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The regular season in the Southeastern Conference men's basketball race is now half over and it seems as good a time as any to evaluate the teams in the league and assess how many teams might get an invite to the NCAA Tournament in a few weeks.

First though, let's go back to the start of the season; many pundits believed the SEC was going to be down this year with so many young players having to play major roles on so many teams. Yet, a few short weeks ago, the SEC was the only school to have as many as five teams in a Top 25 poll. So, where is the league as a whole right now?

Simply stated, the SEC is a good but not great league.

One reason for that statement is because of how bad the "bad" teams are. LSU has won just one conference game and despite some injuries, John Brady lost his job after losing 17 of his last 23 SEC games.

Alabama has underachieved despite having great players like Alonzo Gee and Richard Hendrix. Mark Gottfried's coaching seat might be a little hot.

Auburn has been competitive but a rash of injuries and a total lack of fan support must be making coach Jeff Lebo long for the day when his new arena is finished.

And, Georgia's Dennis Felton has been on the job at Georgia for five years but has very little to show for it; his team is dead last in the SEC East and crickets are chirping at their home games too.

And, don't forget South Carolina will have to find a new coach to replace the outgoing Dave Odom; and the Gamecocks are once again below .500 in the SEC East.

With all that said, the top half of the league is very competitive but there is only one elite team in Tennessee. Even though the Vols are ranked in the top 10, there aren't many people who believe this is a Final Four kind of team though. Very fun to watch, the Vols are the best team in the SEC but I'm not sold that they are a true NCAA title contender.

Former Gator assistant coach John Pelphrey seems to have things going at Arkansas now after struggling with consistency early. The Razorbacks returned a veteran and talented team and with Sonny Weems shooting the lights out, a rebounding and matchup nightmare in guard Patrick Beverley and a deep front line, this could be a dangerous team in the postseason.

After those two teams, you have the other guys in the SEC, who could be good enough to make the NCAA Tournament and Florida is in that mix. Right now, I think the Gators would make the NCAA Tournament, but they must win some easier home games with LSU and South Carolina and steal a win against the likes of Tennessee or Vanderbilt to truly make its case.

Vanderbilt survived a brutal road stretch in the league and now has four straight games at home and should be an NCAA team. Mississippi State has probably exceeded expectations but must finish strongly to make the NCAA's. Ole Miss needs to get back on the winning track to get in after a fast start to the season.

And don't count out hard charging Kentucky. Those ugly early season losses to the likes of Gardner Webb won't help them but a better than expected 6-2 start to the SEC season makes them at least an NCAA bubble team conversation.

The Russell crystal ball says five teams from the SEC will make the NCAA Tournament and I do think the league so far has played out as I thought it would at the start of SEC play. That is to say, the SEC is a very competitive league, not a great league and to this point, a league with no GREAT team.

But all that can change with a whole second half of basketball to be played. It is February, when wins become more important and losses become more magnified.

Get ready for March Madness...it is just around the corner!