George Bagwell gives his SEC basketball power rankings heading into week 13 of the 2023 season.
Matchup of the week: Kentucky vs. Tennessee (Feb. 3 – 8:30 p.m.)
Sneaky good matchup of the week: Vanderbilt vs. Missouri (Feb. 3 – 3:30 p.m.)
All games listed are EST.
I think there’s something really beautiful about this region that I write about, in a poetic way. For those that don’t know, I’ve recently started writing the Big Ten Power Rankings, but the SEC Basketball Power Rankings will always be my home. (I’ve never ventured into Big Ten territory before.) I’ve never even lived anywhere else before. All I’ve ever known is the South, and I think it’s made me take some things for granted. All my teas have always been sweet. All my winters have been (mostly) warm, and my interstates have been bumpy. Maybe that’s just South Carolina, but it’s true.
It’s a good metaphor, too, at least in my mind. I haven’t met anyone who hasn’t hit a pothole on their respective interstate. Sometimes we’re flying by on a really nice stretch of road and a pothole jumps up out of nowhere. Those are the worst type of potholes. But we all have them. Sometimes we have to go through a construction zone, and we all hate that. But after that construction gets done, those potholes, at least in that specific stretch of interstate, are going to be paved over, and we’ll all be made better by that.
We all have to go through traffic on our interstates, sometimes at a snail’s pace. But that’s just a reminder that we’re all in this together. You can’t have a one-man traffic jam, at least in my experience. And if you do, hell, there’s nothing but an open road ahead. Sometimes, we have people in the passenger seat and in the back when we’re driving on the interstate, but a lot of the time, we don’t. Funnily enough, that seems to be when all the potholes resurface. We’d all love to hit a pothole at 70 mph and be able to share a nervous laugh with the people in the car, but often the best-case scenario is just having to look in the rearview mirror and be glad you’re still on the interstate. That’s not a luxury that everyone gets.
Sometimes I’m driving on a smooth stretch, and I see a roadside cross. I’ve seen a few on my interstate. I don’t understand why, but I do. Like, I obviously understand why they’re there, I just don’t understand why they have to be there. Because there’s one specific one, one whose job (literally and metaphorically) was to try and stop there from being so many crosses on the interstate. And I want him to be aware, whether he knows it or not, that he’s still doing such a good job of that.
And I want all of the SEC Basketball Power Rankings family to be proud of where they are on the interstate. Feel free to take a look back, side-to-side, or forward. From Alachua to EBR Parish, Columbia (x2), Knoxville to Starkville, Athens to the plains and down to Saban country, close to the outskirts of La Grange and all the way to central Kentucky, to the Ozarks and Oxford, and, finally, to Nashville, to all the weekly readers of the SEC Power Rankings, a reminder that no matter how bumpy the road’s been, no matter how deep the potholes or how numerous the crosses, we’ve not once missed our destination. And y’all, that’s worth a celebration. Cook some crawdads, okra, gator, brisket, barbeque, pork chops, catfish, venison, étouféé, birria, cornbread, boiled peanuts, or anything else besides clam chowder or a Chicago dog. I don’t care who you are or where you are, if you’re reading this, you’ve earned it. And I think that’s beautiful.
Across the Southeast this week, we’ve had momentum swings at the top, a few teams stuck in the glue at the bottom, and, per usual, chaos in the middle. It’s impossible to properly chart, so just begrudgingly accept each team’s location as fact and remember that it took hours to sort these teams. (It took me four minutes while I was watching The Shawshank Redemption and listening to Rick James.) And a gem for all the Twitter (if you’re not following the author’s Twitter, do so) followers out there: Lincoln Ball.
A low-major transfer via Greeley, Colorado, may be the new SEC player of the year frontrunner, the Tide is as high as ever, (a full moon, maybe?) the one SEC team from Texas somehow can’t shoot while the about-to-be-second SEC team from Texas had a (horns) down last few days, two winless teams are a fateful Wednesday away from the most consequential SEC game of the past several years, the haters have been quarter-zipped, one team from Alabama that starts with an “A” is suddenly not having fun, the Hogs put together the best first-half performance in the state of Arkansas since Jason Bateman in Season 2 of Ozark, Lexington message board posters are warming up their fingers, Mike White took a respectable silver against Golden, the state of Mississippi is calling for more cowbell, and the Bayou was inches away from arguably the best ending to an SEC game, ever. All in a week, y’all. That’s elite. (Oh, and by the way, this week’s song was “Life is a Highway”, Rascal Flatts version.) SEC Basketball Power Rankings, volume 2, episode 13.
1) Tennessee Volunteers
Last week’s ranking: 2 (+1)
Record: 15-4 (5-1)
Last week: W at Vanderbilt (75-62)
Next week: vs. South Carolina (Jan. 30 – 6:30 p.m.), at #10 Kentucky (Feb. 3 – 8:30 p.m.)
Quality wins: at Wisconsin, Illinois, Alabama, Ole Miss, at Georgia, NC State
Bad losses: N/A
Welcome back to the top, Knoxville! The Vols may have trailed at half to their in-state rivals, but do not fret, because the pieces all eventually Knechted. Big shoutout to Mr. Dalton, who, with 32 against Vandy, is now averaging 28.0 PPG in conference games. Tennessee is 5-1 in those contests, and the NoCo transfer is a huge reason why. It wasn’t all just him, though, as much as we at SEC Basketball Power Ranking Headquarters love his game. Zeigler, Vescovi, and Gainey all had double-figures against the ‘Dores, and Tennessee had just 10 fouls to 14 assists.
I think that this team is far and away the most complete team in the conference. I could go further and say that it’s not even debatable, at least right now. The Vols haven’t yet had that “big break” under Rick Barnes. They’ve had elite teams, absolutely. Grant Williams, Jordan Bone, Jordan Springer, Admiral Schofield, John Fulkerson, Kennedy Chandler, Yves Pons, and more. He’s brought Dawgs to Knoxville, and this year, with a healthy Zakai Zeigler, the offense is clicking at a level arguably not seen in the Barnes era. The defense has always been elite, but we could be talking about Dalton Knecht as the next Kemba Walker or Shabazz Napier etching his name into March history forever. (I’m daydreaming about early 2010s UConn basketball as I write.) Bookmark this. Save it. This very much might happen.
Not going to lie here. This next week will be trying. It will be tough. It starts with a home game against a surging South Carolina squad and ends with a road game at Rupp. I’m going to assume they beat South Carolina. I do think South Carolina deserves to be ranked, but it’s hard to beat this Vols team in Knoxville. Closer than many think it will be, however. In Rupp, though, ooh this will be fun. It might be the best SEC game of the year this season. Coach Cal will bring his best. Rick Barnes will bring his best. The winner might end up at the No. 1 spot in these rankings next week. We’ll see what happens. I’m so excited.
2) Alabama Crimson Tide
Last week’s ranking: 4 (+2)
Record: 14-6 (6-1)
Last week: W vs. #8 Auburn (79-75), W vs. LSU (109-88)
Next week: at Georgia (Jan. 31 – 6:30 p.m.), vs. Mississippi State (Feb. 3 – 8:30 p.m.)
Quality wins: South Carolina, Auburn, at Mississippi State, Oregon, Indiana State
Bad losses: N/A
Uh-oh. Here comes ‘Bama. The Crimson Tide, after refusing to win any type of meaningful game in the non-con portion of the schedule, have effectively blitzed through their first seven games of the SEC season besides a very poor showing in Knoxville. Last week, it was a close home win over Auburn, another Q1 win for the Tide. Then, an absolute run-by of LSU in Tuscaloosa. Latrell Wrightsell Jr. and Rylan Griffen were on point, combining for 31 points on 9-16 shooting from deep against their rivals. Against LSU, all five starters scored in double-figures, with Sears, Wrightsell Jr., and Estrada combining for 58 points. The Tide made 14 threes and 25 free throws, which is absolutely a recipe for winning.
At the end of the day, two things can be true. One being that this offense is championship level. Two, being that this defense is (still) a major work in progress. They’ve given up 74+ points in their past five games and 12 of 13 games against Power 6 opponents. That’s not good, y’all. If this team played every half like the second half against South Carolina, they’d be the best team in the country. The issue is that they haven’t. But, at the same time, here we are, putting Alabama at the No. 2 spot in a 14-team league. So something’s clearly working. I will continue to attest my doubts about this team, especially when it comes to matching up Grant Nelson against frontcourts like Tennessee’s, Kentucky’s, and, (hypothetically) Houston or Purdue. But that doesn’t mean I won’t give this team their deserved flowers in the meantime. They have the best conference record in the SEC (by a ½ game) and are 8-1 in their past 9 games. For a Power 6 team at the end of January? That’s elite, y’all.
Where does the gauntlet end? Not in Athens, where the ‘Dawgs are hungry. And still not back in Tuscaloosa, where the (other) ‘Dawgs are waiting patiently. It’s a double bulldog week for Nate Oats, who probably needs to take a heat check soon and stop himself from getting technicals. I think Georgia, on the road, can make Alabama play the Mike White brand of basketball and slow the game down a bit. Who wins? I do still think ‘Bama, but it should be a close matchup. However, this team already beat Mississippi State on the road, and now they get the Bulldogs of Starkville in ‘Loosa. I am going to assume this team gets to 8-1 in conference games next week, but it’s also the SEC so in reality I have no idea what’s going to happen. Y’all should know that by now, though.
3) South Carolina Gamecocks
Last week’s ranking: 6 (+3)
Record: 17-3 (5-2)
Last week: W vs. #6 Kentucky (79-62), W vs. Missouri (72-64)
Next week: at #5 Tennessee (Jan. 30 – 6:30 p.m.), at Georgia (Feb. 2 – 1 p.m.)
Best wins: Kentucky, Grand Canyon, Mississippi State, Virginia Tech
Bad losses: N/A
What did I write last week? “Expect South Carolina to jump up these rankings.” Did I just conveniently cut a few words there? Sure, but who’s keeping track? Readers, don’t. I witnessed and participated in the Columbia court storming after the Gamecocks quarter-zipped Kentucky and Coach Cal. Big shoutout Lamont Paris, who is the clear favorite for SEC coach of the year. The ‘Cocks out-physicaled Kentucky from the jump, winning the rebound battle and battling down low for 40 minutes. Meechie Johnson, Ta’Lon Cooper, and Jacobi Wright combined for 48 points. Every Wildcat on the Kentucky roster had just 62. Remember that Kentucky had scored 70+ in every game this season prior to this game. The South Carolina defense is just legitimately very good.
This is a veteran-laden team with experience, shooting proficiency, and a knack for rebounding on offense. That seems to be the three keys to winning in March. Obviously, there are more than three, but just attempt to name any more important variables than those. Try me. That’s literally all you need. Oh, and balance. South Carolina’s KenPom efficiencies are within two numbers of each other. Consider that a check. What else does a March-built team do? Win the games it needs to. That happened last weekend against Mizzou, with the Gamecocks refusing to let a hangover get in the way of their fifth conference win. Per ESPN’s “analytics”, this team was favored in just 5 of 18 conference games when conference season started. It’s not even February yet and South Carolina has hit that mark. I love metrics and analytics but from the right sources. Not ESPN.
Does South Carolina have the hardest schedule of next week out of the entire SEC? Seems like it. Two road games, one in Knoxville and one in Athens. I love this team. How can you not? But I have a hard time believing they’ll be favorites this week on the road against the best team in the SEC and on the road against a team that already beat them at home. A 1-1 week would be absolutely fine, and a 0-2 week would simply just be a small setback. But do not fear, fans of the ‘Cocks. South Carolina plays Ole Miss and Vandy at home next week. That’s a recipe for a comeback á là Rango from Rango. I unironically enjoy that movie. It was ahead of its time. One final thought. This team deserves to be ranked. 100 percent. I don’t understand Dayton, BYU, and Oklahoma being ranked over this team. But it’s the AP poll, so I should grab a few handfuls of Morton salt. Per Paris, “if they like us, they like us. If they don’t, they’ll pay the price.” Talk to ‘em, Lamont! That’s my coach! Haters, get quarter-zipped.
4) Kentucky Wildcats
Last week’s ranking: 3 (-1)
Record: 15-4 (5-2)
Last week: L at South Carolina (62-79), W at Arkansas (63-57)
Next week: vs. Florida (Jan. 31 – 7 p.m.), vs. #5 Tennessee (Feb. 3 – 8:30 p.m.)
Quality wins: North Carolina, at Florida, Mississippi State, Georgia
Bad losses: UNCW
If Coach Cal is Superman, Lamont Paris is kryptonite. If Coach Cal is the fabric of time, Lamont Paris is a supernova in the Andromeda. If Coach Cal is a Dr. Pepper in my fridge, I am Lamont Paris. What if everyone is actually Lamont Paris? What if Coach Cal is secretly Lamont Paris? (Insert the Spiderman pointing at himself in a circle GIF.) Whatever Kentucky is, they got beat, dominated by a South Carolina team that simply wanted it more in a raucous environment. No matter what the ‘Cats tried against the ‘Cocks, it didn’t work. There was some speculation that Kentucky would pick up where they left off in Columbia when they visited Arkansas, and that turned out to be true. For the first half, at least. I think Kentucky started 1-of-16 from the field against the Arkansas defense. Someone fact-check me. But, like good teams do, the Wildcats pulled out a conference win on the road. Antonio Reeves scored 24, while Reed Sheppard bounced back with 14 points in 35 minutes (off the bench!) on 5-12 shooting. Sheppard just consistently found driving lanes inside on the Hogs, and that mattered in the grand scheme of things. We’d be talking about Kentucky as last week’s biggest loser if it weren’t for Sheppard. Instead, they’re still 5-2 in the conference and firmly in the 2-3 seed discussion.
Is it time to panic? Absolutely not. I don’t understand why that’s a question. I know I’m the one that just asked it, but still. This is a very good team and, (I think) the best offense in the SEC. Two iffy games don’t represent the greater product over 19 games this season, which has been a high-ceiling, medium-floor team that limits mistakes on offense even with a roster of mostly underclassmen. If we’re talking about championship aspirations, then, sure, panic I guess. But I don’t think anyone ever said that was in the cards. That wasn’t the expectation this year. My advice to neutral observers? Put on some Mac Miller and just watch this team’s offense on 0.75 playback speed. It’s a thing of beauty, y’all, and it’s elite.
Kentucky has a big week ahead. A huge week, even. A week at home against one very good team and one very hungry team. That’s Tennessee and Florida, in that order. Not in that order on the schedule, but in that order in my writing. I think they beat Florida by 12-15 points. I’m not joking. Florida is 0-6 in Q1 games. What makes one think they’ll get that first win against a Kentucky team that already beat them in Gainesville? Against Tennessee, that’s a different discussion, and it’s one that I could talk about in a nuanced forum for hours, really. But I only have a few minutes of y’all’s time, so here goes. Tennessee 86, Kentucky 84. Dalton Knecht game-winner. I will not elaborate further. (Other than to say that this year’s Kentucky team reminds me of last year’s Baylor team.)
5) Auburn Tigers
Last week’s ranking: 1 (-4)
Record: 16-4 (5-2)
Last week: L at Alabama (75-79), L at Mississippi State (58-64)
Next week: vs. Vanderbilt (Jan. 31 – 9 p.m.), at Ole Miss (Feb. 3 – 6 p.m.)
Quality wins: Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Virginia Tech
Bad losses: N/A
The curse has been brought back! The SEC Basketball Power Rankings Curse has claimed its latest victim, the previously-undefeated-in-conference-games Auburn Tigers. The Plains have suffered back-to-back losses at their rivals and in Starkville via the law office of Sears and Hubbard. I will give Auburn credit for playing a close game against both teams, and will also say that SEC road games are just exceptionally difficult this year. But at some point, Auburn will have to win a Q1 game. It’s absurd that they haven’t so far. Sure, they’ve only had four such opportunities, but still. Was it all that difficult to win one of Baylor, App State, Mississippi State, or Alabama? Apparently so. One of those (I’m guessing App State) actually counts as a Q2 loss, but that just enhances my argument. On the bright side, Johni Broome had a very efficient week, shooting 16-24 from the floor against two SEC defenses, one of those being a very good SEC defense. On the not-bright side, Auburn shot 20.0% and 25.0% from three in their two games this week. If the perimeter struggles are going to reappear against any good defense, it’s time to bottle up any and all of Auburn’s title hopes. If this team does want to make their threes, then they need to show me that.
In order to stop the two-game skid, Auburn will need to beat Vanderbilt in Auburn. Quite the difficult task, I know. That’s followed by a road game in Oxford against a presumably hungry Ole Miss team. Realistically, this team should win both games, talent-wise. I understand that the Ole Miss game is in Oxford, but Ole Miss also isn’t on the same perceived level (right now) as Auburn, and if the Tigers want to make a statement, they have the ability to. They just have to, here’s the hard part, actually do it. I’ll be waiting at the SEC Power Rankings Headquarters listening for appeals.
6) Mississippi State Bulldogs
Last week’s ranking: 7 (+1)
Record: 14-6 (3-4)
Last week: L at Florida (70-79), W vs. #8 Auburn (64-58)
Next week: at Ole Miss (Jan. 30 – 8:30 p.m.), at #24 Alabama (Feb. 3 – 8:30 p.m.)
Quality wins: Tennessee, Auburn, Northwestern, Washington State
Bad losses: Southern
What’s the definition of “heavy lifting”? I would say Mississippi State’s wins over Tennessee and Auburn would qualify as such. Tell me, what are the odds of these Bulldogs having two of the four best SEC wins in the conference so far? Maybe not ultra-high, but if you take a peek at how this team operates, it could give a glimpse into how that happened. A mostly elite defense with Dawgs all around, physical forwards and guards, and a (now starting!) sub-six-feet Starkville sparkplug standing similar in stature to SEC stars of some other generation. Josh Hubbard is here and ready to drop 20 on your favorite team, reader. Even if your team is MississippI State. Not sure how that will happen, but it will. Trust. I do, unfortunately, have to discuss the road loss to Florida. It will be known as the “Will Richard Game” to residents of Starkville and Gainesville. The Bulldogs even out-rebounded the best rebounding team in the SEC. They just couldn’t make their threes, which was last season’s story. Let’s not bring back past trends, ‘Dawgs.
Egg Bowl basketball!!! We are tuning in here at the SEC Basketball Power Rankings Headquarters. Also on the docket, a road trip to Tuscaloosa! This is going to be such a great week for watching basketball if you’re a fan of watching basketball. And, if you’re not a fan of watching basketball, it’s ok. I love all of my readers equally. My piece of thought is that this Mississippi State basketball team certainly has the better chance of winning against Ole Miss, even in Oxford. I think Cam Matthews, D.J. Jeffries, Tolu Smith, and Jimmy Bell Jr. will be too much for Cisse and Sharp. And I don’t mean that in any way as a barb against the talented Ole Miss frontcourt defenders, but rather just a shoutout to this group of Mississippi State forwards. It could be the best group of bigs in the conference, and I’m not lying. They’re just so good in their roles. As for the game in Tuscaloosa, I have slightly less confidence. It’s just that the Tide have already beaten the Bulldogs in Starkville, and have played well at home since the loss to Clemson earlier this season. But, it’s the SEC so anything can happen. Don’t consider me shocked by anything at this point in the season.
7) Ole Miss Rebels
Last week’s ranking: 10 (+3)
Record: 17-3 (4-3)
Last week: W vs. Arkansas (77-51), W at Texas A&M (71-68)
Next week: vs. Mississippi State (Jan. 30 – 8:30 p.m.), vs. #16 Auburn (Feb. 3 – 6 p.m.)
Quality wins: at Texas A&M, Memphis, NC State, at UCF
Bad losses: N/A
Biggest surprise of the week? Somewhat controversially, I’m going with Ole Miss’s victory over Texas A&M. I just didn’t see that coming. I had known that the Aggies had shooting woes, but I didn’t just didn’t see a team down seven with 3:30 left coming back to win on the road in the SEC. Big props to this team, and specifically Jaylen Murray for hitting a huge three down the stretch in a win that saw Ole Miss get out-rebounded by a 34-42 margin. Ole Miss was up by 11 in the second half, got out-scored by 18 in an extended run, then still managed to win the game. That’s grit and toughness, pure SEC basketball right there. And honestly, we don’t even have to talk about the home win over Arkansas. It happened, it was a formality, that is all. Ultimately, this week was a big statement for Ole Miss. A “hey, weren’t not done yet this season” type of statement. Some (myself included) were willing to throw in the doubts after the previous week. For now, Ole Miss says not today.
It gets tough this week. Not in a “travel to Knoxville” type of tough, but just in terms of general opponent difficulty. Ole Miss has to play Mississippi State and Auburn back-to-back, but they will catch both in Oxford. It’s tricky to predict, because even though the Pavillion isn’t always the largest capacity/crowd in the SEC, it has the potential to blow the roof off with a huge performance against their rivals. Per ESPN, Ole Miss is the “analytical” underdog in both games, but I would venture to say a 1-1 week is in the cards. That just seems to be the most likely scenario in my head, at least. But, just like every week in the SEC, a few days can become quite important. An 0-2 week would mean a losing conference record going into February, with road matchups against South Carolina and Kentucky on the docket the next week. A 2-0 week would mean a 19-3 overall record and 6-3 SEC record heading into, still, road games against South Carolina and Kentucky. Getting that margin for error is just so important at this point in the season. It’s something that both South Carolina and Kentucky currently have, and with a good week, Ole Miss will have it too.
8) Florida Gators
Last week’s ranking: 11 (+3)
Record: 14-6 (4-3)
Last week: W vs. Mississippi State (79-70), W vs. Georgia (102-98)
Next week: at #10 Kentucky (Jan. 31 – 8 p.m.), at Texas A&M (Feb. 3 – 4 p.m.)
Quality wins: Florida State, Mississippi State, Georgia
Bad losses: N/A
Don’t look now, (Florida looked now up 21 points in the second half and it almost came back to bite them) but the Gators are streaking. Not that type of streaking, but the kind that gets you on the NCAA tournament bubble. After beating Mississippi State and Georgia, that’s what happens. But here’s the rest: I’m not going to sugarcoat anything, being 0-6 in Q1 games is horrible. This team was one possession away from completely giving away a 21-point lead at home, and hasn’t beaten a single team with a conference win on the road. That’s right. Their only road win since Georgia last February has been to 0-7-in-SEC-games Missouri. That’s tough. It really is.
The good news is that Florida gets, sigh, two more chances at a Q1 win this week, with road games against Kentucky and Texas A&M. If the Gators manage to lose both, I will formally vote to strike Florida from the bubble conversation for the rest of the season. Once a team hits the 0-8 Q1 game mark, it’s just time to retire them from tournament consideration. That’s just a team that’s screaming for a First Four 11-seed exit to a 7-11 Big 12 program. Maybe I’m too harsh. I just hate to see such a good rebounding team come up short in every big game of the season. But we’ll see what happens, right? Maybe they’ll end up beating Kentucky or Texas A&M this week. We can’t make assumptions.
9) Georgia Bulldogs
Last week’s ranking: 5 (-4)
Record: 14-6 (4-3)
Last week: W vs. LSU (68-66), L at Florida (98-102)
Next week: vs. #24 Alabama (Jan. 31 – 6:30 p.m.), vs. South Carolina (Feb. 3 – 1 p.m.)
Quality wins: at South Carolina, at Florida State, Wake Forest
Bad losses: N/A
Georgia falls, but really because their middle-pack counterparts played quite well this week and I can’t rank the Bulldogs ahead of the Gators after they lost head-to-head a couple days ago. I’m not ranking this team ninth in a 14-team league because they’re bad, I’m doing it because I feel compelled to. Believe it, every team from 1-9 on this list has a tournament resume, whether one wants to take my word as truth or not. Imagine if Georgia had hit a buzzer-beater after completing their *second* 17+ point comeback in the second half this season. We’d be talking about a Mike White squad with a 15-5, 5-2 record. Instead, it seems like nobody’s talking about Georgia. That makes me sad, because people need to be talking about this team as if they belong in the tournament, because they do. Why in the world is Florida, WITH THE SAME RECORD, NO Q1 WINS, AND A SINGLE ROAD WIN OVER MISSOURI perceived as solidly in the tournament, while Georgia is (barely) on the bubble, especially after Georgia just sucked the air out of Exactech Arena in the second half in Gainesville? It’s because a lot of people are seeing Florida as a brand instead of as a team, and the same way with Georgia, just in a negative way. I hate that. But the time to vent is not right now.
While Athens will host two basketball games this week, it is still going to be tough for the ‘Dawgs to sweep the next seven days, as they’re going to be facing off against the No. 2 team on this list and the No. 3 team. That’s Alabama and South Carolina, for those that haven’t been keeping track. This is such a huge opportunity for the Bulldogs. It’s two (presumed) Q1 games against tournament teams in a rowdy environment. Georgia can’t control if the national media continues to snub them, but they can control their own destiny. If Mike White and Company beats either team on Georgia’s schedule, I think it’s fair to say the national media will start to take notice. (And to be clear, I’ve been noticing.)
10) LSU Tigers
Last week’s ranking: 9 (-1)
Record: 11-9 (3-4)
Last week: L at Georgia (66-68), L at Alabama (88-109)
Next week: vs. Arkansas (Feb. 3 – Noon)
Quality wins: at Texas A&M, Ole Miss, Wake Forest
Bad losses: Nicholls State
If you can, I don’t know where the replay is, but if you can, watch the ending of the LSU-Georgia game from Athens. I don’t know if y’all want me spoiling it for y’all, but since this is a weekly recap, I will. LSU was down eight at the under-four mark, hit an and-1 with 17 seconds left to take a one-point lead, which was followed by a Tchewa and-1 with 2.3 seconds left, which was followed by a full-court overhand pass that was caught by Jordan Wright who turned and launched a three from the corner that hit both sides of the rim before bouncing out. Absolute insanity.
Speaking of absolute insanity, this week’s comparison of the Bayou Bengals to historic literature/art is the 1996, four-hour, Kenneth Branaugh version of Shakespeare’s Hamlet. (Side note, but I just found out Branaugh made a film version of Othello the year before. I am so excited to watch.) Also, I found the ending of the Georgia-LSU game. Indulge in some quality basketball, for your own sake. (We don’t have to talk about the Alabama game, mostly because I don’t feel like writing about it. It was a 109-88 road loss. What else do people want me to say?) But back to Hamlet. Some despots (media members,none specifically, just as a collective) have sent Hamlet (LSU) on a ship to be dealt with. He’s currently on the ship, but, I’m guessing, is in the process of swapping out the Rosencrantz and Guildenstern letters. Hamlet will return (is given a home game against 2023-24 Arkansas) and show up á là Napoleon (or á là Hamlet, I suppose) to next week’s scheduled games against Tennessee and Alabama, on the road in Knoxville and at home against the Tide. Bold take: Hamlet wins one of those games. Of course, it’s a long road and we still have to deal with Laertes and Claudius, but LSU will cross that bridge when we get to it.
11) Texas A&M Aggies
Last week’s ranking: 8 (-3)
Record: 12-8 (3-4)
Last week: W vs. Missouri (63-57), L vs. Ole Miss (68-71)
Next week: vs. Florida (Feb. 3 – 4 p.m.)
Quality wins: Kentucky, Iowa State, at SMU, at Ohio State
Bad losses: at Arkansas
(Insert the Charles Barkley “we’re going to start a dialogue” GIF.) Because that’s what we’re going to have to do. It’s not that I look for excuses to use that meme, (I do) it’s that we need to start this dialogue. And by “this dialogue”, I mean the conversation about the Aggies not having a NCAA tournament resume. They’re 12-8 overall with a 3-4 conference record, a Q3 loss, and three Q2 losses. The one thing going for them is the fact that they’ve got 4 Q1 wins on their resume, but the fact that Ohio State is still a Q1 win is baffling to me. Sure, this team has Wade Taylor IV, my preseason SEC player of the year. But this team is also shooting a 26.7 3PT%. That’s 357th out of 362 D-1 teams. Not good. At this point in the season, I don’t see how that gets fixed. It’s part of the reason they lost at home to LSU a few weeks ago, as well as one of the reasons they lost to Ole Miss at home last week. The only Aggie shooting >32.1% from deep is Andersson Garcia at 38.5%, and he’s only attempting 0.7 per game. This is like I’m writing about last year’s Mississippi State team, and it’s making me sad. I’m sorry Aggies, but this is officially Not Your Year™️.
If one takes away just one of the Q1 wins, this is an NIT 4 seed at 11-9. They might already be one. I don’t know why the national media keeps giving these Aggies a free pass. But the Aggies get rest this week, which, in my mind, isn’t the best recipe for fixing shooting woes. This team needs to be in the gym 23.33/7 putting the ball in the hoop. They do get a home game against Florida, who hasn’t shown a capability to win a Q1 game this year, but remember that it will be in the same venue that the Aggies just lost to Ole Miss in.
12) Arkansas Razorbacks
Last week’s ranking: 12 (-)
Record: 10-10 (1-6)
Last week: L at Ole Miss (51-77), L vs. #6 Kentucky (57-63)
Next week: at Missouri (Jan. 31 – 8:30 p.m.), at LSU (Feb. 3 – Noon)
Quality wins: Duke, Texas A&M
Bad losses: UNCG
I hate the fact that I’m typing this out, but Arkansas’s performance against Kentucky reminded me of when the elderly family dog gets a random spurt of energy and vitality out of nowhere, then passes away a week later. I’m sorry, I know that’s a crude comparison, it was just the first thing that popped into my head while watching, and I mean it in the best possible way. The Hogs gave it their absolute all against Kentucky, and that was obvious to any observer. They tried, and put it into a gear I didn’t think they had, even without Brazile and Devo Davis, who is not currently with the team, according to public sources. I don’t have all of the information regarding the situation, so I’m not going to speculate anything. See how easy that is to do? I unfortunately have to talk about the crushing road loss to Ole Miss, one where the social media team basically gave up on. Khalif Battle went 2-9 from the field and still led the team with 11 points. Joseph Pinion was the only other player in double-figures, and Coach Muss rewarded him with just two minutes against Kentucky. I don’t understand that. As a team, they were simply outclassed on the boards.
There could be a misconception that I revel in the Hogs’ losses. To be clear, I don’t. I don’t pull against any team, because why would I spend a paragraph just to hate? Sure, I will talk about teams’ concerning trends or the lack of success a team currently has, and if you want to substitute “Arkansas” for “team” in that sentence, I won’t disagree. But that never crosses the line into “I want Arkansas to lose” territory. Quite the opposite. I want Arkansas to play well. College basketball is more entertaining when Arkansas is good. I can’t remember the exact amount of times I’ve watched the 1994 national championship when the Razorbacks beat Duke, but it’s more than a dozen. I picked Arkansas 2nd in the SEC this season, if I remember correctly. Sure, I’m not the biggest fan of the Muss Bus, but more so about the fact that he loses his temper on the court and that his actions can be seen as a tad cringeworthy sometimes, never anything bad about him as a person. I like Arkansas. I like all the players and Bud Walton Arena could be the best basketball stadium in the South. That is why I’m so often harsh on them. It’s just tough love.
Road Hogs! Arkansas travels twice this week. Once to Columbia, Missouri variant, and once to Baton Rouge. I’m sorry, I just don’t see a win on this week’s docket for the ‘Hogs. I know that they’re facing teams with a combined 3-11 record in conference games, but they’re still both true road games against teams that are currently playing better than the Razorbacks. That’s my school of thought, but everyone, of course, is welcome to their own opinions. If Arkansas doesn’t win a game this week, it will officially be over a year since they won their last road game. That’s crazy.
13) Missouri Tigers
Last week’s ranking: 13 (-)
Record: 8-12 (0-7)
Last week: L at Texas A&M (57-63), L at South Carolina (64-72)
Next week: vs. Arkansas (Jan. 31 – 8:30 p.m.), at Vanderbilt (Feb. 3 – 3:30 p.m.)
Quality wins: N/A
Bad losses: Jackson State
Per Hippo Campus, one of my favorite bands, “that’s the way it goes.” That’s been the cover-all descriptor of Missouri’s conference woes. Are we going to ignore the fact that Missouri has had three single-digit losses in their past five games? It’s just the way it goes. Much like the team below them on this list, Mizzou hasn’t given up, clearly. They had second-half leads on the road against Texas A&M and South Carolina, and while they didn’t end up winning either game, it was a valiant effort. This team shouldn’t be winless in SEC games. Looking back at how every game went, I’m actually more surprised that this team is 0-7 than what I would be if this team was 3-4. Check out the Sean East II pass to Tamar Bates on a fastbreak with 3:08 left in the game. Just an absolutely beautiful pass. I saw it live and I was stunned. East II, despite his team scoring 63 and 64 points, has scored 17 and 21 points in those games, respectively.
Hear me out. Missouri could end up with not just one, but two more SEC wins than they currently have by this time next week. They should be favored over Arkansas at home, at least I hope so. If Vegas thinks that this Razorback team is supposed to win a road game, I’ll just admit I don’t know anything about basketball. But after the game in Columbia, these Tigers get to travel to Nashville, where Vanderbilt hasn’t beaten a Power 6 opponent since last March. In fact, Vanderbilt hasn’t beaten a Power 6 opponent at all since last March. That’s tough. Missouri has such a big chance this week. They’re staring at a 2-0 week in the face. Don’t blow it.
14) Vanderbilt Commodores
Last week’s ranking: 14 (-)
Record: 5-14 (0-6)
Last week: L vs. #5 Tennessee (62-75)
Next week: at #16 Auburn (Jan. 31 – 6 p.m.), vs. Missouri (Feb. 3 – 3:30 p.m.)
Quality wins: N/A
Bad losses: Presbyterian, Western Carolina, Boston College
I often think that I’m going to run out of things to say about Vanderbilt one Saturday, or that they’re perpetually stuck in the cellar for every episode of season two, but I have come to the conclusion that I am wrong. In that aspect, at least. One cannot convince me that Arkansas could go into a half leading Tennessee by five, whether it’s at home or not. I don’t really care that the ‘Dores ended up losing by 13, because I stopped watching at halftime to preserve my feelings of hope and happiness. It was a good decision, apparently. Big shoutout to Tyrin Lawrence, who dropped a 21-8 statline on a very good defense in an effort in which his own team scored just 62. Ezra Manjon had a good first half, but the cupboard was pretty much bare on Saturday besides those two.
That wasn’t for lack of effort, though. Vanderbilt is, clearly, trying. They’re giving it their all every game that they play, and they’re going to win a game eventually. The odds that this team finishes 5-26? Quite unlikely. I would venture to say that they could even hit the 10-win mark if they catch a few breaks. Vandy, do not despair. There are better days on the horizon. If you squint, you can even see the horizon. It’s there, trust.
Besides a tough test on the road in Auburn, these ‘Dores could be competing in the most important game of the year for bottom three teams in the SEC Basketball Power Rankings. That’s because, after the Auburn game, Vanderbilt gets to play Missouri at home, a completely winnable game given the fact that Missouri has also yet to win a conference game. All that has to happen prior to Saturday is Vanderbilt losing in Auburn and Missouri losing to Arkansas at home. Admittedly, the second part of the plan is a bit murkier given the outlook of the Arkansas basketball program. But if the needed ingredients appear, the SEC Championship Game will run through Nashville this Saturday. I can’t overstate how excited I am for this game to possibly take place. (Again, I must remind the reader that it all depends on Arkansas winning a road game, and we can’t look past that.) This game is what I live for. 0-8 Missouri meeting 0-7 Vanderbilt? That’s what SEC basketball fans dream of. Every season opener, I cross my fingers and hope that the Southeastern Conference schedulers deliver me an absolute beauty of a game similar to this one. And we’re so close to seeing it happen. Imagine the pandemonium that will ensue. No, seriously. For whichever team wins, it immediately just takes off such a weight off the team’s shoulders. There will be dancing in the locker room, the coach will get showered with Gatorade, Body Armour, Powerade, or Red Bull, depending on the corporate sponsor of each athletic department. Even the team’s Twitter page will be posting about the victory, to which the fans will be able to celebrate for upwards of 72 hours until the next game. It’s not even bittersweet, it’s just sweet. Anyone who’s ever been on a team that just couldn’t stop losing knows that the first win is possibly the best feeling in the world. I’ve got more to say in my upcoming article titled “Epitaph to a Let-Go Coach”, and as ominous as that sounds, I promise it will be a very good read. Anchor down, SEC Power Rankings readers. Until next week.