The final week of Regular Season play in the SEC is upon us as each team has two final games before the SEC Tournament Bracket is set. Auburn officially clinched the SEC Regular Season Championship with a dominant year in one of the strongest years around the league. The final week has several massive matchups that'll shape both the SEC Tournament bracket and how these teams fare in March Madness field making for an entertaining week.
Heading into the final week of SEC Play, here is how we Power Rank each team in the SEC.
The Gamecocks lost their first fourteen games of SEC Play yet, the team hasn't given up and has picked up wins in two of their last three games. Early on in SEC Play, this team lost so many close games that you have to wonder where they'd rank if a few bounces went their way. Collin Murray-Boyles was incredible against Arkansas and it'll be fun to see if he can help lift this team in the SEC Tournament.
The LSU Basketball fans and staff alike are all ready to move on from this season into what will be an exciting offseason. This week like most this season saw LSU lose twice in games where they were competitive until the other team's talent advantage kicked in and from there it was over. Injuries clearly kept this team from reaching its ceiling but, the Tigers have a ton of holes to fill this offseason and it'll be tough to replace a player as good as Cam Carter.
This week saw the Oklahoma Sooners fall just short of adding massive wins twice losing by a combined four points to Kentucky and Ole Miss. This final week of SEC Play and the SEC Tournament will be massive for the Sooners who are currently in Joe Lunardi's "Last Four In". The Sooners have a chance to beat Top 15 Missouri before facing Texas on the road looking to avenge their early season loss.
This recent stretch by the Texas Longhorns is frankly as bad as it could get dropping games to South Carolina, Arkansas, and Georgia over their last three games. The Longhorns have gone from firmly in the NCAA Tournament to one of the last four in meaning they'll have to pick up some significant wins to get off of the bubble. The Longhorns get to face Top 25 Mississippi State this week before closing the year with an Oklahoma team they've already beaten.
Just as John Calipari's Razorbacks were starting to pick up momentum, the team dropped a game they couldn't afford to lose to South Carolina. The Razorbacks are part of the "Last Four Byes" group heading into this final stretch meaning they need to pick up a few key wins to be safe from bid stealers. Vanderbilt and Mississippi State are far from easy games but, the team needs to at least split this week before heading into the SEC Tournament.
This recent stretch has been just what the Doctor ordered for the Georgia Bulldogs. The Bulldogs started the week with a stunning win over the Florida Gators which is massive for their resume before blowing out the Texas Longhorns. The Bulldogs are back on the rise in the NCAA Tournament hunt but, still have plenty of work to do as one of the "First Four Out" according to Joe Lunardi.
The Kentucky Wildcats continued their uninspiring stretch this week with a one point win over Oklahoma this week before getting demolished by Auburn. The Wildcats have the ability to beat some of the best teams with two wins over Tennessee, a win over Florida, and a win over Texas A&M. The issue for this team remains putting together consistent stretches which makes them a top candidate to flame out in the NCAA Tournament.
The Commodores continue to be one of the best stories in the SEC this week as the Commodores picked up Top 15 wins over Texas A&M and Georgia. The Commodores have so many pieces that can beat anyone on any given night which makes them such a difficult out this time of the season. The team faces Arkansas and Georgia to end the regular season which gives the Commodores the chance to hurt several SEC foes on the bubble.
After starting the week with a blowout loss against Alabama, LSU came at the perfect time for Mississippi State as Josh Hubbard's 30 point game lifted the team to victory. The Bulldogs have the makeup and the star player to go on a run in March and matchups with Texas and Arkansas give the team a runway into the SEC Tournament.
This week was a rollercoaster week for the Ole Miss Rebels as they got blown out by Auburn before hardly pulling out a win over Oklahoma. The loss to Auburn is concerning as a team with a defensive identity allowed 106 points while Ole Miss should never be in a tight contest against Oklahoma. This week the Rebels face Florida and Tennessee which is the perfect time to play impressive defense and to sneak out a victory.
This recent stretch is alarming for the Texas A&M Aggies as their amidst a four game losing streak heading into a game against Auburn. The Aggies are a team that could make waves in March but, when they lose four games in a row it starts to make everyone question whether or not they have what it takes. The Aggies have Auburn and a beatable LSU team this week and while a win over LSU would be nice, you'd like to see the Aggies knock off Auburn.
Despite the loss to Vanderbilt to close the week the Missouri Tigers are still in play for one of the Top Four seeds in the SEC Tournament. Even in losses, the Tigers offense continues to impress and gives them every chance to go on a deep run this March. The Tigers will be looking to go unbeaten against Oklahoma and Kentucky while rooting for chaos ahead of them as they hunt for a double bye.
The Alabama Basketball team has to be kicking themselves over how their game against Tennessee ended. The Tide led by 3 with the ball and forty seconds to go yet, they missed free throws and couldn't inbound the ball which led to Jahmai Mashack hitting the shot of a lifetime. Alabama still has the fire power on offense to make a run to the Final Four but, the Tide haven't clicked as many would've hoped after adding several key pieces this offseason.
The start of the week wasn't the best for Tennessee as the Volunteers struggled against LSU but, ending the week with a buzzer beater win to sink Alabama is all that will be remembered. The Vols have wins over Alabama, Texas A&M, Kentucky, and Missouri which has given them a great exposure to battles they'll play in March. This week should be smooth sailing for Tennessee as they face Ole Miss and South Carolina before the SEC Tournament.
This week was rocky for the Florida Gators who started the week with a head scratching loss to Georgia before demolishing Texas A&M. The Gators are talented enough to win the NCAA Tournament and as they continue to get healthier the sky is the limit. The Gators are slated for a Mid-Week matchup against Alabama which well tell us a ton about both teams.
The Auburn Tigers clinched the SEC Regular Season Crown and there's still a week left to play which is incredible in what has been a bloodbath of a league. The Tigers have cruised all season long in the most talented league and are seemingly a lock to receive a one seed in the NCAA Tournament. Bruce Pearl should win SEC Coach of the Year even with some many great stories elsewhere as he's navigated his team through the toughest conference in America with very few moments where Auburn struggled.