Mathematically, every SEC basketball team still has a chance of winning the SEC Regular Season Championship. In reality, the conference has only three sure Contenders; two Maybe Contenders, and 11 teams with no chance for success except in post-season play.
What drives the high number of no-chance teams, or what we have categorized in past posts as the SEC's "Forget About It" teams? The almost only reason is the undefeated record of the Auburn Tigers. Bruce Pearl's team is 8-0 and the probability of them losing more than three regular-season games is small. Based on that premise, every SEC team, currently having four or more losses is out of contention for the regular season title.
No chance to win the SEC's regular season does not suggest a lack of potential for post-season success. The Tennessee Vols are 5-4 in SEC play and are still loved by computer models. Jerry Pam's Monday Bracketology has the Vols as a 1-seed, along with Auburn, Duke, and Alabama. Palm's latest has 12 SEC basketball teams in the Big Dance field.
SEC Basketball Computer Ratings
The five algorithms are the NCAA NET; ESPN's BPI; and the KPI; along with ratings by Ken Pomeroy and Evan Miya. An average ranking is provided for each SEC basketball team, through games of Feb. 2.
SEC Basketball Regular Season Championship Contenders
- Auburn Tigers (20-1 and 8-0 in SEC play) Average national ranking is No. 2 (1.8).
- Alabama Crimson Tide (19-3 and 8-1) Average national ranking is No. 5 (4.6).
- Missouri Tigers (17-4 and 6-2) Average national ranking is No. 23 (23.4).
SEC Basketball Maybe Contenders
- Florida Gators (18-3 and 5-3) Average national ranking is No. 8 (7.6).
- Texas A&M Aggies (17-5 and 6-3) Average national ranking is No. 13.
Most of the remaining SEC basketball ball teams have reasonable NCAA Tournament aspirations. For LSU and South Carolina, whose average national rankings are No. 76 for the Bengal Tigers and No. 87 for the Gamecocks, 2024-25 success comes down to somehow miraculously winning the SEC Tournament.