1. Kentucky Wildcats (17-0, 4-0) – It’s lonely at the top for the Wildcats. John Calipari’s platoons recovered well from their consecutive close calls in Week 9 to thrash Missouri and Alabama by a combined 71 points in last week’s action. All is well in Lexington again, and that undefeated regular season seems not so far fetched. (Next up this week: Vanderbilt, South Carolina.)
2. Tennessee Volunteers (11-5, 3-1) – The momentum from the Volunteers’ five-point win at home over Arkansas last Tuesday was nearly voided by a poor showing against conference doormat Missouri on Saturday. Tennessee needed at 14-3 run in the closing minutes to escape with a 59-51 win in Columbia. Still, they are tied for second in the conference standings and appear to have righted some of the wrongs that led to their 56-38 beatdown at the hands of Alabama on Jan. 10th. (Next up this week: South Carolina, Texas A&M.)
3. Georgia Bulldogs (11-5, 2-2) – The Bulldogs’ 70-67 win against Vanderbilt on Wednesday was a little too close for comfort, but a 73-61 win at home over Florida a few days later provided some style points. Georgia’s two conference losses have been by four points or less, and their only double digit loss of the season was to No. 10 Gonzaga back on Nov. 26th. Marcus Thornton (13.9 PPG, 7.5 RPG) continues to lead five Bulldogs starters averaging at least 9.0 points per game or more. (Next up this week: Ole Miss, Mississippi State.)
4. Florida Gators (10-7, 3-1) – Just like the Bulldogs, the Gators have seen their fair share of close games this season. Saturday’s loss to Georgia wasn’t one however, and it revealed a lot for a Florida team who was yet to play anyone in the upper tier of the conference prior to the game. Billy Donovan’s team has been great defensively all season, but they’ll need more offensive production to get them over the hump. (Next up this week: LSU, Ole Miss)
5. Arkansas Razorbacks (13-4, 2-2) – Just when the Razorbacks break back into the rankings, they turn and drop two-straight. Anton Beard blew a chance to tie the game against Tennessee with 5.1 seconds remaining by missing all three of his free-throws after being fouled on his initial game-tying attempt from behind the arc. Arkansas followed that blunder with a 96-82 loss to Ole Miss after the Rebels gave the Razorbacks a taste of their own high-scoring medicine. This team needs to learn some defense if they want to compete for the No.2 spot under Kentucky. (Next up this week: Alabama, Missouri.)
6. LSU Tigers (13-4, 2-2) – A four-point win against Ole Miss, and a three-point loss against Texas A&M. That about sums up the Tigers’ season thus far. In other news, sophomore forward Jordan Mickey continues to fill up the stat sheet, and is averaging 15.6 points, 11.6 rebounds, and 5.0 blocks in his last five games. (Next up this week: Florida, Vanderbilt.)
7. Texas A&M Aggies (11-5, 2-2) – The Aggies have managed to pull off two close wins this last week against Mississippi State and LSU after nearly toppling Kentucky in that double-overtime thriller on Jan. 10th. Things are suddenly looking up for Billy Kennedy’s squad. Saturday’s upcoming matchup against Tennessee on the road will do much to show just how good this team really is. (Next up this week: Missouri, Tennessee.)
8. Alabama Crimson Tide (12-5, 2-2) – It wasn’t a good week for the Crimson Tide, as they followed up a 68-66 loss to a slightly inferior South Carolina team with a thrashing to Kentucky. Alabama leading scorer Levi Randolph (15.0 PPG) is just 3-of-18 from three-point range since Jan. 2nd. (Next up this week: Arkansas, Auburn)
9. South Carolina Gamecocks (10-6, 1-3) – The Gamecocks are still struggling to return to the form that saw them take out Clemson, Oklahoma State, and Iowa State in non-conference play. The victory over Alabama was a step back in the right direction, but a 71-68 loss to Auburn on Saturday was two steps back, maybe three. (Next up this week: Tennessee, Kentucky.)
10. Ole Miss Rebels (11-6, 2-2) – The Rebels’ confidence is likely still high after their strong showing against Kentucky back on Jan. 6th, and Saturday’s 14-point victory over a good Arkansas team. Last Wednesday’s 75-71 loss to LSU is nothing to hang their heads about, as it was Ole Miss’ fourth loss by four points or less on the season. A solid mid-to-late season run is likely if the Rebels can find a way to put forth some better effort defensively. (Next up this week: Georgia, Florida.)
11. Auburn Tigers (10-7, 2-2) – K.T. Harrell and his 24 points were the biggest reason the Tigers were able to slip by the Gamecocks on Saturday. Auburn is 0-3 when he fails to score in double figures. Give the man the ball. (Next up this week: Mississippi State, Alabama.)
12. Mississippi State Bulldogs (8-9, 1-3) – The Bulldogs have relied on defense all year, and the strategy has yielded mixed results. MSU’s 57-54 victory over Vanderbilt last weekend is a good example of the good results. Still, they are likely to finish around .500 come March. (Next up this week: Auburn, Georgia.)
13. Vanderbilt Commodores (11-6, 1-3) – The Commodores’ 48 percent field goal shooting ranks 21st nationally, but it hasn’t been enough to push them over the edge in the win column. Saturday’s loss to Mississippi State was just another near-miss for a Vanderbilt team that has now lost four games by three points. (Next up this week: Kentucky, LSU.)
14. Missouri Tigers (7-10, 1-3) – The Tigers were able to rebound from their 49-point thrashing at Kentucky and hang with the Volunteers in an eight-point loss on Saturday. It’s been a tough first year for Kim Anderson as he begins the rebuilding project at his alma mater. (Next up this week: Texas A&M, Arkansas.)
