Tennessee basketball held steady at No. 5 in this week’s SEC power rankings, despite a tough loss on the road at Kentucky. The Vols split their two-game slate last week, starting strong with a dominant 84-66 win over Ole Miss at home before running into a red-hot Wildcats squad in Lexington.
Florida continues to set the pace in the SEC, locking down the top spot once again after steamrolling Texas A&M in College Station, 86-67. The Gators earned 11 first-place votes, and with the way they’re playing on both ends of the floor, it’s hard to argue they don’t belong at the top.
The biggest risers this week? Arkansas and Kentucky.
The Razorbacks jumped two spots to No. 2 after dismantling Mississippi State on the road, 88-68. That’s the kind of statement win that turns heads in February.
Meanwhile, Kentucky surged three spots to No. 3 thanks to back-to-back wins over Oklahoma and Tennessee. The Wildcats are heating up at the right time, and their win over the Vols showed just how dangerous they can be when they’re clicking.
Vanderbilt, on the other hand, slid two spots to No. 4 after a heartbreaking 92-91 home loss to Oklahoma. The Sooners snapped a nine-game losing streak with that win, and while it was a much-needed jolt for Oklahoma, it was a gut punch for the Commodores, who had been hanging around the top tier of the SEC standings.
Texas A&M took the biggest tumble of the week, falling three spots to No. 6.
The Aggies have now dropped two straight, including that lopsided loss to Florida. They’ll need to regroup quickly if they want to stay in the upper half of the conference.
Here’s how the latest SEC basketball poll stacks up as of February 9:
- Florida (11 first-place votes)
- Arkansas (+2)
- Kentucky (+3)
- Vanderbilt (-2)
- Tennessee (no change)
- Texas A&M (-3)
- Alabama
- Auburn
- Georgia
- Texas
- Missouri
- Ole Miss
- LSU
- Mississippi State
- Oklahoma (+1)
- South Carolina (-1)
GoVols247’s Ben McKee submitted his ballot with Florida, Arkansas, and Kentucky leading the way, followed by Tennessee at No. 4. He rounded out his top six with Alabama and Vanderbilt, while Texas A&M slid to No. 7 on his list.
Looking ahead, Tennessee wraps up its two-game road swing on Wednesday with a trip to Starkville to face Mississippi State. Tipoff is set for 9 p.m.
ET at Humphrey Coliseum, and the game will air on ESPN2. After that, the Vols return home for a Valentine’s Day showdown against LSU at Thompson-Boling Arena, with tipoff scheduled for 6 p.m. on the SEC Network.
With the SEC standings tightening and March creeping closer, every game from here on out carries serious weight. Tennessee’s got the talent, but they’ll need to bring consistency if they want to stay in the hunt for a top seed come tournament time.