String Music: The Rise and Rivalries of SEC Basketball

Although the basketball teams of the Southeastern Conference dominate the national college rankings, it wasn’t too long ago that the SEC was mostly recognized for football. Today the SEC has displaced the Big Ten and the Atlantic Coast Conference as the premier conference of college basketball. Beginning with Rick Pitino’s revival of the University of Kentucky from the perdition of probation to the University of Arkansas’s entry into the conference and subsequent national title, Chris Dortch chronicles SEC history up to its present pinnacle.The twelve conference teams play for high stakes, competing fiercely for coaches and players and for coveted spots at the NCAA tournament. Join Dortch as he talks to the coaches, players, and fans who have turned the SEC into the home of all that is best in college basketball. String Music also explores the traditions and history that bring SEC hoops to life, including the rivalries, the history, the players, and the coaches. It sets the standard for analyzing the state of college basketball today and provides the best coverage of the rich heritage of SEC basketball.

For fifteen years, Chris Dortch has covered college basketball as a sports journalist. Editor of the bestselling Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook, he’s also written for Sporting News, including its College Basketball Yearbook, Lindy's College Basketball Yearbook, Dick Vitale's College Basketball Yearbook, ESPN Magazine, and Preview Sports College Basketball Yearbook as well as several internet sites, including AOL, CNN/SI, CBS Sportsline, ESPN.com, and Fox Sports Online. He lives in Chattanooga, Tennessee.