SEC Basketball Power Rankings, Jan. 12: Alabama struggles, Vanderbilt and Texas A&M surge

SEC basketball is now a little more than a week into conference play and there’s already so much we’ve learned.

We’ve learned that Nate Oats doesn’t seem to like his Alabama team all that much. We’ve learned that Bucky Ball is having an immediate impact at Texas A&M. We’ve learned that Florida shouldn’t be counted out despite an opening loss to Mizzou.

How have these first 3 league games impacted the SEC power rankings, you ask?

Well, let’s start from the bottom and work our way to the top, shall we? Here’s how the 16 SEC men’s hoops teams stack up this week:

16. LSU (12-4 overall, 0-3 in SEC)

• Previous ranking: 11

I’m glad I was a little lower on LSU‘s gaudy nonconference record than some. It was an empty résumé, and that has become clear since the start of SEC play. The Tigers got absolutely blown off their own court by South Carolina last week, losing by 10 in a game that wasn’t as close as that final score indicates. Kentucky, Mizzou, Florida and Arkansas are LSU’s next 4 opponents. Good luck with that.

15. Oklahoma (11-5, 1-2)

• Previous ranking: 13

Oklahoma falls to 15 due to the Mississippi programs showing some signs of life. Sure, Oklahoma has a win over Ole Miss, but lost to Mississippi State. And the Ole Miss win was in Norman, so I’d still like this version of the Rebels to win on a neutral court. Oklahoma has a tough home stretch coming up, with Florida coming to town on Tuesday and a frustrated, angry Alabama squad visiting on Saturday. We’ll see if the Sooners can pull off a big upset.

14. South Carolina (10-6, 1-2)

• Previous ranking: 14

At the very least, South Carolina has been feisty this year. A big win at LSU got the Gamecocks in the win column, and contests against Vanderbilt and Georgia have been competitive. South Carolina definitely let an opportunity get away in Athens on Saturday, but this is a team that no one really wants to see, especially in Columbia.

13. Ole Miss (9-7, 1-2)

• Previous ranking: 15

In SEC hoops, anyone can pick up a win at home. Winning on the road in league play is tough. Just ask Mizzou. The Tigers were 2-0 in SEC action and promptly came to Oxford and lost to a reeling Ole Miss squad. Will this be the momentum boost Chris Beard and company need? They travel to Georgia on Wednesday night before visiting rival Mississippi State on Saturday.

12. Mississippi State (10-6, 2-1)

• Previous ranking: 16

Just when I was ready to count Mississippi State out, the Bulldogs won at Texas and then thumped Oklahoma in Starkville to start SEC play. Those aren’t exactly SEC juggernauts, but it was a good sign nonetheless. The Bulldogs host a struggling Alabama squad on Tuesday night with a chance to pull off a major résumé-building win.

11. Kentucky (10-6, 1-2)

• Previous ranking: 8

Things are going from bad to worse for the Kentucky Wildcats. After losing to Mizzou and Alabama to start SEC play, the Wildcats did just demolish Mississippi State on Saturday. But now they’re expected to be without transfer guard Jaland Lowe for the rest of the year due to injury. Kentucky gets a chance to tune up at LSU on Wednesday night, but then a Saturday trip to Rocky Top awaits.

10. Alabama (11-5, 1-2)

• Previous ranking: 2

The vibes are bad in Tuscaloosa right now. After Alabama‘s loss to Vanderbilt, Nate Oats questioned Labaron Philon’s cramping issues after only 19 minutes on the floor. Now, he’s saying that his players “need to get tired of losing” after Saturday’s loss against Texas. Losing to Vanderbilt is far from a bad loss, but falling to the Longhorns at home is inexcusable. We’ll see if Oats can right the ship.

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9. Texas (10-6, 1-2)

• Previous ranking: 9

I was ready to give up on Year 1 of the Sean Miller experience at Texas, but then the Longhorns pulled off a nice 4-point road win at Alabama on Saturday. So for now, I’ll just keep the Longhorns at No. 9 and see how they fare in this week’s top-tier matchups against the 2 remaining undefeated teams in SEC play (vs. Vanderbilt on Wednesday night and vs. Texas A&M on Saturday).

8. Auburn (10-6, 1-2)

• Previous ranking: 7

Auburn has been super competitive in SEC play despite 2 losses. The Tigers lost by 4 at Georgia and then had that controversial finish against Texas A&M last week where the would-be game-winning basket was waved off. Then Auburn took down an Arkansas team I’m really high on in The Jungle. A road trip to Mizzou on Wednesday night will tell us a lot more about Steven Pearl’s squad.

7. Tennessee (11-5, 1-2)

• Previous ranking: 5

I’m about ready to press the panic button on the Vols. Tennessee just got shellacked at Florida on Saturday, and that comes after an SEC-opening loss at Arkansas. Those are 2 road losses to 2 of the better teams in the league, but Ja’Kobi Gillespie has struggled in those games. He shot 5-for-15 against the Hogs and 3-for-10 against the Gators, going 4-for-13 from 3-point range. That has to improve if the Vols are going to take down Texas A&M and Kentucky on Rocky Top this week.

6. Mizzou (12-4, 2-1)

• Previous ranking: 10

Mizzou started SEC play 2-0 for the first time ever, beating Florida and Kentucky. Ole Miss started SEC play 0-2. So naturally the Tigers went down to Oxford on Saturday and promptly suffered a loss. That’s frustrating (and a very Mizzou thing to do), but it doesn’t take away from the strong start for Dennis Gates and company. We’ll see if the Tigers can get back on track this week vs. Auburn (on Wednesday) and at LSU (on Saturday).

5. Texas A&M (13-3, 3-0)

• Previous ranking: 12

When Texas A&M hired Bucky McMillan to replace Buzz Williams, there was a lot of talk about how long it would take for “Bucky Ball” to be successful in the SEC. Turns out the answer was “no time at all.” The Aggies have been impressive, beating LSU, Auburn and Oklahoma to start league play. The Auburn win is especially impressive, even if it did come with some controversy. Do I expect the Aggies to go unbeaten in SEC play? Of course not. They could lose on Tuesday night at Tennessee. But I do expect them to be competitive time in and time out.

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4. Georgia (14-2, 2-1)

• Previous ranking: 4

The Bulldogs stumbled against rival Florida last week, but Georgia has been solid. Sure, it needed overtime against Auburn and needed to come from behind late against South Carolina, but wins are wins in league play. Arkansas heads to Athens this Saturday in a big-time matchup. That’ll be another good barometer of what this Bulldogs squad is capable of.

3. Arkansas (12-4, 2-1)

• Previous ranking: 6

I’m not selling any of my Arkansas stock after a blowout loss at Auburn on Saturday. The Hogs are still a top-tier SEC team. They’ll have a chance to prove that this week with games at home against South Carolina on Wednesday and at Georgia on Saturday. Darius Acuff Jr. will only get better in tough road environments as the season goes on.

2. Florida (11-5, 2-1)

• Previous ranking: 3

Florida lost its SEC opener to Mizzou in Columbia, but the Gators have bounced back in impressive fashion in Gainesville. Todd Golden and company took down rival Georgia by double-digits midweek and then thumped a ranked Tennessee team 91-67 on Saturday. The Gators keep getting better, and that’s a scary thought for the rest of the league. A trip to undefeated Vanderbilt awaits Florida on Saturday.

1. Vanderbilt (16-0, 3-0)

• Previous ranking: 1

The metrics love Vanderbilt. The Commodores are No. 5 overall in the KenPom rankings, boasting the No. 5 offense and the No. 11 defense in the nation. However, Mark Byington’s crew has to survive a visit from Florida on Saturday afternoon. A battle between the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in my power rankings? Sign me up. If the Commodores win that game, it’ll be time to start talking about them potentially running the table in the SEC.

Adam Spencer

Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.