SEC Basketball Power Rankings

Current SEC Standings

1. Tennessee  3-0
2. Ole Miss  3-0
3. South Carolina  3-0
4. LSU  2-0
5. Kentucky  2-1
6. Auburn  1-1
7. Arkansas  1-2
8. Alabama  1-2
9. Florida  1-2
10. Georgia  1-2
11. Texas A&M  1-2
12. Mississippi State  0-2
13. Missouri  0-2
14. Vanderbilt  0-3

Power Rankings

1. Tennessee  14-1 (3-0)
   • Even facing one of it’s toughest battles of the year couldn’t keep the Vols from beating the Florida Gators by double digits and gator-chompin’ their way out of Gainesville. The #3 team in the nation remains undefeated in SEC play and has extended their win streak to 10.  Not to mention this team has the two leading scorers in the SEC, Grant Williams and Admiral Schofield. The pair is also complimented by Jordan Bowden, who will likely be a candidate for 6th Man of the Year. Tennessee has yet to win an SEC game by less than double digits, and despite a battle for most of the Florida game, they are still the team to beat in the SEC.
     • Notable Results 
       • 11 point win against Louisville
       • 6 point loss to #7 Kansas in OT
       • 3 point win against #5 Gonzaga
       • 10 point win at Memphis
       • 46 point win at home against Georgia
       • 24 point win at Missouri
       • 11 point win at Florida
2. Auburn  12-3 (1-1)
   • After splitting a regular season SEC Title with Tennessee last season, the Tigers got Austin Wiley and Danjel Purifoy back from suspension, in addition to transfers Mustapha Heron and Desean Murray. Many times so far this season the Tigers have looked like a team that can win the SEC, and their worse loss came at Ole Miss, who deserves to be ranked in the AP Top 25 this next week. They average 84.5 PPG, trailing only Tennessee in the SEC, and can be deadly from behind the arc, leading the SEC in 3 points made. The only question the Tigers have going forward is if they can they start beating good competition away from home; all three of their losses are at neutral and away courts.
     • Notable Results 
       • 22 point win at home against Washington
       • 9 point OT win against Xavier
       • 6 point loss against #1 Duke
       • 16 point win against Arizona
       • 4 point OT win against UAB
       • 7 point loss at #17 NC State
       • 15 point loss at #18 Ole Miss
       • 15 point win at home against Georgia
3. Kentucky  12-3 (2-1)
   • A Number 2 2018 recruiting class featuring Keldon Johnson had many people thinking about the depth of the 38-0 squad from 2014-15. Unfortunately for the Wildcats, it hasn’t been quite as impressive. Much like the blowout that they faced at the hands of Duke in the opening game of the season, Kentucky had a disappointing loss at Alabama to start SEC play. A loss to Seton Hall and being held to 56 points by Vanderbilt doesn’t look too great for the talented Wildcats either. But even despite currently having only one scorer in the SEC top 10, this team is far too talented and well coached to count out. They still need to be wary however, as the SEC is as talented as ever.
     • Notable Results 
       • 34 point loss to #1 Duke
       • 13 point win at home against Winthrop
       • 15 point win against Tennessee St at home
       • 1 point loss in OT to Seton Hall
       • 8 point win against #13 North Carolina
       • 13 point win at Louisville
       • 2 point loss at Alabama
       • 11 point win at home against Texas A&M
       • 9 point win at home against Vanderbilt
4. Ole Miss  13-2 (3-0)
   • The only reason Ole Miss hasn’t cracked the top three in the power rankings is because of how far they have already jumped to get here and how talented the rosters above them are. This is a team that was picked to finish dead last in the SEC, but has found itself 13-2 after three games of SEC play, two of those being wins against AP Top 25 Auburn and Mississippi State. The Rebels have two of the top 10 scorers in the SEC in Breein Tyree and Terence Davis, but even with them and a hot start to the season, they have more to prove to be able to jump the talented Wildcats and Tigers. They are definitely a team to watch going forward. Kermit Davis should definitely be a strong candidate for Coach of the Year after his first season in Oxford.
     • Notable Results 
       • 7 point loss at Butler
       • 8 point win against Baylor
       • 4 point loss against Cincinnati
       • 18 point win against MTSU
       • 10 point win at Vanderbilt
       • 15 point win at home against #14 Auburn
       • 4 point win at #24 Miss St
5. LSU  12-3 (2-0)
   • Will Wade’s second season as the Tigers’ head coach has so far seen a slight one-game improvement since last year. With an overtime win in Little Rock, LSU moves to 2-0 in SEC play and are just half a game behind the leaders. The Tigers are 3rd in the conference in terms of PPG, but they are allowing nearly 72 PPG on the year and 83.5 in SEC play. It’s early still, but LSU will need to find some ways to improve their defense once they take on the higher scoring offenses such as Tennessee, Auburn, and Kentucky.
     • Notable Results 
       • 9 point win against Memphis
       • 3 point OT loss against #11 Florida State
       • 13 point loss against Oklahoma St
       • 6 point loss at #21 Houston
       • 4 point win against St. Mary’s
       • 18 point win at home against Furman
       • 9 point win at home against Alabama
       • 6 point OT win at Arkansas
6. Miss St  12-3 (0-2)
   • After a close loss to Arizona State early in the season, the Bulldogs found themselves on a 9 game winning streak and 12-1 record entering SEC play. Then they traveled to Columbia and hosted rival Ole Miss and found themselves in a troublesome 0-2 hole. While definitely a sour start, Mississippi State still has a chance to right the ship, especially with such an experienced roster. They returned Nick Weatherspoon, Quinndary Weatherspoon, Lamar Peters and Aric Holman, all key players from last years’ squad. They are also shooting 80 PPG, 5th best in the league. While down 2.5 games early, the Bulldogs still have the time and skill to be able to get back in the driver seat for the SEC title.
     • Notable Results 
       • 5 point loss against Arizona St
       • 4 point win against St. Mary’s
       • 7 point win at Dayton
       • 11 point win against Clemson
       • 4 point win against Wright St
       • 22 point win at home against BYU
       • 5 point loss in OT at South Carolina
       • 4 point loss at home against #18 Ole Miss
7. Alabama  10-5 (1-2)
   • The Crimson Tide sit right where they were picked in the by the media before the season. After notching a huge win against #18 Kentucky on their own court, Alabama looked like a strong contender to compete in a big way for the SEC crown. But after two straight losses to other SEC competition, they find themselves slipping down the rankings. Now they haven’t lost badly at all – LSU shot 66% from behind the arc and Texas A&M drained a 3 point buzzer beater to claim the lead and game. A&M did only shoot 15% from 3pt land, but that last shot counted the most, and their perimeter defense looks like it will probably be a major talking point for coach Avery Johnson before they face Tennessee and Ole Miss over the next week.
     • Notable Results 
     • • 16 point loss against Northeastern
       • 6 point win against Murray St
       • 6 point loss to UCF
       • 3 point loss at home to Georgia State
       • 3 point win at home against Arizona
       • 9 point win at home against Penn St
       • 2 point win at home against #12 Kentucky
       • 9 point loss at LSU
       • 1 point loss at home against Texas A&M
8. Arkansas  10-5 (1-2)
   • This is an Arkansas team that not only has proven the preseason rankings wrong, but also seem like they can be better than their record lets on. No loss this season has come by more than 6 points, and two of their losses have come in overtime. They have plenty of offensive weapons too, with Daniel Gafford averaging 17.5 PPG, and Mason Jones and Isaiah Joe averaging 14.8 and 14.1 respectively. They may be too far behind and lacking enough depth to truly compete for a conference title, but this can be a team that can give any squad fits and even cause some trouble in March.
     • Notable Results 
     • • 2 point OT loss at home against Texas
       • 1 point win at home against #25 Indiana
       • 1 point loss at home against WKU
       • 4 point loss at home against GT
       • 3 point win at home against Texas St
       • 3 point win at Texas A&M
       • 6 point loss at home against Florida
       • 6 point OT loss at home against LSU
9. Florida  9-6 (1-2)
   • The return of Jalen Hudson and KeVaughn Allen had many expecting a very limited drop off for the Gators this season. But Allen’s production has regressed and Hudson has struggled to get to double digits in points in most games. It leaves Florida’s offense without any experienced or consistent offensive weapons, and while the defense has proven to be one the of the best in the nation (61.2 PPG), they desperately need to find someone to step up on the offensive side. We could see Allen’s production go back up, or even Freshman guard Noah Locke, but they need to find an answer soon. Their defense has carried them close in many games, but without a true star on the offense, they may not be able to finish enough to keep up with many other teams in the conference.
     • Notable Results 
       • 21 point loss at #11 FSU
       • 5 point loss against Oklahoma
       • 23 point win against Stanford
       • 7 point loss against Butler
       • 10 point win against West Virginia
       • 4 point loss against #6 Michigan State
       • 34 point win at home against Butler
       • 2 point loss at home against South Carolina
       • 6 point win at Arkansas
       • 11 point loss at home against #3 Tennessee
10. South Carolina  8-7 (3-0)
    • Yes I know this is a team that is still undefeated in conference play and tied for first place. That’s also why I’m including overall records and “notable results”. The Gamecocks entered conference play with a 5-7 record, the lowest in the SEC. Despite that, they have put together a spotless opening to league play, downing Florida and #14 Mississippi State on the road and notching a double digit win against Missouri. Do I believe they can keep it up? Eh, not quite. They still have one of the lower scoring offenses in the conference, and are giving up nearly as many points as they are scoring. Chris Silva’s production has dropped as well, and they have no no big threats to put up a lot of points and create a real worry with opposing defenses. Can they cause some chaos down the line? Probably. Can they keep this up and challenge the likes of Tennessee, Auburn, and Kentucky? We’ll see.
      • Notable Results 
      • • 9 point loss to Providence
        • 20 point loss to Wofford at home
        • 6 point win at home against Coastal Carolina
        • 9 point loss at Wyoming
        • 11 point loss at #2 Michigan
        • 16 point loss at home against #4 Virginia
        • 10 point loss at home against Clemson
        • 2 point win at Florida
        • 5 point win at home in OT against #24 Miss St
        • 10 point win at home against Missouri
11. Missouri  9-5 (0-2)
    • Losing Michael Porter Jr. to the draft and Jontay Porter to an ACL injury was devastating for the Tigers’ offense. At times they can cover up that loss, but a combination of foul trouble and a lack of real consistency on the offense has really hurt them so far in the season. They have the 57th best defense in the nation, and they are much like Florida in the sense that they need more scorers, but they still rank dead last in the SEC in terms of PPG. This is a team that while they probably won’t be able ti really fix this problem this season, they will win some games they shouldn’t, especially with Cuonzo Martin at the helm.
      • Notable Results
        • 17 point loss at Iowa St
        • 3 point win at home against Kennesaw St
        • 6 point win at home against Oregon St
        • 15 point loss against Kansas St
        • 2 point loss at home against Temple
        • 2 point win at home in OT against UCF
        • 15 point win at home against Xavier
        • 16 point win against Illinois
        • 24 point loss at home against #3 Tennessee
        • 10 point loss at South Carolina
12. Vanderbilt  9-6 (0-3)
    • With the addition of two 5-star recruits such as Darius Garland and Simi Shittu, many believed this would be a squad that could greatly improve from last year and challenge the middle of the pack in the SEC. Three games into conference play, and the ‘Dores sit at 0-3. Before SEC play began, I would have told you that it was their defense that could use more improvement than the defense. As we enter conference play however, that seems to now have taken a complete 180º. Before January, Vanderbilt was averaging about 83 PPG and allowing 70 PPG. Since then, they have scored 60 PPG and given up 73 PPG. Now, not a huge difference on the defensive side, and it’s always impressive to hold Kentucky to a measly 56 points, even during a loss. But they did also give up 80 points to Ole Miss and Georgia. But even more worrisome for the Commodores, their point total has decreased by around 12 points a game since the beginning of January. Whatever is going on with the offense needs to fixed in a hurry.
      • Notable Results 
      • • 4 point win at USC
        • 2 point loss against Kent at home
        • 15 point loss to #17 NC State
        • 16 point win at home against Arizona St
        • 11 point loss at Kansas St
        • 19 point win against Tennessee St
        • 10 point loss at home against #18 Ole Miss
        • 19 point loss at Georgia
        • 9 point loss at #12 Kentucky
13. Georgia  9-6 (1-2)
    • Georgia finds themselves second to last in these power rankings, which is right where the media projected them to finish the season. We still have a long way to go, but the reason the Bulldogs were picked so low was because of the amount of rebuilding Tom Crean will have to go through. Georgia hasn’t reached the NCAA tournament since 2015, and Mark Fox did not leave that talented of a roster behind. Rayshaun Hammonds and Nicolas Claxton have had impressive Sophomore seasons so far, both averaging over 10 points per game. Crean can turn these forwards into some really solid performers for the Bulldogs down the road, but he still needs to bring in some more talent to catch up with the rest of the competition. It will more than likely be another year or two before the Bulldogs make the tournament.
      • Notable Results
      • • 4 point loss at Temple
        • 15 point loss vs Clemson
        • 24 point loss against Georgia St
        • 2 point loss at home against Arizona St
        • 11 point win at GT
        • 46 point loss at #3 Tennessee
        • 19 point win at home against Vanderbilt
        • 15 point loss at #14 Auburn
14. Texas A&M  7-7 (1-2)
    • If you didn’t know, Texas A&M was able to make it to the Sweet Sixteen in last year’s NCAA Tournament under the leadership of first-rounder Robert Williams. Unfortunately, the Aggies lost him and several other key players on that roster, leading many to wonder if they could reload for this season. TJ Starks and Savion Flagg have proven to be effective shooters, and they are one of the better rebounding teams in the conference. Despite this however they are still giving up almost 73 points per game, 79 in SEC play. They’ll need to find ways to play more consistently in SEC play, and guard better on the defensive side.
      • Notable Results
        • 1 point loss at home against UC Irvine
        • 23 point loss at #5 Gonzaga
        • 5 point loss at home against Minnesota
        • 4 point loss against Washington
        • 3 point win against Oregon St
        • 15 point loss at home against Texas Southern
        • 3 point loss at home against Arkansas
        • 11 point loss at #12 Kentucky
        • 1 point win at Alabama