Oklahoma's dreams of dancing in the NCAA Tournament seem to be slipping away after a tough week on the court. The Sooners faced back-to-back losses, first on the road against Tennessee and then at home to Texas A&M.
The timing couldn't have been more poignant, as the home game coincided with the retirement of Buddy Hield's jersey and a tribute to the 2016 Final Four team. Now sitting at 13-14 overall and 3-11 in SEC play, Oklahoma has four games left in the regular season.
The road ahead isn't any easier. The Sooners will host Auburn on Tuesday before heading to LSU this weekend.
They'll then welcome Missouri next week before finishing the regular season with a rivalry game against Texas on March 7. Even if they win out, the Sooners will likely need a miraculous run in the SEC Tournament to keep any NCAA Tournament hopes alive.
The recent losses-by 23 points to Tennessee and a close four-point game against Texas A&M-have pushed Oklahoma down a spot in the latest 247Sports SEC basketball poll. They now sit at 13th, a drop from last week's high after wins over Vanderbilt and Georgia. Only Ole Miss, LSU, and South Carolina are ranked lower, with the latter two tied for the final spot.
Florida continues to dominate the rankings, holding the top spot with all 12 first-place votes. Tennessee made a leap to second place, while Arkansas, Alabama, and Vanderbilt complete the top five.
In other movements, Kentucky slipped to sixth, Texas A&M climbed to seventh, and Texas dropped to eighth. Georgia and Missouri round out the top ten, with Auburn and Mississippi State just ahead of Oklahoma.
This season marks the second year of the expanded SEC, now featuring 16 teams with the additions of Oklahoma and Texas. Reporters from across the 247Sports network contribute to the weekly SEC basketball poll, providing insights and rankings as teams battle for the regular-season crown, seeding in the SEC Tournament, and a coveted spot in the 2026 NCAA Tournament.
Here's the breakdown of the latest 247Sports SEC basketball poll after the seventh weekend of conference play:
- Florida (12)
- Tennessee (+2)
- Arkansas (-1)
- Alabama (+2)
- Vanderbilt (-2)
- Kentucky (-2)
- Texas A&M (+1)
- Texas (-1)
- Georgia (+2)
- Missouri
- Auburn (-2)
- Mississippi State (+1)
- Oklahoma (-1)
- Ole Miss
T-15. LSU
T-15. South Carolina (+1)