George Bagwell gives his SEC basketball power rankings heading into week 2 of the 2023 season.
Matchup of the week: Kentucky vs. Kansas
Sneaky good matchup of the week: Mississippi State vs. Washington State
Slight disclaimer, but all preseason lists/notions are thrown out once the first ball tips off. These rankings are based purely off of what’s transpired on the court between Nov. 6 and Nov. 12. Welcome back to SEC Power Rankings, it’s been a while.
All games listed are EST.
1) Tennessee Volunteers
Last week’s ranking: N/A
Record: 2-0
Last week: W vs. Tennessee Tech (80-42), W at Wisconsin (80-70)
Next week: vs. Wofford (Nov. 14 – 6:30 p.m.)
Quality wins: at Wisconsin
Bad losses: N/A
Tennessee has the most impressive win of the SEC slate so far, going into Madison with a not-fully-healthy Zakai Zeigler and showcasing an efficient, new-look offense that dropped 80 on the Badgers. New transfer Dalton Knecht (pronounced “connect”) may very well be the missing piece that the Vols’ offense needed, and USC-Upstate Jordan Gainey has provided a scoring spark off the bench as well. Santiago Vescovi has struggled (small sample size alert), but the rest of the offense seems to be clicking and Jonas Aidoo and the rest of the frontcourt have been fantastic on defense.
Tennessee will head to Maui after this upcoming week, but they’ve got a matchup with Wofford before that. The Terriers are coming off a thrilling victory over High Point, but there’s no reason to suggest the Vols shouldn’t come away with anything other than a comfortable win before they get to Hawaii.
2) Texas A&M Aggies
Last week’s ranking: N/A
Record: 2-0
Last week: W vs. Texas A&M-Commerce (78-46), W at Ohio State (73-66)
Next week: at SMU (Nov. 14 – 8 p.m), vs. Oral Roberts (Nov. 17 – 8 p.m.)
Quality wins: at Ohio State
Bad losses: N/A
No Julius Marble, no problem for the Aggies so far. Four Aggies scored in double-digits in the tune-up game against another Texas A&M before Texas A&M (Aggies variant) went to Columbus and defeated Ohio State in a gritty win. While the first matchup of the season offered little more than an opportunity to see how the roster gelled, the second game of the year was a real test.
The good news? The trio of Wade Taylor IV, Boots Radford, and Henry Coleman III showed out, combining for 62 points and 6 assists. The bad news? The rest of the roster combined for 11 points on 3-of-11 shooting from the field. For as good as the star trio (possibly quartet once (if?) Marble comes back) was, the rest of the team will need to step up consistently for the Aggies if they want to win the conference. But enough nitpicking, a Power 6 road win is a Power 6 road win, Andersson Garcia grabbed 13 rebounds, the team outrebounded the Buckeyes by a 45-35 margin, the Aggies only committed 6 turnovers, and Jimbo Fisher is no longer the Texas A&M football coach. Let the good vibes roll in College Station, but don’t forget to bring the A-game in a possible road trap against SMU this week.
3) Mississippi State Bulldogs
Last week’s ranking: N/A
Record: 2-0
Last week: W vs. Arizona State (71-56), W vs. UT-Martin (87-63)
Next week: vs. North Alabama (Nov. 14 – 7:30 p.m.), vs. Washington State (Nov. 18 – Noon)
Quality wins: Arizona State
Bad losses: N/A
Is it time to buy Mississippi State stock, even without Tolu Smith and KeShawn Murphy? The offense actually looked good against Arizona State, and the Bulldog defense looked elite, per usual. Against the Sun Devils, Mississippi State shot 38.5% from deep, something they only accomplished 4 times all of last year. JUCO transfer Trey Fort and freshman Josh Hubbard combined for 27 points on 7-for-14 shooting from behind the arc, and Jimmy Bell looked like a new player compared to last year in Morgantown as the Bulldogs cruised to a 71-56 win.
In their next game against UT-Martin, it was Hubbard’s time to show out, scoring 22 points off the bench. The team shot 33.3% from deep on 39 attempts. Even against a low-major opponent, it was refreshing to see the Bulldogs not struggle on offense. They’ve got another tune-up against North Alabama this week before facing off against Washington State in what could be a sneakily good matchup. The game against the Cougars will be telling in terms of figuring out if this new Bulldog offense is an oasis or a mirage.
4) South Carolina Gamecocks
Last week’s ranking: N/A
Record: 2-0
Last week: W vs. USC-Upstate (82-53), W vs. Virginia Tech (79-77)
Next week: vs. VMI (Nov. 13 – 7 p.m.), vs. DePaul (Nov. 17 – 11:30 p.m.)
Best wins: Virginia Tech
Worst losses: N/A
Who saw this coming? By this, I mean the Gamecocks leading the SEC in 3P% with a 52.5 3P% through two games and a neutral-site win over an ACC opponent (Virginia Tech). The transfer class looks to be an absolute gem, (B.J. Mack, Myles Stute, and Ta’Lon Cooper lead the Gamecocks in scoring through 2 games) and the defense looked much improved for the first three halves of the season (they did give up 46 points in the second half against VT). Only four SEC teams have Power 6 victories, and the Gamecocks are one of them.
The revolution from deep is being led by Myles Stute, who is a blistering 7-of-9 from deep so far. I know, I know, small sample size, but four Gamecocks in total are all shooting 50% or better from the perimeter. This is an elite shooting team, as weird as that sounds to ascribe to the Gamecocks. They’ve got depth, and with a relatively weak non-conference schedule, they could enter SEC games with an impressive record. This week, they’ll face off against VMI before taking on a struggling DePaul squad in Arizona, before (likely) playing the winner of San Francisco and Grand Canyon, both of which would be a tougher test than DePaul.
5) Arkansas Razorbacks
Last week’s ranking: N/A
Record: 2-0
Last week: W vs. Alcorn State (93-59), W vs. Gardner-Webb (86-68)
Next week: vs. Old Dominion (Nov. 13 – 8 p.m.), vs. UNCG (Nov. 17 – 8 p.m.)
Quality wins: N/A
Bad losses: N/A
Arkansas has been mostly as-advertised so far, beating two low-major opponents without exerting too much effort and leading the conference in blocks. Temple transfer Khalif Battle has played particularly well off the bench, averaging 21.0 PPG in two games and maybe forcing Eric Musselman’s hand into the starting lineup. Trevon Brazile looks like his old self, and Tramon Mark might be a perfect fit in this Razorback roster.
However, we really need to bring out the Morton and take a few grains of salt, as Arkansas’s schedule strength so far is 260th nationally and 10th in the conference, per KenPom. The Razorbacks will likely bring that number up slightly this week after facing off against Old Dominion and UNCG, (look out for the Spartans) but it might be until the Battle 4 Atlantis that we really see what this Arkansas team is all about.
6) Alabama Crimson Tide
Last week’s ranking: N/A
Record: 2-0
Last week: W vs. Morehead State (105-73), W vs. Indiana State (102-80)
Next week: vs. South Alabama (Nov. 14 – 8 p.m), vs. Mercer (Nov. 17 – 8 p.m)
Quality wins: N/A
Bad losses: N/A
Alabama has looked elite on offense, even with the losses of Brandon Miller and Noah Clowney to the NBA. Hofstra transfer Aaron Estrada has looked fantastic so far, and the backcourt duo of him and Mark Sears could be top-2 in the conference. Transfer Grant Nelson has looked impressive, as does freshman Jarin Stevenson. It’s important to remember, however, that Alabama has eaten two Publix bakery cupcakes so far. The delicious baked goods won’t end this week either, as, somehow, the Tide face the only two D-1 schools to have lost to a non-DI school this year, South Alabama and Mercer.
The defense has been concerning as well, which was assumed to start the year. Scoring 100+ points is great, make no mistake, but letting up an average of 76.5 PPG to the States of Morehead and Indiana isn’t exactly a glowing review of a Power 6 team’s ability to play defense. The first real test of the year for the Tide will likely come in the Emerald Coast Classic when they face off against Ohio State.
7) Kentucky Wildcats
Last week’s ranking: N/A
Record: 2-0
Last week: W vs. New Mexico St. (86-46), W vs. Texas A&M-Commerce (81-61)
Next week: vs. Kansas (Nov. 14 – 9:30 p.m), vs. Stonehill (Nov. 17 – 7 p.m)
Quality wins: N/A
Bad losses: N/A
With all due respect to the Wildcats, there’s only so much one can find out about a team after a two-game stretch against New Mexico State, who played their first game since the awful, controversy-ridden, indefinitely-postponed tenure of Greg Heiar, and Texas A&M-Commerce, a program that was D-2 until last year. That being said, they did win and avoid landmines with margins of 20+ each game. Antonio Reeves looks improved compared to last year, and freshmen Reed Sheppard, Rob Dillingham, and Justin Edwards have all looked particularly impressive, albeit against the two aforementioned lower-level schools.
But the road gets difficult this week, at least for the first portion of the week. The Wildcats take on Kansas, the preseason #1 team in the nation. How will Kentucky’s freshmen and lack of frontcourt depth fare against Hunter Dickinson and Parker Braun? A loss (unless in blowout fashion) wouldn’t be world-ending for Kentucky, but they have a chance to make a statement with a neutral-site victory over a very good team. After the Kansas matchup, the Wildcats return home to take on Stonehill, so even if they don’t beat Kansas, Kentucky surely has at least 1 victory this week, right?
8) Ole Miss Rebels
Last week’s ranking: N/A
Record: 2-0
Last week: W vs. Alabama State (69-59), W vs. Eastern Washington (75-64)
Next week: vs. Detroit Mercy (Nov. 14 – 8 p.m.), vs. Sam Houston State (Nov. 17 – 9 p.m)
Quality wins: N/A
Bad losses: N/A
Last in the tier of the unbeatens is Ole Miss. They’re 2-0, but with the 3rd-easiest schedule so far in the conference and a bottom 50 rank in strength of schedule nationally. In those two wins, additionally, they’ve looked unimpressive, save for Allen Flanigan. He’s averaging 22.0 PPG, 8.5 RPG, and 3.0 SPG over the Rebels’ two victories, including a 29-point, 5-rebound performance against EWU. It’s worth wondering what the Rebs’ record would be without him? Would 0-2 be realistic? But Jaylen Murray has looked serviceable at point, and both Matthew Murrell and TJ Caldwell are averaging double-figures from the backcourt, so maybe this team just needs a week or two more to gel and find their respective niches.
It’s definitely worth keeping an eye on, though, as Jaemyn Brakefield is shooting 3-16 from the field through two games, and this questionable offense plays one of the better mid-major defenses this week when Sam Houston State comes to town on Friday. If the Rebels don’t bring their A-game, they might not be 8th come next week.
9) Auburn Tigers
Last week’s ranking: N/A
Record: 1-1
Last week: L vs. Baylor (88-82), W vs. SE Louisiana (86-71)
Next week: vs. Notre Dame (Nov. 16 – 9 p.m)
Quality wins: N/A
Bad losses: N/A
Don’t look now, but Auburn’s backcourt might have solved their shooting efficiency woes. I say don’t look now because it’s been two games, and they shot better against Baylor than they did against Southeast Louisiana, but it’s a very promising start. The Tigers are currently 4th in the SEC in 3P%, while enduring the hardest schedule in the conference so far. (107th in SOS nationally, per KenPom.) Their loss to Baylor was a valiant one, as the Tigers led for much of the game, including by 5 points with less than 4 minutes to go. They couldn’t close it out, however, which is why they’re in the bottom half of the standings below the unbeatens. I might have to add as well that this defense does not have the prowess as the last few Tiger defenses have had. That’s all I’m going to say regarding that.
Freshman guard Aden Holloway looks the part, as does Denver Jones, and even K.D. Johnson and Johni Broome made some clutch threes last week. Johnson was especially important in the victory over SE Louisiana, providing a spark off the bench. This week, Auburn takes on Notre Dame, a team that just lost to (a pretty good) Western Carolina, in a neutral site game where the Tigers should be heavily favored. The schedule doesn’t get as difficult as Baylor again until December, so the Tigers have time to regroup and improve in the meantime, as long as they avoid stepping on landmines in between.
10) Georgia Bulldogs
Last week’s ranking: N/A
Record: 2-1
Last week: L vs. Oregon (82-71), W vs. Wake Forest (80-77), W vs. NC Central (61-51)
Next week: vs. Miami-Fla (Nov. 17 – 3:30 p.m)
Quality wins: Wake Forest
Bad losses: N/A
Georgia is the only SEC team to have three games under their belt so far, and it’s been a bit of a mixed bag. They were the first SEC team to play, losing to what seemed to be a very good Oregon team that the Bulldogs just didn’t have answers for on the defensive end or the glass. The Ducks somehow ended up with 63 rebounds as a team, with 21 coming from an injured N’Faly Dante. The Bulldogs will have to find a consistent rebounding strategy as the season moves onwards. The next game, against another Power 6 opponent in Wake Forest, actually did look pretty good. The Bulldogs won a close one at home, partially due to Noah Thomasson’s 21-point outing. Against NC Central, however, the Bulldogs struggled, even though they did end up winning by double digits. The team shot just 35.8% from the field and lost the rebounding battle, but a win is of course a win.
Freshman Silas Demary Jr. and senior Jabri Abdur-Rahim have looked the part so far, and are proving to be pivotal members of this Bulldog backcourt. Demary Jr. has shown a very high basketball IQ for a freshman. This week, the ‘Dawgs take on Miami in The Bahamas in what will be another tough matchup for Georgia. (Kudos to Mike White for scheduling this type of non-con schedule though.) A loss wouldn’t hurt, but a win could be huge.
11) Florida Gators
Last week’s ranking: N/A
Record: 1-1
Last week: W vs. Loyola (MD) (93-73), L vs. Virginia (73-70)
Next week: vs. Florida A&M (Nov. 14 – 7 p.m), vs. Florida State (Nov. 17 – 7 p.m)
Quality wins: N/A
Bad losses: N/A
Florida could’ve been 8-9 spots higher on this list had they defeated Virginia. But, they didn’t, and thus, they fell. The destructive power of a first-week loss to a team in the SEC Power Rankings is unimaginable. They did win earlier against Loyola (non-Sister Jean-variant) by 20, and Riley Kugel led all scorers with 23 in that contest, but these Gators had Virginia in a very tight matchup for most of the game. The turnovers just killed the Gators, as they committed 16 to Virginia’s 6. 15 of those 16 turnovers came from the starting 5, and they’ll need to regroup quickly. Luckily, Zyon Pullin, the UC-Riverside transfer, is back this week from his suspension. Expect the Gators to improve in that aspect once he returns.
This week, the Gators take on Florida A&M before a matchup with their rival Florida State. That one could go either way, and it’ll likely influence where these Gators end up in these Power Rankings next week. Silver linings, it looks like Micah Handlogten belongs as a starter in the SEC, as long as he keeps his fouls down.
12) Missouri Tigers
Last week’s ranking: N/A
Record: 1-1
Last week: W vs. Arkansas Pine-Bluff (101-79), L vs. Memphis (70-55)
Next week: vs. SIUE (Nov. 13 – 8 p.m), at Minnesota (Nov. 16 – 9 p.m), vs. Jackson State (Nov. 19 – 6 p.m.)
Quality wins: N/A
Bad losses: N/A
Missouri looked good for 3/4ths of the past week, putting up 101 on UAPB, but that last half in a home loss to Memphis was so difficult to watch. I should know, as I watched all 20 minutes for a reason I have yet to figure out. After leading 33-26 at half, the Tigers (Missouri variant) couldn’t put the ball in the basket over the last 20 minutes as the Tigers (Memphis variant) outscored Missouri 44-22 in their own stadium in the second half. Most of the team didn’t play well, save for a couple outliers, and the offense just looked a bit lost. The team also lost the rebounding battle pretty heavily, 47-33.
This week, though, the Tigers have three pretty good (insert the Larry David GIF) opportunities for wins, as they take on low-major SIUE, Big Ten doormat Minnesota, and maybe the class of the SWAC but still low-major Jackson State. A busy week is ahead, and a 3-0 record over 6 days could help build some confidence in Columbia. As far as silver linings go, Sean East II is averaging 17.5 PPG, leading the team in points in both games played so far. Good job, Sean.
13) LSU Tigers
Last week’s ranking: N/A
Record: 1-1
Last week: W vs. Mississippi Valley State (106-60), L vs. Nicholls State (68-66)
Next week: vs. Dayton (Nov. 16 – 4 p.m)
Quality wins: N/A
Bad losses: Nicholls State
LSU had a Jekyll and Hyde week to open the season. Such is the duality of Tigers. After cruising to a win over MVSU, the Bayou Bengals had the 2nd-worst half of any SEC team last week (looking at Vanderbilt as I type) against Nicholls at home. The Colonels, under first-year coach Tevon Saddler, raced out to a 44-20 lead late in the first half as the Tigers had no answer for their in-state foe. When all hope seemed lost, LSU climbed their way back, taking the lead, just to relinquish it on a last-second three pointer while down just 1 point. It was a really tough loss for the Tigers in Matt McMahon’s second year, who are clearly impacted by not having guard transfer Jalen Cook eligible. Freshman Mike Williams II hasn’t looked bad in his place, but there’s a visible learning curve, as there is with almost all freshmen.
This week, the Tigers will be competing in the Charleston Classic, where they’ll face Dayton and one of either North Texas or St. John’s. All four teams are slotted between 60-87th in the latest KenPom rankings, so there will be multiple opportunities for wins against similar-rated opponents for the Tigers this week, or, on the other side of the coin, opportunities for multiple losses to similar teams for the Tigers. The choice is theirs.
14) Vanderbilt Commodores
Last week’s ranking: N/A
Record: 1-1
Last week: L vs. Presbyterian (68-62), W vs. USC-Upstate (74-67)
Next week: vs. UNCG (Nov. 14 – 8 p.m), vs. Central Arkansas (Nov. 17 – 7 p.m.)
Quality wins: N/A
Bad losses: Presbyterian
I really hope that these past two results are purely a result of the ‘Dores dealing with injuries to Tyrin Lawrence, Ven-Allen Lubin, and Lee Dort, but last week was one of the worst weeks in Nashville since Morgan Wallen burst onto the country music scene. Jerry Stackhouse’s group, after losing several players to the portal in the offseason, lost to Presbyterian, a team who had lost 18 games in a row entering the night, and scraped by USC-Upstate, who had just been beaten by 29 against South Carolina. Either this team needs to just stop scheduling Palmetto State low-majors or they’re actually in for a very long season. It could be both. (It’s typically both.)
Finding silver linings isn’t always easy, but there is still Ezra Manjon at point, who’s leading the ‘Dores in points, assists, and steals through two games. Freshman Carter Lang tallied 11 rebounds in his college debut, sophomore Paul Lewis looks like he could fill some of the Lawrence void while the all-SEC guard recovers from an injury, and South Dakota transfer Tasos Kamateros is responsible for the Commodores not sitting at 0-2 right now. The forward went 4-5 from deep and scored 21 points off the bench in the win over USC-Upstate. This week, the schedule gets a bit tougher before going back into cupcakes, though it appears Vanderbilt has trouble eating cupcakes anyway. (I want to assert that I mean no disrespect towards my lovely mid-majors and low-majors with the cupcake terminology, it’s just that Vanderbilt should be able to win against any Big South opponent.) The ‘Dores face UNCG, who’s only 6 spots behind Vanderbilt in the latest KenPom rankings, on Tuesday before playing Central Arkansas on Friday.