SEC Power Rankings after Week 5 of the college basketball season
Things are heating up on the college basketball front, as we are just a few weeks away from conference play beginning.
This week in the SEC was fairly status-quo, with most teams hosting games against lesser competition, therefore collecting wins and adding some juice to the win column.
Our SEC Power Rankings didn’t see much movement because of this, but some teams were able to improve their positioning heading into the final stretch of non-conference play.
Vanderbilt
Last Week: 0-1
Regular Season: 4-5
It’s officially safe to say Vanderbilt is going to finish at the bottom of the SEC this season.
The Commodores became the first team in the conference to fall below .500 on the season, losing a home game to a decent, but not very good, San Francisco team last week.
This team isn’t going to win games unless senior guard Ezra Majon is scoring 20+ points.
LSU
Last Week: 0-1
Regular Season: 5-4
There was a part of me that believed LSU had a chance to surpise some people this year led by the dynamic duo of forward Will Baker and guard Jordan Wright.
That has not been the case.
The Tigers lost by double digits to a Power 5 team again this week, getting blown out at home by the Kansas State Wildcats after suffering a worse loss against the Syracuse Orange last week.
LSU is now 1-3 against Power 5 teams this year, although they do have a nice win over 6-3 Wake Forest.
Georgia
Last Week: 1-0
Regular Season: 6-3
Georgia has quietly won three games in a row.
The Bulldogs picked up a nice rivalry home win over ACC opponent Georgia Tech this week, giving them their second Power 5 win in three games.
Mike White’s team is still a long-shot to make noise in the SEC, but the backcourt of Noah Thomasson and Jabri Abdur-Rahim could be just good enough to help UGA finish above .500 for the second time in seven years.
Florida
Last Week: 2-0
Regular Season: 6-3
The Florida Gators picked up a pair of solid wins this week against Merrimack and Richmond.
Iona transfer guard Walter Clayton Jr. is blossoming into a star, while all other UF starters are averaging double figures.
Florida should be an NCAA Tournament team, but they have work to do to surpass the rest of the conference.
Texas A&M
Last Week: 1-1
Regular Season: 7-3
The Texas A&M Aggies are a tough team to figure out.
Henry Coleman III and company have spent time ranked in the top 25 of the coaches poll this year, but continue to lose games to decent opponents.
The Aggies lost to a borderline NCAA Tournament team in Memphis this week after losing to another bubble team in Virginia the week before.
Early season wins against Iowa State and Ohio State show Texas A&M is for real, but the Aggies need to start stacking wins together if they hope to make noise in a crowded SEC.
Mississippi State
Last Week: 1-0
Regular Season: 7-2
Mississippi State got back on track last week with a solid home victory over Tulane.
The Bulldogs have been solid to start the season, but the lack of quality opponents on their out-of-conference schedule makes it difficult to predict how they’ll fare in SEC play.
Auburn
Last Week: 1-0
Regular Season: 6-2
The Auburn Tigers took care of business in their lone game this week, blowing out the Indiana Hoosiers in Atlanta 104-76.
Freshman guard Aden Holloway was able to get back on track in a big way, while the rest of the Tigers were able to carry the offensive load with star forward Johni Broome dealing with foul trouble.
The “Jekyll and Hyde” nature of Auburn’s offense is an issue, but this team can play with anyone when they are scoring the basketball.
South Carolina
Last Week: 1-1
Regular Season: 8-1
South Carolina was finally tested last week when they traveled to play a very talented Clemson team. The Gamecocks lost, but played better than expected.
Guard Meechie Johnson is a star. South Carolina will need him to continue scoring around 20 points per game if they hope to take their early season momentum into SEC play.
Alabama
Last Week: 0-1
Regular Season: 6-3
Nate Oats and the Alabama Crimson Tide were a few possessions away from upsetting the top-ranked Purdue Boilermakers in Toronto last week.
Unfortunately for them, they lost by 6.
The 92-86 result proves Alabama belongs in the discussion for the top teams in the SEC, and in the country, but the Crimson Tide have to at least split their upcoming games against Creigton and Arizona if they hope to stay in that conversation.
Missouri
Last Week: 0-1
Regular Season: 7-3
Last week said it may be time to start paying attention to Missouri and its trio of stars in Sean East II, Nick Honor, and Noah Cater.
I am officially paying attention.
The trio went into Lawrence Kansas and gave the No. 2 ranked Jayhawks a game, winning the second half in a 9-point loss.
East III and Honor combined for 38 of the Tigers 64 points in the loss, showing as long as they are healthy, Missouri can be a problem for any opponent.
The Tigers have the makings of a team that can make a run at a NCAA Tournament bid.
Arkansas
Last Week: 0-1
Regular Season: 6-4
All the momentum that Eric Musselman and the Arkansas Razorbacks built with two wins last week stalled this week.
The Razorbacks had a chance to pick up a huge road win over No. 12 ranked Oklahoma, but couldn’t get it done.
Khalif Battle and company are still a second-weekend NCAA Tournament threat, but they’ll have to figure out how to win away from home if they hope to make a run at a SEC title.
Kentucky
Last Week: 1-0
Regular Season: 7-2
Kentucky avenged a brutal home loss to UNCW two weeks ago with a solid road win over Ivy League team Penn this week at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, PA.
The Wildcats are uber-talented and can make a run at the Final 4 if John Calipari can deliver a solid coaching performance.
Tennessee
Last Week: 2-0
Regular Season: 6-3
Tennessee got back on track last week after a rough three-game losing streak against Purdue, Kansas, and North Carolina.
The Volunteers blew out George Mason before notching a great home win over Terrance Shannon Jr. and Big 10 contender Illinois.
Vols guard Dalton Knecht is making an early case for SEC Player of the Year. If he can continue shooting lights out and Rick Barnes is able to fix the Volunteers defensive issues, the sky is the limit for this squad.
Ole Miss
Last Week: 2-0
Regular Season: 9-0
Cupcake schedule or not, Chris Beard and Ole Miss keep on winning.
The Rebels have a solid chance to go into SEC play undefeated as they host Cal, Troy, Southern Mississippi, and Bryant before traveling to Knoxville to start SEC play.
Ole Miss is good, but we won’t know how good until they are tested.
