Another midweek in the SEC basketball season is wrapped up, and the picture is becoming clearer-yet somehow more chaotic. With 72.2% of the schedule behind us, Florida is emerging as the frontrunner, while LSU and South Carolina are struggling at the bottom. Meanwhile, half of the league is still in the hunt for those coveted double-bye spots in the SEC Tournament.
The standings are tighter than a buzzer-beater game, with Florida beginning to pull away. As the Gators start to separate from the pack, the rest of the league is in a mad scramble to secure their positions.
Current Standings
Here's how the teams would be seeded if the SEC Tournament started today:
- Florida (11-2)
- Arkansas (9-4)
- Tennessee (9-4)
- Alabama (9-4)
- Missouri (8-5)
- Texas (8-5)
- Vanderbilt (8-5)
- Kentucky (8-5)
- Texas A&M (8-5)
- Georgia (6-7)
- Mississippi State (5-8)
- Auburn (5-8)
- Oklahoma (3-10)
- Ole Miss (3-10)
- LSU (2-11)
- South Carolina (2-11)
Florida's recent victory over South Carolina and Arkansas' loss to Alabama have given the Gators a two-game lead with five games left. Todd Golden's squad is eyeing their eighth SEC regular-season title, needing just three more wins to likely clinch it.
Now, let's talk about the chaos. Three teams are tied at 9-4, and five teams are locked at 8-5.
The difference between the No. 2 seed and the No. 9 seed is just one game. It's a logjam of epic proportions.
In the tiebreaker maze, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Alabama are tangled up, each 1-1 against each other. With all three losing to Florida, the tiebreaker shifts to records against the highest seed.
Missouri holds the No. 5 seed due to a strong pool-winning percentage. Alabama, having played Missouri, slots in at No.
- Arkansas' win over Tennessee earlier in the season gives them the No. 2 seed.
For the five-way tie, here's how it shakes out:
- Missouri: 3-1 (.750)
- Texas: 2-2 (.500)
- Vanderbilt: 2-2 (.500)
- Kentucky: 1-2 (.333)
- Texas A&M: 1-2 (.333)
Texas edges Vanderbilt due to a head-to-head win, while Kentucky takes the tiebreaker over A&M with a better outright win.
Georgia trails this group by two games, while Oklahoma, Ole Miss, LSU, and South Carolina are battling for the last spots, with losses piling up.
Projected SEC Standings
Using KenPom's projections, here's a look at how the SEC Tournament might shape up:
- Florida (15-3)
- Tennessee (12-6)
- Arkansas (12-6)
- Alabama (12-6)
- Vanderbilt (11-7)
- Texas A&M (10-8)
- Missouri (10-8)
- Kentucky (10-8)
- Texas (10-8)
- Georgia (9-9)
- Auburn (8-10)
- Mississippi State (7-11)
- Oklahoma (5-13)
- Ole Miss (5-13)
- LSU (4-14)
- South Carolina (4-14)
Tennessee is projected to finish strong, earning the No. 2 seed. Vanderbilt stands alone at No. 5, while Texas A&M wins a four-team tiebreaker for the No. 6 seed. Kentucky, if projections hold, would face Texas or South Carolina in the tournament, with a potential matchup against Florida looming.
Kentucky still has opportunities to climb, with a crucial home game against Vanderbilt and a significant matchup against Texas A&M that could alter their tiebreaker scenario.
This Weekend in the SEC
All teams are in action this weekend with eight games lined up. Florida, Tennessee, and Alabama are hitting the road, with key matchups that could shake up the standings.
- Florida at Ole Miss (Noon ET | ESPN)
- Mississippi State at South Carolina (1 p.m.
ET | SEC Network)
- Tennessee at Vanderbilt (2 p.m.
ET | ESPN)
- Texas at Georgia (3:30 p.m.
ET | SEC Network)
- Missouri at Arkansas (4 p.m.
ET | ESPN)
- Alabama at LSU (6 p.m.
ET | SEC Network)
- Texas A&M at Oklahoma (8:30 p.m.
ET | SEC Network)
- Kentucky at Auburn (8:30 p.m.
| ESPN)
Tennessee vs. Vanderbilt stands out as a key rivalry game with significant implications.
Texas, on a hot streak, faces a tough challenge at Georgia. Missouri, continuing to surprise, is an underdog against Arkansas.
Meanwhile, Texas A&M looks to bounce back on the road against Oklahoma, and Kentucky aims to capitalize on Auburn's struggles.
It's a pivotal weekend, and by Sunday, the SEC race might look a whole lot different.