have a firm ticket to the dance. 

 

Surprisingly the BIG East has five teams currently ranked. The downside is that none are in the top 10 and only Providence, Villanova, and Marquette are in the top 20. None of these teams seem to have the talent to truly make a run with Connecticut and Xavier rounding out the unexceptional conference. 

 

Finally, the ACC has only one team currently ranked. Duke is a title contender but beyond them the conference is lackluster. Notre Dame, UNC, Miami, Wake Forrest, and Virginia could all make the tournament but none have shown any urgency to push for a decent seed. The talent is lacking in a usually high-powered conference.