SEC basketball power rankings: LSU, Alabama fall

Auburn basketball edges out the Kentucky Wildcats for top spot in the SEC.

© Jake Crandall / USA TODAY NETWORK

With only nine games left in the regular season, the contenders seem to have separated themselves from the pretenders in the race for the SEC regular season title.

Auburn currently has a tight grip on first place, sitting at 10-0 in conference play. Kentucky (19-4, 8-2 SEC) is currently the runner-up while Arkansas and Tennessee (both 7-3) round out the top four vying for a double-bye in the SEC tournament.

Outside of those four teams, no squad really seems to have much of an outside shot at either the regular season nor the tournament title. 

Here are the SEC power rankings for week 16 of the 2021-22 college basketball season.

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14. Georgia Bulldogs (6-17, 1-9 SEC)

The Bulldogs have really struggled as of late, giving up 83.4 points per contest in league play. The emergence of Kairo Oquendo (13.4 PPG, 4.1 RPG) has been pleasant, but overall there have not been many positive things coming out of Tom Crean's program. A near upset of No. 1 Auburn might have given Crean a little more room to work as what is presumed to be his final season at Georgia season draws to a close.

13. Missouri Tigers (9-13, 3-6 SEC)

Missouri stopped the bleeding with a big win over Texas A&M in College Station. If there is any hope of salvaging another season in which Missouri finds itself rebuilding, it lies in these final games. The Tigers will have a legitimate shot to find an NIT bid if they get lucky, given their strength of schedule (fourth nationally).

12. Ole Miss Rebels (12-11, 3-7 SEC)

Momentum has recently shifted in the Rebels' favor. Kermit Davis & Co. have won three of their last five, including a 76-72 win over No. 25 LSU on the road. Overall, the product is still rather stale. That win marked only the fifth time Ole Miss had scored 76 points or more on the season. Conference play has not been very kind to the Rebels offense (63.5 PPG in SEC games).

11. South Carolina Gamecocks (13-9, 4-6 SEC)

The Gamecocks' ride in the SEC has been a rollercoaster this season. South Carolina started SEC play off 1-1, then lost three straight. Then they won three straight, and now they have lost two straight with Kentucky on the horizon. 

10. Texas A&M Aggies (15-8, 4-6 SEC)

A promising year has been shot down in conference play. A&M has now lost six straight games after starting the season off 15-2. Despite being projected to finish the season with an 18-13 record (according to KenPom), they are nowhere to be found in the latest Bracketology.

9. Vanderbilt Commodores (12-10, 4-6 SEC)

While their record doesn't indicate it, the Commodores are one legit post presence away from being a headache to play against. The defense has been efficient, but the offense has been subpar. A win over LSU proved that this team still has some fight left in them.

8. LSU Tigers (16-7, 4-6 SEC)

LSU has completely fallen off of the wagon. First it was injuries , and now its simply a lack of cohesion. Almost no other team has had a bigger drop-off in SEC play (the Tigers are averaging eight less points per game in league games than their average this season). The free fall may end soon, however, with a relatively light final stretch.

7. Alabama Crimson Tide (14-9, 4-6 SEC)

Non-conference wins and strength of schedule are carrying this program right now. Alabama's lack on intensity on defense has come back to bite them in several conference games this season, and when their offense goes, cold, it's over. The Crimson Tide shot an abysmal 3-for-30 from beyond the arc against Kentucky (a 66-55 loss) in their most recent game.

6. Mississippi State Bulldogs (14-8, 5-4 SEC)

State has been one of the few teams in the SEC to actually score more points per game in league play (75.1) than they do overall (73.5). However, it hasn't translated to wins. The Bulldogs have lost three out of their last four and have scored 55 points or less in their two most recent road games (Texas Tech and Arkansas).

5. Florida Gators (15-8, 5-5 SEC)

Well, this has been a surprise. The Gators have somehow crawled their way back to the bubble after starting league play off 0-3 (9-6 overall). Mike White has won six out of his last eight and is looking to potentially get Florida into the 20-win club with a possible upset or a win in the SEC tournament. Things are looking up for Florida.

4. Tennessee Volunteers (16-6, 7-3 SEC)

Tennessee has been difficult to watch this season. When the Vols are on, they're on. But it doesn't necessarily equate to flashy blowouts. When they're off, they hit offensive and defensive lows that few have seen (51 points scored vs Texas, 107 points allowed to Kentucky). If Tennessee is going to make a push for the title, they'll need more consistency.

3. Arkansas Razorbacks (18-5, 7-3 SEC)

The Razorbacks are red hot. Arkansas has won eight straight and has done so playing a little defense, which I would not have imagined being possible at the beginning of the season.  JD Notae (18.7 PPG) has been the guy for the Hogs. Arky hosts Auburn on Tuesday night in what could be a huge statement win for Eric Mussleman.

2. Kentucky Wildcats (19-4, 8-2 SEC)

National Player of the Year candidate Oscar Tshiebwe (15.8 PPG, 15.2 RPG) might be the most dominate player in college basketball this season. He as been the driving force for a Kentucky offense that does feature several elite scorers. Kellan Grady, TyTy Washington, and Sahvir Wheeler make up one of the the best backcourts in the nation. This is not a team you want to tangle with come March.

1. Auburn Tigers (22-1, 10-0 SEC)

Bruce Pearl has brought to program to heights it has never seen. Three straight weeks as number one has been refreshing but has featured two incredibly stressful road games against bad competition. If the Tigers continue to shoot poorly, their hopes of a regular season title may be in serious jeopardy. More touches for Jabari Smith Jr. and Walker Kessler should help.