The SEC has three elite teams — No. 4 Kentucky, No. 5 Tennessee and No. 13 LSU. LSU beat Kentucky last week, and the Wildcats took down the Vols.

On Saturday, the Vols head to Baton Rouge to take on the Tigers. If Tennessee prevails, it’ll add to the murkiness atop the SEC power rankings.

What we do know is this — all three are great, and they’ll all be dangerous in the SEC Tournament and in March Madness. Several other teams, however, have some work to do.

That said, here’s a look at this week’s SEC power rankings, with a shakeup at the No. 1 spot:

1. Kentucky (21-4 overall, 10-2 in SEC, Last week: 2)

Yes, the Vols are still one of the best teams in the country, but the Wildcats are the team no one wants to see on their schedule. The freshman class of Keldon Johnson, Ashton Hagans and Tyler Herro is the best outside of Duke, and sophomore big man P.J. Washington is showing he’s one of the top players in the nation.

Here’s Washington being a beast in the paint:

Here’s Hagans playing his trademark stifling defense:

And here’s some impressive ball movement for such a young team:

A midweek loss to LSU was certainly a letdown, but it’s hard to overlook how dominant the Wildcats were against the nation’s No. 1 team on Saturday night. The Wildcats have a rematch against the Vols on March 2, so we’ll see what happens in Knoxville, but for now, they have more than earned the No. 1 spot on this list.

2. Tennessee (23-2, 11-1, Last week: 1)

Yes, the Vols were outclassed at Kentucky on Saturday, but there’s no reason to panic in Knoxville. First of all, there’s a rematch scheduled for March 2, this time at Tennessee. Second, the Vols have a chance to regroup against Vanderbilt this week before a big-time showdown at LSU on Saturday.

However, as Grant Williams and Admiral Schofield said after Saturday’s debacle, the Vols need to toughen up or things could get out of hand fast. Kentucky pushed them around all over the court, but maybe this is the wakeup call the team needed.

They’re in no danger of losing their No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament just yet, though, so we’ll see how Rick Barnes gets this team to respond to a bit of adversity.

3. LSU (21-4, 11-1, Last week: 3)

The Tigers did what not many teams have been able to do lately — beat the red-hot Kentucky Wildcats. Yes, there was a controversial ending, but even being in position to win that way shows how strong this team is:

Also, Marlon Taylor and Tremont Waters connect for at least one jaw-dropping play per game, and it’s must-see television:

If the Tigers can get past Florida on Wednesday, it’ll set up a showdown for first place in the SEC on Saturday when the Volunteers come to Baton Rouge. That will be an exciting test for Will Wade’s squad.

4. Ole Miss (18-7, 8-4, Last week: 5)

Terence Davis and Breein Tyree average nearly 36 points per game during SEC play, but on Saturday against Mizzou, they only managed 23. Still, the Rebels found a way to win, and that’s a good sign for Kermit Davis and company.

The Rebels have done a lot the past two weeks to improve their NCAA Tournament standing, winning 4 consecutive games. If they can go on the road and beat South Carolina on Tuesday night and then beat Georgia at home on Saturday, they’ll be in a great position to be a top-four seed entering the SEC Tournament.

5. South Carolina (13-12, 8-4, Last week: 4)

The Gamecocks had a horrible nonconference run, losing to teams like Stony Brook, Wyoming, Providence and Wofford. Yes, they’ve been great in SEC action, but they’re still on the outside looking in when it comes to the NCAA Tournament picture.

This week, though, provides a huge opportunity for Frank Martin’s squad. On Tuesday night, they host a red-hot Ole Miss team that is now tied with them for fourth in the SEC standings. On Saturday, they visit Mississippi State.

Go 2-0 this week and the Gamecocks will have a puncher’s chance of making the March Madness field next month.

6. Mississippi State (18-7, 6-6, Last week: 9)

The Bulldogs have been up and down more than any other team on this list. Coming off a 2-0 week with wins over Alabama and at Arkansas, they deserve to be bumped up a few spots again.

With games at Georgia and at home vs. South Carolina this week, the Bulldogs need to go 2-0 again to stay in the hunt for a top-four seed in the SEC Tournament. Yes, Nick Weatherspoon has been suspended indefinitely, but this team still has enough talent that anything other than two wins this week would be a disappointment.

7. Auburn (17-8, 6-6, Last week: 7)

The Tigers can usually count on big games from Bryce Brown and Jared Harper, but they need more consistency from others. On Saturday against Vanderbilt, Malik Dunbar started to break out on both ends of the court.

He had 13 points, snagged 5 rebounds and also had 2 blocks, including this chase down rejection in the first half:

https://twitter.com/SECNetwork/status/1096841269169606656

This week won’t be easy, with a home game against Arkansas and a road trip to Kentucky, but the Tigers need a signature win, so circle that Kentucky game on your calendar.

8. Florida (14-11, 6-6, Last week: 10)

The Gators aren’t dead yet! Mike White’s squad had a great week. No, we shouldn’t mistake wins vs. Vanderbilt and at Alabama for high-quality victories, but it’s better than the alternative.

Three of their 6 remaining games are against LSU (twice) and Kentucky, though, so they’ll have to at least go 5-1 somehow and win a couple of games in the SEC Tournament to gain inclusion in the March Madness field. It’s not impossible, but it won’t be easy, either.

9. Alabama (15-10, 6-6, Last week: 6)

The Crimson Tide had a brutal week, losing to Mississippi State by 19 and Florida by 18. For a team that was on the bubble in the NCAA Tournament race, last week was what we in the business call “not good.”

With fans calling for coach Avery Johnson’s job, this will be a pivotal week for the Tide. First is a game at Texas A&M, followed by a Saturday home game against Vanderbilt. That’s a favorable schedule, but if the Tide can’t go 2-0, expect the grumbling to get louder in Tuscaloosa.

10. Arkansas (14-11, 5-7, Last week: 8)

Arkansas had a bad week, too, losing at Mizzou by a point and falling in a hard-fought effort vs. Mississippi State. Daniel Gafford continues to be dominant, but the Hogs just can’t get over the hump.

With 3 consecutive losses, the Razorbacks enter a do-or-die week, with games at Auburn and vs. Texas A&M. Lose either and it could spell disaster for Mike Anderson’s squad (and possibly for Anderson himself, who is feeling the heat this year).

11. Mizzou (12-12, 3-9, Last week: 12)

Yes, the Tigers almost blew another 10-point lead against Arkansas, but they managed to hold on for an impressive victory. Big man Jeremiah Tilmon was huge against the Razorbacks, scoring 21 points and managing to commit only 3 fouls.

Jordan Geist was his usual reliable self, and he did it again at Ole Miss on Saturday, scoring a game-high 23 points, but it wasn’t enough to keep the Tigers close in a 10-point loss.

A home game against Kentucky and a trip to an improving Florida team won’t be easy this week, though, so don’t be surprised if the Tigers have a rough couple of games.

12. Texas A&M (10-14, 3-9, Last week: 11)

The Aggies continue to be competitive, but they came up just short at South Carolina on Saturday. They aren’t going to sniff the NCAA Tournament this year, but they could play spoiler down the stretch.

This week offers two such opportunities, as Alabama and Arkansas are hanging on by a thread in the NCAA Tournament picture. Whatever happens, it should be fun. After all, the Aggies have already beaten Alabama once this year.

13. Georgia (10-15, 1-11, Last week: 13)

The Bulldogs have now lost 6 consecutive games and their past 10 SEC matchups. A blowout loss at Texas A&M was a bad sign, but they showed some fight in a 4-point home loss to LSU on Saturday.

This team has some talent, but they are struggling to put it all together. This week will be tough, with a visit from Mississippi State on Wednesday and a trip to Ole Miss on Saturday.

14. Vanderbilt (9-16, 0-12, Last week: 14)

There’s not much left to say about the Commodores. They haven’t won an SEC game and they haven’t been particularly close, either.

Last week, they lost by 9 points to Florida and 11 points to Auburn, but neither game should have been that close. It’s been a long year in Nashville after the season started with such high hopes, and with games at Tennessee and at Alabama this week, win No. 1 in conference play isn’t likely to come yet.