As SEC thrives, math problem puzzles college basketball community

Welcome to SEC Unfiltered, the Paste BN NETWORK's newsletter on SEC sports. Look for this newsletter in your inbox Monday through Friday. Today, national college football columnist Blake Toppmeyer takes over.

I struggle to not roll my eyes when a coach or – even worse – some goofy life coach tells us how hard winning is.

It’s so hard that, on any given night, 50% of teams that play a game will win. Put differently, it’s easier to win than it is to get a base hit in baseball.

And, judging by my golf game, winning a team sporting event is much easier than striping a drive down the fairway.

It’s basic math, right? When two teams play in a sport that disallows ties, one team will win, and one team will lose.

This simple fact continues to stump the college basketball community. ESPN’s Karl Ravech became the latest to fail to understand that, when two teams play, 50% win the game, and 50% lose.

Ravech provided the play-by-play call Tuesday for Alabama’s game against Texas.

While attempting to praise the SEC’s depth and parity, Ravech – I kid you not – pointed out that SEC teams have a combined record of 82-82 since Jan. 4, the day the conference portion of the schedule began.

To most of us, that’s common sense. Within conference play, the combined record of every conference will equal a .500 winning percentage.

One team wins. One team loses. Every game.

Ravech, though, became astounded by the SEC’s .500 record within conference play.

“We know how dominant (the SEC was) in the non-conference. … Since Jan. 4, into Tuesday, the SEC teams are 82-82,” Ravech said in amazement. “They’re 82-82. There’s been no ability to pull away. There’s no dominant group of teams.”

I’m thinking Ravech didn’t dominate the math portion of the ACT. Imagine Ravech’s surprise a month from now, when the SEC retains its .500 record in conference play.

Ignorance enjoys company as much as misery, and Ravech is not the first to be befuddled by the SEC’s .500 conference record.

“The SEC’s the best league in the country, but in all (conference) games they’re like 54-54,” Rhode Island coach Archie Miller said last month. “Somebody said that. I don’t know if that’s even accurate, but, like, do you know how hard it is in every league to win? It’s just hard to win.”

If these guys think winning is hard, don’t let them near long division.

Blake Toppmeyer is the Paste BN Network's national college football columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on X @btoppmeyer.

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