As the calendar flips to 2026, the SEC basketball season is officially here-and for Oklahoma, that means it’s time to find out just how real their early-season momentum is.
Porter Moser’s squad heads into conference play with a 10-3 record, riding a four-game win streak and plenty of confidence. The Sooners closed out their nonconference slate strong, winning eight of their last nine and showing flashes of a team that could make some noise in their first full SEC campaign.
There have been some solid résumé-builders along the way. A Quad 1 road win over Wake Forest in the ACC/SEC Challenge stands out, as does a neutral-site victory over in-state rival Oklahoma State in Bedlam-classified as a Quad 2 win.
Those are the kind of games the selection committee remembers come March. Still, it hasn’t been all smooth sailing.
Oklahoma took its lumps in neutral-site matchups against Nebraska and Arizona State, and an early road loss to Gonzaga was a reminder of the level they’ll need to reach to compete consistently in a loaded SEC.
Now, the real test begins.
Oklahoma opens SEC play Saturday afternoon at home against Ole Miss, a team that’s had its own struggles heading into conference action. The Sooners will look to protect home court at the Lloyd Noble Center and set the tone for what’s shaping up to be a wide-open SEC race.
Speaking of the SEC, the latest 247Sports basketball poll just dropped, and it paints a clear picture of where each program stands heading into the new year. For Oklahoma, it’s a familiar spot-they hold steady at No. 10, one of just two teams (along with South Carolina at No. 16) to land in the same position they were in during the preseason.
But around them? Chaos.
Movement. A shakeup that signals just how unpredictable this conference could be.
Vanderbilt is the big mover, leaping 10 spots from No. 11 to the top of the poll after a strong nonconference showing. The Commodores earned 11 first-place votes and have clearly caught the attention of voters.
Alabama checks in at No. 2 and picked up a first-place vote of its own after climbing two spots. Florida, the defending national champs, drops two spots to No. 3 but still garnered a first-place vote-an indication of how much respect they still command despite the early-season dip.
Tennessee continues its steady rise, moving up to No. 4, while Arkansas rounds out the top five. Kentucky, a team with high expectations year in and year out, slides down to No.
- Georgia made one of the biggest jumps, climbing seven spots to land at No. 7, followed by Auburn at No. 8 and LSU at No. 9-another big mover, up six spots.
Behind Oklahoma at No. 10, Texas sits at No. 11 after a two-spot slide. Texas A&M, Ole Miss, Missouri, Mississippi State, and South Carolina round out the bottom half of the poll, with Ole Miss and Missouri both dropping six spots each-a sign of how tough the early going has been for those programs.
This year marks the second season of the 16-team SEC, with Oklahoma and Texas now fully integrated into the fold. And with that expansion comes even more intrigue in the weekly 247Sports SEC basketball poll, which now features input from reporters across the conference and national analysts alike.
The preseason poll gave us an early glimpse, but now-with nonconference play in the books-the weekly rankings take on added weight. Every game from here on out matters, not just for seeding in the SEC Tournament, but for building a résumé that can punch a ticket to the 2026 NCAA Tournament.
Here’s how the full poll looks heading into the first weekend of SEC play:
247Sports SEC Basketball Poll (Week of Jan. 1, 2026):
- Vanderbilt (11 first-place votes) - ▲10
- Alabama (1) - ▲2
- Florida (1) - ▼2
- Tennessee - ▲1
- Arkansas - ▼2
- Kentucky - ▼4
- Georgia - ▲7
- Auburn - ▼2
- LSU - ▲6
- Oklahoma - no change
- Texas - ▼2
- Texas A&M - ▲1
- Ole Miss - ▼6
- Missouri - ▼6
- Mississippi State - ▼3
- South Carolina - no change
For Oklahoma, the path forward is clear but challenging. The SEC is deep, unpredictable, and full of teams capable of making a run.
If the Sooners want to climb this ladder, it starts with defending home court and continuing to build off the momentum they’ve created. Conference play is where reputations are made-and for Moser’s squad, the opportunity is right in front of them.