Southern Living: Three SEC At-Large Entrants Were Elite-League Late Arrivals

Eleven power league members always classified as major colleges - with majority of them from the South - finished in the Top 20 of a final wire-service poll at least twice although they didn't make their initial NCAA appearance until after 1970. A reluctance to recruit African-American players probably was principal reason so many Southern universities weren't consistently competent enough to participate during first three decades of the NCAA playoffs.

Three SEC at-large entrants for this year's NCAA party - Alabama (missed first 36 tourneys), Florida (48) and Georgia (44) - were late arrivals to event. Among the late-bloomer group, Nebraska is winless in the NCAA playoffs while Florida is a two-time NCAA champion.

Major School (Power League)	1st NCAA Tourney	Star Player(s) in Playoff Debut
Alabama (SEC)	1975 (0-1)	Leon Douglas and T.R. Dunn
Auburn (SEC)	1984 (0-1)	Charles Barkley and Chuck Person
Clemson (ACC)	1980 (3-1)	Larry Nance
Florida (SEC)	1987 (2-1)	Vernon Maxwell and Dwayne Schintzius
Georgia (SEC)	1983 (3-1)	James Banks, Terry Fair and Vern Fleming
Minnesota (Big Ten)	1972 (1-1)	Jim Brewer, Clyde Turner and Dave Winfield
Mississippi (SEC)	1981 (0-1)	Carlos Clark and Elston Turner
Nebraska (Big Eight)	1986 (0-1)	Brian Carr and Bernard Day
Seton Hall (Big East)	1988 (1-1)	Mark Bryant and John Morton
South Carolina (ACC)	1971 (0-2)	Kevin Joyce, Tom Owens, Tom Riker and John Roche
Virginia (ACC)	1976 (0-1)	Wally Walker

**NOTE: Nebraska (Big Ten) and South Carolina (SEC) currently are members of other power conferences.