ESPN ranks SEC Basketball teams from first to last for Week 14

As usual, the SEC is one of the strongest conferences in college basketball this season. ESPN recently updated its rankings of each of the 16 SEC teams.

The rankings are based on ESPN’s Basketball Power Index (BPI), which measure a team’s “true strength going forward.” A team’s BPI is intended to represent its expected point differential after 70 possessions against an average opponent on a neutral court.

No SEC team is still undefeated in conference play. However, ESPN’s BPI believes one team stands above the rest.

1. Florida Gators (7)

Florida is ESPN’s highest-rated team in the SEC and seventh highest-rated team in the country. It’s difficult to argue with ESPN’s assertion after the Gators walloped Alabama in a 100-77 blowout on Saturday.

In the win, Florida squeezed 18 turnovers out of Alabama, while only committing two itself. In turn, the Gators scored 25 points off Alabama’s turnovers and ran away with a comfortable victory.

2. Vanderbilt Commodores (15)

Since suffering three consecutive losses in mid-January, Vanderbilt has won three games in a row. Most recently, the Commodores squeaked out a 71-68 triumph over Ole Miss.

Vanderbilt guard Tyler Tanner was spectacular in the win, recording a team-high 24 points on 10-20 shooting from the floor. Mike James was just shy of a double-double, logging nine points and nine rebounds.

3. Tennessee Volunteers (16)

Tennessee is also on a three-game win streak. On Saturday, the Volunteers secured an impressive 77-69 win over Auburn.

Star freshman Nate Ament was pivotal in the victory. He recorded a team-high 22 points and eight rebounds against the Tigers.

4. Alabama Crimson Tide (19)

Alabama’s performance against Florida was far from encouraging, but the team is still a contender for the SEC title. The Crimson Tide boast wins over St. John’s and Illinois, along with several quality in-conference triumphs.

Alabama’s recent struggles could be due to its decision to add Charles Bediako to its roster in the middle of the season. If the Crimson Tide can gel before March Madness, they’ll be a difficult out in the NCAA Tournament.

5. Kentucky Wildcats (20)

Kentucky bounced back from its blowout loss against Vanderbilt last week with a stunning 85-77 win over Arkansas on Saturday. Otega Oweh stole the show against the Razorbacks, posting a season-high 24 points on an efficient 9-12 shooting performance.

Additionally, Oweh was the primary defender on Arkansas guard Darius Acuff. Kentucky has now won six of its last seven games.

6. Auburn Tigers (22)

After a questionable start to SEC play under first-year head coach Steven Pearl, Auburn has seemingly found its stride. Before falling to Tennessee this past weekend, the Tigers won four consecutive games.

No Auburn player has outshined Keyshawn Hall, who is averaging 20.9 points and 7.2 rebounds per game this season. Hall transferred to Auburn from UCF this past offseason.

7. Texas A&M Aggies (24)

Despite being ranked No. 1 in the conference standings, Texas A&M is far from the best team in the SEC from ESPN’s view. The Aggies aren’t letting their doubters slow them down.

Texas A&M has won four straight games and is showing no signs of stopping. On Saturday, the Aggies handily defeated Georgia 92-77 on the Bulldogs’ home court.

8. Arkansas Razorbacks (29)

Arkansas suffered the largest drop of any team in ESPN’s rankings this week after falling to Kentucky in unexpected fashion. The loss was Arkansas’ first at home this season.

In the loss, the Razorbacks only connected on 3-of-their-14 (21%) attempts from 3-point range. To pile on, Arkansas sunk just 62% of its free throws.

9. Texas Longhorns (35)

Texas’ résumé is complicated. One day, the Longhorns will look like a team bound to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament. By the next game, that team is nowhere to be found.

One consistent bright spot for Texas is junior forward Dailyn Swain. He racked up 18 points, 10 rebounds and six assists in the Longhorns’ win over Oklahoma this past week.

10. Georgia Bulldogs (38)

Georgia burst out of the starting gates in conference play, but has slowed down since then. The Bulldogs are currently on a three-game losing streak.

Most recently, they fell to Texas A&M. In spite of their recent struggles, if the Bulldogs can get back on track, they could make some serious noise down the home stretch of the season.

11. Missouri (45)
12. LSU (46)
13. Oklahoma (47)
14. Ole Miss (50)
15. Mississippi State (62)
16. South Carolina (85)