SEC Men’s Basketball Race Heats Up: Florida Leads, Texas A&M Surges, Texas Seeks Consistency
With six weeks left in the Southeastern Conference regular season, the race for the SEC crown is far from settled. Defending national champion Florida is right in the thick of it, while Texas A&M has emerged as one of the league’s biggest surprises under first-year head coach Bucky McMillan.
Florida (16-6, 7-2 SEC) is looking every bit the part of a title contender again. The Gators rolled through last week’s slate, dominating South Carolina before following it up with a solid win over Auburn. They’re playing with the kind of confidence and two-way balance that made them national champs last spring, and their depth continues to be a major asset.
But don’t sleep on Texas A&M (17-4, 7-1 SEC). The Aggies have rattled off four straight wins and are playing with a level of poise and energy that belies their inexperience under McMillan.
They’ve got a big week ahead - a Wednesday showdown with Alabama, followed by a marquee matchup against Florida at Reed Arena on Saturday. That game could have major implications in the race for the regular-season title.
Texas, meanwhile, continues to be a bit of a rollercoaster in its first year under head coach Sean Miller. The Longhorns looked in control early at Auburn last Wednesday, building a 14-point lead in the first half.
But that lead evaporated in the second half, thanks in large part to foul trouble. Texas committed 26 fouls - 18 after halftime - and Auburn made them pay at the free-throw line, converting 29-of-39 attempts in an 88-82 loss.
To their credit, the Longhorns bounced back on Saturday. Facing a 14-point deficit of their own in Norman, they clamped down defensively and, more importantly, played smart basketball. They committed a season-low 11 fouls and pulled out a 79-69 win over Oklahoma - a much-needed response heading into a two-game homestand.
That homestand starts Tuesday night against South Carolina (11-11, 2-7 SEC), a team that’s struggled to find its footing in conference play. Then, on Saturday, Ole Miss (11-10, 3-5 SEC) comes to town - and with it, a storyline-heavy return for former Texas head coach Chris Beard, who will be back in Austin for the first time since his firing in January 2023.
The Longhorns have a golden opportunity to build momentum here. Two winnable home games could help them stabilize in the standings and find some rhythm before the stretch run.
As for the rest of the league, the weekly SEC men’s basketball poll shows just how fluid things are right now. Florida received the majority of first-place votes, with Texas A&M also picking up one.
Vanderbilt made a jump, while Arkansas slid a couple of spots. Tennessee and Kentucky each moved up, while Alabama and Georgia slipped.
Here’s how the poll shook out this week (movement from last week in parentheses, first-place votes in parentheses):
- Florida (10)
- Vanderbilt (+1)
- Texas A&M (1) (+1)
- Arkansas (-2)
- Tennessee (+1)
- Kentucky (+1)
- Alabama (-2)
- Auburn (+1)
- Georgia (-1)
- Texas
- Missouri
- Ole Miss
- LSU
- Mississippi State (+1)
- South Carolina (-1)
- Oklahoma (-1)
Conference play wraps up on March 7 with “Rivalry Saturday,” setting the stage for the SEC Tournament in Nashville from March 11-15. Last season, the Longhorns made a mini-run in the tournament before bowing out to Tennessee in the quarterfinals. Florida, of course, caught fire at just the right time, knocking off Tennessee in the SEC title game en route to a national championship.
There’s still plenty of basketball left, and with the top of the SEC as competitive as it’s been in years, expect more twists and turns before the bracket is set in Nashville.