SEC Power Rankings: 1-21-13 Edition
Jan 19, 2013; Auburn, AL, USA: Kentucky Wildcats forward Alex Poythress (22) gets a shot off despite a foul by Auburn Tigers center Rob Chubb (41) during the second half at Auburn Arena. The Wildcats beat the Tigers, 75-53. Mandatory Credit: John Reed-USA TODAY Sports
8. Auburn Tigers (8-9, 2-2) Last Week: L 88-80 (2 OT) at Arkansas, L 75-53 vs. Kentucky: After a promising 2-0 start in the SEC, the Tigers dropped two in a row. They almost pulled it off against Arkansas on the road but they were blasted on their home court by Kentucky. The Wildcats are by far the most talented team Auburn has faced all season and they flunked that test in spectacular fashion. In short, they aren’t a very good basketball team and there will be plenty of more “L’s” to come this season. This Week: January 23 at Vanderbilt, January 26 vs. Ole Miss
9. Mississippi State Bulldogs (7-9, 2-2) Last Week: L 75-43 vs. Alabama, L 72-57 at Tennessee: Again, another team that satrted off 2-0 in the SEC got a big wake up call as they went winless in their next two games. The Bull Dogs are here based on conference record alone. There is nothing impressive or promising about this team. They face Florida this week. That score should be an absolute laugher. This Week: January 23 at Arkansas, January 26 vs. #10 Florida
10. Tennessee Volunteers (9-7, 1-3) Last Week: L 75-65 at Kentucky, W 72-57 vs, Mississippi State: The Vols finally recored their first SEC win against Mississippi State. They held on at Kentucky as long as they could before Kentucky’s talent finally prevailed. Jarnell Stokes and Jordan McRae are the team leaders in just about every category, but Stokes has a tendency to get into foul trouble as he did against the Wildcats. He bounced back big time against Mississippi State by scoring 18. I don’t think Tennessee is as bad as their conference record indicates and I think they will improve as the season goes on. They have a chance this week to prove that against the two best teams in the West. This Week: January 24 at Ole Miss, January 26 vs. Alabama
11. South Carolina Gamecocks (11-6, 1-3) Last Week: W 82-73 (OT) at LSU, L 58-52 vs. Vanderbilt: The Gamecocks were fool’s gold in the non conference games. They are being exposed in the SEC and have a really good chance of having a losing record by the end of the season. They don’t do anything particularly well and I don’t see them sneaking up on anybody. This Week: January 22 at #17 Missouri, January 26 vs. Arkansas
12. Vanderbilt (7-9, 1-3) Last Week: L 89-79 (OT) vs. Ole Miss, W 58-52 at. South Carolina: Poor Kevin Stalling. He just can’t catch a break. His team blew it against Kentucky in the final seconds and then blew it against Ole Miss in overtime. They just can’t seem to beat anybody worth a damn. This brutal season for Stallings prove that not every team can lose their best players and still be competitive like Kentucky did. Stallings isn’t a great recruiter and his talent this season shows it. This Week: January 23 vs. Auburn, January 26, at #17 Missouri
13. Georgia Bulldogs (7-10, 1-3) Last Week: L 79-62 at #17 Missouri, W 67-58 vs. LSU: How about that, the Bull Dogs got a win. The only thing I got out of this week from Georgia is that they aren’t the worst team in the SEC. This Week: January 23 vs. #10 Florida, January 26 at Texas A&M
14. LSU Tigers (9-6, 0-4) Last Week: L 82-73 (OT) vs. South Carolina, L 67-58 at Georgia: The Tigers can’t play patsies all season, though the SEC is as close to a patsy conference as there is. Their big time non-con record has been destroyed as they are winless in the weakest conference in college basketball. And their prospects for a W are low as they face Texas A&M at home and the Wildcats on the road. This Week: January 23 vs. Texas A&M, January 26 at Kentucky