WBN SEC Basketball Power Rankings: 2/20 Edition
By Paul Jordan
SEC STANDINGS
SEC EAST
Florida 10-2
Vanderbilt 8-4
Kentucky 7-5
Georgia 7-5
Tennessee 6-6
South Carolina 4-8
SEC WEST
Alabama 10-2*
Mississippi State 6-6
Mississippi 5-7
Arkansas 5-7
LSU 2-10
Auburn 2-10
* clinched at least a tie
TOURNAMENT WATCH
NCAA BOUND (5): Florida, Alabama, Vanderbilt, Kentucky, Georgia
BUBBLES BURSTING (1): Tennessee
NIT OR OTHER TOURNEY (3): Mississippi, Mississippi State, Arkansas
HOME FOR SPRING BREAK (3): South Carolina, LSU, Auburn
SEC BASKETBALL POWER RANKINGS:
1. (1) #15 Florida (21-5) – (defeated LSU 68-61): The Gators are in control in the SEC East but have to face four NCAA teams the rest of the way to seal the deal. I don’t know how long Chandler Parson will be out, but a 7 point win over LSU this late in the season sends off red flags. Regardless, the Gators should win the SEC East, barring a total meltdown. THIS WEEK: 2/24 vs Georgia, @ #22 Kentucky
2. (2) Alabama (18-8) – (defeated LSU 67-56, defeated Arkansas 69-56): The Crimson Tide does not win pretty, but look at those defensive efforts. Once again, they held both teams to 56 points. Defense wins championships and the Tide has clinched at least a share of the SEC West, and given the difficulty of Florida’s schedule, have a good chance at winning the SEC regular season outright. Who would have thought this in December? THIS WEEK: 2/23 vs Auburn, 2/26 @ Ole Miss
3. (3) #18 Vanderbilt (20-6) – (defeated Georgia 65-56, defeated Auburn 77-60): As long as John Jenkins is healthy, Vanderbilt is going to be a very tough out in the tournament. They are sound defensively, good at winning the close games, and impossible to beat by sending them to the line. The Georgia win was huge and make them Florida’s only real contender right now, as they still have the Gators on the schedule. THIS WEEK: 2/22 vs Tennessee, 2/26 @ LSU
4. (5) #22 Kentucky (19-7) – (defeated Mississippi State 85-79, defeated South Carolina 90-59): Well, we know that Kentucky can play at Rupp as the offense stormed back and UK averaged 87.5 points this week. Arkansas presents a winnable road game to build confidence and then two more key games at Rupp versus contenders. I have a feeling this team has turned the corner. let’s see. THIS WEEK: 2/23 @ Arkansas, 2/26 vs #15 Florida
5. (4) Georgia (18-8) – (lost to Vanderbilt 64-56, defeated Tennessee 69-63): The Bulldogs may have taken Tennessee’s tournament spot with the win over the Vols and this is a team no want wants to face the last four games. Mark Fox has a team of fighters that can win the close games. Gerald Robinson makes this team a dangerous, dangerous team. THIS WEEK: 2/24 @ #15 Florida, 2/26 vs South Carolina
6. (6) Tennessee (16-11) – ( beat South Carolina 73-67, lost to Georgia 69-63): The loss to Georgia was a back breaker and placed the Vols on the tip of a rapidly popping bubble. The Vols are 1-3 since Pearl returned and winning out may not even save this team from the NIT. It’s a talented team, but the ship has sunk and I don’t know if they can rebound for a NCAA bid. THIS WEEK: 2/22 @ Vanderbilt, 2/26 vs Mississippi State
7. (9) Mississippi State (14-12) – (lost to #22 Kentucky 85-79, beat Mississippi 71-58): All in all, a good week for the Bulldogs as they played Kentucky tough at Rupp and then won a big showdown against my previous darkhorse, the Rebels. You never know how tough or how well this team is going to play, but as of now, they are in the drivers seat for that second seed in the SEC Tourney. THIS WEEK: 2/23 vs LSU, 2/26 @ Tennessee
8. (7) Mississippi (17-10) – (beat Auburn 90-59, lost to Mississippi State 71-58): Despite the loss to the Bulldogs, this is a team that could still make the NCAA if they can win out and win two games in the SEC Tourney. As we saw, Chris Warren is a player that can pull victory from the jaws of defeat. If they Rebels are to go dancing though, they have to pull the upset on Saturday. THIS WEEK: 2/22 @ South Carolina, 2/26 vs Alabama
9. (10) Arkansas (16-10) – (beat Florida A&M 94-55, lost to Alabama 69-56): Like Mississippi, the Razorbacks have an outside shot at a tournament bid but it will need winning out and then sinning three SEC games. To start, they have to knock off Kentucky at home. THIS WEEK: 2/23 vs #22 Kentucky, 2/26 @ Auburn
10. (8): South Carolina (13-12) – (lost to Tennessee 73-67, lost to #22 Kentucky 90-59): The Gamecocks have fallen apart, losing five in a row and seven of eight gam
es. The hard part of their schedule is over now and it will be interesting to see if this team can make an NIT run. THIS WEEK: 2/22 vs Mississippi, 2/26 @ Georgia
11. (12) LSU (10-17) – (lost to Alabama 67-56, lost to #15 Florida 68-61): Well it’s moral victories, but LSU played tough in their two losses. They have still lost 10 games in a row, but at least they have been a tough loss this week. THIS WEEK: 2/23 @ Mississippi State, 2/26 vs #18 Vanderbilt
12. (11) Auburn (9-17) – (lost to Ole Miss 90-59, lost to #18 Vanderbilt 77-60) – Two games, two losses by a total of 47 points, puts the Tigers back in the cellar of the SEC. THIS WEEK: 2/23 @ Alabama, 2/26 vs Arkansas
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