SEC Men’s Basketball Power Rankings: January Ends with a Shakeup at the Top
The SEC is doing what the SEC does best: keeping us on our toes. Just when you think you’ve got the pecking order figured out, a new contender emerges, a powerhouse stumbles, and a team in Lexington remembers it’s supposed to be elite. With February looming, the league is heating up, and the race for the regular-season crown is anything but settled.
Here’s how the conference stacks up heading into the final stretch of January:
1. Texas A&M (6-1 SEC)
Last Week: W at Mississippi State (88-68), W vs South Carolina (92-69)
“Bucky Ball” is no longer a cute storyline-it’s a full-blown SEC takeover. The Aggies didn’t just win last week; they dominated, torching Mississippi State and South Carolina by a combined 43 points.
Rashaun Agee was a force in Starkville, putting up a 23-point, 10-rebound double-double that set the tone for the week. At 6-1 in conference play, Texas A&M has quietly-and now loudly-become the team to beat.
The road to the SEC title? It runs through College Station.
2. Arkansas
Last Week: W vs #15 Vanderbilt (93-68), W vs LSU (85-81)
The Razorbacks made a statement-and then followed it up with another. A 25-point dismantling of a previously 16-1 Vanderbilt squad was eye-opening.
Then Darius Acuff Jr. took matters into his own hands, dropping 31 to carry Arkansas past a scrappy LSU team. Acuff is playing like a man possessed, and John Calipari’s squad is finally starting to click.
The offense is humming, the confidence is growing, and Bud Walton Arena is once again a house of horrors for visitors.
3. Florida
Last Week: W vs LSU (79-61), L vs Auburn (76-67)
One step forward, one step back. Florida took care of business against LSU, but getting outmuscled at home by Auburn raised some eyebrows.
The Gators are still very much in the hunt, but the aura of invincibility took a hit. In a league where margins are razor-thin, every stumble matters, especially at home.
4. Kentucky
Last Week: W vs Texas (85-80), W vs Ole Miss (72-63)
Don’t look now, but the Wildcats are rolling. Five straight wins, including a gutsy performance against Texas and a grind-it-out win over Ole Miss in a weather-delayed matchup, have Kentucky surging.
Denzel Aberdeen dropped 19 against Texas, Otega Oweh is playing at an All-American level, and Rupp Arena is starting to feel like a fortress again. Mark Pope has this team believing-and more importantly, defending.
5. Tennessee
Last Week: L vs Kentucky (80-78), W vs #17 Alabama (79-73)
A split week for the Vols, but the win over Alabama was a big one. Nate Ament was electric, pouring in 29 points and grabbing 7 boards in a marquee win that keeps Tennessee in the top tier of the league.
Rick Barnes’ squad continues to find ways to win big games-even if they’re not always pretty. That’s a trait that travels well in March.
6. Auburn
Last Week: W at Ole Miss (78-66), W at #16 Florida (76-67)
The biggest climber of the week. Auburn went on the road and came back with two huge wins, including a stunner in Gainesville that knocked Florida off its perch.
Steven Pearl has his group playing tough, disciplined basketball. Their losses have been close, but their wins are starting to make serious noise.
7. Vanderbilt
Last Week: L vs #20 Arkansas (93-68), W at Mississippi State (88-56)
The Commodores came back to earth-hard. After a dream 16-0 start, they’ve now lost three of four, including a blowout at the hands of Arkansas.
But credit to them for bouncing back and throttling Mississippi State on the road. This is still a talented team, but the last week showed they’ve got some growing pains to work through before they’re ready to run with the SEC’s elite.
8. Texas
Last Week: L at Kentucky (85-80), W vs #21 Georgia (87-67)
The Longhorns are a puzzle. Dailyn Swain is emerging as a legit star-he had 29 in a tough loss to Kentucky and followed it up with 26 in a blowout win over Georgia.
When Texas is clicking offensively, they can hang with anyone. But until the defense shows up consistently, they’ll remain a dangerous but unpredictable mid-pack team.
9. Georgia
Last Week: W at Missouri (74-72), L vs Texas (87-67)
Georgia picked up a nice road win at Mizzou, but followed it up with a deflating home loss to Texas. Mike White’s crew has had a strong season overall, but losing by 20 at home to a 12-8 squad stings. This team has enough to make noise, but they’ll need more consistency to stay in the top half of the standings.
10. Alabama
Last Week: L at Tennessee (79-73)
Just one game this week, and it was a battle. Alabama went into Knoxville and gave the Vols everything they could handle.
Labaron Philon dropped 26, while Charles Bediako made his return after three years in the G-League, contributing 13 points and 3 boards in 25 minutes. The Tide aren’t going away-but they’re not exactly climbing either.
11. Missouri
Last Week: L vs #21 Georgia (74-72), W vs Oklahoma (88-87 OT)
Mizzou is walking a tightrope. A narrow loss to Georgia and an overtime escape against a struggling Oklahoma team don’t exactly scream “momentum,” but they’ll take the win. Mark Mitchell’s 25-point outing against the Sooners was clutch, but the Tigers need to find a higher gear if they want to stay out of the bottom tier.
12. South Carolina
Last Week: W vs Oklahoma (85-76), L at Texas A&M (92-69)
A tale of two games. The Gamecocks got a solid win over Oklahoma, with Meechie Johnson putting up 20, but then got steamrolled by Texas A&M.
That 23-point loss exposed the gap between the middle and the top of the SEC. South Carolina is scrappy, but the ceiling looks capped for now.
13. Ole Miss
Last Week: L vs Auburn (78-66), L at Kentucky (72-63)
A tough week for Chris Beard’s squad. They couldn’t keep up with Auburn at home, then went to Lexington and came up short again.
AJ Storr is doing his part-he had 20 against Kentucky-but the Rebels are sliding. The offense just isn’t generating enough to keep pace with the league’s best.
14. LSU
Last Week: L at Florida (79-61), L vs #20 Arkansas (85-81)
LSU is fighting, but the results aren’t there. They pushed Arkansas to the brink and battled Florida, but at 1-7 in conference play, they’re stuck in the basement. Michael Nwoko continues to be a bright spot, but the Tigers need more than moral victories at this point.
15. Oklahoma
Last Week: L at South Carolina (85-76), L at Missouri (88-87 OT)
The Sooners are spiraling. They’ve lost in every fashion imaginable-blowouts, heartbreakers, and everything in between.
Nijel Pack’s 25-point effort against Mizzou was wasted in an overtime loss. Porter Moser is searching for answers, and fast.
If something doesn’t change soon, this could be the end of the road in Norman.
16. Mississippi State
Last Week: L vs Texas A&M (88-68), L vs #15 Vanderbilt (88-56)
Two home games. Two blowout losses.
That’s about as brutal as it gets. The Bulldogs were outscored by 52 points over the week, and the defense-which had been a strength-completely vanished.
Chris Jans has a major rebuild on his hands, and the clock may be ticking in Starkville.
Final Word:
The SEC is chaos right now-and it’s beautiful. Texas A&M has taken the driver’s seat, Kentucky is rising fast, and teams like Arkansas and Auburn are finding their rhythm.
But with February around the corner, there’s still plenty of time for another shakeup. Buckle up.
The real fun is just beginning.