Alabama basketball suffered its first SEC loss on Saturday afternoon in Missouri, but does that defeat guarantee a fall from first place in this week’s Men’s Basketball Power Rankings?
In short, no, no.
While Crimson Tide is in a slump, losing two of their last three games, Alabama made a statement in its victory over LSU on Wednesday night at the Coleman Coliseum, beating the Tigers by a score of 78-60. Although Crimson Tide lost, their game in the final five minutes showed what this team is capable of – 21-2 run in the final five minutes to bring Alabama back from the dead.
Despite the defeat, Alabama still has a three-game lead over runner-up Missouri, so their momentum at the start of the conference saves them for now.
Missouri jumps from fifth to second place in this week’s power ranking. Tigers are now on the rise, with three consecutive wins over TCU, Kentucky and Alabama. The Tigers maintain their second place in the SEC ranking, and the three game advantage that Crimson Tide has built could certainly be overcome if Missouri continues to play as it has lately.
Alabama and Missouri have favorable hours for the rest of the year. If one thing is certain, it will be a lot of fun to watch these two teams battle for the title of the regular season conference, especially with the Tigers now having the tiebreaker.
For now, Missouri is in second.
Tennessee moves into third place after beating Kentucky at the Rupp Arena. Say what you want about the Wildcats, but a victory at Rupp is still difficult for SEC teams. The Volunteers’ victory proved that they are still part of the conversation as one of the SEC’s best teams.
LSU dropped from third to fourth after losing to Texas Tech at home, followed by losing to Alabama for the second time this season. Tigers are still formidable, but there is still a long way to go if you want to prove that you belong to the first two places.
Here’s a look at the SEC men’s basketball power ratings after 11 weeks of play:
SEC Men’s Basketball Rankings: Week 11
1. Alabama (15-5 overall, 10-1 SEC)
2. Missouri (13-3, 6-3)
3. Tennessee (13-4, 6-4)
4. LSU (11-6, 6-4)
5. Florida (10-5, 6-4)
6. Arkansas (14-5, 6-4)
7. State of Mississippi (11-9, 5-6)
8. Georgia (12-6, 5-6)
9. Ole Miss (10-8, 5-6)
10. Auburn (10-10, 4-7)
11. Kentucky (5-12, 4-6)
12. South Carolina (5-7, 3-5)
13. Texas A&M (8-7, 2-6)
14. Vanderbilt (5-9, 1-7)
Follow Bama Central every Sunday during the season to get updated ratings.