
As the season continues, we are on the cusp of a few marquee matchups. Where to the rankings stand now in SEC Basketball?
With every week, the picture around the SEC is becoming more and more clear. The teams up front have declared a stake in the SEC Basketball Championship sweepstakes. As far as I can see it, there are currently three teams (Tennessee, Kentucky, and LSU) that have any shot at a piece of the regular season crown. Past them, teams like Ole Miss and South Carolina are trying to play spoiler this season. South Carolina has been trying to improve on their losing record outside of the conference with an impressive SEC performance, but it seems as if their luck is running out.
There are also a few teams that should be at the top of the conference but have slid down the standings. Auburn and Mississippi State are prime examples. Both teams should make the NCAA Tournament, but they simply haven’t gotten it done in SEC play. There are definitely more wins on each of their schedules looking forward, but both of those teams should be well over .500 already. They are clearly out of the race for a portion of the SEC crown, and that’s despite only being barely halfway through the SEC schedule.
Then there are the conference’s bubble teams. As of right now, Alabama appears to be in the field of 68. If they manage to upset Auburn at home, they should be a lock. Past them, teams like Florida and Arkansas are on the outside looking in. Florida definitely has a much higher chance of making the tournament than Arkansas, but both need to do more work during the rest of this year to make it there. A great opportunity for Florida is their upcoming road game against the Crimson Tide on Saturday. In terms of the team’s weight and odds to win, that will be one of Florida’s best opportunities to gain some ground.
So, where are the teams ranked as of now? Here’s where I have them
*All statistics are from Sports Reference*
*All matchup scores are from ESPN*