SEC Basketball power rankings: Kentucky tops after tough opening month

Many SEC basketball teams have had a disappointing opening month, yet others have been surprises. Here’s how the conference pecking order looks right now.

SEC basketball had emerged as one of the country’s premier conferences over the past few years, but the 2019-20 season has gotten off to a rocky start for a majority of teams in the league.

That is especially true for the teams that were expected to finish at the top.

Kentucky, crowned preseason SEC champions for the umpteenth time by the media and our power rankings, suffered that embarrassing home loss to Evansville and struggled in a few other games against lesser competition. Florida, another team ranked in the preseason top six, has disappointed and dropped from the rankings entirely after just two weeks. Even LSU, last year’s regular-season champions, enter mid-December without a marquee win.

Those struggles haven’t been reserved for the top teams. Texas A&M has affirmed that they’re in a rebuild (a nice way of saying they stink) and South Carolina may not be improving under head coach Frank Martin. Ole Miss and Mississippi State may have taken steps back, too.

At the same time, a few programs have been positive surprises.

Vanderbilt has a pulse after going winless in conference play last year. Georgia is relevant. Arkansas appears to be a factor and both Auburn and Tennessee refuse to relinquish their positions among the SEC’s best.

So, how do these teams stack up against each other after a month and a half of action? Find out in our brand new SEC power rankings.