SEC Hoops Power Rankings... Me v8.0

With every team having played 11 games, the league has effectively established the top part of the league and who we expect to win on most nights. Obviously at this point we're all just looking for the next time Kentucky could be upset (Hint: they finish with Arkansas, Georgia and Florida), but after the Wildcats there is a compelling race for second happening. Arkansas and Ole Miss sit at 8-3, and within striking distance are Georgia and A&M (at 7-4), and not out of it are LSU and UT at 6-5.

What's impressive is that for all the flack the SEC has taken over the last few years, the depth of the league is as good as it's ever been. They don't have the top tier teams (beyond Kentucky) like the ACC or the Big 12, but there are 6 teams with real hopes of playing in the NCAA and currently in the field if you were to believe Joe Lunardi. Beyond that there are 3 teams that are long snots, but not out of it, and a remarkable 11 teams inside the top 90 in KenPom, and 10 inside the top 60. Good job SEC.

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Listed is the rank, team and record, with their KenPom ranking and rating, their RPI ranking and score, and their BPI rank and score. Followed by me being quippy.

1. Kentucky 24-0 (11-0)

	KenPom	RPI	BPI
Rank	1	1	1
Score	.9783	.6934	94.7

Big test passed with winning in Baton Rouge, Wildcats look like it'll be tough to catch them napping. Or maybe they're just so good it doesn't matter.

2. Ole Miss 17-7 (8-3)

	KenPom	RPI	BPI
Rank	32	38	31
Score	.8394	.5893	77.0

Big win over Florida and the Rebels have quietly won 6 in a row. Big test coming up against Arkansas, a team they already beat.

3. Arkansas 19-5 (8-3)

	KenPom	RPI	BPI
Rank	30	23	21
Score	.8455	.6120	80.3

Razorbacks cracked the top 25 again, so props to the other ranked SEC team. Last 3 wins have been by an average of 18 points, so the Hogs are rolling. Up next is a chance to make a statement win at Ole Miss.

4. Georgia 16-7 (7-4)

	KenPom	RPI	BPI
Rank	28	20	23
Score	.8480	.6149	80.2

Bulldogs are back on the right side with Marcus Thornton healthy, managed to come away with a big win over Texas A&M. Georgia embodies a tough team.

5. Texas A&M 17-7 (7-4)

	KenPom	RPI	BPI
Rank	50	49	39
Score	.7919	.5793	74.9

Aggies are still on the cusp but are still way to overly reliant on Jones and House to get them buckets. And the more shots Caruso is taking the worse off they seem to be.

6. LSU 17-7 (6-5)

	KenPom	RPI	BPI
Rank	40	50	40
Score	.8140	.5758	74.9

Close but no cigar as the good version of the Tigers decided to show up against Kentucky. But how will their next trip out turn out?

7. Florida 12-11 (5-5)

	KenPom	RPI	BPI
Rank	34	67	33
Score	.8303	.5652	76.7

Florida isn't as bad as they've been made out to be, but they aren't very good either, they're just an almost at this point. Probably any other season in the SEC and they're top 3 or 4 still, but the league is elevated.

8. Tennessee 14-9 (6-5)

	KenPom	RPI	BPI
Rank	84	77	69
Score	.6953	.5574	68.9

Big win at Vandy for the Vols, a game they needed to win to keep their head above water. But the tub is filling up fast for this team.

9. Alabama 15-9 (5-6)

	KenPom	RPI	BPI
Rank	48	57	58
Score	.7972	.5699	71.2

If Bama can get back to .500 in conference that could be the confidence boost that the scuffling Tide need to get in the talk for a NCAA tournament birth.

10. Mississippi State 11-13 (4-7)

	KenPom	RPI	BPI
Rank	166	183	136
Score	.4817	.4959	56.6

A bit of a reality check, the Bulldogs aren't very good and they beat some pretty terrible teams, and a bit of a trap game coming up against Mizzou, we'll see what kind of corner they've turned.

11. South Carolina 12-11 (3-8)

	KenPom	RPI	BPI
Rank	56	107	66
Score	.7697	.5368	69.2

Gamecocks are a physically tough defensive team who just needs to find the bucket. They struggled to score their last 3 games after a breakout and seem to be trending down once again.

12. Vanderbilt 13-11 (3-8)

	KenPom	RPI	BPI
Rank	54	110	47
Score	.7708	.5320	73.3

Young Vandy is really just a year away from making a big difference in the league. They've lost several games this year by just making youthful mistakes.

13. Auburn 11-13 (3-8)

	KenPom	RPI	BPI
Rank	141	150	140
Score	.5425	.5108	56.2

The Tigers on the Plains are still fighting, but can't quite muster up enough wins.

14. Missouri 7-17 (1-10)

	KenPom	RPI	BPI
Rank	194	179	169
Score	.4318	.4973	51.1

On top of losing 10 in a row, Tigers have lost their best player in Wes Clark for the season, and currently have 3 players suspended. #TheDarkWinter continues.

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KenPom, because it's awesome and the best:

I try to measure skills based on the opportunities for those skills to be observed. On the team level, this often means ratings the offense (and defense) on points scored (and allowed) per possession. That is the basis for the ratings system. If you're looking for info on what the columns mean on the ratings mean, please continue. If you don't like the ratings, wonder why I have your team too low, or wonder why the ratings don't look like the AP top 25, go here. (For information on preseason ratings, see this and this and this.)

RPI, the NCAA selection committee uses this:

The RPI (Rating Percentage Index) is a measure of strength of schedule and how a team does against that schedule. Created in 1981, the RPI is a tool used in selecting and seeding the 68 teams for the NCAA Men's basketball Division I tournament. RPI data includes games against Division I schools only.

BPI, Joe Lunardi uses this:

The Basketball Power Index (BPI) is a team rating system that accounts for the final score, pace of play, site, strength of opponent and absence of key players in every Division I men's game. BPI can be used to measure both how well a team has performed (going far beyond just wins and losses) and how powerful it is likely to be going forward.