SEC Hoops Power Rankings... Me v7.0

Each week, our own HHKB Chris has done a great job of setting up and compiling the SEC Basketball Power Rankings. Each week, I participate with my own take. I thought it would be a good idea to show you my ballot each week so you can see what I'm thinking when I submit my picks. I have yet to look at the previous week's rankings when considering where to slot the teams, instead I look at the record to date, wins, losses, KenPom, RPI and BPI.

By Sam Snelling@SamTSnelling Feb 6, 2015, 12:00pm CST

At some point the SEC will figure it out right?

Thing settle, then your second ranked team loses two straight. A team you thought was terrible wins 4 of 6 and your favorite team bombs two more games. Wheeeeee.

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 22-0 (9-0)

	KenPom	RPI	BPI
Rank	1	2	1
Score	.9820	.6946	95.0

Kentucky is a shining example of what's wrong with SEC basketball. They have all the good players on their team, so nobody else gets good players. Way to go BBN. You messed up the entire league.

2. Ole Miss 15-7 (6-3)

	KenPom	RPI	BPI
Rank	30	42	31
Score	.8459	.5894	76.8

I'm starting to get turned around on this team. It's possible their early season struggles were more of an indictment of the roster turnover and the team figuring itself out. But they're looking pretty good these days.

3. Arkansas 17-5 (6-3)

	KenPom	RPI	BPI
Rank	33	21	27
Score	.8318	.6154	78.9

After a close and tough loss in Gainesville, the Hogs tore apart South Carolina at home. If Arky can get one or two more road wins they won't sweat at all on Selection Sunday.

4. Georgia 14-7 (5-4)

	KenPom	RPI	BPI
Rank	31	25	24
Score	.8438	.6087	79.6

Two losses in a row but South Carolina was due for a changeup, and the Bulldogs got in the way. And welp, Kentucky.

5. Texas A&M 15-6 (6-3)

	KenPom	RPI	BPI
Rank	48	33	39
Score	.7921	.5953	75.4

Their instability on offense is going to be an achilles heel all year, but the Aggies can defend, and when House and Jones are getting buckets they can beat anyone.

6. Florida 12-10 (5-4)

	KenPom	RPI	BPI
Rank	37	69	34
Score	.8251	.5677	76.5

If there's good news for Florida it's that they should have a bunch of guys back next year. The bad news is upcoming games: Kentucky (2x), Ole Miss, A&M (2x)... with only 2-3 wins left on the schedule.

7. LSU 16-6 (5-4)

	KenPom	RPI	BPI
Rank	47	36	38
Score	.7938	.5924	75.7

Still a Jekyll & Hyde team after an ugly loss to Mississippi State and even uglier loss to Auburn at home, the Tigers can't seem to get out of their own way to become one of the leagues elite teams.

8. Mississippi State 11-11 (4-5)

	KenPom	RPI	BPI
Rank	162	165	131
Score	.5065	.5059	57.5

Ok State. What are you doing? 4 of your last 6? Really? Dammit. I just... WTF? Okay, here's the 8 spot, let's see how you handle success now.

9. Tennessee 13-8 (5-4)

	KenPom	RPI	BPI
Rank	102	79	77
Score	.6717	.5600	67.9

Vols have settled back into mediocrity a bit with 3 losses in their last 4, and two upcoming road games at Georgia and Vandy should prove very tough for them to pull out. I thought any tournament talk was WAY premature with this team.

10. South Carolina 11-10 (2-7)

	KenPom	RPI	BPI
Rank	46	98	62
Score	.7987	.5453	70.6

League play has been brutal but the GameCocks finally got some shots to fall vs Georgia at home, then laid an egg on the road at Arkansas.

11. Alabama 14-8 (4-5)

	KenPom	RPI	BPI
Rank	42	67	55
Score	.8064	.5682	71.8

A much much needed win over a hapless Missouri team might set the struggling Tide straight. I don't think they're as bad as the wins/losses would bear out, but a team that really needs to string together a win or 4.

12. Vanderbilt 12-10 (2-7)

	KenPom	RPI	BPI
Rank	59	100	50
Score	.7673	.5420	72.9

Important win for a struggling young team to upend the Gators at home, they could string together a couple more wins with SC and UT coming into that travesty of a gym.

13. Auburn 11-11 (3-6)

	KenPom	RPI	BPI
Rank	135	154	147
Score	.5663	.5083	55.5

Win over LSU is more of an indictment of LSU and their ability to prepare, IMO. They've now lost to the two worst teams in the SEC. Auburn is still not a good basketball team. They fight though.

14. Missouri 7-15 (1-8)

	KenPom	RPI	BPI
Rank	182	157	167
Score	.4495	.5069	51.8

Yeah, I can't do it any longer. The Tigers are in a serious rut and they're offensively challenged. Mizzou is the worst team in the SEC.

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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.