SEC Basketball: Alabama on top, Kentucky falling in latest power rankings

Jan 2, 2021; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide forward Darius Miles (12) and forward Juwan Gary (4) and guard Keon Ellis (14) react to a play against the Tennessee Volunteers during the second half at Thompson-Boling Arena. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports /

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SEC Basketball Kentucky Wildcats Jacob Toppin John Reed-USA TODAY Sports /

8. Kentucky Wildcats (6-13, 5-7)

Had this power ranking came out before last weekend, Kentucky would’ve been at No. 10. But between Mississippi State losing to Vanderbilt and the Wildcats beating Auburn, they got a slight bump. It ended a 7 of 8 losing stretch that included a number of close calls that could’ve gone either way. But one loss off the court is the season-ending injury to Terrence Clarke, who hasn’t played in a while.

This team has faced a lot of disappointments, both individually and as a unit. One bright spot has been Keion Brooks being a double-digit contributor when healthy, along with Dontaie Allen being the team’s best pure shooter. There will be a roster overall after this awful season but there are some building blocks for the Wildcats.

For now, it’s all about getting ready for the SEC Tournament, their only ticket to making the Big Dance. They’ll look to continue the momentum this week with road matchups at Vanderbilt and Tennessee.

7. Ole Miss Rebels (12-8, 7-6)

Before the start of this month, the Rebels were a complete afterthought. They had lost 7 of 10 games, including twice to the Georgia Bulldogs. But so far in February, Mississippi is 4-0, including a pair of major wins against Missouri and Tennessee. The offense has exploded recently, scoring 80+ points in the last three outings. They had done that just twice total this season beforehand.

The Rebels are not on the bubble for the NCAA Tournament but can’t afford to take losses to either Kentucky or Vanderbilt, while still needing another big win over Missouri. We’ll see how hot Ole Miss can remain but they’ve become a clear threat to win the SEC Tournament, thanks to leading scorer and passer Devontae Shuler.

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