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College Football

SEC Basketball Power Rankings: Tennessee avoids upset, Kentucky heats up

Adam Spencer

By Adam Spencer

Published:

With a chance to improve to No. 1 in the AP Poll after Duke and Michigan losses, the Tennessee Volunteers looked like they were going to cruise to a win over Alabama on Saturday.

However, they ended up blowing a 15-point lead before eventually holding on to squeeze out a 3-point win. A win is a win, though, and the Vols were rewarded with the No. 1 spot in Monday’s poll. They haven’t been No. 1 since spending one week there in the 2007-08 season.

They continue to be the class of the SEC, but there are plenty of other intriguing squads to keep an eye on the next couple of weeks. As we head into late-January, here’s how the 14 SEC teams stack up:

1. Tennessee (16-1, 5-0, Last week: 1)

Admiral Schofield struggled against Alabama, scoring only 12 points on 4-of-17 shooting, but he hit two clutch shots down the stretch that can’t be overlooked. When his team needed him the most, down 65-63, he hit a jump shot to tie the score and then this layup to give the Vols the lead for good:

That’s what great players do, and Schofield won’t have too many 4-for-17 nights moving forward. Now they’re the No. 1 team in the country and look to keep rolling against Vanderbilt and West Virginia this week.

2. LSU (14-3, 4-0, Last week: 2)

The Tigers keep winning, and PG Tremont Waters continues to be one of the best in the country at generating open looks for his teammates. Even when he can’t find space, he can just knock down threes over defenders:

With a home game against Georgia and a road trip to Mizzou this week, the Tigers should remain unbeaten in league play for at least two more games. They’re up to No. 25 in the AP Poll and could rise even higher this time next week.

3. Kentucky (14-3, 4-1, Last week: 4)

PG Ashton Hagans is playing really well lately, and fellow freshman G Keldon Johnson looks like he’s breaking out of his slump. Meanwhile, Tyler Herro seemingly can’t miss in clutch situations, and he came up huge when Auburn cut the Wildcats’ lead on Saturday.

https://twitter.com/Scott_Charlton/status/1086759114351562752

https://twitter.com/Scott_Charlton/status/1086758653015797768

If the freshmen are stepping up in big situations, that’s good news for coach John Calipari. ESPN analyst and former coach Seth Greenberg was so impressed he said the Wildcats are looking like a Final Four threat. They always try to position themselves to hit their stride in March, and that is looking like the case once again, which is a scary thought for the rest of the conference.

4. Ole Miss (14-3, 4-1, Last week: 3)

This is going to be a pivotal week for the Rebels. After bouncing back from a loss LSU with a blowout win against Arkansas, Kermit Davis’ squad faces a tough slate of games this week — at Alabama and at home vs. a ranked Iowa State team.

With the way Breein Tyree and Terence Davis have been shooting lately, though, the Rebels should be able to compete with anyone.

5. Auburn (13-4, 2-2, Last week: 5)

The Tigers have lost big man Austin Wiley for a couple of weeks, and that hurt them in a 2-point loss to Kentucky on Saturday. Still, they managed to keep it close with the Wildcats, who are heating up. Add in the fact that none of the teams below the Tigers did much this weekend and Bruce Pearl’s squad remains at No. 5 on this list.

This team is going to live and die with the 3-point shot, but the way Bryce Brown is shooting lately (6-for-7 from 3, 28 points vs. Kentucky), that might not be a bad thing. With games at South Carolina and Mississippi State coming up this week, we’ll see if the Tigers can stay hot from long range.

6. Alabama (11-6, 2-3, Last week: 6)

The Crimson Tide nearly pulled off a huge upset at Tennessee on Saturday, and would have probably won easily if they’d made more free throws. The Tide went an abysmal 8-of-18 from the line and lost by 3.

Still, there are plenty of positives to take away from the game, including John Petty’s 30-point performance. With a home game against No. 20 Ole Miss and a road trip to Baylor this week, the Tide could really take a big step toward an NCAA Tournament berth if they can go 2-0.

7. Mississippi State (14-3, 2-2, Last week: 8)

The Bulldogs are the toughest team in the SEC to get a read on at this point. After starting conference play with losses at South Carolina and at home to Ole Miss, they picked up wins against Florida and Vandy last week.

Are they one of the SEC’s best teams, or an up-and-down middle-of-the-road team? We’ll find out this week, with a road trip to No. 8 Kentucky and a home game against No. 16 Auburn on the schedule. Losing both of those contests would be crushing for the Bulldogs, so we’ll see if they can step up and pick up a signature victory.

8. South Carolina (9-8, 4-1, Last week: 7)

The Gamecocks are off to a hot start in SEC play (other than a big loss at LSU on Saturday), but their metrics aren’t so great. In KenPom’s rankings, the Gamecocks are only the No. 104 team in the country. If they can go 2-1 in their next three games, though (vs. No. 16 Auburn, at Oklahoma State, vs. No. 1 Tennessee), they should see their stock rise a bit.

9. Florida (10-7, 2-3, Last week: 10)

Even after a win over Georgia on Saturday, the Gators couldn’t avoid bad news. Junior F Keith Stone, who has started 13 of the 17 games so far, will miss the season with an ACL injury.

The Gators host a struggling Texas A&M team Tuesday night and then travel to TCU for what is quickly becoming a must-win game against the Horned Frogs in the Big 12-SEC Challenge. After that, Mike White’s team has four consecutive games against ranked SEC teams — home vs. Ole Miss and Kentucky and on the road against Auburn and Tennessee.

10. Mizzou (10-6, 1-3, Last week: 11)

Mizzou PG Jordan Geist is one of the most underrated players in the SEC. He has gotten steadily better every year, and he played a big part in the Tigers’ blowout win at Texas A&M on Saturday.

They’ll need to keep that momentum going Wednesday night, as they head to Arkansas to take on former Mizzou coach Mike Anderson and the struggling Razorbacks.

11. Arkansas (10-7, 1-4, Last week: 9)

It was a rough week for the Razorbacks, who lost to Tennessee and Ole Miss by a combined 36 points. That’s now four consecutive SEC losses, and the pressure is on if the Hogs want to keep their slim NCAA Tournament hopes alive.

A Wednesday home game against Mizzou is now a must-win game, as a trip to No. 14 Texas Tech team looms Saturday for the Big 12-SEC Challenge.

12. Georgia (9-8, 1-4, Last week: 12)

Yes, this is turning into a rough year for the Bulldogs, but first-year coach Tom Crean’s history suggests things will turn around quickly. In his first year at Indiana during the 2008-09 season, the Hoosiers went an abysmal 6-25 (including 1-17 in Big Ten play). He ended up taking Indiana to the NCAA Tournament four times during his 9-year tenure in Bloomington, making the Sweet 16 three times.

13. Texas A&M (7-9, 1-4, Last week: 13)

Since a thrilling win at Alabama, the Aggies have collapsed, losing home games to Auburn and Mizzou by a combined 42 points. After Saturday’s disaster against Missouri, coach Billy Kennedy called his team’s heart and effort into question.

A trip to Florida and a home game against Kansas State this week won’t be easy for this struggling squad.

14. Vanderbilt (9-8, 0-5, Last week: 14)

Yes, the Commodores lost star PG Darius Garland to injury before SEC play started, but that’s no excuse for the way they’ve played the last couple of weeks. A win is going to be hard to come by again this week, as they host Tennessee and then travel to take on Oklahoma in the Big 12-SEC Challenge.

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.

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