George Bagwell gives his SEC basketball power rankings heading into week 11 of the 2025-26 season.
Week 10 team of the week: Texas A&M Aggies
Week 10 game of the week: Texas A&M vs. Auburn
Week 10 player of the week: Tyler Tanner, Vanderbilt
Week 11 matchup of the week: #18 Georgia vs. #15 Arkansas – Jan. 17 at 4 p.m.
Week 11 under-the-radar matchup of the week: Mississippi State vs. #13 Alabama – Jan. 13 at 9 p.m.
All games listed are EST.
1) Vanderbilt Commodores
Last week’s ranking: 1 (-)
Record: 16-0 (3-0)
Last week: W vs. #13 Alabama (96-90), W vs. LSU (84-73)
Next week: at Texas (Jan. 14 – 9 p.m.), vs. Florida (Jan. 17 – 2 p.m.)
Quality wins: at UCF, vs. VCU, vs. Saint Mary’s, vs. SMU, vs. Alabama, vs. LSU
Bad losses:
Vanderbilt is still the number one team in the SEC. The Commodores are also (still) one of just five undefeated teams left in all of D-I. If there was any debate over which SEC team truly deserved the top spot in these rankings, it was left in Nashville when Vanderbilt put up 96 points on Alabama. For what it’s worth, cbbreview.com has had the ‘Dores on top of this conference for over a month. Vanderbilt has a tough matchup this week at home against a Florida team that might be peaking.
2) Florida Gators
Last week’s ranking: 6 (+4)
Record: 11-5 (2-1)
Last week: W vs. #18 Georgia (92-77), W vs. #21 Tennessee (91-67)
Next week: at Oklahoma (Jan. 13 – 9 p.m.), at #11 Vanderbilt (Jan. 17 – 2 p.m.)
Quality wins: vs. Miami FL, vs. Georgia, vs. Tennessee
Bad losses:
Florida somehow, despite a 27.9 3PT%, finds themselves at the #2 spot in the vaunted SEC Basketball Power Rankings. How? Well, they beat two ranked teams last week by putting up 90+ in both games, and every other team in the conference not named Vanderbilt or…Texas A&M…has also recorded a loss against an SEC school, which makes the Gators’ falter against Mizzou slightly more digestible. This week, Florida has a chance to take the number one spot with a road victory over Vandy.
3) Arkansas Razorbacks
Last week’s ranking: 3 (-)
Record: 12-4 (2-1)
Last week: W at Ole Miss (94-87), L at Auburn (95-73)
Next week: vs. South Carolina (Jan. 14 – 9 p.m.), at #18 Georgia (Jan. 17 – 4 p.m.)
Quality wins: vs. Louisville, vs. Texas Tech, vs. Tennessee
Bad losses:
Everybody has a bad game every once in a while. But not everybody gives up 95 points to Steven Pearl in regulation. In fact, John Calipari is the only Power Five basketball coach, ever, to give up 95 points to a Steven Pearl-coached team in 40 minutes. Is that bad? It ain’t good. Arkansas, though, thanks to the aforementioned fact of almost every other SEC team faltering, too, gets to stay at #3 in the rankings. If they want to stay there, however, they’re likely needing to take out Georgia on the road.
4) Georgia Bulldogs
Last week’s ranking: 5 (+1)
Record: 14-2 (2-1)
Last week: L at Florida (92-77), W vs. South Carolina (75-70)
Next week: vs. Ole Miss (Jan. 14 – 7 p.m.), vs. #15 Arkansas (Jan. 17 – 4 p.m.)
Quality wins: vs. Auburn
Bad losses:
Georgia’s eight-game winning streak is no more, but they’re still in the top four of the SEC Basketball Power Rankings, partially because of the fact that they have 14 wins. That’s more than any other SEC team excluding Vanderbilt. Didn’t think we’d be typing that sentence out in January, did you? But that’s the Mike White Effect, and it might be here to stay. The Dawgs showed resilience against a pesky South Carolina team, coming all the way back after being down double digits. This week, Georgia has two home games in Athens. Did somebody say 2-0?
5) Tennessee Volunteers
Last week’s ranking: 2 (-3)
Record: 11-5 (1-2)
Last week: W vs. Texas (85-71), L at Florida (91-67)
Next week: vs. Texas A&M (Jan. 13 – 7 p.m.), vs. Kentucky (Jan. 17 – 12 p.m.)
Quality wins: vs. Houston, vs. Louisville, vs. Texas
Bad losses:
Tennessee should feel lucky that they’re not lower in these rankings. The Volunteers are 1-2 in-conference, and for as deep as the SEC is, being two games back of Texas A&M just three games in is not a good sign. Beating Texas at home is fine, something Alabama couldn’t do, but the Vols looked uncompetitive on the road against Florida just a week after losing on the road to Arkansas. They’ll need to pick up the pace if they want to stay in the top five. That begins with home victories over Texas A&M and Kentucky. A 2-0 week would do wonders for this team’s confidence.
6) Alabama Crimson Tide
Last week’s ranking: 4 (-2)
Record: 11-5 (1-2)
Last week: L at #11 Vanderbilt (96-90), L vs. Texas (92-88)
Next week: at Mississippi State (Jan. 13 – 9 p.m.), at Oklahoma (Jan. 17 – 1 p.m.)
Quality wins: at St. John’s, vs. Illinois, vs. Clemson, vs. Kentucky
Bad losses:
If Alabama is serious about contending for a Final Four spot this season, they’re going to have to start playing defense. Losing on the road to Vanderbilt is forgivable of course, but losing at home to Texas? Is that bad? It ain’t good. Fun fact for everybody still to play Alabama this season: the Crimson Tide have given up 90+ points six times this season. It’s only the second week of January. How much points can Josh Hubbard score at home against this defense? The author’s guess is 34.
7) Texas A&M Aggies
Last week’s ranking: 11 (+4)
Record: 13-3 (3-0)
Last week: W at Auburn (90-88), W vs. Oklahoma (83-76)
Next week: at #21 Tennessee (Jan. 13 – 7 p.m.), at Texas (Jan. 17 – 6 p.m.)
Quality wins: vs. LSU, at Auburn, vs. Oklahoma
Bad losses:
Texas A&M has quietly turned around their season. Sure, they might not have started the conference slate against the 1996 Chicago Bulls, but you can only play the games on your schedule. Credit the Aggies for being one of just two teams in the SEC without a conference loss so far. Will that remain true following road games to Knoxville and Austin? We’ll lean no, but it was fun while it lasted, Aggies.
8) Missouri Tigers
Last week’s ranking: 13 (+5)
Record: 12-4 (2-1)
Last week: W at Kentucky (73-68), L at Ole Miss (76-69)
Next week: vs. Auburn (Jan. 14 – 7 p.m.), at LSU (Jan. 17 – 3:30 p.m.)
Quality wins: vs. Florida, at Kentucky
Bad losses:
Missouri is one of those teams where you really have no earthly idea what is going to happen over the next 40 minutes. They could beat a team much more talented than them solely based on the power of friendship, then lose to a team that won’t make the NIT. That makes them one of the more entertaining teams in the conference, and one we’ll keep an eye on. It’s a relatively easy stretch of games this week compared to other teams’ gauntlets, so there’s a chance Dennis Gates and his program might be 4-1 by next week.
9) Texas Longhorns
Last week’s ranking: 12 (+3)
Record: 10-6 (1-2)
Last week: L at #21 Tennessee (85-71), W at #13 Alabama (92-88)
Next week: vs. #11 Vanderbilt (Jan. 14 – 9 p.m.), vs. Texas A&M (Jan. 17 – 6 p.m.)
Quality wins: vs. NC State, at Alabama
Bad losses:
Like we said a couple weeks ago, Texas could beat any team and lose to any team. I’m actually not sure if we did say that, but I’m betting on none of my readers fact checking that statement. Point being, Texas faltered against Tennessee, then went on the road and took down the Tide. That’s a huge win for them, and one that has them on the doorstep of the top half of these rankings. And if the Longhorns can hand Vanderbilt their first loss of the season? Don’t look now.
10) Kentucky Wildcats
Last week’s ranking: 7 (-3)
Record: 10-6 (1-2)
Last week: L vs. Missouri (73-68), W vs. Mississippi State (92-68)
Next week: at LSU (Jan. 14 – 7 p.m.), at #21 Tennessee (Jan. 17 – 12 p.m.)
Quality wins: vs. Indiana, vs. St. John’s
Bad losses:
Some people who haven’t tuned into SEC basketball yet this year might be shocked that Kentucky is barely in the top 10 of the SEC Basketball Power Rankings. But anyone who has tuned in knows there’s a reason. In fact, they haven’t beaten a single team currently ranked in the top 25 poll and are currently unranked themselves. That’s not what Big Blue Nation thought would happen this year, but the good news is there’s plenty of time left in the year. (Just don’t go look at what Coach Cal’s doing in Arkansas.)
11) Mississippi State Bulldogs
Last week’s ranking: 14 (+3)
Record: 10-6 (2-1)
Last week: W vs. Oklahoma (72-53), L at Kentucky (92-68)
Next week: vs. #13 Alabama (Jan. 13 – 9 p.m.), vs. Ole Miss (Jan. 17 – 8:30 p.m.)
Quality wins: at Texas, vs. Oklahoma
Bad losses: vs. San Francisco, vs. Kansas State
It’s hard to believe this team was once 4-5. Six-game winning streaks will do that. Whatever the reason is, the Bulldogs have looked much improved over the past month, even with their recent fall to Kentucky. Let it be known that Josh Hubbard is averaging 26.8 PPG over his last six games and the team is 5-1. Surely, that’s correlated. He’s got a great chance to extend that average with a game against Alabama’s defense this week.
12) Auburn Tigers
Last week’s ranking: 9 (-3)
Record: 10-6 (1-2)
Last week: L vs. Texas A&M (90-88), W vs. #15 Arkansas (95-73)
Next week: at Missouri (Jan. 14 – 7 p.m.), vs. South Carolina (Jan. 17 – 6 p.m.)
Quality wins: vs. St. John’s, vs. N.C. State, vs. Arkansas
Bad losses:
Auburn salvaged their ranking this week with a blowout home victory over Arkansas, arguably their most complete and best performance of the year. However, if they want to move up in this list, they’re going to have to continue to play like that, and there’s no guarantee that happens. What’s good for the Tigers, however, is that both of their opponents this week are outside the top 50 in KenPom. That may be the last time they’re able to say that this season, so we’ll see if they can take advantage.
13) Oklahoma Sooners
Last week’s ranking: 10 (-3)
Record: 11-5 (1-2)
Last week: L at Mississippi State (72-53), L at Texas A&M (83-76)
Next week: vs. Florida (Jan. 13 – 9 p.m.), vs. #13 Alabama (Jan. 17 – 1 p.m.)
Quality wins: vs. Oklahoma State
Bad losses:
Oklahoma is sneaky. Sneaky in the way that they’re 1-2 in conference games without a victory all season over a team rated higher than them in the latest KenPom ratings, but still outside of the Bottom Three of the SEC Basketball Power Rankings. The Sooners should consider themselves lucky. Just not too lucky, because they’ve got to go out this week and play two tournament-caliber teams back-to-back. We’re sending them some excess luck from headquarters.
14) South Carolina Gamecocks
Last week’s ranking: 16 (+2)
Record: 10-6 (1-2)
Last week: W at LSU (78-68), L vs. #18 Georgia (75-70)
Next week: at #15 Arkansas (Jan. 14 – 6 p.m.), at Auburn (Jan. 17 – 2 p.m.)
Quality wins: at LSU
Bad losses:
South Carolina is scrappy. Not only did they jump out to a 28-point lead against LSU, but they went up 12 against Georgia. The issue of course is that they were outscored by 18 against LSU the rest of the way and by 17 against Georgia the rest of the way. The good news is that they still managed to beat LSU by double-digits. Basketball is a funny game. In fact, a funny result this week would be South Carolina going 2-0. Is it going to happen? ESPN says there’s a 2.8 percent chance of that happening. That seems low.
15) LSU Tigers
Last week’s ranking: 8 (-7)
Record: 12-4 (0-3)
Last week: L vs. South Carolina (78-68), L at #11 Vanderbilt (84-73)
Next week: vs. Kentucky (Jan. 14 – 7 p.m.), vs. Missouri (Jan. 17 – 3:30 p.m.)
Quality wins: vs. SMU
Bad losses: vs. South Carolina
LSU, what are we doing? The Tigers are the ONLY team in the SEC without a victory in conference play so far. They’re only out of the last spot in the SEC Basketball Power Rankings because they do happen to have a quality win, something Ole Miss can’t claim, but LSU needs to right the ship. It could come at home against Kentucky, where they’ve had success recently. Odd fact, but the Tigers haven’t lost at home to Kentucky since prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Ain’t that something?
16) Ole Miss Rebels
Last week’s ranking: 15 (-1)
Record: 9-7 (1-2)
Last week: L vs. #15 Arkansas (94-87), W vs. Missouri (76-69)
Next week: at #18 Georgia (Jan. 14 – 7 p.m.), at Mississippi State (Jan. 17 – 8:30 p.m.)
Quality wins:
Bad losses: vs. Utah
Ole Miss takes the last spot by way of being the only SEC team not to hit the 10-win mark so far this season. The Rebels finally earned a conference win, but it was at home against Missouri, and if that’s their best win on paper on Jan. 13, perhaps this team isn’t making the tournament. This is shaping up to be a lost year in Oxford, notwithstanding them losing Lane Kiffin to the #15 team in these rankings. Maybe the Rebels pick up a win this week. (But it’s more likely that they don’t.)