Happy New Year and happy opening weekend of SEC play. It feels like the season just got started a few weeks ago, but everything that has transpired over the past two months has led to the most important stretch of the season. While there were a few remaining non-conference games this week, these rankings are focusing more on the SEC games (since the non-con games were all blowouts). Following an exciting first weekend of SEC play, here are the latest SEC Basketball power rankings:
16. South Carolina Gamecocks (9-5, 0-1)
Somebody has to take on Vanderbilt to open SEC play, and South Carolina happened to draw that straw. The Gamecocks were able to slow the game down and keep the Commodores within shouting distance, but beating one of the hottest teams in the country isn’t easy to do. South Carolina’s struggles against P5 competition have extended into the new year. The Gamecocks avoid the bottom of these rankings for most of the season, but now that we’ve hit conference play, the level of competition might be too much for SC moving forward.
15. Ole Miss Rebels (8-6, 0-1)
After peaking in these rankings back in Weeks 2 and 3, Ole Miss has been consistently in the bottom four since then. This season isn’t going as anyone in Oxford had hoped, but a bad offense can only take a team so far. The Rebels' defense couldn’t slow down Oklahoma on Saturday, and their offense was nowhere to be found against the Sooners' below-average defense. Things will most likely get worse for Ole Miss with Arkansas up next. Any hopes of battling for the conference title are fading fast.
14. Mississippi State Bulldogs (9-5, 1-0)
It might have taken 38 points from Josh Hubbard, including 10 in overtime, to get past Texas in Austin, but the Mississippi State Bulldogs kicked off conference play with a win. The Bulldogs have won five straight games and are looking much better than they were just a month ago. While I still think an NCAA Tournament berth is likely out of the question, Mississippi State isn’t going to go down quietly. Josh Hubbard’s heroic offensive performances, while they last, are good enough to keep this team competitive.
13. Texas Longhorns (9-5, 0-1)
As mentioned for Mississippi State, Josh Hubbard went nuclear against Texas, handing the Longhorns their first loss of the season. But not to be outdone by Hubbard, Texas’s Dailyn Swain shouldered the majority of the team's scoring, putting up 34 points in the loss. Sean Miller’s first season hasn’t led to great results, and the 102 points allowed to MSU is just the latest in disappointing defensive performances from Texas. If this is the defense we can expect moving forward, there isn’t really anywhere else to go but down in these power rankings for the Longhorns.
12. Missouri Tigers (11-3, 1-0)
Taking down the defending NCAA Champion Florida to start conference play was a great start to 2026 for Missouri. Dennis Gates and the Tigers were on the verge of losing support from part of the fanbase following the horrible loss to Illinois to close out non-con play. While it wasn’t a great offensive performance from Mizzou, the defense finally stepped up and helped take down a ranked opponent. I don’t know if this win will turn things around for the Tigers, but at least we now know that when fully healthy and motivated, Missouri can still beat good teams.
11. LSU Tigers (12-2, 0-1)
With the loss to Texas A&M, LSU has now lost its last seven games against SEC competition. Matt McMahon’s tenure hasn’t been great, but the 12-1 start to this season, along with a highly efficient offense, gave me hope that this might be the year for a turnaround in Baton Rouge. A single loss by three points isn’t a cause for concern, but with McMahon’s history at LSU, it’s easy to expect the floor to fall out. Though with South Carolina up next, the Tigers could easily get back on track.
10. Oklahoma Sooners (11-3, 1-0)
A 16-point route of Ole Miss on Saturday helped Oklahoma extend its winning streak to five games, its longest of the season. Even though the Rebels’ offense has been bad this season, the fact that the Sooners only gave up 70 points - their fourth straight game holding an opponent to 70 or fewer points. Maybe the early-season defensive woes weren’t a major problem. Porter Moser has his team playing well halfway through the season, which leaves the Sooners in a great spot moving forward.
09. Texas A&M Aggies (11-3, 1-0)
The Aggies are up another spot in these power rankings following Bucky McMillan’s first SEC win of his career. Texas A&M overcame some poor shooting to sneak past LSU for a three-point victory. And while the Aggies' winning streak is now four games, their streak of scoring at least 110 points ended. Though I’m almost certain everyone in College Station prefers the winning streak. A&M still has a ways to go defensively, but holding LSU to 72 points is a step in the right direction.
08. Auburn Tigers (9-5, 0-1)
Under Steven Pearl, the Tigers have had win streaks of three games and two different streaks of two games, but they haven’t managed more than two wins in a row in just over a month. A win over Georgia would have given Auburn another short winning streak, but the Tigers couldn’t hold off the country’s top scoring offense. I’m left wondering if Tahaad Pettiford hadn’t been benched, maybe the Tigers finish this game on top. Auburn still has some wrinkles to work out; otherwise, this season could get out of hand fast.
07. Georgia Bulldogs (13-1, 1-0)
Georgia’s impressive run continues with an overtime win against Auburn, pushing the Bulldogs’ winning streak to seven games. Georgia’s defense had its hands full against the Tigers, but luckily for Mike White, his squad has the top scoring offense in the country. I'm starting to buy in on Georgia. At this point in the season, if the offense was going to fall off, it most likely would have done so by now. Obviously, there’s still a chance it does; however, until then, Georgia’s wins will have it rising in these rankings.
06. Florida Gators (9-5, 0-1)
Florida’s title defense isn’t quite going as well as many had expected. With the loss at Missouri, Florida has now lost more games than it did all of last season. Thomas Haugh finished with 24 points and nearly willed his team to a win, but Missouri had an uncharacteristically strong defensive performance, holding off the Gators down the stretch. I think Florida will still win quite a few SEC games this season, though if the Gators continue to struggle from deep, this season might turn out to be a major letdown.
05. Kentucky Wildcats (9-5, 0-1)
Kentucky’s four-game win streak ended at the hands of Alabama on Saturday. The Wildcat’s defense, while slowing down the Tide slightly, wasn’t enough to open SEC play with a road upset. The loss at Alabama wasn’t terrible considering few road teams win in Tuscaloosa, but the Wildcats did benefit from Florida dropping its game at Missouri. If Kentucky could ever get fully healthy, it might have a chance to win the conference, but until then, the Wildcats are just a step below the contenders.
04. Tennessee Volunteers (10-4, 0-1)
Many of Tennessee’s losses over the past few years had been due to its lack of offense, so it was surprising that the loss to Arkansas was due to the Vols' defense not being able to slow down an opponent. Despite the loss, Tennessee is staying strong in the top four with a couple of other conference favorites also dropping their games on Saturday. I don’t expect Tennessee to lose many more games this season, though the Vols might not have the offense to win it all.
03. Alabama Crimson Tide (11-3, 1-0)
Alabama might be third in these power rankings, but I still consider the Tide to be a favorite to win the SEC. Especially when they are shooting so well from deep. Over its last four games, Alabama has made 60 threes, including 15 in its win over Kentucky. To add to its arsenal, Alabama has finally started to show some teeth on the defensive end, holding its last two opponents to under 80 points. If the Tide can keep this up, they could easily finish the season as the top team in the conference.
02. Arkansas Razorbacks (11-3, 1-0)
Arkansas picked up, arguably, the best win of the day, beating Tennessee by 11 points. The double-digit win to start SEC play might be the second most impressive thing about the victory. The Razorbacks did something only one other team has done this season, which is score more than 75 points on the Vols. If this is what we can expect from Arkansas throughout conference play, then there is no doubt in my mind that the Hogs are good enough to compete for an SEC title.
01. Vanderbilt Commodores (14-0, 1-0)
For the fourth week in a row, Vanderbilt holds on to the top spot in these rankings. The Commodores are still the only undefeated team in the conference and have won 14 straight games. A 12-point road win over South Carolina gives Vanderbilt a solid victory to open SEC play. As we continue into the second half of the season, Mark Byington and the Commodores have proven that their hot start to the season was anything but a fluke. The national recognition this team is receiving has been earned many times over.