George Bagwell gives his SEC basketball power rankings heading into week 2 of the 2025-26 season.
Week 1 team of the week: Alabama Crimson Tide
Week 1 game of the week: Arkansas vs. Michigan State
Week 1 player of the week: Labaron Philon Jr., Alabama
Week 2 matchup of the week: #9 Kentucky at #12 Louisville – Nov. 11 at 8 p.m.
Week 2 under-the-radar matchup of the week: Missouri vs. Minnesota – Nov. 12 at 8 p.m.
Note: This ranking was compiled Sunday, Nov. 9. Records and stats are updated as of Nov. 10. Future SEC Power Rankings articles will be published Monday afternoons weekly during the season.
All games listed are EST.
1) Kentucky Wildcats
Record: 2-0
Last week: W vs. Nicholls (77-51), W vs. Valparaiso (107-59)
Next week: at #12 Louisville (Nov. 11 – 8 p.m.), vs. Eastern Illinois (Nov. 14 – 7 p.m.)
Quality wins:
Bad losses:
Kentucky hasn’t played a true test yet, but that ends this week. The Wildcats will travel to Louisville to play their rivals, who Pat Kelsey has elevated back to the national stage. Two blowout wins haven’t produced a clear picture of who belongs where in the Wildcats’ rotation, but Tuesday again will provide a glimpse into which players have which roles on the team. Expect Otega Oweh to step up against the Cardinals.
Lexington Vibe Meter: Jury Duty/10.
2) Alabama Crimson Tide
Record: 2-0
Last week: W vs. North Dakota (91-62), W at #5 St. John’s (103-96)
Next week: vs. #2 Purdue (Nov. 13 – 7 p.m.)
Quality wins: at St. John’s
Bad losses:
Alabama deserves a lot of credit for a road win against St. John’s, who also looks pretty good. Labaron Philon Jr. so far has looked like an SEC Player of the Year candidate. There, as always, remains questions about the defense, however. Luckily, the theme of this week is “finding out answers to questions we need answered.” Alabama will take on Purdue (#1 in adjusted offensive efficiency, per KenPom) in Indianapolis on Thursday.
Besides the fact that I will die on the hill that “neutral site” games eight times closer to one opponent than the other is a dumb trend that can be solved by coaches bucking up and scheduling home and homes, the Boilermakers offense vs. Crimson Tide defense will set the tone for how the SEC slate might look.
Tuscaloosa Vibe Meter: 10/10.
3) Tennessee Volunteers
Record: 2-0
Last week: W vs. Mercer (76-61), W vs. Northern Kentucky (95-56)
Next week: vs. North Florida (Nov. 12 – 7 p.m.)
Quality wins:
Bad losses:
Shoutout to freshman Nate Ament. Ament dropped 23 points on the Norse, along with eight rebounds, five assists, and two steals in just 24 minutes. He also hit two threes and was 90% from the free-throw line. That’s the type of production that Tennessee has been missing in their frontcourt for some time. Of course, they haven’t actually played a Power Five team yet, and that won’t change until right before Thanksgiving. But you can only play the schedule that your program signs up for, and Tennessee’s doing a fine job of winning so far.
Knoxville Vibe Meter: 9/10.
4) Florida Gators
Record: 1-1
Last week: L vs. #13 Arizona (93-87), W vs. North Florida (104-64)
Next week: vs. Florida State (Nov. 11 – 7 p.m.), vs. Miami (Nov. 16 – 8:30 p.m.)
Quality wins:
Bad losses:
The defending champions lost their first game back. Blame it on a hangover or complacency, but chances are that Arizona is just pretty good. There’s really no need to worry yet, and it’s (probably) a safe bet that the Gators are a top-15ish team still at the moment. But in the SEC Basketball Power Rankings, a loss in the first game of the season means Florida slips out of the Top 3, a position that holds so much value in an article series that means absolutely nothing in the grand scheme of things.
This week, it’s a tour of the Sunshine State as Florida plays Florida State and Miami both. The game against the Seminoles is a home game, but the Miami matchup is being played in Jacksonville. Odd. That’s in the opposite direction of the two schools. Give me enough words and I’ll find something to complain about. This week, it’s the location of neutral site games. Next week, it might be A.I. (the technology, not the Answer), ESPN, or cold weather. I’ll find out next week around the same time y’all will.
Gainesville Vibe Meter: Basketball School/10.
5) Arkansas Razorbacks
Record: 1-1
Last week: W vs. Southern (109-77), L at #22 Michigan State (69-66)
Next week: vs. Central Arkansas (Nov. 11 – 8 p.m.), vs. Samford (Nov. 14 – 8 p.m.)
Quality wins:
Bad losses:
John Calipari is back. Arkansas might have lost against Michigan State, but a star duo of freshmen stood out and the Razorbacks solidified themselves as legit. That’s not to mention a 109-point performance against arguably the best team in the SWAC, Southern. Darius Acuff Jr. is legit and so is Meleek Thomas. We won’t learn too much about Arkansas this week, with games against Central Arkansas and Samford, but we’ve learned some good things so far. Good job, Hogs. Keep it up.
Fayetteville Vibe Meter: Vintage Cal/10.
6) Vanderbilt Commodores
Record: 2-0
Last week: W vs. Lipscomb (105-61), W at UCF (105-93)
Next week: vs. Eastern Kentucky (Nov. 12 – 8 p.m.), vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff (Nov. 15 – 3 p.m.)
Quality wins: at UCF
Bad losses:
Vanderbilt is back? At the very least, they’re fun. 105 in back-to-back games is no joke, but doing it against a Power Five opponent on the road? Now they’ve got my attention. Duke Miles and Frankie Collins are doing a great job of both sharing the ball and taking it away from the opponent, both Tylers are hitting it from deep, and Devin McGlockton is rebounding well. This is a fun team and the ‘Dores might just be a dark horse contender in the SEC. Just don’t tell anybody I said that yet.
Nashville Vibe Meter: 105/10.
7) Georgia Bulldogs
Record: 3-0
Last week: W vs. Bellarmine (104-59), W vs. UMES (94-29), W vs. Morehead State (120-81)
Next week: vs. Georgia Tech (Nov. 14 – 9 p.m.)
Quality wins:
Bad losses:
Georgia has an argument for having the best week of basketball in the country. They’re 3-0 and are averaging 106.0 PPG. That leads the SEC. Oh, and let it be known that the Bulldogs are only giving up 56.3 PPG, 2nd in the conference. Part of that reason is that they held UMES to 29 points in a 65-point victory. Additionally, their next opponent, rival Georgia Tech, played UMES last week too.
Did the Yellow Jackets win by 65? No, they did not. In fact, they went to overtime with the Hawks and won 56-52. That’s right, Georgia beat UMES by a larger point margin in 40 minutes than the total amount of points Georgia Tech scored against them in 45. If you’re a Georgia fan, tune in Thursday night. It will, at the very least, be a show. Bring your popcorn.
Athens Vibe Meter: Mike White Extension/10.
8) Mississippi State Bulldogs
Record: 1-0
Last week: W vs. North Alabama (86-62)
Next week: vs. Southeastern Louisiana (Nov. 15 – 3 p.m.)
Quality wins:
Bad losses:
When this piece was being written and rankings being compiled, the Bulldogs hadn’t yet lost by 16 points to Iowa State, so they’re at #8 in the vaunted SEC Basketball Power Rankings. But the author wants y’all to know that he would have put this team much further down if they had lost Sunday instead of Monday. Josh Hubbard is averaging 26.0 PPG and 6.5 APG. That is all I have to say.
Starkville Vibe Meter: Josh Hubbard/10.
9) Ole Miss Rebels
Record: 2-0
Last week: W vs. Southeastern Louisiana (88-58), W vs. UL Monroe (86-65)
Next week: vs. Memphis (Nov. 11 – 9 p.m.), vs. Cal State Bakersfield (Nov. 14 – 7:30 p.m.)
Quality wins:
Bad losses:
Two wins over low-major opponents isn’t going to set the college basketball world ablaze, but it’s better than two losses against low-major opponents. This week comes the test, however. The Rebels were ranked 16th last season when they met Memphis in the non-conference portion of the schedule. They got blasted out the gym and never rose above 16th again for the rest of the year.
In fact, the Rebels haven’t risen above #16 in the AP poll since January 2010, though they’ve touched that number thrice in the span. If Ole Miss is serious about returning to the Sweet Sixteen this year, they’ll need to send a message Tuesday. A loss to Memphis at home complicates their season goals.
Oxford Vibe Meter: Achilles Heel/10.
10) Missouri Tigers
Record: 3-0
Last week: W vs. Howard (88-67), W vs. SEMO (89-84), W vs. VMI (106-68)
Next week: vs. Minnesota (Nov. 12 – 8 p.m.)
Quality wins:
Bad losses:
There’s an old motif from the years of SEC Basketball Power Rankings that may serve to benefit the SEC crowd. Never doubt Dennis Gates. Mark Mitchell is balling, Anthony Robinson II is picking pockets, and Jayden Stone is averaging 14.3 PPG off the bench. Missouri is alive, pessimism is dead, and the haters are on life support. Nothing else matters. Minnesota awaits the Tigers this week.
Columbia Vibe Meter: Crews Missile/10.
11) Auburn Tigers
Record: 2-0
Last week: W vs. Bethune-Cookman (95-90), W vs. Merrimack (95-57)
Next week: vs. Wofford (Nov. 11 – 8 p.m.), vs. #1 Houston (Nov. 16 – 3 p.m.)
Quality wins:
Bad losses:
What a first week it was for Auburn. Against Bethune-Cookman, the Tigers shot 38 free throws to the Wildcats’ nine. Yet somehow, the game ended up in overtime, with Auburn escaping 95-90. Partially, that was because the Tigers couldn’t shoot from deep and Bethune-Cookman could. But interestingly enough, watching the game, the teams looked just about equal. Both teams ended up with 40+ points in the paint and the game was tight throughout.
It’s worth mentioning that the only reason the game even went to overtime is because Auburn fouled a shooter at half court up three as time ran out. Would that happen under Bruce Pearl? Y’all don’t have to answer that, but it’s my responsibility to say that Steven Pearl will be coaching against Kelvin Sampson this week.
Auburn Vibe Meter: Houston Might Be a Problem/10.
12) Oklahoma Sooners
Record: 1-1
Last week: W vs. Saint Francis (102-66), L at #21 Gonzaga (83-68)
Next week: vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff (Nov. 11 – 8 p.m.), vs. Nebraska (Nov. 15 – 7 p.m.)
Quality wins:
Bad losses:
Oklahoma basketball is somewhere. Where that place is exactly is yet to be determined. Gonzaga, assumedly, isn’t elite this season. But they looked the part against the Sooners. The absence of Jeremiah Fears might be a lot more important than originally thought. For example, against the Sooners, Gonzaga’s Mario Saint-Supry had more assists off the bench (6) for the Bulldogs than the Sooners had in total (5). Gonzaga had almost as much points in the paint (58) than the Sooners had overall (68). Oklahoma’s starters had 13 turnovers. The entirety of Gonzaga’s team had just seven.
None of these stats are very optimistic. And this week, after a tune-up against UAPB, Oklahoma will face off against Nebraska, who beat BYU in an exhibition prior to the season. Start gearing up now.
Norman Vibe Meter: Nebrasketball/10.
13) Texas Longhorns
Record: 1-1
Last week: L vs. #6 Duke (75-60), W vs. Lafayette (97-60)
Next week: vs. Fairleigh Dickinson (Nov. 12 – 8 p.m.), vs. UMKC (Nov. 15 – 1 p.m.)
Quality wins:
Bad losses:
If you’re a college basketball fan but also secretly a fan of Mean Girls, Gossip Girl, or any other of the bevy of similar titles in the film/TV media world, you’ll love what’s going on at Texas. Sean Miller used Xavier as a stepping stone (which in itself could be a sentence on a Netflix drama) for the second time, jumping to Texas after they let go of Rodney Terry.
In his first game as coach, the Longhorns were handled in the second half by a pretty good Duke team. Many more than three Musketeers fans flooded to the final score graphics on various platforms to decry Miller and boast the superiority of Xavier. While the Longhorns bounced back against Lafayette, for now, a 1-1 record relegates them to #13 in these rankings.
Austin Vibe Meter: Xavier Twitter/10.
14) LSU Tigers
Record: 1-0
Last week: W vs. Tarleton State (96-60)
Next week: vs. FIU (Nov. 13 – 8 p.m.)
Quality wins:
Bad losses:
At the time of writing, LSU hadn’t yet beaten New Orleans. But so just y’all know, they did end up winning that one. Despite being picked last in the conference in the SEC preview, LSU has turned out two pretty good performances so far. Yes, they’ve played two not-so-great teams, but scored 90+ in both games. Considering the Tigers were down 10 points in the second half against Alabama State this time last year, the vibe meter is going off the charts. A matchup against FIU should only add to the win column this week.
Baton Rouge Vibe Meter: 10/10.
15) Texas A&M Aggies
Record: 2-1
Last week: W vs. Northwestern State (98-68), W vs. Rice (104-70), L at Oklahoma State (87-63)
Next week: vs. UCF (Nov. 14 – 8 p.m.)
Quality wins:
Bad losses:
Sometimes, it’s not the fact that a team loses, but rather the way they went about it. Entering a road game against Oklahoma State, a game that the Aggies were a slight favorite in, hopes were high. Perhaps they shouldn’t have been. With just over a minute to go in the game, the home team was up 28 points.
Five Cowboys scored in double figures. On the Aggies’ side? Just one, Marcus Hill. Pop Isaacs shot 2-11 and not a single player on the team shot better than 50% from the field. As a team, Texas A&M shot 25.7% from deep. Welcome back to the Buzz Williams era. If the offense doesn’t start clicking, the Aggies could be 2-2 by next week.
College Station Vibe Meter: Uh-oh/10.
16) South Carolina Gamecocks
Record: 2-0
Last week: W vs. NC A&T (91-72), W vs. Southern Miss (83-79)
Next week: vs. Presbyterian (Nov. 12 – 7 p.m.)
Quality wins:
Bad losses:
Yes, South Carolina was down 11 points after the final media timeout against Southern Miss. But also yes, they won the game and scored 83+ points in consecutive games for the first time since January 2021. That’s worthy of applause, is it not? South Carolina is 2-0, and that’s more than they could say last season. This team, and especially double boomerang transfer Meechie Johnson, is showing grit. This week, it would be surprising if they fell to Presbyterian. The Gamecocks could be 4-0 by the time they tip off at the Greenbrier Classic in a couple weeks.
Columbia Vibe Meter: Meechie Johnson/10.
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