For the third consecutive week, the Auburn Tigers remain atop the SEC RPI standings.
Bruce Pearl’s team defeated both LSU and Missouri convincingly during last week’s action which has led to a national ranking of No. 11 in the Associated Press Poll.
There is a lot of basketball still to be played; however, if the Tigers are able to continue their winning ways, a #1 seeding in the NCAA Tournament is a real possibility.
Kentucky and Tennessee follow closely behind after going 2-0 last week. Both teams were able to grab a much needed SEC win as well as notch a victory over a quality opponent in the SEC/Big12 Challenge.
Arkansas is one of the week’s biggest movers. The Razorbacks are up eleven spots after defeating Georgia and Oklahoma State in a couple of nail-biters. Time will tell as to whether or not Mike Anderson’s side can make a push for a strong seeding in the NCAA Tournament.
Another team coming off a solid week is the Alabama Crimson Tide. Although Avery Johnson’s team slipped up on the road against Ole Miss, the Crimson Tide grabbed arguably the biggest win of the week for the SEC in defeating the highly-regarded Oklahoma Sooners and college basketball’s best player — Trae Young.
Texas A&M comes in at sixth this week. The Aggies have struggled recently, but, their SOS and performance during non-conference is still carrying a lot of weight — especially in RPI. With that said, the Aggies do not have a lot of room for error at this point. A few more losses and Billy Kennedy’s team may be on the outside looking in.
The Florida Gators finish out the top half of the standings in seventh place. Mike White’s Gators have battled with consistency and it showed against during last week’s loss to South Carolina. If the Gators can become more consistent and play each game with the same level of intensity, look for them to make a run deep into March.
The remaining seven teams are currently on the oustide looking in at the NCAA Tournament field according to most bracketology predictions. Realistically, Mizzou, South Carolina, and Georgia have the best chances at making the NCAA Tournament; however, recent performances have not helped the cause. Although the Gamecocks were able to win at Florida, Frank Martin’s team was unable to capitalize on a pivotal home game against a ranked Texas Tech team.
If any team in the bottom seven is going to make the tournament, they will need to go on a run during the month of February to solidify a spot in March Madness.
Note: If using a mobile device, you will need to turn it sideways to properly view the table below.
SEC RPI Report – Tuesday, Jan. 30th
| SEC | NCAA | Team | Record | SOS | Quad 1 | Quad 2 | Quad 3 | Quad 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 | Auburn | 19-2 | 45 | 5-2 | 4-0 | 4-0 | 6-0 |
| 2 | 12 | Kentucky | 16-5 | 5 | 2-3 | 9-2 | 2-0 | 3-0 |
| 3 | 13 | Tennessee | 15-5 | 17 | 3-5 | 5-0 | 4-0 | 3-0 |
| 4 | 21 | Arkansas | 15-6 | 27 | 3-5 | 2-0 | 5-1 | 5-0 |
| 5 | 29 | Alabama | 14-7 | 13 | 3-2 | 5-4 | 3-1 | 3-0 |
| 6 | 36 | Texas A&M | 13-8 | 8 | 3-5 | 2-2 | 4-1 | 4-0 |
| 7 | 38 | Florida | 15-6 | 33 | 5-2 | 3-4 | 2-0 | 5-0 |
| 8 | 46 | Missouri | 12-8 | 18 | 3-6 | 1-1 | 6-1 | 2-0 |
| 9 | 53 | S. Carolina | 12-8 | 48 | 3-5 | 2-2 | 2-1 | 5-0 |
| 10 | 62 | Georgia | 12-8 | 64 | 3-5 | 3-1 | 2-2 | 4-0 |
| 11 | 71 | Miss. State | 14-6 | 114 | 1-5 | 1-1 | 3-0 | 9-0 |
| 12 | 82 | LSU | 12-8 | 62 | 3-4 | 3-3 | 0-1 | 6-0 |
| 13 | 84 | Ole Miss | 11-10 | 20 | 1-7 | 4-2 | 2-1 | 4-0 |
| 14 | 123 | Vanderbilt | 8-13 | 3 | 2-10 | 0-3 | 3-0 | 3-0 |
** All data presented in this report is courtesy of the NCAA’s Nitty Gritty & Team Sheet Reports which reflect only games against Division 1 opposition. **
Now that we’ve seen the current positioning and figures for each SEC team, let’s take a look at what the next week of basketball holds for each of the 14 squads.
The Week Ahead (Jan. 29 – Feb. 4)
Alabama Crimson Tide
| Date | Opponent (H/N/A) | Record | RPI |
| 1/31/18 | Missouri Tigers (H) | 12-8 | #46 |
| 2/3/18 | #23 Florida Gators (A) | 15-6 | #38 |
Arkansas Razorbacks
| Date | Opponent (H/N/A) | Record | RPI |
| 1/30/18 | Texas A&M Aggies (A) | 13-8 | #36 |
| 2/3/18 | LSU Tigers (A) | 12-8 | #82 |
Auburn Tigers
| Date | Opponent (H/N/A) | Record | RPI |
| 1/30/18 | Ole Miss Rebels (A) | 11-10 | #84 |
| 2/3/18 | Vanderbilt Commodores (H) | 8-13 | #123 |
Florida Gators
| Date | Opponent (H/N/A) | Record | RPI |
| 1/30/18 | Georgia Bulldogs (A) | 12-8 | #62 |
| 2/3/18 | Alabama Crimson Tide (H) | 14-7 | #29 |
Georgia Bulldogs
| Date | Opponent (H/N/A) | Record | RPI |
| 1/30/18 | #23 Florida Gators (H) | 15-6 | #38 |
| 2/3/18 | Miss. State Bulldogs (A) | 14-6 | #71 |
Kentucky Wildcats
| Date | Opponent (H/N/A) | Record | RPI |
| 1/30/18 | Vanderbilt Commodores (H) | 8-13 | #123 |
| 2/3/18 | Missouri Tigers (A) | 12-8 | #46 |
LSU Tigers
| Date | Opponent (H/N/A) | Record | RPI |
| 1/31/18 | #18 Tennessee Volunteers (A) | 15-5 | #13 |
| 2/3/18 | Arkansas Razorbacks (H) | 15-6 | #21 |
Mississippi State Bulldogs
| Date | Opponent (H/N/A) | Record | RPI |
| 1/31/18 | South Carolina Gamecocks (A) | 12-8 | #53 |
| 2/3/18 | Georgia Bulldogs (H) | 12-8 | #62 |
Missouri Tigers
| Date | Opponent (H/N/A) | Record | RPI |
| 1/31/18 | Alabama Crimson Tide (A) | 14-7 | #29 |
| 2/3/18 | #21 Kentucky Wildcats (H) | 16-5 | #12 |
Ole Miss Rebels
| Date | Opponent (H/N/A) | Record | RPI |
| 1/30/18 | #11 Auburn Tigers (H) | 19-2 | #7 |
| 2/3/18 | #18 Tennessee Volunteers (A) | 15-5 | #13 |
South Carolina Gamecocks
| Date | Opponent (H/N/A) | Record | RPI |
| 1/31/18 | Miss. State Bulldogs (H) | 14-6 | #71 |
| 2/3/18 | Texas A&M Aggies (A) | 13-8 | #36 |
Tennessee Volunteers
| Date | Opponent (H/N/A) | Record | RPI |
| 1/31/18 | LSU Tigers (H) | 12-8 | #82 |
| 2/3/17 | Ole Miss Rebels (H) | 11-10 | #84 |
Texas A&M Aggies
| Date | Opponent (H/N/A) | Record | RPI |
| 1/30/18 | Arkansas Razorbacks (H) | 15-6 | #21 |
| 2/3/18 | South Carolina Gamecocks (H) | 12-8 | #53 |
Vanderbilt Commodores
| Date | Opponent (H/N/A) | Record | RPI |
| 1/30/18 | #21 Kentucky Wildcats (A) | 16-5 | #12 |
| 2/3/17 | #11 Auburn Tigers (A) | 19-2 | #7 |