With only 10 games left in SEC play, teams throughout the conference are trying to bulk up their NCAA Tournament resumes.
Of course, that’s easier said than done in one of the most competitive conferences in the country, and that’s shown by six teams all having the same league record to this point.
Let’s jump into this week’s SEC basketball power rankings.
1. Tennessee Volunteers (20-1, 8-0)
Tennessee’s next three games are all in Knoxville, so it’s going to take a monumental effort for someone to stop the Vols’ winning streak.
2. Kentucky Wildcats (18-3, 7-1)
It’s obvious that the Wildcats have turned a corner after eight straight wins, and now they’ll prepare for a home clash with South Carolina before traveling to Mississippi State on Saturday.
3. LSU Tigers (17-4, 7-1)
The loss to Arkansas is one that the Tigers will want back, especially considering that their next three games look like this: at Mississippi State, vs. Auburn, and at Kentucky.
4. Mississippi State Bulldogs (16-5, 4-4)
Ben Howland’s squad got its revenge at Ole Miss this past week, and next up is a crucial stretch of home games that’ll include matchups against LSU, Kentucky, and Alabama.
5. Auburn Tigers (15-6, 4-4)
As expected, the Tigers have bounced back from a rough stretch with back-to-back wins, and they have a big week ahead with games against Florida and LSU.
6. South Carolina Gamecocks (11-10, 6-2)
While the Gamecocks may have a lot of work to do from an NCAA Tournament standpoint, it’s hard to put them any lower than this considering that they’ve won six of their first eight league games.
7. Alabama Crimson Tide (13-8, 4-4)
Considering that Alabama hasn’t played well at Auburn over the years, it doesn’t make much sense to overreact to the 21-point loss after what’s been a solid few weeks for Avery Johnson’s group.
8. Florida Gators (12-9, 4-4)
The Gators’ loss to Kentucky was brutal, but they have no choice but to rebound quickly with trips to Auburn and Tennessee this week.
9. Ole Miss Rebels (14-7, 4-4)
Ole Miss has lost four straight games after an excellent start in SEC play, but favorable matchups against Texas A&M and Georgia may help the Rebels get back on track in a hurry.
10. Arkansas Razorbacks (13-8, 4-4)
Daniel Gafford and company showed what they’re capable of in the win over LSU, and they need to have more performances like that if they want to get back in tournament contention.
11. Missouri Tigers (11-9, 2-6)
The Tigers got a bit of a confidence boost in the victory against Vanderbilt, but they’ll face their toughest challenge of the year on Tuesday as they hit the road for a rematch with the Vols.
12. Georgia Bulldogs (10-11, 1-7)
Georgia just can’t find a whole lot of consistency right now, and that will likely be a focal point for Tom Crean and his staff when they travel to Tuscaloosa on Wednesday.
13. Texas A&M Aggies (8-12, 1-7)
The Aggies will play three of their next four on the road, so it’s going to be challenging to turn things around after another double-digit defeat.
14. Vanderbilt Commodores (9-12, 0-8)
It’s reasonable to think that the Commodores will find an SEC win at some point, but the schedule does them absolutely no favors over the next several weeks.
For more SEC basketball coverage, follow me on Twitter @theblakelovell.