All for Tennessee Official Men's Basketball SEC Power Rankings for Jan. 23: A Clear Top 2
The Men’s Basketball SEC Power Rankings for the week of Jan. 23, 2017 reveal a clear-cut top two teams in the Southeastern Conference and parity after that.
Last week, there were clearly three teams that stood on a different level above everybody else in our SEC Power Rankings. However, after a round robin between the three, we got left with a clear-cut No. 1 team.
And another shocking upset on Saturday left us with a clear-cut No. 2 team as well, while everybody else is in a pack.
As we get set to bring you our men’s basketball SEC Power Rankings for this week, it’s important to note that there is a clear bottom two and a clear top two.
However, all 10 teams in between could be completely interchangeable after such a crazy week of basketball.
One team actually jumped six spots after the way they played last week despite still having a losing record in the conference.
Another made a jump because of their easy schedule last week.
Many others are still in the fight to move up, and there is still a lot of SEC basketball to play. The halfway point of conference play for most teams will come at the beginning of next week.
And most of the teams in the conference get a break from playing each other this weekend with the SEC-Big 12 challenge. After that we enter the stretch run for college basketball.
But let’s see where teams stand at this point.
Here are the official All for Tennessee men’s basketball SEC Power Rankings for the week prior to Monday, Jan. 23, 2017.
Jan 14, 2017; Fayetteville, AR, USA; Missouri Tigers guard Terrence Phillips (1) drives around Arkansas Razorbacks forward Moses Kingsley (33) during the second half at Bud Walton Arena. Arkansas won the game 92-73. Mandatory Credit: Brett Rojo-USA TODAY Sports
Missouri Tigers
5-13 (0-6)
Last week: Lost to Alabama Crimson Tide and Ole Miss RebelsLast rank: 14th
Kim Anderson is in trouble. In his third year with the Missouri Tigers, they are nowhere near moving out of the cellar of this conference.
And they remain where they have been the past three years: at the bottom of our SEC power rankings.
Missouri didn’t give Alabama a fight last week in a 68-56 loss to the Tide. However, they showed some toughness against the Ole Miss Rebels, losing only 75-71.
Kevin Puryear and Frankie Hughes are the only semi-efficient scorers for the Tigers, and even if the offense shows up, the defense is awful. This team is just bad all the way around.
At 5-13 and 0-6 in the conference, this team is now in real danger of going winless in SEC play when you look at their schedule.
It’s not likely to get better this week. The Tigers have to take on the Mississippi State Bulldogs on the road and then the South Carolina Gamecocks at home.
Then they have a road game against the Florida Gators.
So falling to 5-16 is likely before they have any legitimate chance at a win. But maybe the close game against the Rebels gave them some confidence to turn things around.
We will know soon enough if that was a fluke or not.
Jan 21, 2017; Fayetteville, AR, USA; LSU Tigers guard Antonio Blakeney (2) drives against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Bud Walton Arena. Arkansas defeated LSU 99-86. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports
LSU Tigers
9-9 (1-6)
Last week: Lost to Auburn Tigers and Arkansas RazorbacksLast rank: 13th
Beating the Missouri Tigers is nothing to be proud of, and it’s the only thing that is keeping Johnny Jones’s team from being at the bottom of the SEC Power Rankings themselves.
But with no Ben Simmons to keep up the scoring this year, the Tigers are just getting blown out by not stopping anybody.
This may be the worst defensive team in the history of SEC basketball, as the Tigers have given up over 90 points in four of their seven SEC games. The dismissal of Craig Victor II is clearly a huge loss for this team and threw things for a loop.
But they still have three other guys averaging double-figures in scoring, and they have been putting up 76 points a game.
So it’s the atrocious defense that has kept this team from doing anything. Often times, lack of defense comes down to coaching, so losing because of that does not help Jones’s case at all.
And this week, things will only get worse. The Tigers have to play an angry Florida Gators team this week, and over the weekend they’ll travel to Texas Tech to take on the 14-5 Red Raiders.
That’s likely two more losses to drop this team to 9-11 and only further heat up Jones’s seat.
Jan 21, 2017; College Station, TX, USA; Texas A&M Aggies players celebrate after defeating the Georgia Bulldogs 63-62 at Reed Arena. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Texas A&M Aggies
10-8 (2-5)
Last week: Lost to Arkansas Razorbacks; Defeated Georgia BulldogsLast rank: 12th
The Texas A&M Aggies clearly miss Daniel House Jr. and Jalen Jones. The lack of their top two players seemed manageable at the beginning of the season, but they hit a rude awakening at the start of conference play.
However, they had significant improvement last week. This team lost by two to the Arkansas Razorbacks and then got a crucial win over the Georgia Bulldogs this past Saturday.
Maybe, after that, they could be turning a corner.
However, it’s not enough to move them out of the No. 12 spot in our SEC power rankings. Billy Kennedy’s team has a lot of work to do before that happens.
The good news is the Aggies are in that next tier above the bottom two, with a ton of other SEC teams, and an NCAA Tournament appearance is not out of the question if they can turn things around.
After all, their 10-8 record comes with the No. 37 ranked strength of schedule, a number that will go up with more SEC games. And they are in the Top 100 of the RPI, so a run could get them to the Big Dance.
The biggest thing has to be cutting down on their turnovers in conference play, which has been an issue. With trips to Ole Miss and then No. 7 ranked West Virginia this week, we’ll find out real fast if they can turn the corner.
But both games are huge opportunities.
Jan 21, 2017; Knoxville, TN, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs center Schnider Herard (34) during the first half against the Tennessee Volunteers at Thompson-Boling Arena. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports
Mississippi State Bulldogs
12-6 (3-3)
Last week: Lost to Kentucky Wildcats and Tennessee VolunteersLast rank: 6th
There is no shame in hitting a reality check by running into the Kentucky Wildcats and losing. But the Mississippi State Bulldogs fell from No. 6 to No. 11 in our SEC Power Rankings because of what happened later in the week.
This team lost in unacceptable fashion to the Tennessee Vols, 91-74, and in the process, they fell from 3-1 in the conference to 3-3.
With two of their wins coming against the LSU Tigers and Texas A&M Aggies, you also have to question how legitimate this team is. However, a road win against the Arkansas Razorbacks was impressive.
So this team, which has a 12-6 record and lots to play for, should not quit.
The only problem with the Bulldogs is that they are ranked No. 120 in the RPI with the No. 124 ranked strength of schedule. So they need to make a huge splash in SEC play to make the NCAA Tournament.
They haven’t been doing hat.
Like LSU, the Bulldogs have a solid offense with Quinndray Weatherspoon ridiculously amazing shooting. But that’s all they have. They don’t play defense either, just a bit better than the Tigers to pull out more wins.
Missouri at home this week is a sure win to get back on track, but they need to beat Alabama on the road this weekend if they want to prove their legitimacy.
Jan 17, 2017; Oxford, MS, USA; Tennessee Volunteers head coach Rick Barnes talks with Tennessee Volunteers guard Lamonte Turner (1) during the first half against the Mississippi Rebels at The Pavilion at Ole Miss. Mandatory Credit: Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports
Tennessee Volunteers
10-9 (3-4)
Last week: Lost to Ole Miss Rebels; Defeated Mississippi State BulldogsLast rank: 8th
Rick Barnes made a conscious effort to put together a collection of very young players who are not as talented as Kentucky freshmen that he could develop.
The result is a team that is too young to be able to deal with success but not talented enough to overcome that youth like the Wildcats. So while the future is bright, this year has been frustrating for every Tennessee basketball fans.
Last week, the Vols blew a 15-point lead to the Ole Miss Rebels on the road AFTER Rasheed Brooks left the game on a stretcher.
That’s a huge negative, and beating a Mississippi State Bulldogs team that appears to be fraudulent at this point is not enough to keep them from dropping in our SEC Power Rankings after that disaster in Oxford.
The young Vols have got to be able to handle winning and success. They have yet to see a two-game winning streak in the SEC.
There is good news, though. This team, despite its poor record, is No. 62 in the RPI because it has the No. 11 ranked strength of schedule, which only goes up with more SEC games.
So they are in a great position to get into the NCAA Tournament on that alone if they can steal a few wins.
Unfortunately, that could be tough this week with the Kentucky Wildcats and Kansas State Wildcats on the schedule. But both are at home, and even a split would shoot the Vols up in the RPI since both teams will even further improve their schedule strength.
Jan 17, 2017; Oxford, MS, USA; Mississippi Rebels forward Sebastian Saiz (11) and Mississippi Rebels head coach Andy Kennedy during the second half against the Tennessee Volunteers at The Pavilion at Ole Miss. Mississippi Rebels defeated the Tennessee Volunteers 80-69. Mandatory Credit: Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports
Ole Miss Rebels
12-7 (3-4)
Last week: Defeated Tennessee Volunteers and Missouri TigersLast rank: 10th
The Ole Miss Rebels don’t get too much credit for beating the Missouri Tigers at home over the weekend, but that followed an incredibly impressive win over the Tennessee Vols.
And while the Vols are young and the Rebels played that game at home, Andy Kennedy’s team won that game by coming back from 15 down to score a double-digit victory.
Also, it came after Rasheed Brooks had to leave the game on a stretcher due to a seizure.
Winning that game is just enough to slightly move this team up in our SEC Power Rankings. The Rebels are now 12-7 and 3-4 in the conference.
With Deandre Burnett back, this team now has four elite scorers, and they can all spread the floor, which puts this elite offense in great shape to make a run at the NCAA Tournament.
Ole Miss is currently No. 46 in the RPI rankings with the No. 24 ranked strength of schedule, which puts them in great position if they can steal a few more wins.
The Texas A&M Aggies at home this week is a huge game for them to get some more breathing room. Then they’ll be playing the Baylor Bears on Saturday, giving themselves a huge opportunity to pull off a major upset.
But if they want to play that game pressure-free, they need to beat Texas A&M.
Jan 21, 2017; Gainesville, FL, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores center Djery Baptiste (12) grabs a rebound assisted by Commodores guard Matthew Fisher-Davis (5) during the first half of an NCAA basketball game at Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
Vanderbilt Commodores
9-10 (3-4)
Last week: Lost to Georgia Bulldogs; Defeated Florida GatorsLast rank: 9th
They have a losing record right now, but the Vanderbilt Commodores are in amazing shape and should be very happy about where they are.
Bryce Drew has done everything right with this team in his first year as head coach. He and the Commodores went out of their way to put together a very difficult out of conference schedule, making their .500 record in nonconference play not look so bad.
In the process, the team got better and better. Starting SEC play, the only bad loss they got was at home against the Tennessee Vols.
Their other losses were to the Kentucky Wildcats and on the road to the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Georgia Bulldogs this past week.
But playing all of those teams, which now has them with the No. 3 overall ranked strength of schedule nationally, helped them improve and get better. And it paid off with a huge upset victory over the Florida Gators on Saturday.
Now, Vanderbilt is in great shape to move up these SEC Power Rankings if they stay consistent. And despite their losing record, their schedule strength has helped put them at No. 58 in the RPI. They just need a few more wins to make an NCAA Tournament run.
The Arkansas Razorbacks and Iowa State Cyclones at home this week will tell us where they really stand. But they are in great shape to win both games.
Jan 21, 2017; College Station, TX, USA; Georgia Bulldogs players walk off the court after losing 63-62 against the Texas A&M Aggies at Reed Arena. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Georgia Bulldogs
12-7 (4-3)
Last week: Defeated Vanderbilt Commodores; Lost to Texas A&M AggiesLast rank: 5th
Mark Fox’s team had gotten on a roll in SEC play, winning three of four with a four-point loss to the Florida Gators the only blemish on their record. That continued into last week as the Dawgs topped off the Vanderbilt Commodores.
But what followed was unacceptable.
In addition to Florida not looking like as impressive of a loss anymore, the Dawgs dropped a bad one to the Texas A&M Aggies. Sure, it was a one-point loss on the road, but it was enough to drop them to No. 7 in our SEC Power Rankings.
Of course, to be fair, there was a clock malfunction that makes all the difference in the world in this game. But it shouldn’t have come down to that.
Anyway, the Dawgs’ balanced attack led by the most underrated player in the SEC in Yante Maten is still in good shape. At 12-7 and 4-3 in the SEC, this team is currently No. 45 in the RPI rankings and has the No. 31 ranked strength of schedule, a number that will only go up.
However, they still have work to do, and as a result, they can’t get complacent.
That work is attainable this week with two home games. One of them is on Saturday against the Texas Longhorns, which should be a win. But before that, the Bulldogs have a big SEC game against a team one spot ahead of them in our SEC Power Rankings. We go to them next.
Jan 21, 2017; Auburn, AL, USA; Auburn Tigers guard Ronnie Johnson (35) is pressured by Alabama Crimson Tide guard Corbin Collins (3) during the second half at Auburn Arena. The Tigers beat the Tide 84-64. Mandatory Credit: John Reed-USA TODAY Sports
Alabama Crimson Tide
11-7 (4-2)
Last week: Defeated Missouri Tigers; Lost to Auburn TigersLast rank: 4th
Avery Johnson’s team took a dive this week in our SEC Power Rankings after a bad loss on the road Saturday to the Auburn Tigers.
The Alabama Crimson Tide are still 11-7 and 4-2 in the SEC, but they are only No. 88 in the RPI with the No. 63 ranked strength of schedule.
So this team has lots of work to do if it’s going to make a run at the NCAA Tournament. Like a few other teams in the SEC, their stars are still relatively young and have work to do.
The Tide don’t get too much credit for their one win last week, as it was against the Missouri Tigers.
While Alabama’s defense remains as tough as ever, the offense really needs to get going. Braxton Key and Dazon Ingram are the only guys with semi-efficient shooting percentages among the main scorers at this point, and that has to change.
This week, the Tide have two huge games at the Georgia Bulldogs and then hosting the Mississippi State Bulldogs. With the Auburn Tigers, South Carolina Gamecocks, and Kentucky Wildcats to follow, this stretch will make or break them.
And if they don’t come out of it at least 3-2, they’re in serious trouble. Speaking of that Auburn team that they just lost to, though…
Jan 21, 2017; Auburn, AL, USA; Auburn Tigers head coach Bruce Pearl talks to guard Mustapha Heron (5) during the first half against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Auburn Arena. Mandatory Credit: John Reed-USA TODAY Sports
Auburn Tigers
13-6 (3-4)
Last week: Defeated LSU Tigers and Alabama Crimson TideLast rank: 11th
And just like that, it looks like Bruce Pearl’s three years of work with the Auburn Tigers is finally starting to pay off.
If Austin Wiley wasn’t missing games, Danjel Purifoy was. But both were back on the court together Saturday.
Before that, however, they had a break by facing the LSU Tigers and getting a win early in the week to move up the SEC standings after a 1-4 start. Then came their huge game Saturday.
The Tigers finally looked like a Pearl-coached team in the SEC, playing up-tempo all game against the Tide, making sure to shoot it every time they got the ball up the court fast, and forcing 16 turnovers.
The result was an offensive clinic that turned into an Auburn blowout, and they look like they are on track to finally do some special things.
Unlike most Pearl teams, however, the Tigers can’t get too much credit with their 13-6 record because their schedule strength sits at No. 76 right now. That has their RPI all the way down at No. 70, so they have work to do.
The chances come this week with the South Carolina Gamecocks and TCU Horned Frogs, both on the road. And both teams are in the Top 31 of the RPI.
So Pearl really has a chance to take the next step with his Tigers this week.
Jan 21, 2017; Fayetteville, AR, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks forward Moses Kingsley (33) motions to his teammates during the second half against the LSU Tigers at Bud Walton Arena. Arkansas defeated LSU 99-86. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports
Arkansas Razorbacks
15-4 (4-3)
Last week: Defeated Texas A&M Aggies and LSU TigersLast rank: 7th
Mike Anderson’s team has come together and hit gold. Okay, so after a 1-3 start, they got their easy draw and beat the Missouri Tigers, Texas A&M Aggies, and LSU Tigers to go on this three-game winning streak and get a winning record in the SEC.
But, at the same time, they took advantage of their easy opportunities.
The Razorbacks are now 15-4 and have the No. 33 ranked RPI. Meanwhile, despite these three easy games, they still have a schedule strength at No. 50.
The up-tempo Nolan Richardson-based team is making Arkansas once again the most fun team to watch in the SEC, as they put up 82 points a game and keep everything fast-paced.
With the Vanderbilt Commodores, Oklahoma State Cowboys, and Alabama Crimson Tide all up next, they have a chance to move that up facing three Top 100 RPI teams.
It’ll drop back down as they face Missouri, LSU and Vanderbilt again after that. Then comes the gauntlet.
The Razorbacks need to hope to win their next six games to get to 21-4 because their final six games are brutal. Four come against Top 50 teams.
Getting a head-start this week can only help them.
And if they do that, a spot in the NCAA Tournament is right around the corner.
Jan 21, 2017; Gainesville, FL, USA; Florida Gators center John Egbunu (15) and Vanderbilt Commodores forward Jeff Roberson (11) wait for the rebound to fall during the first half of an NCAA basketball game at Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
Florida Gators
14-5 (5-2)
Last week: Lost to South Carolina Gamecocks and Vanderbilt CommodoresLast rank: 2nd
The Florida Gators went on an unacceptable two-game losing streak last week but only dropped one spot in our SEC Power Rankings.
Really, what their losses did was show that Mike White’s team is just on a tier below the top tier of the conference.
Their first loss to the South Carolina Gamecocks showed that, but there’s no shame there. The next loss, a home one to the Vanderbilt Commodores, is what showed that they are on a lower tier. Those other SEC teams should not be capable of taking down the Gators.
Still, they had done enough to that point that there was no reason to drop them outside of the Top 3.
These guys have a very balanced offense and play lockdown defense. They just happened to take the Commodores lightly.
But at 14-5, this team is still flirting with the Top 10 in the RPI because of its No. 2 ranked strength of schedule. Florida did not back down, facing up to Gonzaga, Duke, and Florida State in the non-conference schedule.
That they lost all three didn’t matter.
This week, the schedule takes a bit of a dive with the LSU Tigers and Oklahoma Sooners on the schedule. Both teams are outside of the Top 100 of the RPI and will do nothing for the Gators.
But it’s a chance for them to get back on track and win two straight to get to 16-5 before a major stretch run in the SEC. They can’t afford a slip-up to either team this week.
Jan 21, 2017; Lexington, KY, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks forward Sedee Keita (24) fights for a rebound against Kentucky Wildcats forward Wenyen Gabriel (32) in the first half at Rupp Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports
South Carolina Gamecocks
15-4 (5-1)
Last week: Defeated Florida Gators; Lost to Kentucky WildcatsLast rank: 3rd
Even in a loss last Saturday to the Kentucky Wildcats, the South Carolina Gamecocks should have no shame. They have proven that they are in the elite class of the SEC and deserve this No. 2 spot in our SEC Power Rankings.
The Gamecocks first showed it by being able to out-defend the Florida Gators in their 57-53 win last week.
Afterward, they showed they clearly aren’t on the most elite level in their 85-69 loss to the Kentucky Wildcats. But that game was in Lexington.
And Florida losing to Vanderbilt means that Frank Martin’s team is clearly No. 2 in these SEC Power Rankings.
After such a strong season last year, the Gamecocks are in perfect shape to finally get to that elusive NCAA Tournament under Martin.
This year, at 15-4, they actually have a decent strength of schedule at No. 28. And it’s helped their RPI ranking, which now stands at No. 20.
Martin’s defense-first mentality works when Sindarius Thornwell and PJ Dozier accept the load they need to carry when it comes to scoring.
Of course, after a brutal run last week, they’re about to get a break.
The Gamecocks have a big game against the Auburn Tigers this week, but then they get to face the Missouri Tigers and LSU Tigers in back to back weeks.
Now, those are both road games. But they are games the Gamecocks should win. And they could easily get to 18-4 and 8-1 in the conference before hosting the Georgia Bulldogs in a huge game Feb. 4.
Kentucky Wildcats
17-2 (7-0)
Last week: Defeated Mississippi State Bulldogs and South Carolina GamecocksLast rank: 1st
There is no surprise here. John Calipari still has the Kentucky Wildcats dominating the SEC the way Nick Saban dominates it in football.
Only the SEC basketball coaches are currently far superior to the SEC football coaches.
Anyway, this year’s Kentucky Wildcats have once again found their rhythm. Only the Vanderbilt Commodores and Mississippi State Bulldogs have come within single digits of them ever since SEC play began.
Malik Monk is just another combo guard perfectly fit for Calipari’s system, and De’Aron Fox and Isaiah Briscoe add superstardom in the backcourt, even if Briscoe went scoreless last game.
However, Calipari’s system always depends on one elite, physical big men, and Edrice Adebayo still checks out at times.
Adebayo’s efficiency is to be commended given the fact that he shoots over 60 percent from the field, but he had fewer than five rebounds each of the past two games.
The Wildcats need him to get into the seven to 10 rebound range if they are going to go where they want to go in the NCAA Tournament.
And the offense has to partially go through Adebayo.
That’s what Calipari needs if he’s going to get another championship in the NCAA Tournament. After all, this conference is just child’s play for his team right now.
They are far and away the No. 1 team in the SEC Power Rankings, and while they travel to Tennessee Tuesday, we’ll really know how far this team has come when they host the No. 2 ranked Kansas Jayhawks Saturday.
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