The SEC continues to be the best and most entertaining conference in college basketball. Alabama and Kentucky have put up huge offensive numbers, while Georgia has completely shut down opponents. After the first full week of SEC play, we are already down to three teams that haven't dropped a game against a conference opponent.
We’ve seen some of the best offensive performances of the season, but we’ve also seen some of the worst. And even though the top of the conference is considerably better than the bottom, wins will be hard to come by every game, especially on the road. Following a week of exciting games, here are the latest SEC power rankings.
16. South Carolina Gamecocks (10-6, 0-3)
Two games this week turned into two losses. The Gamecocks weren’t competitive against Alabama on Wednesday losing the game by 20, but were able to take Auburn to the wire on Saturday before dropping the game 66-63. South Carolina finally had a close conference game but even at home, the Gamecocks didn’t have what it takes to knock off an elite Auburn team. Collin Murray-Boyles tried his best to will the Gamecocks to a win over Auburn, scoring 25 points, but South Carolina, like they have many times this season, fell short. South Carolina has two chances to pick up its first conference win this week, but with both games being on the road, it might be a little while longer before we see the Gamecocks knock off an SEC foe.
15. LSU Tigers (11-5, 0-3)
This week hasn’t been kind to the LSU Tigers - losing to Missouri by 16 on Tuesday and Ole Miss by 12 on Saturday. Other than the loss to Vanderbilt to open league play LSU hasn’t really been close to a SEC victory. The Tigers were down 21 points in the second half against Missouri before closing the gap slightly in garage time. And against Ole Miss, LSU was down 19 late in the second half and gained some ground in garbage time. LSU played solid defense in the non-con slate, but the Tigers have given up at least 77 points in each conference game. Any chances of LSU making the NCAA Tournament are likely gone after the 0-3 start to SEC play.
14. Texas Longhorns (11-5, 0-3)
Texas has arguably the toughest start to the SEC schedule, taking on five straight ranked opponents, so this ranking might be a little harsh on the Longhorns. Texas was within five points of taking down No. 2 Auburn and within four points of beating No. 1 Tennessee, though it took herculean efforts from Arthur Kaluma (34 points against Auburn) and Tre Johnson (26 points against Tennessee) to keep these games close. Texas has plenty of talent, but it’s going to take more than one or two players carrying the scoring load to beat SEC teams. The Longhorns have games at Oklahoma and Florida this week, a win in at least one of these games would go a long way for Texas’s chances of making the NCAA Tournament.
13. Vanderbilt Commodores (13-3, 1-2)
Vanderbilt hasn’t been great since SEC play started, but the Commodores also haven’t looked bad. Vanderbilt played Mississippi State close for most of the game and lost to the Bulldogs by 12. The Commodores fought off multiple double-digit leads for Missouri, finding themselves down one with just over five minutes to play, but lost the game 75-66. Vanderbilt’s defense has forced 24 turnovers the last two games keeping them in those games, but the Commodores haven’t shot the ball well. Vanderbilt is going to be at a disadvantage in most games due to its size, though the Commodores have already proven that they can hang with some of the best teams in the conference. This isn’t the Vanderbilt we're used to, but the Commodores aren’t quite a contender to win the SEC.