SEC Basketball Power Rankings, Jan. 2: Checking in ahead of conference play ...Middle East

Happy 2026, y’all!

SEC basketball is gearing up for the start of conference play on Saturday, January 3, when all 16 teams will be in action for what should be a great day of men’s hoops.

Nonconference play has been a mixed bag this season — a far cry from the dominant and historic season the SEC had last year. The league only has 1 undefeated team as we enter conference action, and its the surprising 13-0 Vanderbilt Commodores.

This is a good time to check in on the 16 teams and see where things stand now that only league games remain.

Here are my updated SEC men’s hoops power rankings, starting at the bottom and working our way up to No. 1:

16. Mississippi State (8-5 overall)

The state of Mississippi continues to be a mess in basketball this year (more on Ole Miss in a second). Mississippi State actually has a decent win over Memphis recently, but losses to San Francisco and New Mexico keep the Bulldogs in the cellar for now.

15. Ole Miss (8-5)

The Rebels haven’t lost to any mid-major teams like their in-state rivals, but losses to Utah and Miami are not exactly a good thing for Chris Beard’s Ole Miss squad. This team has plenty of talent, but its having trouble jelling right now. We’ll see if that changes in SEC action.

14. South Carolina (9-4)

The Gamecocks are the SEC’s worst team by the metrics. KenPom has South Carolina at No. 86 nationally. I’ll keep the Gamecocks ahead of the Mississippi squads for 1 reason — they haven’t been blown out this year. South Carolina has lost to Butler, Virginia Tech, Clemson and Northwestern. Not exactly a murderer’s row, but all those losses were by 9 or fewer points. The Gamecocks are competitive, at least.

13. Oklahoma (10-3)

It’s tough to know what to make of the Oklahoma Sooners so far this year. They’ve lost to most of the good teams they’ve played and beaten up on nobodies. Their best win is probably… at Wake Forest? We’ll learn a lot about this squad as SEC play begins.

12. Texas A&M (10-3)

At the very least, Bucky Ball is a lot more exciting than Buzz Ball was. The Texas A&M Aggies have scored 100+ points 6 times already this year, including 4 performances of 110 or more points. That’s fun. Of course, those outbursts have come against lower-level squads. We’ll see if it translates to league play. My guess is it doesn’t, but give Bucky McMillan time to get his footing. I’m buying the future in College Station.

11. LSU (12-1)

One of the things I’m most looking forward to this SEC season is seeing how “real” these hot starts by LSU and Georgia are. I’m higher on Georgia (obviously), but I like what Matt McMahon has done in Baton Rouge this year, too. It’s just tough to know how real the Tigers are when their best win is against SMU. We’ll see starting Saturday in College Station.

10. Mizzou (10-3)

I’ll admit that my Mizzou bias is probably the only reason the Tigers are still this high. They’ve been crushed by anyone with a pulse (Kansas, Illinois) and also lost a thriller at Notre Dame. However, the roster is talented. Anthony Robinson and Mark Mitchell by themselves should guide this team to some wins in SEC play, but this is a bubble team for the NCAA Tournament, at best.

9. Texas (9-4)

Texas has at least faced some challenges during nonconference play, losing to Duke, Virginia, Arizona State and UConn. The Longhorns also have a win over a then-ranked NC State squad. There are some positives for Sean Miller and company. But this is another SEC team that will likely be sweating it out on Selection Sunday.

8. Kentucky (9-4)

Kentucky actually enters SEC play with some momentum. Back-to-back 12-point wins over Indiana and St. John’s are nothing to turn your nose up at. The Wildcats will need that momentum, as they start SEC play with a road trip to Alabama. That’s tough. We’ll see what Mark Pope’s team is made of on Saturday in Tuscaloosa.

7. Auburn (9-4)

Auburn hasn’t been elite, but all of the Tigers’ 4 losses have been to top-7 squads (Houston, Michigan, Arizona and Purdue). And they’ve been… improving? Since losing by 1 to Houston, they lost by 30 to Michigan, by 29 to Arizona and by 28 to Purdue. Improvement! Starting SEC play with a rivalry game against a ranked Georgia squad will be a good test for Steven Pearl and company.

6. Arkansas (10-3)

Here’s where we start getting into the teams that I think are sure things to get into the NCAA Tournament. All 3 of the Hogs’ losses were to ranked teams (Michigan State, Duke and Houston). Arkansas has wins over Louisville and Texas Tech, both of whom were ranked at the time. John Calipari’s team has plenty of talent, but starting SEC play with a visit from Tennessee won’t be easy. Speaking of the Volunteers…

5. Tennessee (10-3)

The Vols snapped out of their 3-game losing streak (against Kansas, Syracuse and Illinois) in style, beating a ranked Louisville squad by 21 points. That should give Tennessee plenty of confidence heading into Arkansas to start SEC action. As the new-look Vols continue to jell, this won’t be a team anyone wants to face.

4. Georgia (12-1)

The Bulldogs can score. Like Texas A&M, Georgia has put up 100+ points 6 times already this season. Like LSU, the Bulldogs don’t have a great win to point to on their résumé, but the metrics like Mike White’s squad. Starting SEC play with a home game vs. Auburn and a road trip to Florida won’t be easy. Win either of those and Georgia will be able to feel good about its NCAA Tournament chances.

3. Alabama (10-3)

Alabama continues to play an insane nonconference schedule every season. The Tide are always battle-tested by the time SEC play rolls around under Nate Oats. Wins over Illinois and St. John’s are good résumé boosters. Losses to Purdue, Arizona and Gonzaga aren’t bad, by any means. The Tide will be a force to be reckoned with in league play.

2. Florida (9-4)

It’s tough to know what to make of the Florida Gators. Losing to TCU was bad, but other losses against Arizona (by 6), at Duke (by 1) and against UConn (by 4), are all understandable. There’s not a signature win on the résumé as of now, though. If the Gators can improve their 3-point shooting moving forward, they should be in the mix in the SEC when the season is winding down.

1. Vanderbilt (13-0)

Vanderbilt hasn’t played a ranked team yet this year, so I don’t know how legit the Commodores are just yet. Mark Byington’s team has great metrics and should be able to score on anyone. Wins at Memphis and at Wake Forest are solid, but we’ll have to wait until SEC play begins to see how the Commodores hold up against tougher competition.

SEC Basketball Power Rankings, Jan. 2: Checking in ahead of conference play Saturday Down South.

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