SEC Basketball Power Poll - January 30

by Will Shelton on Jan 30, 2012 12:00 PM EST in College Basketball

So this is the week that head-to-head results might make our ballot look a little strange. While Tennessee has faced all of the very best teams in this league this month, Kentucky is yet to play Florida, Vanderbilt, or Mississippi State. It's not that I doubt the Wildcats, but that's just one example. Florida and Vanderbilt haven't played each other either. Meanwhile Alabama has four SEC losses already, having made their trip to Starkville plus games against Vanderbilt and at Rupp. It'll all balance out in the end, but right now we're just short of the amount of games needed to not make head-to-head such a huge factor in my mind, and the three best teams in the old Eastern Division haven't even played each other once. That's getting ready to change, however.

Here's our ballot for this week - as always, feel free to agree or disagree in the comments:

1. Kentucky - 21-1 (7-0) - RPI #4 - KenPom #3

The Cats will again be the number one team in the land in the polls, but their weird SEC schedule will eventually reveal exactly how great they can be. UK hosts Tennessee on Tuesday then travels to Columbia on Saturday, meaning the Cats will be nine games into league play before they see Florida or Vanderbilt. Fear not: they get them back to back the following week.

2. Florida - 17-4 (5-1) - RPI #19 - KenPom #11

I'm of the opinion that Vanderbilt is the best of the next tier, and I think most Tennessee fans would agree given the results of each of our games against them. But there's a clear beatpath here, so this week we're going with it. Florida beat Mississippi State 69-57 on Saturday in Gainesville, and did it with incredible efficiency: 11 of 24 from the arc, 15 assists on 27 made baskets, and only five turnovers. The Gators are eighth in the nation in three point percentage, hitting 40.8% as a team. The last time an SEC team finished the year above 40% from the three point line? The second Gator National Championship team in 2007. I am becoming convinced that this Gator team is either getting bounced in the first round or going to the Final Four.

3. Mississippi State - 17-5 (4-3) - RPI #34 - KenPom #59

The Bulldogs did lose in Gainesville, but still have an overtime win in Nashville in their pocket, so that keeps them ahead of the Commodores for now. Their next five games will be a test of their maturity and consistency, because they should win them all: Auburn, Ole Miss, Georgia, at LSU, at Auburn.

4. Vanderbilt - 16-5 (5-1) - RPI #26 - KenPom #30

Kentucky is more talented (and UConn probably is too), but the best team I've seen all year was Vanderbilt. We all know what they tend to do come tournament time, but these guys start four seniors and the SEC's leading scorer. They have three overtime losses against Top 15 foes, two without Festus Ezeli, and really should be a Top 15 team themselves. Here's your chance to prove it: at Fayetteville Tuesday, at Gainesville Saturday.

5. Alabama - 14-7 (3-4) - RPI #35 - KenPom #25

Yeah, they lost four straight, but three of them were to Mississippi State, Vanderbilt, and Kentucky. No excuse for the South Carolina loss, and Anthony Grant let them have it in the press, but they responded well with a win they had to have against Arkansas. The conference record isn't great and lacks a quality win, but this isn't last year: their RPI is very healthy and they should be dancing if they just handle the business they should handle. They're off midweek, then host Ole Miss on Saturday.

6. Arkansas - 15-6 (3-3) - RPI #59 - KenPom #78

Missed a chance to move up and help their NCAA Tournament talk against Alabama. But Vanderbilt comes in Tuesday night, so they don't have to wait long for another such chance. Also still have home games against Florida and Alabama left on the schedule, and another game with Mississippi State who they already beat. There's still a chance, but they need quality wins.

7. Tennessee - 10-11 (2-4) - RPI #146 - KenPom #99

Now up 127 spots in RPI since conference play began, and hey, cracked the Top 100 in KenPom! The loss at Vanderbilt was ugly, and so was the win over Auburn (in a good way that we'll probably see more of), but I'm keeping them at seven for a couple of reasons: none of the teams below them have a pair of quality wins like Florida and UConn, none of the teams below them have so many close losses to good teams, and with Jarnell Stokes I'm still convinced that Tennessee is just better than the next five teams on this list.

8. LSU - 12-9 (2-5) - RPI #78 - KenPom #89

LSU has lost five of six, and the sixth is an overtime win over Auburn in Baton Rouge. However, I'm leaving them at eight because the five losses were to Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Mississippi State, and Kentucky, all of them on the road except Kentucky. And the biggest head-to-head argument of the week: LSU beat Ole Miss by 26 points. That's still good enough for me.

9. Ole Miss - 14-7 (4-3) - RPI #41 - KenPom #110

Again, the hardest team to rank. Lost a tough one at home to the Gators this week, then beat South Carolina as they should have. Let me again remind you that their resume also includes wins over Arkansas, Mississippi State, and at Georgia...and an overtime loss at Auburn, plus the aforementioned 26 point loss at LSU. Same as their opponent, they're off midweek then host Alabama. RPI will continue to say they're a bubble team, but no way with such inconsistency.

10. Auburn - 12-9 (2-5) - RPI #143 - KenPom #177

Yeah, they were bad against us. But they did beat South Carolina by 11, and do have a win over Ole Miss. They'll host Georgia this week and that'll help settle things at the bottom.

11. South Carolina - 9-11 (1-5) - RPI #166 - KenPom #128

The win over Alabama gets them out of the cellar for the first time on our ballot.

12. Georgia - 10-10 (1-5) - RPI #114 - KenPom #140

Unfortunately, all they've done in SEC play is beat us at home in overtime. Their five losses are all to good teams - Alabama, Florida, Vanderbilt, Ole Miss, Kentucky - but are by an average of 12.8 points. Their November win over Notre Dame is looking better, but we're probably the second best win on their resume. Somebody has to be last.

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clear beatpath?

Vandy > Tennessee > Florida

:-p

really, it’s hard to argue with much of that. The two Mississippi schools are the trickiest to rank.

If I cared more about my UNC side, I'd call myself "Tar Volon," and that'd be awesome.
Bolts, Canes, Preds (now in different conferences!). Canes mini-STH. Southern hockey solidarity
Rocky Top Talk

by Incipient_Senescence on Jan 30, 2012 12:11 PM EST reply actions

Troll hard in the paint.

J’approve.

Formerly 'snail. You get used to it after a while.

by Chris Pendley on Jan 30, 2012 1:01 PM EST up reply actions

Yes, they lost to Mississippi State

MSU shot 9-10 on 3’s in the 2nd half/OT and Vandy scrapped back after their 10-point lead became a 10-point deficit. Additionally, we’re all aware that they usually lose in the 1st round. Let’s move past those things.

I doubt Vandy is better than UK, but I’m on the verge of buying back in (and opening myself up to future disappointment) to the argument that this may be the best Vandy team in recent memory. Tuesday is a huge game, though. They have sucked against Arky since I was in school, so it might take a win there for me to get fully on board.

I like Tennessee and Vanderbilt. There aren't many like me, and they're probably better off for it.

by VolnVA on Jan 30, 2012 1:53 PM EST reply actions

If I may.....

I acknowledge that as a UK fan going beyond enemy lines, I’m probably not going to get any sympathy (not that I’m looking for any). I understand the angst over UK’s SEC schedule thus far. But at the same time, they close with 5 of their last 7 games against Vandy and UF (both home and away) as well as a trip to Starkville. After that, they head to the SEC tourney for a much more competitive SEC tourney than in recent years. So the schedule may not be all that favorable after all. All I’m saying is that there’s a lot of wear and tear down that stretch.

I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom that I provide, and then questions the manner in which I provide it. -- Colonel Jessup

by rulenumber76 on Jan 30, 2012 2:36 PM EST reply actions

Oh yeah, very much so

It’s nobody’s fault, as much as people want to talk about Calipari and UK’s scheduling. But it’ll get tight in a hurry down the stretch. Good practice for March though.

Rocky Top Talk

by Will Shelton on Jan 30, 2012 2:39 PM EST up reply actions

I'm so tired of the scheduling talk.....

I live in the midst of B1G country and all they want to talk about is how superior their conference is and how awful the SEC is. What I love point out is that over the last 20 years, only one B1G team has won it all while the SEC has won five. They may have parity in their league, but that doesn’t mean they are so far and away better than everyone else. It could simply mean they have two pretty good teams and 6 so-so teams.

by rulenumber76 on Jan 30, 2012 2:52 PM EST up reply actions

and....

if UT doesn’t get the bogus foul late against MSU, SEC has two final four teams in last three years and the B1G has zero.

by rulenumber76 on Jan 30, 2012 2:57 PM EST up reply actions

Good way to make friends around here

though it’s interesting to note that I think we were so happy just to be there, I’ve never heard many UT fans complain about that call. If that had happened in football we’d talk about it for the rest of our lives (see: Woodson, Charles)

Rocky Top Talk

by Will Shelton on Jan 30, 2012 3:02 PM EST up reply actions

well, yeah

UT’s expectations of football are always higher than expectations of Basketball.

It's Great! To be! A Tennessee Vol!

by falconnuke on Jan 30, 2012 3:11 PM EST up reply actions

That call was a perfect example.....

of the referee presuming the foul before the play happened. not trying to be a UT apologist but that was a travesty, plain and simple. obviously the perception of the SEC is that of a superior football, but it’s basketball isn’t too shabby either.

by rulenumber76 on Jan 30, 2012 3:23 PM EST up reply actions

SEC hoops is the best it has been in several years

That said, I think the B1G and the Big 12 are the two best conferences this year by a decent margin. After that you’ve got the SEC and the Big East Alliance/Confederation, which are similar in strength if not size. Then you’ve got the ACC, which is the worst it has been in years. And then you’ve got thirteen or fourteen mid-major conferences. And then you’ve got the dumpster fire known as the Pac-12.

I’m only exaggerating a little bit.

No homer.

by kidbourbon on Jan 31, 2012 2:34 PM EST via mobile up reply actions

FATTY FATTY FAT FAT

Formerly 'snail. You get used to it after a while.

by Chris Pendley on Jan 30, 2012 4:16 PM EST up reply actions

Sorry, just instinct kicking in there.

Formerly 'snail. You get used to it after a while.

by Chris Pendley on Jan 30, 2012 4:16 PM EST up reply actions

btw.....

no looking forward to having to see Jarnell Stokes multiple times over the next year and a half. obviously UT has more threats than him but his addition definitely feels like they work so much better together.

by rulenumber76 on Jan 30, 2012 2:53 PM EST reply actions

Because rulenumber76 has been so nice over here, I will refrain from my usual Calipari observations

Besides, UK is #1, at home, and has another round of NBA draft picks – so there’s no use kicking the hornet’s nest.

Stokes'd about ZoVols - don't care what the record is.

by memphispete on Jan 30, 2012 5:31 PM EST reply actions

trust me, I probably have heard what you are thinking 1000X times.....

I reside in Indiana, where basketball is played the ‘right’ way. I freely admit there is some operation in the gray area with Calipari. But in the same breath, I honestly do think that because he’s such a polarizing figure he doesn’t get credit when he does incredible things (see: charity work). I finally came to the point where I just don’t respond (9 out of 10 times) because it’s not going to change either your nor mine perception of him. Good luck to you guys tonight. Hope its a good, clean game tonight.

by rulenumber76 on Jan 31, 2012 9:03 AM EST up reply actions