SEC Power Rankings: Give Missouri their flowers
01/27/2025
By Chris Marler
It feels like this is said every week, but this week is no different. What we are witnessing in SEC basketball week to week is unprecedented. This level of competitive depth, roster talent, and coaching talent is deeper than anything we have ever seen in the sport. That is neither an exaggeration nor an attempt at dramatic effect—it is a factual statement.
Ten teams made the AP top 25, 13 teams rank in the top 50 in the latest KenPom rankings, 14 of the 16 teams are in the top 60 of NET Rankings, and an unprecedented 13 teams are projected to make the NCAA Tournament.
The Starting Five
- Auburn
This Auburn team is so damn special. They held off Tennessee in the rock fight of all rock fights Saturday night in Neville Arena. The win over the No. 6 Vols improved their record to 18-1 overall this season. If the 18-1 record isn’t impressive enough, then keep in mind that 11 of those 18 wins are Quad 1 wins. No other team in the country has more than eight Quad 1 wins and only five teams in the country have more than five this season.
That means that Auburn has three more Quad 1 wins than anyone in the country and they have more than double the Quad 1 wins of 360 of the other 364 Division 1 teams in America.
- Florida
The case can be made for putting either Alabama or Florida at No. 2. However, Florida deserves the No. 2 spot at this point of the season. Alabama didn’t necessarily do anything to lose their spot in this week’s power rankings. However, Florida’s season-long resume continues to be incredibly impressive.
The Gators hosted Georgia this past weekend. Georgia was ranked last week and has a win over Kentucky this season. Plus, their head coach Mike White was the former head coach at Florida, so emotions were high for this game.
Florida won by 30. That’s their second 30 point win over an SEC opponent this season. They’re currently 18-2 on the year, which is the best start in the last 20 years of the Gators program. Also, those two losses are by a combined seven points. Don’t look now, but Florida may be the most dangerous team in the country come tournament time.
- Alabama
Alabama went 2-0 this week with two home wins over Vanderbilt and LSU. However, Saturday’s win against LSU somehow shook the confidence of the fanbase with how it played out. Alabama was a 17.5 point favorite and had won 17 of their last 20 games against the Tigers in Coleman Coliseum. However, it was tied at the half and credit to LSU, they just never went away.
Perhaps the most puzzling aspect of the game had nothing to do with the final score; instead, it was the decision to bench All-American guard Mark Sears in the second half. Alabama has the clear cut, most talented roster in the country. They are deeper and more talented than everyone including Auburn, Duke, or any other contenders and perennial blue bloods. The biggest issue for Nate Oats and his team has been consistently figuring out the right combination of five guys to put on the floor.
- Tennessee
There are no moral victories in this league and Rick Barnes would be the first to tell you that. However, Tennessee’s loss at Auburn is about as close as it gets. Tennessee fought like hell in that game and couldn’t have been more impressive. It’s hard to win on the road in the SEC and Tennessee would be the first to tell you that. The Vols already have three losses this season away from Knoxville. Regardless, Saturday’s loss will do a lot for this team, because at the very least, it was a reminder to everyone that this team can still compete for 40 minutes with any team in the country.
- Missouri
The original draft of this article listed Kentucky at No. 5. They may very well be the fifth best team in the country, but maybe it’s time to put some respect on Missouri’s name, as the kids say. Missouri beat Ole Miss at home this Saturday to improve 5-2 in conference play. They are also one of three teams in the league who is still undefeated at home improving to 15-0 in Columbia.
The Tigers have been the definition of team basketball. They don’t have any super stars on their team, but that hasn’t stopped them from reeling off five conference wins by an average of over ten points per game. They also have, arguably, the best win of any team in the conference this year at Florida.
Give them their flowers and do it especially before their next three games, because they start February with three straight games against top 15 opponents, including two away from home.
The Best of the Rest
- Kentucky
- Mississippi State
- Texas A&M
- Vanderbilt
- Ole Miss
- Texas
- Georgia
- LSU
- Arkansas
- Oklahoma
- South Carolina