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SEC Basketball Power Rankings: Top teams are clear, but who will break free from crowded 4-4 club?
By Adam Spencer
Published:
Eight games into the SEC season, there are a whopping 6 teams that sport 4-4 records in conference play. Those teams are Auburn, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Alabama, Arkansas and Florida.
That entire group has work to do, as none is a complete shoo-in for the NCAA Tournament. It’s probably safe to say that not all 6 will make the field of 68, though, so where they go from here is so important.
For now, though, here’s how the SEC rankings look this week:
1. Tennessee (20-1 overall, 8-0 SEC, Last week: 1)
The Vols keep doing what they do best — beating SEC foes. They’ve now won a school-record 16 consecutive games and don’t seem to be slowing down at all.
Jordan Bone has been incredible lately, scoring 19 points and dishing out 9 assists against South Carolina. He followed with 18 points and 10 assists against Texas A&M. He’s the key to the offense, and if he keeps playing this well, Admiral Schofield and Grant Williams will continue to dominate, too.
That’s a scary thought for Mizzou and Florida this week.
2. Kentucky (18-3, 7-1, Last week: 2)
It wasn’t pretty at Florida on Saturday, but the Wildcats managed to pull away late for a hard-fought victory. That followed an easy win over Vanderbilt earlier in the week.
PJ Washington is playing well, and he’s becoming the force in the paint coach John Calipari has wanted him to become. This play illustrates everything Washington is supposed to be when he’s at his best:
https://twitter.com/Scott_Charlton/status/1090433981345083393
The Wildcats have a pair of challenges this week, hosting South Carolina and traveling to Mississippi State. We’ll see if they can continue to stay one game behind Tennessee.
3. LSU (17-4, 7-1, Last week: 3)
LSU lost its first SEC game Saturday against Arkansas, but the Tigers once again battled back from a huge deficit to make things close in the final seconds. This team has been playing with fire for a while, so maybe this was the wake-up call they needed.
A road trip to Mississippi State and a home game against Auburn will prove once and for all if LSU remains at the top of these rankings or drifts back toward the middle of the pack.
4. South Carolina (11-10, 6-2, Last week: 4)
The Gamecocks are No. 4, but no one will confuse them for Tennessee or Kentucky. However, this team can absolutely beat everyone else on this list below them.
This week, they have games against Kentucky and Arkansas. If they finish this week with a 7-3 SEC record, they’ll still be one of the biggest surprises around the country.
5. Mississippi State (16-5, 4-4, Last week: 5)
It would have been nice to see the Bulldogs take advantage of some of their earlier SEC games, as this week will be brutal. Coming off a week with a loss at Alabama and a win at Ole Miss, the Bulldogs get a tough slate — at home vs. LSU and Kentucky.
They’ll need to win at least one to pad their tourney resume, and if they can win both (defending their home court in the process) it would be absolutely huge for Ben Howland’s team.
6. Auburn (15-6, 4-4, Last week: 8)
This was a nice bounce-back week for the Tigers, who really needed it in the worst way. This week will be telling for Bruce Pearl’s squad, though, as they host Florida and travel to LSU.
A win at LSU would be huge for Auburn’s NCAA resume, but they’ve struggled on the road in SEC play, going only 1-3 so far.
7. Arkansas (13-8, 4-4, Last week: 9)
The Razorbacks had a nice week, beating Georgia and LSU to bring their SEC record back to .500. Now, they have an interesting week to try to move back into the NCAA Tournament picture.
A home game against Vanderbilt should be a win, and then they’ll have to prove themselves at South Carolina in what could be a make-or-break game for them.
8. Ole Miss (14-7, 4-4, Last week: 6)
The Rebels’ woes continue, as they’ve now lost 4 consecutive games. This week saw them falter at Florida and at home against rival Mississippi State. Late-game defense is becoming a concern, and unless they get that figured out, the losing streak will continue.
The offense is still scoring plenty, but if the defense doesn’t improve, Ole Miss could find itself getting upset by Texas A&M and/or Georgia this week.
9. Alabama (13-8, 4-4, Last week: 7)
Alabama had a mixed week, beating Mississippi State at home before losing to rival Auburn on the road. Donta Hall continues to play well, though, and provided this insane highlight:
OH MY, DONTA HALL ? pic.twitter.com/MBNeoKi5lE
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) January 30, 2019
The Tide have gone 5-5 in their past 10 games, and they can’t afford to keep alternating wins and losses. Games against Georgia and Vanderbilt are must-wins this week for their March Madness hopes.
10. Florida (12-9, 4-4, Last week: 10)
The Gators had a golden opportunity Saturday afternoon to beat a ranked Kentucky squad. They led by 11 points with 14 minutes left but let the game get away. If they’re left on the outside looking in for this year’s NCAA Tournament, they can point to that loss as a big reason.
Earlier in the week, though, they picked up a strong home victory over Ole Miss, with KeVaughn Allen hitting this clutch 3 to force overtime:
KeVaughn Allen with the game on the line … CLUTCH ? pic.twitter.com/ZFaIvpxb1g
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) January 31, 2019
This week, the Gators travel to Auburn and Tennessee, so they’ll have a couple of great chances to pad their tourney resume. Neither game will be easy, however.
11. Mizzou (11-9, 2-6, Last week: 13)
Mizzou bounced back from a horrendous loss to LSU, beating a hapless Vanderbilt team at home. That came after a horrible loss at Auburn, but beating the Commodores proves the Tigers are just slightly better than the rest of the bad SEC teams.
A trip to Tennessee this week could get ugly, but a home game against Texas A&M looks winnable for Cuonzo Martin’s squad.
12. Georgia (10-11, 1-7, Last week: 11)
The Bulldogs showed some fight against South Carolina and Arkansas this week, but ultimately lost both. The Tom Crean era isn’t off to a great start, but it’s clear this roster has talent. Now, it’s just about getting the most out of these players on a consistent basis.
They should win a couple more SEC games, but they’ve lost their past 6.
13. Texas A&M (8-12, 1-7, Last week: 12)
The Aggies can’t be faulted too much, as they hosted ranked LSU and Tennessee. Still, it would have been nice to see them put up more of a fight, as they lost by a combined 32 points.
They gave Tennessee some problems, though, and that bodes well heading into games at Ole Miss and Mizzou this week.
14. Vanderbilt (9-12, 0-8, Last week: 14)
The Commodores should have had a chance to beat Mizzou on the road Saturday, but they didn’t get the job done. They lost 77-67, but the Tigers were in control the entire game, dominating in the post.
Mizzou outrebounded Vanderbilt 37-26, and 11 of the Tigers’ boards came on offense. Giving up second-chance points will kill teams more often than not, so coach Bryce Drew and his staff need to find some answers quickly if they want to win any SEC games this year.
Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 14 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.
