2021-22 SEC Men's Basketball Power Rankings: Week 13

Alabama picked up both its worst loss of the season as well as its biggest win, but another team's continued plummet in the rankings was what gave the Crimson Tide an opportunity to rise.

If Alabama basketball fans could use a week to describe what it's like to be a fan of the program, last week certainly provided a solid example.

After winning back-to-back games against LSU and Missouri, Alabama seemed to be back on track. However, a road game at Georgia — one of the worst teams not just in the SEC, but in the country — proved to be a stumbling block, and the Crimson Tide fell 82-76.

Saturday provided an opportunistic yet intimidating matchup against No. 4 Baylor in the Big 12/SEC Challenge, and Alabama made the most it. The Crimson Tide upset the Bears 87-78, showing much-improved effort and production on both ends of the court.

The road doesn't get any easier for Alabama, though. This week, the Crimson Tide will travel to face the No. 1 Auburn Tigers before hosting No. 12 Kentucky, who is coming off of a big win over No. 5 Kansas. Should Alabama prove its worth and win both of those games, we might have a new top team next week depending on the nature of the outcomes. For now, though, Crimson Tide fans will have to sit back and see how their team fares over its next couple of games.

Here are the biggest winners and losers this week:

Biggest Winner: Kentucky — After closing out last week with an 80-71 loss at Auburn, the Wildcats bounced back in a big way over the next seven days. Not only did Kentucky pick up a win over a solid Mississippi State squad, but the Wildcats also displayed their true potential by making an example of Kansas. Kentucky dominated Kansas, downing them 80-62 in the Jayhawks' own stadium. The Wildcats can't pass the Auburn Tigers at this point, but they can certainly secure their hold on second this week.

Biggest Loser: Texas A&M — After starting SEC play 4-0, the Aggies have now lost each of their last four games to bring their conference record to .500. While losing to Kentucky and at LSU are understandable, dropping games to Arkansas and South Carolina are hard to justify after such a strong start. Texas A&M drops from fourth to sixth this week.

2021-22 SEC Men's Basketball Power Rankings: Week 13

1. Auburn (20-1 overall, 8-0 SEC)

2. Kentucky (17-4, 6-2)

3. Arkansas (16-5, 5-3)

4. Alabama (14-7, 4-4)

5. Tennessee (14-6, 5-3)

6. Texas A&M (15-6, 4-4)

7. LSU (16-5, 4-4)

8. Mississippi State (13-7, 4-3)

9. Florida (13-8, 3-5)

10. South Carolina (13-7, 4-4)

11. Vanderbilt (11-9, 3-5)

12. Missouri (8-12, 2-5)

13. Ole Miss (11-10, 2-6)

14. Georgia (6-15, 1-7)

This Week's SEC Schedule: Jan. 30-Feb. 5, 2022

Sunday, Jan. 30

No Games Scheduled.

Monday, Jan. 31

No Games Scheduled.

Tuesday, Feb. 1

Texas A&M at No. 18 Tennessee — 6 p.m. CT, SEC Network

South Carolina at Mississippi State — 6 p.m. CT, ESPNU

Ole Miss at No. 19 LSU — 8 p.m. CT, SEC Network

Alabama at No. 1 Auburn — 8 p.m. CT, ESPN

Wednesday, Feb. 2

Vanderbilt at No. 12 Kentucky — 6 p.m. CT, SEC Network

Arkansas at Georgia — 6 p.m. CT, ESPNU

Florida at Missouri — 8 p.m. CT, SEC Network

Thursday, Feb. 3

No Games Scheduled.

Friday, Feb. 4

No Games Scheduled.

Saturday, Feb. 5

No. 18 Tennessee at South Carolina — Noon CT, CBS

No. 1 Auburn at Georgia — Noon CT, SEC Network

Ole Miss at Florida — 2:30 p.m. CT, SEC Network

Missouri at Texas A&M — 3 p.m. CT, ESPN2

No. 19 LSU at Vanderbilt — 5 p.m. CT, SEC Network

No. 12 Kentucky at Alabama — 7 p.m. CT, ESPN

Mississippi State at Arkansas — 7:30 p.m. CT, SEC Network