WBN SEC Basketball Power Rankings: FINAL EDITION
By Paul Jordan
Greetings SEC Basketball fans and welcome to the last edition of the Wildcat Blue Nation SEC Power Rankings. It’s been an exciting season and hopefully the SEC can get five or six teams in the tournament. I have to say that going into the postseason, I like the teams we are sending to the NCAA Tournament and think we are sending a bunch that can beat any team in the country on any given night …. and sadly lose to anyone as well. Let’s take a look at the final SEC standings:
SEC STANDINGS
SEC EAST
FLORIDA 13-3 #*
KENTUCKY 10-6
VANDERBILT 9-7
GEORGIA 9-7
TENNESSEE 8-8
SOUTH CAROLINA 5-11
SEC WEST
ALABAMA 12-4
MISSISSIPPI STATE 9-7
MISSISSIPPI 7-9
ARKANSAS 7-9
AUBURN 4-12
LSU 3-13
* DiVISION CHAMPION
# REGULAR SEASON SEC CHAMPION
I know in the past, I have had the “Tournament Watch” and the “Power Rankings” listed seperately but for the season ending edition, I am not going to focus on the week behind but look at the Tournaments ahead and the chances at making the NCAA.
WBN SEC POWER RANKINGS
1. (1) #12 FLORIDA (24-6)
REAL TIME RPI RANKING: 10
NCAA LOCK
PROJECTED SEED – #3
I think the Gators have the number four seed locked up and need maybe just one win to move up into a number three spot. Yes, Florida did lose to Jacksonville, but have gone 16-3 since then and have swept Vanderbilt, Georgia, and Tennessee. In the tournament, the Gators will be a dangerous team as they are good in the clutch and have a lot of experience. I think they are a legitimate Sweet 16 team and could advance to the Elite Eight.
2. (4) #16 KENTUCKY (22-8)
REAL TIME RPI RANKING: 12
NCAA LOCK
PROJECTED SEED – #3-4
After losing to Vanderbilt, the Wildcats seemed to turn the corner on their season with wins over ranked Florida and Vanderbilt and a tough road win at Tennessee. Kentucky had a few bad losses (Arkansas, Mississippi) but the fact that seven of their losses were by 20 points has to be taken into consideration. Kentucky has big wins over Notre Dame, Louisville, and Washington, as well as the wins over Florida and Vanderbilt to give them an impressive resume. Kentucky should be a Sweet 16 team and if they make it that far would be a darkhorse for the Final Four.
3. (3) #24 VANDERBILT (21-9)
REAL TIME RPI RANKING: 26
NCAA LOCK
PROJECTED SEEDING: #6
The Commodores are heading into the tournaments on a bit of a tailspin, losing two games in a row and three of their last four games. The Commodores have a bad loss to South Carolina and were swept by Tennessee and their best wins were over St. Mary’s, Kentucky, and a sweep over Georgia. The Commodores got a good draw in the SEC Tournament and could move into a #5 sport with three wins and a finals appearance. I think the Commodores have a good chance for a Sweet 16 bid, but that seems to be as far as this team will go.
4. (5) GEORGIA (20-10)
REAL TIME RPI RANKING: 39
NCAA LOCK
PROJECTED SEEDING: #9
As has been the case for the last couple of years, the Georgia Bulldogs have been the team that no one wants to face and the edition of Gerald Robinson this year makes them even more dangerous. This is a team that is good at winning the close games, but unfortunately they tend to play down to the level of their competition. To their credit, they have no bad losses but just one “good win” which was over Kentucky. Look for Mark Fox’s bunch to survive the first round, and would be a darkhorse pick to make the Sweet 16, but more than likely won’t make it out of the first weekend due to their seed. If this team can win two games in the SEC Tournament, could be an #8 seed.
5. (2) ALABAMA (20-10)
REAL TIME RPI RANKING: 79
NCAA BUBBLE
PROJECTED SEEDING: #10
I know … I had Alabama number two in the SEC Power Rankings last week but that 27 point loss to Florida really bugs me and well, the rules change headed into the post season. I would hope that the NCAA selection committee thinks a 12-4 SEC record, plus wins over Kentucky, Georgia, and Tennessee are enough to put them in the tournament. The SEC seeding did Alabama no favors as they would have to face Georgia, Kentucky, and Florida possibly to win the title. Two wins will get Alabama in for sure, but hopefully just one will do the job. With their defense, they can pull an upset over a #7 seed in the first round, but they but one win in the NCAA may be pushing it.
6. (8) TENNESSEE (18-13)
REAL TIME RPI RANKING: 36
NCAA BUBBLE
PROJECTED SEEDING: 10
Are the Vols solidly in the NCAA Tournament? Most pundits would say yes due to the RPI ranking and the third toughest schedule. I say losses to Oakland and Charleston put you squarely on the bubble … along with that 18-13 record. The Vols
do have some good wins though over Pitt, Villanova, Memphis and Vandy twice. I assume that one win in the SEC would solidly a NCAA bid but a win over Florida would give them 20 wins and possible a #8-9 seed.
7. (7) MISSISSIPPI STATE (17-13)
REAL TIME RPI RANKING: 113
NIT BOUND
I guess the Bulldogs are in a bit better position than the other teams because they got the first round bye. And the Bulldogs have already beaten the Gators this season which could put them in the finals if they can do it again, but its all or nothing for this team: SEC title or the NIT. Stansbury does seem to be a pretty good tournament coach and if he can get Sidney to not need oxygen during the game, the Bulldogs are a darkhorse to take the SEC Tournament.
8. (9) MISSISSIPPI (19-12)
REAL TIME RPI RANKING: 80
NIT BOUND
The good news is that the Rebels open against South Carolina which should net their 20th win and lock up a NIT bid on record alone. The Rebels have been one tremendous disappointment this year and had several bad losses but the win over Kentucky was the highlight of the season. This team has the talent to be a darkhorse in Atlanta this weekend, but not getting the first round bye and having to win four in a row kind of kills those chances.
9. (6) ARKANSAS (18-12)
REAL TIME RPI RANKING: 120
NIT BOUND
You would have thought that the Razorbacks could have been a borderline NCAA team after beating Kentucky IF they could have finished 3-0 down the stretch and had a 20-10 record. As it worked out, the Howg beat Auburn by just two, and lost by double digits to both Mississippi teams. Arkansas would need a near miraculous run of Tennessee, Florida, Vandy, and Kentucky to get the auomatic bid, so NIT it is.
10. (10) SOUTH CAROLINA (14-15)
REAL TIME RPI RANKING: 131
HOME FOR SPRING BREAK
The Gamecocks hung tough the first half of the season and were actually 12-5 and 3-1 in the SEC. Reality sunk in with a homecourt loss to Kentucky and the Gamecocks have been 2-10 since. It looks line a one ame and done in the SEC Tournament for South Carolina.
11. (12) AUBURN (11-19)
REAL TIME RPI RANKING: 254
HOME FOR SPRING BREAK
Well, at least Auburn has been tough the last month of the season wih two point losses to Alabama and Arkansas, but they rebounded with wins over Ole Miss and LSU.
12. (11) LSU (11-20)
REAL TIME RPI RANKING: 219
HOME FOR SPRING BREAK
A 1-13 record down the stretch has Billy Gillispie watching and waiting for a job opening in Baton Rouge after next season. Not good.
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