Busting Brackets
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SEC Basketball power rankings: LSU remains on top, Ole Miss falls far down

By Curtis Wilkerson

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 29: Emmitt Williams #24 of the LSU Tigers celebrates a basket from the bench against the Michigan State Spartans during the second half in the East Regional game of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Capital One Arena on March 29, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 29: Emmitt Williams #24 of the LSU Tigers celebrates a basket from the bench against the Michigan State Spartans during the second half in the East Regional game of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Capital One Arena on March 29, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /
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SUNRISE, FLORIDA – DECEMBER 21: Kerry Blackshear Jr. #24 of the Florida Gators (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
SUNRISE, FLORIDA – DECEMBER 21: Kerry Blackshear Jr. #24 of the Florida Gators (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /

#6. Florida Gators 13-8 (5-3 SEC)

NET: 42 | KenPom: 42 | BPI: 22

The season has not gone as expected thus far for Florida, who was widely regarded as a favorite in the SEC and a trendy Final Four pick coming into the year.  The jury is still out on exactly how good this team is.

The talent is certainly there, but the consistency is not.  The Gators have looked the part at times, an absolute pounding of Auburn is a prime example.  However, there are also inexplicable performances such as getting run out of the gym against Missouri.

Last week, Florida blew a big lead at home against Mississippi State then rebounded to a degree to get a victory over Vanderbilt.  Kerry Blackshear leads four Gators who average double-figures scoring and there is still hope that this team starts playing to its potential.

Despite their flaws, Florida still appears in the field in most bracketology projections and the pathway to becoming a lock is there.  The Gators need to pad their record in their next four games (Georgia/Ole Miss/A&M/Vandy) and that would set them up for a pivotal three-game stretch where they face Arkansas and LSU at home and travel to Kentucky.

#5. Arkansas Razorbacks 16-5 (4-4 SEC)

NET: 34 | KenPom: 34 | BPI: 36

Eric Musselman has certainly exceeded expectations at Arkansas this season.  The Razorbacks were picked 11th in the SEC pre-season polls and currently find themselves comfortably in the projected NCAA Tournament field.

The Hogs faced adversity for the first time this season, losing three of four games including a tough home loss to South Carolina on Wednesday.  However, they bounced back nicely with a Quad-1 road win at Alabama over the weekend.

The Razorbacks are one of the best defensive teams in the league and despite being undersized, they force turnovers at a high rate.  They are led offensively by SEC Player of the Year candidate Mason Jones, who has been nothing short of sensational.

Arkansas has several nice wins on their resume, but they are still lacking the “signature win” that would set them over the top.  That opportunity presents itself Tuesday night when #11 Auburn pays a visit to Bud Walton Arena.

One cause for concern in Fayetteville is the health of sharp-shooting sophomore Isaiah Joe, who has been hobbled for a couple of weeks with an undisclosed knee injury.  For this team to reach their ceiling, Joe needs to be healthy and effective during the stretch run.

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