SEC Basketball power rankings, January 7 – Why Auburn tops Vols

By Chris Marler

Football season is winding down, and we’re still more than a month away from baseball season — two sports the SEC has dominated for two decades. However, the sport where the league suddenly appears the deepest and strongest may very well be men’s basketball.

At the start of conference play, nine SEC teams are ranked in the top 25, 14 of the 16 teams are in the top 60 of the NET rankings, and an unprecedented 13 teams are projected to make the NCAA Tournament.

Here are my SEC basketball power rankings for Jan. 7.

1. Auburn

Auburn sits at No. 2 in most polls but has been the best team in the country all season, in my opinion. The Tigers rank No. 1 overall in the NET and KenPom rankings and have played the toughest strength of schedule in the nation.

They also have a win over the team ranked right behind them, Iowa State, which most consider a lock for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Oh, and by the way, they have the best player in America: Johni Broome.

2. Tennessee

My admiration for Auburn in no way shows any disrespect toward Tennessee. The Vols are a phenomenal team, as evidenced by their 24-point home win over a ranked Arkansas team. They rank in the top four nationally in both the KenPom and NET rankings.

However, Tennessee has not faced the same level of difficulty in its schedule as Auburn, which is why I have the Vols at No. 2.

3. Alabama

This Alabama team is arguably the most talented roster in the country. They are undeniably good, as evidenced by their 28-point win over No. 12 Oklahoma on Saturday.

My biggest questions for Alabama are, first, whether this is a finished product, and second, whether we’ll see a game where they go cold from 3-point range, which could cost them. Nate Oats assured the media that 3-point shots are not the first priority of this offense, but the team attempted 55 threes just two weeks ago against North Dakota State.

4. Kentucky

It feels strange to say, but is Kentucky better under first-year head coach Mark Pope than they were under John Calipari? So far, you could make that argument.

Kentucky opened conference play with a big home win over former SEC East rival Florida. The Wildcats are 12-2 this season and have looked impressive with an almost entirely new roster.

5. Florida

Florida suffered its first loss of the season at Kentucky, and the schedule doesn’t get any easier this week with a home game against the No. 1 team in the country, the Tennessee Volunteers.

The Gators are a strong team and return plenty of experience from last year’s squad. However, the star of the show — as well as my prop bet winnings for the last season and a half — is guard Walter Clayton Jr. Clayton is averaging 18.3 points per game and is coming off a 33-point performance at Rupp Arena on Saturday.

6. Mississippi State

The Bulldogs feel like a team that will undeservingly fly under the radar this season. They don’t play a particularly flashy brand of basketball, but they are very good.

They opened conference play with a dominant 35-point win over last year’s SEC Cinderella, South Carolina. The Bulldogs jumped out to a 28-6 lead and held the Gamecocks’ starters to just 23.3% shooting from the field.

7. Texas A&M

Buzz Williams continues to be one of the most consistently successful coaches in the country and has the Aggies in great position heading into January.

They started their conference slate 1-0 after a big win over archrival Texas, outscoring the Longhorns 43-23 in the second half. The team is led by 11th-year senior Wade Taylor IV, who feels like he’s been in college since the Reagan administration.

8. Ole Miss

The Rebels haven’t played the most difficult schedule so far this season but are 12-2 and firmly in the top 25. Both of their losses have been to ranked opponents, and they held a strong Georgia team to just 51 points on Saturday.

9. Arkansas

Arkansas was dominated by Tennessee on Saturday, held to just 52 points. That’s what happens when you go on the road against the No. 1 team in the country and decide to skip a shootaround before the game.

Afterward, the media and fans were assured that skipping the shootaround was normal. I mean, you know, whenever you’re about to face Max Scherzer, the best thing you can do is skip batting practice. Totally normal.

10. Oklahoma

I’m not 100% sold on Oklahoma, but the Sooners will remain in the top 10 for now. They were undefeated before Saturday’s loss in Tuscaloosa.

Oklahoma has a talented starting five and one of the more underrated coaches in the league. However, their defense, rated No. 96 according to KenPom, will need to improve quickly if they’re going to survive the gauntlet of SEC play ahead.

Best of the Rest 

11. Georgia

12. Vanderbilt

13. Texas

14. Missouri

15. LSU

16. South Carolina