Kentucky basketball stumbled over a wild SEC weekend, falling 96-83 to No. 4 Alabama on February 22, 2025, in Tuscaloosa, as part of a slate that scrambled the conference standings. The No. 17 Wildcats (18-9, 7-7 SEC) saw Koby Brea’s 20 points overshadowed by Alabama’s Mark Sears (30 points), ending their two-game win streak and leaving them tied with Mississippi State at 7-7. No. 1 Auburn, No. 2 Florida, and No. 6 Tennessee flexed their muscle, while upsets shook the middle and bottom tiers—wildcatbluenation.com unpacks Kentucky’s spot in the new SEC pecking order with a power ranking blending weekend chaos and season grit.
Here’s the updated SEC standings after the February 22nd games:
Team | Conference Record | Overall Record |
|---|---|---|
Auburn | 13-1 | 25-2 |
Florida | 11-3 | 24-3 |
Alabama | 11-3 | 22-5 |
Tennessee | 9-5 | 22-5 |
Missouri | 9-5 | 20-7 |
Texas A&M | 9-5 | 20-7 |
Ole Miss | 8-6 | 19-8 |
Kentucky | 7-7 | 18-9 |
Mississippi State | 7-7 | 19-8 |
Vanderbilt | 7-7 | 18-9 |
Arkansas | 5-9 | 16-11 |
Texas | 5-9 | 16-11 |
Oklahoma | 4-10 | 17-10 |
Georgia | 4-10 | 16-11 |
LSU | 3-11 | 14-13 |
South Carolina | 1-13 | 11-16 |
Top 4 get a double bye in SEC tournament, next 4 get a single bye, 9-16 has to play the opening round.
Kentucky’s 7-7 tie with Mississippi State lands them mid-pack, but the weekend’s chaos reshaped the top:
Auburn crushed Georgia 82-70
Florida rolled LSU 79-65
Tennessee edged Texas A&M 77-69
Arkansas tops Missouri 92-85
South Carolina stunned Texas 84-69
WBN Power Rankings
1. Florida (24-3, 11-3) ➖ Six straight wins, capped by Rueben Chinyelu’s 19-point, 13-rebound night at LSU—13-1 at home, 6-2 road grit shines.
2. Auburn (25-2, 13-1)➖ Broome’s 31-point, 14-rebound gem vs. Georgia cements their dominance—13-1 in SEC play and 7-1 on the road are untouchable.
3. Alabama (22-5, 11-3) ⬆️ Sears’ 30 buried Kentucky—8-2 on the road and five wins in six keep them elite despite a Missouri hiccup.
4. Tennessee (22-5, 9-5) ⬆️ Chaz Lanier’s 30-point explosion downed Texas A&M—14-1 at home, they’re heating up fast.
5. Texas A&M (20-7, 9-5) ➖ Wade Taylor IV’s 18 couldn’t stop a Tennessee L—12-2 at home holds them firm despite two straight losses.
6. Missouri (20-7, 9-5) ⬇️ Mark Mitchell’s 17 flopped at Arkansas—17-1 at home is gold, but 3-5 on the road drags them down.
7. Ole Miss (19-8, 8-6) – Malik Dia’s 22 fell short at Vanderbilt—11-3 at home, but two losses in a row dim their spark.
8. Kentucky (18-9, 7-7) ⬇️ Brea’s 20 wasn’t enough vs. Alabama—12-2 at home, but a 2-6 road mark screams inconsistency.
9. Mississippi State (19-8, 7-7) ➖Josh Hubbard’s 19 couldn’t save them at Oklahoma—6-3 road record softens a two-game skid.
10. Vanderbilt (18-9, 6-8) ⬆️ Chris Manon’s 16 upset Ole Miss—13-2 at home, but 2-6 away keeps them mid-tier.
11. Arkansas (16-11, 5-9) ⬆️ Zvonimir Ivisic’s 20 shocked Missouri—11-4 at home, but uneven play caps their rise.
12. Oklahoma (17-10, 4-10) ⬆️ Jeremiah Fears’ 27-point, 10-assist gem beat Mississippi State—10-4 at home ends a five-game slide.
13. South Carolina (11-16, 1-13) ⬆️Collin Murray-Boyles’ 22 stunned Texas—first SEC win, but 1-8 road keeps them low.
14. Texas (16-11, 5-9)⬇️Tre Johnson’s 29 flailed vs. South Carolina—five losses in six outweigh 11-5 home edge.
15. Georgia (16-11, 4-10) ⬇️Asa Newell’s 20 couldn’t dent Auburn—13-3 at home, but 1-7 road and four straight losses sink them.
16. LSU (14-13, 3-11) ⬇️ Robert Miller III’s 19 fell to Florida—11-5 at home, but two losses in a row bury them.
With 4 games left, the fight for seeding is heating up. Where will the Cats land?