Over on ESPN Andy Katz took the time to discuss the 20 teams who officially made the move to a new conference on Saturday. The post includes a small summary of each school and why/how they moved, but the most interesting part is he took a quote from each coach on what they expect from their new conference. Here’s what Frank Haith of Missouri and Billy Kennedy of Texas A&M each had to say about SEC basketball:

Frank Haith, Missouri:

 ”We are leaving one great basketball league for another, so I believe the challenges will be similar. The SEC has won three of the last seven national titles, and you have a great mix of established and growing programs. Obviously the league is filled with talented coaches and players. We saw 12 guys from the league drafted last week, so you are playing against some of the top talent in the game night in and night out. We played 18 league games last year, so that will be similar, but there will be new opportunities as well, new teams, new venues and new styles.”

Billy Kennedy, Texas A&M: 

 ”The toughest challenge is getting our fans to understand how tough the league is in basketball. The SEC is an underrated basketball conference. I felt like we have been in the conference for a long time — great to know it’s official.”

The big takeaway from the quotes for me is that each coach believes the SEC is a stronger basketball conference than most believe, which isn’t a view most people have. While I think the SEC is better than credited, I still don’t see it as one of the best. Either way, I’m excited to see what each school will do in the upcoming year. I have high hopes for Missouri and I wouldn’t be surprised is A&M can have a solid season as well. Good luck to them both.

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