Why is B-Ball so awful in the Sec?

It's mind boggling to me. It's so much talent in the south it's ridiculous. A friend of mine said that high schools put so much resources and emphasis on football. That basketball has become a second tier sport, which even winning state titles still would be overshadowed by a deep playoff run. In the 90s and early/mid 2000s it seemed like football/basketball were on same tiers. When did separation occur?