The SEC gets Smashed in Final Big 12 Challenge

The SEC/Big 12 Challenge is ending after ten seasons of exciting inter-conference competition. The Big Ten’s departure from ESPN will now pair the SEC with the ACC each year.

The league where “It Just Means More” finished with only three overall wins in the challenge, five losses and two ties. Kentucky fell to 5-4 overall, with Covid-19 cancelling one matchup with Texas. Kentucky had a chance to provide an exclamation point in the event’s biggest matchup, but fell at home 77-68 to Kansas. Even if the Cats could’ve won, the SEC was already toast. The Big 12 won the 2023 challenge 7-3, thanks in large part to an embarrassing performance from a team many thought was the best in college basketball.

Alabama Boat Raced by Oklahoma

This was the most lopsided matchup on paper. It ended up being the most lopsided final score, just in the complete opposite direction. The Crimson Tide trailed by as many as 30 points, paving the way for a court-storm in Norman as Oklahoma knocked off the second-ranked team in America by a score of 93-69.

Grant Sherfield scored a season-high 30 points, but Jalen Hill was the real MVP. He had a career-high 26 points and eight rebounds while limiting Alabama’s Brandon Miller to 4-of-14 from the floor. After the game Nate Oats said he hoped the loss would wake up his team as they enter the season’s homestretch.

“Oklahoma came ready to play, and we obviously didn’t. I told our guys coming in they had a bunch of one-possession losses. They’re much better than their record indicated. They were ready to go. I didn’t think we were. They jumped on us from the beginning, and we never really got back in it,” he said.

Missouri Womps No. 12 Iowa State

Outside of an expected victory for Tennessee over Rick Barnes’ old team, Missouri had the biggest win of the day for the SEC. Hosting a top 15 former Big 12 foe, Iowa State got blitzed at Mizzou Arena. In just his second game back from injury, Kobe Brown scored 20 points for the Tigers and D’Moi Hodge added 17 to propel Missouri to a 78-61 win over the Cyclones. Missouri shot 47% from three, forced 19 turnovers and only trailed for 44 seconds in the Quad 1 win.

Keyontae Johnson Wins Revenge Game

It was not necessarily a revenge game, but this game against Florida meant more for Keyontae Johnson. Now a star for Kansas State, the stakes were high against his former team, one that still has plenty of players that were there when he collapsed on the court in the spring of 2021. He never played another meaningful minute for the Gators, but no Saturday he proved that he’s still got it. Despite struggling from the field, the Big 12’s third-leading scorer had 13 points and 11 rebounds in a 64-50 win over the Gators.

“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime memory. You’ll never get that moment back,” Johnson said. “Just trying to embrace that moment.”

Close Calls Go Other Way for SEC Teams

With the challenge in the balance, two underwhelming SEC teams did what they’ve done all year, underwhelm.

As Charles Barkley watched from the stands, No. 16 Auburn played like dog-poop and trailed by 16 points at the break. They clawed back to get within one point near the five-minute mark, but failed to get over the hump in a 80-77 loss to unranked West Virginia. In Waco it was a back-and-forth affair between Arkansas and Baylor. The Razorbacks trailed by as many as 11 in the first half, then led by 8 in the second half, before ultimately missing a chance at a game-tying three as time expired in a 67-64 loss.