SEC Basketball Power Rankings, March 5: Where things stand entering final regular-season games
By Adam Spencer
Published:
This. Is. March.
The SEC regular season title has been handed out, and the race for those precious double-byes in Nashville is a chaotic mess. We’ve seen big-time upsets, offensive explosions, and a few teams that have essentially packed their bags for the NIT (or worse).
With only 1 game remaining for each team, the standings are settling, but the power rankings are heating up.
Here’s a look at our updated SEC power rankings as of March 5:
16. South Carolina Gamecocks (12-18 overall, 3-14 in SEC)
Previous ranking: 13
The brief spark Lamont Paris’s squad showed in late February has been doused by a 3-game skid. The South Carolina Gamecocks are struggling to find consistent scoring outside of occasional bursts from the perimeter, and their road woes (1-8) are the worst in the league. They are locked into a Wednesday date in the SEC Tournament.
15. LSU Tigers (15-15, 3-14)
Previous ranking: 16
Matt McMahon’s group actually jumped out of the cellar briefly, but an 88-74 loss to Auburn on Tuesday highlighted the defensive lapses that have defined their season. Without Dedan Thomas Jr., the LSU Tigers are just trying to get to the offseason without more injuries.
14. Ole Miss Rebels (12-18, 4-13)
Previous ranking: 15
Chris Beard finally got back in the win column with a surprising victory over Auburn on Saturday, but it’s too little, too late. The Ole Miss defense, which looked promising in November, has been a turnstile in SEC play, allowing opponents to shoot over 40% from deep over the last month.
13. Mississippi State Bulldogs (13-17, 5-12)
Previous ranking: 12
The Mississippi State Bulldogs ran into the Florida buzzsaw on Tuesday night and it wasn’t pretty. A 108-74 shellacking in Gainesville showcased just how far State has fallen. The Bulldogs have lost 4 in a row and are spiraling toward a bottom-4 seed.
12. Oklahoma Sooners (16-14, 6-11)
Previous ranking: 14
Porter Moser has the Oklahoma Sooners playing better ball lately, with 3 straight wins to climb out of the absolute basement. They’ve shored up the interior defense slightly, but they face a massive test against rival Texas to close the season. Will this win streak be enough to save Moser’s job?
11. Auburn Tigers (16-14, 7-10)
Previous ranking: 10
Auburn is the ultimate “Year From Hell” team of 2026. The Tigers looked great in an 88-74 win over LSU, but the consistency just isn’t there. Steven Pearl’s squad needs a deep run in Nashville to get back to the right side of the NCAA Tournament bubble.
10. Texas Longhorns (18-12, 9-8)
Previous ranking: 9
Sean Miller’s first year in Austin has been a roller coaster. The 105-85 loss at Arkansas on Wednesday was a reality check. Texas allowed the Razorbacks to shoot 58% from the field and couldn’t contain the transition game. The Horns will need to beat Oklahoma on Saturday to make life easier on themselves on Selection Sunday.
Will Texas make the NCAA Tournament? Kalshi gives the Longhorns an 87% chance of making the Round of 64:
9. Kentucky Wildcats (19-11, 10-7)
Previous ranking: 7
A 96-85 loss at Texas A&M on Tuesday that featured Kentucky blowing a lead exposed a defense that simply couldn’t stop the Aggies’ bench. Otega Oweh’s 24 points weren’t enough. Kentucky is still in the tournament field, but it has lost the momentum it had in early February.
8. Mizzou Tigers (20-10, 10-7)
Previous ranking: 6
Dennis Gates has a dangerous team, but the Missouri Tigers are also one of the most frustratingly inconsistent teams in the entire country. Mizzou has wins over Florida, Kentucky, Tennessee, Vanderbilt and Texas A&M this year. The Tigers also have losses against Oklahoma, LSU and Ole Miss. Make it make sense.
7. Georgia Bulldogs (21-9, 9-8)
Previous ranking: 11
Welcome back to the top half, Mike White. The Georgia Bulldogs just pulled off the upset of the week, taking down No. 16 Alabama 98-88 in Athens. Kanon Catchings was a superstar, dropping a career-high 32 points with 7 triples. Georgia is almost certainly a lock for the NCAA Tournament now and is playing with a ton of confidence.
6. Texas A&M Aggies (20-10, 10-7)
Previous ranking: 5
The Texas A&M Aggies look like a different team at Reed Arena. Their 96-85 win over Kentucky was a masterclass in depth, with 57 bench points. Rylan Griffen’s 21 points off the pine showed that Bucky McMillan has plenty of weapons. If they win their finale at LSU, an NCAA Tournament berth is all but a guarantee.
5. Vanderbilt Commodores (23-7, 10-7)
Previous ranking: 8
The Vanderbilt Commodores are back. After a brief stumble, Mark Byington has Vandy surging again. They have a massive game against Tennessee this Saturday that will likely decide the fourth and final double-bye for the SEC Tournament. With their top-notch offense and 23 wins already, the Commodores are one of the best stories in college basketball.
4. Tennessee Volunteers (21-9, 11-6)
Previous ranking: 3
Rick Barnes has the best defense in the league not named Florida, but the Tennessee offense can still go cold at inopportune times. That, sadly, has been a common theme for Barnes’ Tennessee teams. A win over Vanderbilt on Saturday is mandatory if the Vols want to hold onto a top-4 seed.
3. Alabama Crimson Tide (22-8, 12-5)
Previous ranking: 2
The 8-game win streak is over. The 98-88 loss at Georgia was a letdown where the defense simply didn’t travel. Labaron Philon Jr. (26 points) continues to look like an All-SEC guard, but Nate Oats needs his Alabama defense to tighten up before the trip to Nashville.
2. Arkansas Razorbacks (22-8, 12-5)
Previous ranking: 4
The Hogs are peaking at the perfect time. They absolutely dismantled Texas 105-85 on Wednesday night, fueled by 28-point performances from both freshman star Darius Acuff Jr. and veteran Trevon Brazile. When Arkansas plays with this much pace and shoots 58% from 3, it looks like one of the only teams that can actually challenge Florida in Nashville.
1. Florida Gators (24-6, 15-2)
Previous ranking: 1
Champions. Todd Golden officially accepted the SEC regular-season championship trophy from Greg Sankey on Tuesday night before his Florida Gators began a 108-74 shellacking of Mississippi State. The Gators have won 10 straight games and are the defending national champs for a reason. They are a legitimate threat to repeat this postseason.
Will Florida repeat as the national champion? Here’s what the current Kalshi market says:
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.
