SEC women's basketball power rankings: Tennessee Lady Vols in freefall after MTSU upset
It's officially time for the Lady Vols to hit the panic button.
Tennessee's struggles against ranked opponents are justifiable, especially with star Rickea Jackson still sidelined. But there's no excuse for a double-digit loss to MTSU at a neutral site — the first loss to the Blue Raiders in program history.
The state of Mississippi is also in dire straits after Ole Miss and Mississippi State both went a combined 0-4 last week, each dropping their ACC/SEC Challenge game and a mid-major matchup. The Bulldogs lost to unranked Miami before falling to Chattanooga, and the Rebels suffered a brutal two-point loss on the road at Southern Mississippi.
Onto the rankings:
1. South Carolina
Last week: No. 1
Up next: Dec. 10 vs. Utah (Unacasville, CT); Dec. 16 vs Presbyterian
The Gamecocks brought the drama on their conquest of Tobacco Road, from a half-court buzzer beater to double technicals in both games
2. LSU
Last week: No. 2
Up next: Dec. 10 vs Louisiana; Dec. 12 vs. McNeese State; Dec. 17 vs Northwestern State
Pink might be Virginia Tech's least favorite color after Kim Mulkey followed up her puffed sleeves from the Final Four with fluorescent sequined tigers.
3. Arkansas
Last week: No. 9
Up next: Dec. 10 vs. Arkansas Pine Bluff; Dec. 16 vs Samford
Mike Neighbors' last superstar Kelsey Plum scored 157 points in her freshman year at Washington. Taliah Scott is already over 200 and leads the SEC in points per game.
4. Texas A&M
Last week: No. 10
Up next: Dec. 9 vs. Robert Morris; Dec. 18 vs. Mississippi Valley State
The Aggies are 6-0 since losing to Purdue, but beating Lamar and Winthrop isn't doing much for their resume.
5. Alabama
Last week: No. 6
Up next: Dec. 9 vs. Stephen F. Austin, Dec. 10 vs. Samford; Dec. 17 vs. Louisiana Monroe
It's not that Alabama's great play is keeping them in the top half of the conference. The Crimson Tide are simply one of the few teams with only one bad loss, and Syracuse, at least, is a Power Five team.
6. Tennessee
Last week: No. 3
Up next: Dec. 10 vs Eastern Kentucky
The last time the Lady Vols started a season 4-5, the Berlin Wall was standing, gas was 40 cents per gallon and Disney World had been open for two months.
7. Ole Miss
Last week: No. 4
Up next: Dec. 12 vs. Mississippi Valley State; Dec. 18 at South Alabama
The Rebels have a 10-day break between games, and they need it after giving Southern Miss it's first ranked win since 2000.
8. Mississippi State
Last week: No. 5
Up next: Dec. 11 vs. Kennesaw State; Dec. 14 vs. Jackson State; Dec. 17 at Memphis
The Bulldogs can blame some of their recent plight on the injury bug, but there's no easy explanation for struggling against Chattanooga.
9. Vanderbilt
Last week: No. 8
Up next: The Commodores are one of those teams that can only play close games, from an eight-point loss to NC State to a seven-point win over Louisiana Tech.
10. Florida
Last week: No. 7
Up next: Dec. 10 at Tulsa; Dec. 17 at Gardner-Webb
Gators are cold-blooded, so maybe the team can blame its sluggish defensive performance at Marshall on the West Virginia mountains.
11. Georgia
Last week: No. 11
Up next: Dec. 16 vs. Georgia Tech
The Bulldogs' biggest win is a moral victory against Duke in their overtime loss, not to discredit an undefeated run at the Baha Mar Pink Flamingo Championship.
12. Auburn
Last week: No. 12
Up next: Dec. 10 at Little Rock; Dec. 16 vs. Norfolk State
Honesty Scott-Grayson is trying to put the Tigers on her back, but that's tough to do shooting 39% from the field.
13. Missouri
Last week: No. 13
Up next: Dec. 9 vs. Kansas State; Dec. 17 at Illinois
At least the Tigers regained a winning record in their own state after losing to St. Louis, which is more than you can say for several teams ranked above them.
14. Kentucky
Last week: No. 14
Up next: Dec. 10 at Louisville; Dec. 17 vs. Furman
The Wildcats helped the SEC salvage a tie in the ACC/SEC Challenge, but it didn't give them any momentum in a 19-point loss to Minnesota days later.
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: SEC women's basketball power rankings: Time for Lady Vols to panic
