SEC Basketball Power Rankings: A new No. 1, LSU beats Arkansas, Mizzou dominates Kentucky
By Adam Spencer
Published:
SEC play has officially begun!
Of the 14 teams, 10 have played their conference openers, while the other 4 teams (Texas A&M, Georgia, South Carolina and Vanderbilt) will open SEC action on either Tuesday or Wednesday night.
The first league action was interesting, with LSU beating Arkansas, Mizzou thumping Kentucky and much more.
So how did that impact our weekly power rankings? Here are our first rankings of all 14 SEC men’s hoops teams of the 2023 calendar year:
14. Vanderbilt (7-6 overall, 0-0 in SEC, Last week: 14)
It feels strange to say this, but Tuesday night’s game in Nashville between South Carolina and Vanderbilt is must-see TV. If the Commodores can’t win this one, they might not win an SEC game all year. After Tuesday night’s home game, the Commodores visit No. 20 Mizzou and No. 8 Tennessee. Then, home games against No. 13 Arkansas and No. 7 Alabama await. Brutal.
13. South Carolina (7-6, 0-0, LW: 13)
Can South Carolina start SEC play with a bang? As mentioned above, the Gamecocks head to Nashville on Tuesday night to take on the Commodores in a game that could decide the worst team in the conference. GG Jackson will need to have a big night to win on the road. We’ll see what happens for the Gamecocks, but this would be a really nice win to build confidence moving forward.
12. Ole Miss (8-5, 0-1, LW: 12)
Ole Miss played great defense and led by 6 against Tennessee at halftime in the SEC opener, but things went south in the second half of the Rebels’ 63-59 loss. Ole Miss made only 37.3% of its shots from the floor, even though Jaemyn Brakefield’s 18-point effort was a bright spot. Matthew Murrell went 1-for-11 from the floor, and that hurt the Rebels in a big way. We’ll see if they can get their leading scorer going at Alabama on Tuesday night.
11. Florida (7-6, 0-1, LW: 11)
It’s crazy to think that the second game in SEC play could be a must-win contest, but that’s basically where the Gators are at this point. They’ll host Texas A&M on Wednesday night, and falling to 0-2 in league action after an ugly loss at Auburn last week won’t sit well with fans. The Gators made only 3 of their 19 3-point attempts (15.8%) against the Tigers. If they can’t shoot the deep ball more consistently, they’re not going to win many games, even if Colin Castleton has a good night.
10. Kentucky (9-4, 0-1, LW: 9)
Finally, the Kentucky Wildcats aren’t ranked in the AP Poll. Based on results this season, this team shouldn’t have been in the top 25 for a couple of weeks now. After a blowout loss at Mizzou to open SEC play, voters finally looked past the name on the front of the jersey and dropped the Wildcats out of the top 25. Will this spark John Calipari to make some much-needed changes to Kentucky’s offense? Based on recent history, probably not. And that’s only going to hurt the Wildcats moving forward. There’s plenty of talent on this roster, but a new offensive system is needed to unlock Kentucky’s full potential.
9. Texas A&M (8-5, 0-0, LW: 10)
Texas A&M heads to Gainesville to play a desperate Florida team (as mentioned above) to start SEC play on Wednesday night. This is a big chance for Buzz Williams and company to make a statement and score a road win in conference play against a struggling Gators squad. Perimeter defense is going to be a key to this game. If the Aggies can keep Florida’s 3-point struggles going, they’ll have a great chance to win.
8. Georgia (10-3, 0-0, LW: 8)
Should the Bulldogs really be No. 8 in these rankings? I don’t know. Maybe I’m just impressed with the job Mike White has already done at Georgia, digging this program out of unimaginable depths. Still, the Dawgs haven’t really beaten anyone of note outside of Notre Dame. That’ll change this week, as they play No. 22 Auburn in Athens on Wednesday night. Auburn has looked flawed at times this year, so it’s a big game for Georgia!
7. Mississippi State (11-2, 0-1, LW: 7)
I won’t overreact too much to Mississippi State’s SEC-opening loss to an elite Alabama team, but I do need to see more from the Bulldogs’ defense, and soon. Going to Knoxville for a game against No. 8 Tennessee on Tuesday night looks tough on paper, but the Vols’ offense has also been prone to struggles at times. All I know is that I’ll be betting the under for total points in the Mississippi State-Tennessee game. Expect a rock fight on Rocky Top.
6. Auburn (11-2, 1-0, LW: 6)
Auburn didn’t look great against Florida to open SEC play, but a win is a win, even if you shoot 3-for-14 (21.4%) from 3-point range. Wendell Green Jr. and Johni Broome both had 14 points, though, as they continue to develop as team leaders. A road trip to Georgia on Wednesday night won’t be as easy as it has been in years past, but it’s still a game the Tigers should win ahead of a Saturday home game against No. 13 Arkansas.
5. Arkansas (11-2, 0-1, LW: 1)
Arkansas may have had a setback at LSU to open SEC play, but this is still a dangerous team. Don’t expect the Hogs to go 4-for-25 (16%) from 3-point range very often. It’s worth noting that the Razorbacks started SEC play 0-3 last year before roaring back and going on another impressive NCAA Tournament run. Don’t count Eric Musselman’s team out yet! Getting star freshman Nick Smith Jr. back from an injury soon will be important.
4. Mizzou (12-1, 1-0, LW: 4)
The Game of the Week in the SEC is likely the Tigers’ Wednesday night showdown against rival Arkansas in Fayetteville. Winning at Bud Walton is no easy task, but the Tigers are playing some confident basketball right now. If Arkansas can’t slow down Kobe Brown, who has scored 61 points combined in his past 2 games against Illinois and Kentucky, Mizzou could keep the good times going. No matter who wins this one, though, the 2 schools will meet again in Columbia on Jan. 18.
3. LSU (12-1, 1-0, LW: 5)
LSU didn’t face the toughest nonconference schedule, so many were hesitant about the Tigers’ chances against Arkansas to open SEC play. Trae Hannibal and Derek Fountain stepped up, though, combining for 35 points and 16 rebounds in LSU’s 60-57 home win. Hannibal even earned SEC Player of the Week honors for his efforts. A win at Kentucky on Tuesday night would get plenty of people on the LSU bandwagon moving forward.
2. Tennessee (11-2, 1-0, LW: 3)
The good news? Tennessee’s defense continues to be elite. The bad news? The offense hasn’t quite found its highest gear yet. The Vols have time to work things out on that end of the floor, but Tuesday night’s game against another strong defensive team in Mississippi State could be a low-scoring affair. Expect the Vols to find their shooting stroke at South Carolina on Saturday and vs. Vanderbilt next Tuesday ahead of next weekend’s showdown against Kentucky on Rocky Top.
1. Alabama (11-2, 1-0, LW: 2)
Alabama is back in the No. 1 spot after a convincing win at Mississippi State to start SEC action. Brandon Miller continues to grow into a superstar, recording a 19-point, 11-rebound double-double in his first ever SEC game. Mark Sears also played well, scoring a team-high 20 points and making 4 of his 8 3-pointers. This is going to be a tough team for anyone in the SEC to stop. Ole Miss and Kentucky get the next shots at the Crimson Tide, on Tuesday and Saturday, respectively. Both games are in Tuscaloosa.
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.
