NASHVILLE — Ole Miss coach Chris Beard called it “the gauntlet,” while Texas coach Rodney Terry referred to the SEC as “NCAA Tournament basketball every night.”

Arkansas coach John Calipari, who once inhabited the SEC during the league’s dark ages, offered a more blunt assessment.

“Meat grinder,” Calipari said.

“Best league in the history of college basketball,” Georgia coach Mike White added in a statement validated by the selection committee.

The SEC set a new record by placing 14 of its 16 teams in the NCAA Tournament bracket, surpassing the previous record of 11 set by the Big East in 2011, also with 16 members.

By percentage (87.5%), the SEC’s NCAA Tournament haul is also the best ever, topping the 77.7% mark posted by the nine-team Big East, which had seven schools in the bracket in 1991.

High Aspirations

For all the talk about being the best, the SEC must now focus on what it needs to do in the tournament.

NCAA Tournament play will kick off Tuesday with the First Four, and the SEC will be under close scrutiny as it seeks to confirm an exceptional season with tournament success.

“Our regular season speaks for itself,” said Garth Glissman, SEC associate commissioner for men’s basketball. “But that doesn’t guarantee any particular outcomes in the postseason, so we must take care of business.”

In the grand scheme, the SEC aims for national championships, with Glissman stating, “Over this next period, we need to win national championships. Whether it happens this year or not, this season has been a success, but we need to secure some titles soon.”

With numerous opportunities on hand, the SEC is set to make its mark in March Madness.