SEC Power Rankings: Where Alabama sits after start of conference play

In what is the first update since the preseason, there are countless teams on the move in the latest SEC basketball power rankings.

So far this season, the SEC has emerged as one of the elite conferences in college basketball once again, one that already has a number of teams positioned to make the NCAA Tournament later this year.

With conference play now in full swing as well, every SEC team has now played five games against in-conference opponent, which provides a chance to revisit our preseason rankings, and now update based on what we have seen so far this season.

Following is a look at the latest SEC basketball power rankings.

16. LSU Tigers

• Previous Ranking: No. 15

LSU (13-5 overall, 1-4 SEC) opened conference play with four consecutive losses, but did get their first SEC win this past Saturday with a 78-70 victory against Missouri. The win over the Tigers in their most recent contest is likely the biggest yet for LSU this season.

15. South Carolina Gamecocks

• Previous Ranking: No. 16

South Carolina (10-8 overall, 1-4 SEC) has had a rough start to SEC play that has included losses in their last three consecutive games against Georgia, Arkansas, and Auburn. The Gamecocks best win this season is their lone SEC victory, a 78-68 road win at LSU.

14. Oklahoma Sooners

• Previous Ranking: No. 14

Oklahoma (11-7 overall, 1-4 SEC) has had a rough start to SEC play that has included four consecutive losses after a win against Ole Miss, the latest of which came this past Saturday at home to Alabama, 83-81. That win against Ole Miss is likely the Sooners biggest yet this season.

13. Mississippi State Bulldogs

• Previous Ranking: No. 8

Mississippi State (10-8 overall, 2-3 SEC) has struggled a bit in their most recent games, dropping three-straight to Kentucky, Alabama and Ole Miss. The Bulldogs also struggled some in the nonconference, but did begin SEC play with wins over Texas and Oklahoma.

12. Auburn Tigers

• Previous Ranking: No. 6

The Steven Pearl era at Auburn (11-7 overall, 2-3 SEC) is off to an up-and-down start, headlined by a trio of losses in SEC play against Georgia, Texas A&M, and Missouri, as well as wins over Arkansas and South Carolina. Auburn also fell to some of the nation's top teams in nonconference play such as Arizona, Houston, and Purdue, but also picked up a big win over St. John's.

11. Ole Miss Rebels

• Previous Ranking: No. 9

After a slow start to SEC action, Ole Miss (11-7 overall, 3-2 SEC) has won their last three games against Missouri, Georgia, and Mississippi State. Ole Miss also had a mixed span of results during nonconference play, headlined by a four-game losing streak.

10. Texas Longhorns

• Previous Ranking: No. 10

Texas (11-7 overall, 2-3 SEC) owns two of the SEC's top conference wins this season against both of Alabama and Vanderbilt, but have also dropped three games as well. The Longhorns nonconference slate also included losses to both Duke and UConn, as well as a win over NC State.

9. Tennessee Volunteers

• Previous Ranking: No. 5

Tennessee (12-6 overall, 2-3 SEC) has had an up-and-down start to SEC action that began with a loss at Arkansas, and has since been followed by a win, then a loss, two times over. The Volunteers picked up significant wins against Houston and Louisville in nonconference action earlier this season, but have so far struggled to defeat some of the SEC's top teams head-to-head.

8. Kentucky Wildcats

• Previous Ranking: No. 2

After a slow start to SEC play, Kentucky (12-6 overall, 3-2 SEC) has now won three-straight over Mississippi State, LSU, and Tennessee, the latter of which was an 80-78 second half comeback win in Knoxville this past Saturday. That win at Tennessee is the biggest yet on Kentucky's resume, joining a neutral court victory over St. John's from nonconference action.

7. Missouri Tigers

• Previous Ranking: No. 7

Missouri (13-5 overall, 3-2 SEC) has had an up-and-down start to SEC play that has included recent road losses to both Ole Miss and LSU, but also big wins over Florida and Kentucky. The Tigers nonconference slate also included two rough losses against Kansas and Illinois.

6. Arkansas Razorbacks

• Previous Ranking: No. 4

Arkansas (13-5 overall, 3-2 SEC) has some of the best wins on their resume of any SEC team, but do also own a pair of rough road losses to Auburn and Georgia. The Razorbacks nonconference slate included wins over Louisville and Texas Tech, and Arkansas has since also picked up a notable win over Tennessee in SEC action.

5. Georgia Bulldogs

• Previous Ranking: No. 12

Georgia (15-3 overall, 3-2 SEC) has enjoyed a strong season that has included losses to only Clemson, Florida, and Ole Miss. The Bulldogs resume currently features wins over Arkansas, Auburn, and Xavier.

4. Texas A&M Aggies

• Previous Ranking: No. 11

The Bucky McMillan era in College Station is off to a strong start, as Texas A&M sits at 14-4 overall (4-1 SEC) where their lone conference defeat came at Tennessee, 87-82. Texas A&M has also currently won seven of their last eight games, a stretch that extends back to nonconference play.

3. Alabama Crimson Tide

• Previous Ranking: No. 3

After a challenging nonconference schedule, Alabama (13-5 overall, 3-2 SEC) began SEC play with a pair of losses against Vanderbilt and Texas, but have since bounced back with two road wins at Mississippi State and Oklahoma. The Crimson Tide currently boast one of the SEC's most impressive resumes with wins over the likes of Illinois, St. John's, Kentucky, and Clemson.

2. Vanderbilt Commodores

• Previous Ranking: No. 13

Vanderbilt (16-2 overall, 3-2 SEC) has been one of the biggest surprises of the college basketball season up to this point, only recently dropping their first two games of the year to Texas and Florida. The Commodores also have a resume that is headlined by a 96-90 home win over Alabama.

1. Florida Gators

• Previous Ranking: No. 1

After beginning SEC play with a 76-74 road loss at Missouri, Florida (13-5 overall, 4-1 SEC) has since won their last four consecutive games, three of which were against ranked teams in Georgia, Tennessee, and recently, Vanderbilt. The defending national champions are also starting to hit their stride, having won eight of their last nine games.

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This article originally appeared on Roll Tide Wire: Vanderbilt, Texas A&M rise in SEC basketball power rankings