It was a big week for the conference as all 16 teams participated in the SEC/ACC Challenge. The SEC dominated these games a year ago, but with the league being far less dominant, the SEC squeezed out nine wins.
The SEC is down to just two undefeated teams, so the strength of the conference isn’t nearly as high as it was just a season ago. Alabama’s tough non-con slate has helped keep the Tide at the top, but it's been a surging Vanderbilt that has taken the college basketball world by storm. And I’d be remiss if I didn’t at least acknowledge that LSU is one of the two undefeated teams - a truly unexpected result from one of the worst teams in the league a year ago.
There was quite a bit of movement in the power rankings this week, so the top of these rankings looks different than most of the season. Here are the latest SEC basketball power rankings:
16. Mississippi State Bulldogs (4-4)
Mississippi State’s victory over Georgia Tech brought its record to .500 this season, but a win over an ACC opponent wasn’t enough for the Bulldogs to crawl out of the basement of these rankings. Josh Hubbard (23.5 ppg) has done everything in his power to will Mississippi State to wins this season. However, the limitations from the rest of the roster are holding the Bulldogs back. This defense is by far the worst of the Jans era, so things might still get worse.
15. Ole Miss Rebels (5-4)
Things are going south for Ole Miss in a hurry over the past couple of weeks. The Rebels are in the midst of a four-game losing streak, which includes losses this week to Miami and St. John’s. All of these games have been close thanks to the Rebels' defense, but the offense has been awful - scoring more than 70 points only once. It might be time to find the panic button when it comes to Ole Miss.
14. South Carolina Gamecocks (6-3)
We’re starting to see flashes of last year's South Carolina team, which isn’t a good thing. Close games against P5 opponents continue to slip away from the Gamecocks down the stretch. SC nearly knocked off Virginia Tech before dropping the matchup in overtime. The Gamecocks picked up an easy win over a bad Stetson team, but the damage was already done. South Carolina might be better than last year, though it looks like wins will be hard to come by.
13. Oklahoma Sooners (6-3)
An 86-69 win over Wake Forest was easily Oklahoma’s best win of the season, though the Sooners weren’t capable of stringing together two straight wins, falling to Arizona State by 16. At times this season, Oklahoma’s offense has been great, but it's the inconsistency on that end of the court that’s killing the Sooners. I’m not quite ready to call Oklahoma a bad team, but the Sooners clearly aren’t an SEC contender.
12. Texas Longhorns (6-3)
It looked like Texas had figured things out in a win over a ranked NC State, but this week’s 19-point loss to Virginia set the Longhorns back yet again. Texas has enough roster depth and talent to be competitive, though other than Dailyn Swain, you never know who is going to consistently show up for the Longhorns. Texas might surprise a few teams, but I have a feeling this might be a bottom half of the league team moving forward.
11. Texas A&M Aggies (7-2)
I was ready to call it quits on Bucky McMillan’s first season in College Station, but since starting the season 2-2, Texas A&M has ticked off five straight wins, including an 81-73 win at Pittsburgh this week. The Aggies are trending in the right direction, even if the wins haven’t been against great teams, as we near conference play. A&M might not win a ton of SEC games, but it will certainly give opposing defenses a challenge.
10. LSU Tigers (8-0)
I don’t think LSU is quite as good as its current No. 26 rankings in KenPom, but with an 8-0 start to the season, it's time to start paying closer attention to the Tigers. LSU did need overtime to take down Boston College, though a win over an ACC team on the road isn’t something to scoff at. The lack of power conference experience might impact this team down the road, but right now, I’m choosing to enjoy the Tigers’ hot start.
09. Kentucky Wildcats (5-4)
I tried to hold off, but it might be time to hit the panic button. After two straight losses this week, including a 35-point loss to Gonzaga in Nashville, Kentucky is in a tailspin. The only thing helping keep UK afloat in these rankings is that all of its losses have been at the hands of ranked opponents, though if the Wildcats continue to struggle against top-25 teams, Kentucky isn’t going to fare well in league play.
08. Missouri Tigers (8-1)
Missouri’s first road test didn’t go well. I knew the Tigers wouldn’t stay undefeated forever, though a loss at Notre Dame wasn’t where I thought the winning streak would end. The Tigers led by as many as 12 points in the first half, but forgot to show up in the second half - though Mark Mitchell and Jacobs Crew did their best to salvage the win. With Kansas up next, Missouri is in real danger of its first losing streak of the season.
07. Georgia Bulldogs (8-1)
Georgia has risen seven spots since the start of the season, and a dominating 107-73 win at Florida State has the Bulldogs up to No. 7 this week. I keep waiting for the offense to fall off, but Georgia currently boasts the No. 1 scoring offense in the country with 99.9 points per game. The Bulldogs might not be the most talented SEC team; however, they are definitely playing some of the league's best basketball.
06. Tennessee Volunteers (7-3)
The Vols have been in free fall since taking down No. 1 Houston, losing three straight, including defeats at the hands of Syracuse and Illinois this week. Tennessee failed to score more than 62 points in either of these games. Even the Vols' defense isn’t great enough to pull out wins with the offense adding so few points. A matchup with Louisville looms this week, so if Tennessee isn’t careful, a four-game losing streak is a real possibility.
05. Auburn Tigers (7-3)
The high of knocking off NC State by 10 points was quickly erased by getting blown out by nearly 30 points at Arizona. At times, this Auburn team has looked like one of the best in the conference, even though the Tigers have struggled in games against top-10-ranked teams. Auburn has played a tough non-conference schedule, so it's hard to really drop it far, but getting beaten by at least 29 points twice this year is concerning.
04. Arkansas Razorbacks (7-2)
Arkansas looked more like the team I expected in the preseason. The Razorbacks' 89-80 win over Louisville was one of the best of the SEC/ACC Challenge. Then the Hogs avoided any disappointment by taking down Fresno State by 24 points. Arkansas’s freshman duo is carrying this team, though it's working for the Razorbacks. Arkansas might not beat you with efficiency, but the talented young core is good enough to scare even the best teams in the conference.
03. Florida Gators (5-3)
A one-point loss at Duke and most of the top teams in the conference slumping is enough to keep the Gators in the top three of this week's power rankings. Florida hasn’t been quite as good as expected this season, but I think everyone knew its guard depth might be an issue. However, Thomas Haugh has been excellent this season. Florida might really take off if the rest of the roster figures out a way to consistently play to expectations.
02. Vanderbilt Commodores (9-0)
There might not be a hotter team in the country than Vanderbilt. The Commodores have won nine straight, with yet another double-digit win this week, taking down SMU 88-69. Vanderbilt might not have been putting up huge offensive numbers the past couple of weeks, but the Commodores have yet to dip under 83 points in a game this season. This offense has punished every team Vanderbilt has faced this season, making it one of the favorites to win the conference.
01. Alabama Crimson Tide (6-2)
Despite two early-season losses, Alabama’s truly insane non-conference schedule has provided more than enough space between it and the rest of the conference to maintain the top spot in these power rankings. It took a huge offensive performance from Labaron Philon Jr (29 points) to get past Clemson, but the Tide have rattled off three straight. Nate Oats has Alabama rolling, looking like the class of the league once again this season.