String Music: Inside the Rise of SEC Basketball [Hardcover]

Chris Dortch (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 30, 2002

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.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

With the exception of the storied program at the University of Kentucky, the most important sport at the colleges that make up the Southeastern Conference had historically been football, not basketball. But that began to change in the 1991-1992 season when Kentucky won yet another national basketball championship and the SEC added two more schools to its ranks, including the basketball powerhouse the University of Arkansas. In this smoothly written account, Dortch (editor of Blue Ribbon Basketball Forecast) devotes a chapter on how each of the basketball teams at the 12 colleges in the SEC fared in the 10-year period that began in 1991-1992. As basketball steadily grew in stature within the SEC, Dortch tells of the bruising recruiting battles for top talent and the fierce rivalries that developed among the schools. Dortch also charts the highs and lows of each program, including the myriad coaching changes that took place in the decade as each school jockeyed to improve its basketball fortunes. Because the schools competed for many of the same players-and obviously battled each other on the court-there is some repetition of events in what is otherwise a winning look at how basketball came to share with football a place in the hearts of SEC followers.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"A terrific piece of hoops reporting, with engaging content and big-picture context." -- Alex Wolff, Sports Illustrated

"A winning look at how basketball came to share with football a place in the hearts of SEC followers." -- Publishers Weekly

"An entertaining and informative look at SEC basketball that every sports enthusiast can enjoy." -- Dave Neal, host of Fox Sports Net South's SEC-TV

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Potomac Books Inc.; 1 edition (December 30, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1574884395
• ISBN-13: 978-1574884395
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,247,101 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Great stories, May 1, 2008

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S. Chu "Cammy-D" (San Diego, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: String Music: The Rise and Rivalries of SEC Basketball (Paperback)

Chris Dortch is a terrific basketball writer who regularly covers the SEC and helps put together the Blue Ribbon Basketball guide each year. He has written an excellent book that covers all 12 SEC programs, discusses their histories, and focuses on a 10 year period during the early 1990's until the early 2000's, a period when the SEC was at the top of the college basketball world.

The book features detailed accounts of each program's successes, terrific recruiting stories, insights into the various coaching personalities, and helps put a lot of the wins and losses into context. A terrific read for any SEC basketball fan.

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect for Father's Day, June 6, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: String Music: Inside the Rise of SEC Basketball (Hardcover)

This is the book for the hard-to-buy-for-Dad- an easy to read, interesting look at SEC basketball- I will make two Dads happy with this one!