George Bagwell gives his SEC basketball power rankings heading into week 14 of the 2025-26 season.
Week 13 team of the week: Florida Gators
Week 13 game of the week: Kentucky defeats #15 Arkansas, 85-77
Week 13 player of the week: Keyshawn Hall, Auburn
Week 14 matchup of the week: Texas A&M vs. #17 Florida – Feb. 7 at 9 p.m.
Week 14 under-the-radar matchup of the week: LSU vs. Georgia – Feb. 7 at 6 p.m.
All games listed are EST.
1) Florida Gators
Last week’s ranking: 4 (+3)
Record: 16-6 (7-2)
Last week: W at South Carolina (95-48), W vs. #23 Alabama (100-77)
Next week: at Texas A&M (Feb. 7 – 9 p.m.)
Quality wins: at Vanderbilt, Tennessee, Georgia, Miami-Fla, Alabama
Bad losses:
Florida takes back the top spot with two absolute annihilations of conference opponents. They tallied 28 assists against South Carolina in a 47-point victory, then beat Alabama and their G-League addition by 23. That’s a week where they beat two opponents by an average of 35 points, which should be enough to propel any team to the top of the SEC Basketball Power Rankings.
This week, though, it’s the first 1 vs. 2 matchup of the season…we think. Maybe Arkansas vs. Tennessee qualified earlier in the year, but we can forget about that because the winner of Texas A&M and Florida will sit atop the SEC standings this time around.
2) Texas A&M Aggies
Last week’s ranking: 2 (-)
Record: 17-4 (7-1)
Last week: W at Georgia (92-77)
Next week: at Alabama (Feb. 4 – 7 p.m.), vs. #17 Florida (Feb. 7 – 8:30 p.m.)
Quality wins: at Auburn, at Texas, at Georgia
Bad losses:
I’m sorry, but the idea of a team that’s leading the SEC in February with a 17-4 (7-1) record being unranked while the second-best team in the MAC sits at 23rd and an ACC team with more SEC losses than the aforementioned SEC leader is ranked 24th makes the ranking process seem just a bit unserious.
Texas A&M now can point to 15-2 record in their last 17 games with quality road wins intertwined in that span, along with one of the most balanced rosters in the conference. Two more wins this week (in tough games against Alabama and Florida) should at least propel this team into the top 20.
3) Vanderbilt Commodores
Last week’s ranking: 5 (+2)
Record: 19-3 (6-3)
Last week: W vs. Kentucky (80-55), W at Ole Miss (71-68)
Next week: vs. Oklahoma (Feb. 7 – 3:30 p.m.)
Quality wins: Alabama, Saint Mary’s, at UCF, SMU, VCU, Kentucky
Bad losses:
Vanderbilt took care of business against Ole Miss, but genuinely wiped the floor with Kentucky. The Wildcats did not stand a chance against this ‘Dores defense, who put on a masterclass. That’s enough to vault Vanderbilt into the Top 3 of the SEC Basketball Power Rankings, a wonderful place to be, especially in February. And all they have to do to maintain that position this week is to take out Oklahoma at home. Dare we say an easy week in the SEC?
4) Kentucky Wildcats
Last week’s ranking: 3 (-1)
Record: 15-7 (6-3)
Last week: L at #18 Vanderbilt (80-55), W at #15 Arkansas (85-77)
Next week: vs. Oklahoma (Feb. 4 – 9 p.m.), vs. #25 Tennessee (Feb. 7 – 8:30 p.m.)
Quality wins: St. John’s, at Tennessee, Texas, Indiana, at Arkansas
Bad losses:
Kentucky had about as much of an up-and-down week as an SEC team can have. First, of course, the Wildcats looked absolutely horrific against Vanderbilt on the road. But they then battled against mountains of self-inflicted wounds against Arkansas to take down the Razorbacks in Fayetteville. The result? A one-spot drop in these rankings. (We can’t forgive a 25-point loss.)
But this week, Kentucky returns to the friendly confines of Lexington, Kentucky, to play Oklahoma and Tennessee at home. A note about the Vols: Kentucky is 4-0 against Tennessee in their last four regular-season matchups.
5) Arkansas Razorbacks
Last week’s ranking: 1 (-4)
Record: 16-6 (6-3)
Last week: W at Oklahoma (83-79), L vs. Kentucky (85-77)
Next week: at Mississippi State (Feb. 7 – 12 p.m.)
Quality wins: Texas Tech, Louisville, Vanderbilt, Tennessee
Bad losses:
All of this could’ve been avoided had Arkansas simply taken care of business against Kentucky. The Razorbacks were winning in the second half at home in a charged environment, but could not get it done in the end. As a result, they fall from the top spot in the SEC Basketball Power Rankings to the fringes of the Top Five. Don’t shoot the messenger, though.
This week doesn’t offer much hope for upward mobility, either, with Arkansas traveling to Starkville to take on a not-so-great Mississippi State team. Win that one, then focus on moving up next week.
6) Tennessee Volunteers
Last week’s ranking: 7 (+1)
Record: 15-6 (5-3)
Last week: W at Georgia (86-85), W vs. Auburn (77-69)
Next week: vs. Ole Miss (Feb. 3 – 7 p.m.), at Kentucky (Feb. 7 – 8:30 p.m.)
Quality wins: Houston, at Alabama, Louisville, Texas A&M, Texas, at Georgia, Auburn
Bad losses:
How about that? After their loss to Kentucky, Tennessee has beaten Alabama on the road, Georgia on the road in overtime, and now Auburn at home. Not only are the Vols on a three-game winning streak, but they’re also ranked in the Top 25. Maybe it’s too early for that, but the signs are promising. This week, it’s a home game against a not-so-good Ole Miss team before a road test against the Wildcats.
7) Alabama Crimson Tide
Last week’s ranking: 8 (+1)
Record: 14-7 (4-4)
Last week: W vs. Missouri (90-64), L at #19 Florida (100-77)
Next week: vs. Texas A&M (Feb. 4 – 7 p.m.), at Auburn (Feb. 7 – 4 p.m.)
Quality wins: at St. John’s, Illinois, Clemson, Kentucky, Missouri
Bad losses:
Alabama falls out of the AP poll for the first time in over two years. Why? Because they can manage to sign a G-League center halfway through the season and still manage to have a defense that toes the line between Swiss cheese and a wet paper bag from Wendy’s. This Crimson Tide team could get into a shootout with any intramural team in the SEC, and it’s not because of their lack of offense, but rather the fact that they cannot defend.
8) Auburn Tigers
Last week’s ranking: 9 (+1)
Record: 14-8 (5-4)
Last week: W vs. Texas (88-82), L at Tennessee (77-69)
Next week: vs. Alabama (Feb. 7 – 4 p.m.)
Quality wins: at Florida, St. John’s, Arkansas, NC State, Texas
Bad losses:
Auburn, at this point in time, is shockingly average. That’s not to say that they’re bad, but rather that it came as no one’s surprise that they A) beat Texas last week, and B) lost to Tennessee. This isn’t a team that will be a threat in March, but they will probably get there, and no one’s going to complain about them being in the tournament. A big test awaits with Alabama this week at home. Can Auburn secure a victory against their rivals in what seems like the first time in a while that both teams are simply just ok?
9) Texas Longhorns
Last week’s ranking: 11 (+2)
Record: 13-9 (4-5)
Last week: L at Auburn (88-82), W at Oklahoma (79-69)
Next week: vs. South Carolina (Feb. 3 – 7 p.m.), vs. Ole Miss (Feb. 7 – 2 p.m.)
Quality wins: at Alabama, Vanderbilt, Georgia, NC State
Bad losses: Mississippi State
Here comes Texas with another one step forward, one step backwards type of week. Since November, the Longhorns haven’t managed to put together a three-game winning streak, but they’ve also avoided having a three-game losing streak. But don’t fret, Texas fans. Y’all play two of the worst teams in the conference at home this week, and since the Longhorns beat Oklahoma last time out, that three-game winning streak is in sight. But be warned: there’s a big difference between going 2-0 and 1-1 this week.
10) Missouri Tigers
Last week’s ranking: 10 (-)
Record: 15-7 (5-4)
Last week: L at #23 Alabama (90-64), W vs. Mississippi State (84-79)
Next week: at South Carolina (Feb. 7 – 1 p.m.)
Quality wins: at Kentucky, Florida, Auburn
Bad losses: Notre Dame
Missouri isn’t the best team in the SEC, obviously. But they are doing what the doctor orders, beating the teams they should. With the exception of the LSU game, the Tigers are beating the teams below them in the standings, setting up for a possible tournament appearance again. We’ll see if that stays steady this weekend: Missouri must beat South Carolina on Saturday.
11) Georgia Bulldogs
Last week’s ranking: 6 (-5)
Record: 16-6 (4-5)
Last week: L vs. Tennessee (86-85), L vs. Texas A&M (92-77)
Next week: at LSU (Feb. 7 – 6 p.m.)
Quality wins: Arkansas, Auburn, at Missouri
Bad losses:
Georgia is now tied with South Carolina and Ole Miss for the second-longest losing streak in the SEC. Is that bad? It ain’t good. And they were so close to defeating Tennessee at home and adding another quality win to the resume. But what’s done is done, and the Bulldogs must now snap the streak to get back on track. They’ve got a good opportunity to do so against LSU on the road this weekend.
12) Ole Miss Rebels
Last week’s ranking: 12 (-)
Record: 11-10 (3-5)
Last week: L at #18 Vanderbilt (71-68)
Next week: at #25 Tennessee (Feb. 3 – 7 p.m.), at Texas (Feb. 7 – 2 p.m.)
Quality wins: at Georgia
Bad losses: Utah
Welcome to the double-digit loss club, Ole Miss. You’ve joined Oklahoma, Mississippi State, and South Carolina. Not the best of company, no. But look on the bright side…the Rebels only lost by three to Vanderbilt. That’s what’s known as a moral victory. However, the team might have to subside on moral victories for the near future: they’ll be underdogs in road games against Tennessee and Texas this week.
13) Mississippi State Bulldogs
Last week’s ranking: 14 (+1)
Record: 11-11 (3-6)
Last week: W at LSU (80-66), L at Missouri (84-79)
Next week: vs. #21 Arkansas (Feb. 7 – 12 p.m.)
Quality wins: at Texas
Bad losses: San Francisco, Kansas State
Mississippi State is not a good basketball team. But they do deserve congratulations, as does any SEC team does following a conference win. Congrats, Bulldogs, for beating LSU. Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, Mississippi State is officially into the “Uno Más” Zone. That means if they have one more, or uno más, defeat the rest of the regular season, they’re out of at-large consideration and must win the SEC Tournament to qualify for March.
14) LSU Tigers
Last week’s ranking: 15 (+1)
Record: 14-8 (2-7)
Last week: L vs. Mississippi State (80-66), W at South Carolina (92-87)
Next week: vs. Georgia (Feb. 7 – 6 p.m.)
Quality wins: SMU, Missouri
Bad losses: South Carolina, Mississippi State
If it weren’t for a dreadful performance against Mississippi State, we’d be talking about a 15-7 LSU team with aspirations of a possible 10 seed in March. But the aforementioned performance has hindered that speech. Instead, this team is one of just three teams in the SEC that have so far failed to get three conference wins. That is not the best of news for the Tigers. But they have a home game this week against a slumping Georgia. Maybe they pick up win number three in Baton Rouge on Saturday?
15) South Carolina Gamecocks
Last week’s ranking: 13 (-2)
Record: 11-11 (2-7)
Last week: L vs. #19 Florida (95-48), L vs. LSU (92-87)
Next week: at Texas (Feb. 3 – 7 p.m.), vs. Missouri (Feb. 7 – 1 p.m.)
Quality wins:
Bad losses: LSU
And with that, South Carolina is back to .500 on the year. They’ve lost three straight, and given up 90+ points in all three of those defeats. This team lacks size, is extremely inconsistent on offense, and can’t stop the fast break for anything. On top of that, they really don’t have a quality win all season. The last time they beat a ranked SEC basketball opponent was almost two years ago when they beat Florida at home in 2024.
16) Oklahoma Sooners
Last week’s ranking: 16 (-)
Record: 11-11 (1-8)
Last week: L vs. #15 Arkansas (83-79), L vs. Texas (79-69)
Next week: at Kentucky (Feb. 4 – 9 p.m.), at #15 Vanderbilt (Feb. 7 – 3:30 p.m.)
Quality wins:
Bad losses: Arizona State, at South Carolina, at Mississippi State
Out of respect for Oklahoma’s fanbase’s sanity, we’re keeping this particular column about as short as we can until the Sooners break their eight-game losing streak. There’s no reason to rub salt in the wound.
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