SEC Basketball is Logjam City with 11 teams still in contention for the SEC Regular Season Championship. Alabama Basketball is one of them, but the Crimson Tide and nine other teams appear to have little chance of chasing down the Florida Gators.
Whatever was wrong with the Gators earlier in the season is wrong no more. Not only does Todd Golden have the SEC's best team, but the Gators are also playing like legit Final Four contenders.
After getting blown out in Gainesville, Alabama Basketball has bounced back with strong wins over Texas A&M and Auburn in Neville Arena.
SEC Basketball Power Rankings - Feb. 8
- No. 16 - South Carolina Gamecocks (11-13, 2-9) - The Gamecocks have no competition as the SEC's worst team
- No. 15 - LSU Bengal Tigers (14-9, 2-8) - The current NCAA NET rankings of No. 58 suggest LSU is better than this ranking. They are not.
- No. 14 - Mississippi State Bulldogs (11-12, 3-7) - The Bulldogs have lost seven of their last SEC games.
- No. 13 - Oklahoma Sooners (12-12, 2-9)- The Sooners had lost nine straight before knocking off Vanderbilt on Saturday. The Sooners have had some close losses, but nine SEC losses cannot be ignored.
- No. 12 - Ole Miss Rebels (11-12, 3-7) - The Rebels have lost five straight since mid-January. Their SEC record is going to get worse.
- No. 11 - Georgia Bulldogs (17-6, 5-5) - Georgia might be able to hold on to an NCAA Tournament bid. Still, three straight losses before beating LSU on Saturday and four likely losses ahead indicate trouble for Mike White's team.
- No. 10 - Missouri Tigers (16-7, 6-4) - The Tigers have some good wins, and their 6-4 SEC record argues for a higher ranking, but they are the SEC's most up-and-down team.
- No. 9 - Texas Longhorns (14-9, 6-5) The Horns appear to be trending up with three straight wins, but the wins came over Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Ole Miss.
- No. 8 Auburn Tigers (14-9, 5-5) - The Tigers have lost two straight but still hold the impressive nine-point win in Gainesville.
- No. 7 - Texas A&M Aggies (17-6, 7-3) - Perhaps the Aggies deserve a higher ranking, but losing by 19 points at home (even against Florida) is an ugly black eye.
- No. 6 - Vanderbilt Commodores (19-4, 6-4) - Losers of four of their last seven games, it appears SEC teams have figured out how to beat the Commodores.
- No. 5 Tennessee Vols (16-7, 6-4) - Like Vandy, the Vols could be ranked higher, but as Nate Ament has blossomed, the team chemistry has changed. Is it wise to rely so much on a freshman?
- No. 4 Arkansas Razorbacks (17-6, 7-3) - The Hogs are good enough to beat any SEC team but one.
- No. 3 Kentucky Wildcats (17-7, 8-3) - Mark Pope has raised the Cats from the dead.
- No. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide (16-7, 6-4) - Wins over Texas A&M and Auburn give the Tide added cred, but injury problems and Bediako's eligibility cloud the future.
- No. 1 Florida Gators (17-6, 8-2) - There is no sound argument that the Gators are not the SEC's best team.