We knew replicating the magic of the 2024-25 season was going to be impossible. Sending 14 teams to the NCAA Tournament is a generational achievement, not a standard.
But what we are seeing so far in 2025-26 isn't just a regression to the mean. It is a full-blown identity crisis for a lot of the teams that most thought would be very good.
At first glance, the SEC looks fine. Missouri and Vanderbilt are undefeated. Seven other teams have just one or two losses. The standings look pretty. But peel back the curtain, and you find a league that is beating up on cupcakes and folding against actual competition.