Sometimes a coach inherits a bad team or steps into a program where the university simply does not invest in basketball. In some cases, through recruiting, Xs and Os and inspiration, that coach can turn a bad team into a good or even great one.

The guys on this list are not those coaches. Here are the 20 worst coaching tenures in the six major conference since the NCAA Tournament expanded in 1985.

The final two undefeated SEC teams watched their unblemished records fall during their trips out West. Florida lost 65-64 to Arizona while LSU lost 89-70 at Boise State.

Despite the loss, the Gators, who led until the final seconds, appear to be the class of the conference. Unfortunately for the SEC, standing out is not hard to do. Beyond the top four or five teams, the SEC may struggle to fill postseason spots.

Athlon Sports continues its countdown to the start of the 2012-13 basketball season, which begins with the first games on Nov. 9, with a countdown of the nation’s top conferences. We will release one conference preview each day, counting down to the top conference.

LSU hasn’t quite been as formidable as we originally thought, but Alabama’s trip to Baton Rouge to battle the Tigers is still the biggest game in the SEC this season. There’s also an intriguing battle in Starkville, as Mississippi State hosts Texas A&M in a game featuring teams jockeying for position in the SEC West. Georgia is two wins away from wrapping up the SEC East title. This week, the Bulldogs host the improved Ole Miss Rebels.

Sometimes a coach inherits a bad team or steps into a program where the university simply does not invest in basketball. In some cases, through recruiting, Xs and Os and inspiration, that coach can turn a bad team into a good or even great one.

The guys on this list are not those coaches. Here are the 20 worst coaching tenures in the six major conference since the NCAA Tournament expanded in 1985.

When SEC basketball coaches get together for media days or other offseason events, they may need name tags.

Only in college basketball could 45 programs make coaching changes and only a handful of them be truly blockbuster. No moves at Arizona or Kentucky as in recent seasons.

The biggest name to move may be Frank Martin from Kansas State to South Carolina. The biggest vacancy was at Illinois, where the Illini struck out on their top candidates before hiring Ohio’s John Groce.

Darrin Horn was fired as the head coach at South Carolina after four seasons. He went 10–6 in the SEC in Year 1 but is 13–35 since. Overall, he went 60–63 at South Carolina after a five-year run at Western Kentucky, his alma mater.

Here are some of the names South Carolina might target:

Andrew Luck of Stanford and LaMichael James of Oregon seemed to lead every preseason All-America list.