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Where does Kentucky find itself in latest SEC Power Rankings?

They're rising.
ByDrew Holbrook|
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Feb 7, 2026; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope reacts to the action during the first half against the Tennessee Volunteers at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images
Feb 7, 2026; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope reacts to the action during the first half against the Tennessee Volunteers at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

Let’s be honest: The SEC isn't the Death Star it was last year.

We aren't sending 14 teams to the NCAA Tournament again. That was a once-in-a-lifetime anomaly.
But don't let the national narrative fool you, there is some really good ball being played in this league right now.

This week clarified a few things. Florida is rounding into championship form again. Kentucky is figuring out how to win ugly (which is a compliment). And Texas A&M, which looked like the favorite a week ago, has hit a massive speed bump since the schedule got harder.

Here is how the league stacks up heading into mid-February.

The Contenders

1. Florida (17-6, 8-2)

  • Trend: Won 3
  • The Scoop: The Gators are playing the best basketball in the league right now. Going into College Station and beating Texas A&M on the road is a massive statement. Todd Golden has this group clicking at the perfect time.

2. Kentucky (17-7, 8-3)

  • Trend: Won 3
  • The Scoop: Kentucky is coming on strong, despite making it way harder on themselves than they should. The win over Tennessee wasn't pretty, the rebounding was awful, and the free-throw shooting was worse, but they found a way. Otega Oweh is playing as a man possessed, and Collin Chandler is hitting daggers. They are flawed, but they are dangerous.

3. Arkansas (17-6, 7-3)

  • Trend: Won 1
  • The Scoop: The Hogs handled business against Mississippi State. They are quietly sitting at 7-3 in the league and have the talent to beat anyone. They are just lurking right there in that top tier waiting for someone to slip up.

4. Texas A&M (17-6, 7-3)

  • Trend: Lost 2
  • The Scoop: Rough week for the Aggies. They gave up 100 points to Alabama and then lost a tough one at home to Florida. They are still one of the toughest outs in the conference, but the defense has to tighten back up if they want to win the regular season title.

The "heating up" tier

5. Alabama (16-7, 6-4)

  • Trend: Won 2
  • The Scoop: Do not sleep on the Tide. They had a monster week, hanging 100 on Texas A&M and then going into "The Jungle" at Auburn and getting a massive road win. Labaron Philon (25 points) was unreal against the Tigers. They are trying to get going.

6. Tennessee (16-7, 6-4)

  • Trend: Lost 1
  • The Scoop: Nate Ament is a lottery pick, no doubt about it. He dropped 29 on Kentucky and looked unstoppable. But the Vols let one slip away at Rupp Arena. They are 6-4 in the league now and need to find consistent scoring outside of their big star.

7. Missouri (16-7, 6-4)

  • Trend: Won 2
  • The Scoop: Quietly, Missouri is putting together a really nice season. They took care of business against South Carolina and are sitting right there in the mix.

8. Texas (15-9, 6-5)

  • Trend: Won 3
  • The Scoop: The Longhorns are finally finding their footing in the SEC. Winning on the road at Ole Miss is never easy, and they got it done. Three straight wins have them back in the tournament conversation.

The "question marks"

9. Vanderbilt (19-4, 6-4)

  • Trend: Lost 1
  • The Scoop: Look, 19-4 is an incredible record. But you cannot lose to Oklahoma at home. Tyler Tanner dropped 37 points and they still lost to a team that had one conference win coming in. That is a bad, bad loss that raises some questions about their consistency.

10. Georgia (17-6, 5-5)

  • Trend: Won 1
  • The Scoop: The Dawgs got a nice road win at LSU. They are hovering at .500 in the league, but 17-6 overall looks good on the resume. They just need to stack a few more wins to feel safe.

11. Auburn (14-9, 5-5)

  • Trend: Lost 2
  • The Scoop: The wheels are wobbling a bit on the Plains after finding their footing just a week ago. Losing at home to Alabama is a gut punch. Tahaad Pettiford had 25, but they couldn't get the stops when they needed them.

The bottom tier

12. Oklahoma (12-12, 2-9)

  • Trend: Won 1
  • The Scoop: Credit where it's due—the Sooners kept fighting. Beating a 19-win Vanderbilt team is the highlight of their season. Xzayvier Brown (20 points) was huge.

13. LSU (14-9, 2-8)

  • Trend: Lost 1
  • The Scoop: Tough loss at home to Georgia. They are competitive, but they just can't seem to close out games in league play.

14. Mississippi State (11-12, 3-7)

  • Trend: Lost 2
  • The Scoop: Josh Hubbard is fun to watch, but they ran into a buzzsaw against Arkansas.

15. Ole Miss (11-12, 3-7)

  • Trend: Lost 5
  • The Scoop: It is officially falling apart in Oxford. Five straight losses is brutal. They need a reset button fast.

16. South Carolina (11-13, 2-9)

  • Trend: Lost 5
  • The Scoop: Another tough week for the Gamecocks. Meechie Johnson is trying, but they just don't have the firepower right now.

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