The 2024-25 SEC has been lauded as arguably the best conference in college men’s basketball history. The top three teams on this list are all in the top four ranked teams in the AP men’s basketball poll. Being ranked below Auburn, Florida or Alabama speaks not to the weakness of any team mentioned afterward, but instead to the sheer force that is the SEC. Who are the shoe-ins that will be playing in March? Who is still fighting to be included? As conference play nears its conclusion, teams in the “tournament locks” category will be looking to improve their seeding, while teams that are “on the bubble” are grappling for a spot. Exciting storylines continue to shine as The Hustler adjusts our power rankings for the season’s final stretch.
1. Auburn (24-2, 12-1 SEC)
Outlook: Top Seed
Auburn rebounded with three convincing wins after falling to a formidable opponent in No. 3 Florida. It retained the No. 1 spot in the AP Poll, having gone nine consecutive weeks without a loss before the Gators broke their streak. The Tigers have harnessed their depth and high-powered offense (first in the country in KenPom’s Offensive Rating metric) to produce consistent wins against a gauntlet of an SEC schedule, which should both prove valuable in March. Regardless of the rest of its schedule’s outcomes, Auburn is already up to 12 conference wins and is a lock for a top seed in the NCAA Tournament barring a complete breakdown. Nobody should be shocked if they cut down the nets in San Antonio.
2. Florida (23-3, 10-3 SEC)
Outlook: Top Seed
The Gators follow right behind at No. 2 in the AP Poll, with the biggest difference between themselves and the Tigers being that their three losses have all come from within the SEC. However, they are still the only team in the conference to have taken down No. 1 Auburn, and their recent tear has shown that they are a true juggernaut. Florida’s success has been driven by its defense, as it holds its opponents to just a 44% effective field goal rate (third in the country) and a maddening 28.1% from beyond the 3-point arc (fourth). The team has played its best against top-25 opponents, and their remaining schedule in February consists of teams at the bottom of this list — so the Gators simply need to stay consistent to retain their momentum.
3. Alabama (21-5, 10-3 SEC)
Outlook: Top Seed
The Alabama Crimson Tide dropped slightly to No. 4 in the AP Poll and number three on our list after losses to No. 1 Auburn and on the road against No. 15 Missouri. However, they are still clearly one of the top teams in the country. After only their third conference loss, the team retains a top-15 rebounding margin, and with the best scoring offense in the country (90.3 points per game), Alabama is a projected No. 1 seed; no one can argue with that. Led by seniors Mark Sears and Grant Nelson, it has seven wins against AP Top 25-ranked opponents and, following its conference loss against No. 21 Ole Miss, the Crimson Tide are 7-2, including three games where they scored over 100 points. With a scorching-hot offense and strong rebounding instincts, Alabama is a strong contender for winning its first national championship.
4. Tennessee (21-5, 9-5 SEC)
Outlook: Tournament Lock
Following getting swept by Kentucky, the No. 5 Tennessee Volunteers have dropped from being a consensus top seed. But don’t let that distract from the fact that the Volunteers are elite, ranked fourth in the basketball power index (2nd in the SEC). Tennessee boasts the fifth-fewest opponent points per game (60.5) and has outscored opponents by an average of 14.1 points per game. Heading into the tournament, Zakai Ziegler will be a key piece — averaging 7.5 assists — as his ability to set up his teammates will become essential in March. While it sits right outside that coveted one seed, the Volunteers remain a favorite for a run at the national title.
5. Texas A&M (20-6, 9-4 SEC)
Outlook: Tournament Lock
Since their back-to-back losses against Alabama and Kentucky in January, the Aggies have been winning at a high clip, including victories against ranked opponents in Ole Miss and Missouri. Their only loss within said stretch was a one-point heartbreaker against their in-state rival Longhorns. Texas A&M is a gritty team that doesn’t shoot particularly well but consistently outworks its opponent on the glass, grabbing a nationwide-best 13.5 offensive rebounds per contest. The Aggies have overcome adversity this season, having bounced back from early out-of-conference losses to UCF and Oregon. However, their resolve and execution will be tested in new ways as they face four more AP-ranked opponents in the next three weeks, including Tennessee, Florida and Auburn. Already, though, their record is good enough to know they will be playing in the Big Dance.
6. Missouri (20-6, 9-4 SEC)
Outlook: Tournament Lock
The Tigers are looking good after pummeling Alabama 110-98 this week. Missouri is highly efficient, as its offense is ranked 13th in KenPom’s offensive rating metric while being 150th in adjusted tempo — in other words, they score a high number of points on an average number of possessions. This patient approach has yielded solid results, with their aforementioned upset against Alabama as well as a win over Florida earlier in the season. How far Missouri makes it in March, however, will be determined by its ability to defend against teams that play at a high pace, as two of their early-season upset losses came against teams within the top 35 of KenPom’s tempo rankings (Memphis and Illinois).
7. Kentucky (18-8, 7-6 SEC)
Outlook: Tournament Lock
This season has been a rollercoaster for the Kentucky Wildcats. Early season wins against Duke and Gonzaga put them in the top of the national rankings, and they started off conference play looking dominant after scoring 106 in a win against Florida. Losses against four unranked SEC opponents have hurt their resume, but the Wildcats possess the talent to take down anyone. Despite losing on the road to Texas last weekend, Kentucky has nothing to worry about on the offensive end, averaging 85.9 ppg — third in the nation — and 10 made threes per game. The Wildcats have as good of a shot as any of the teams above to win the SEC Tournament and should be looking to make some noise in The Big Dance.
8. Mississippi State (19-7, 7-6 SEC)
Outlook: Tournament Lock
After picking up wins against No. 19 Ole Miss and No. 7 Texas A&M to bring itself to above .500 in conference play, Mississippi State can now feel safe about a tournament bid due to a combination of pedigree (top-12 seeds in the last two years), a solid overall record and a weak remaining schedule. The Bulldogs’ last ranked opponent is Alabama, and losing to the Crimson Tide may not hurt the Bulldogs’ tournament seeding much given their dominance. Mississippi State has established itself not only as having a place in the Big Dance but as a force to be reckoned with. A balanced team, the Bulldogs are not outliers in any statistical category and will hope to prove they have an identity in their remaining schedule.
9. Ole Miss (19-7, 8-5 SEC)
Outlook: Tournament Lock
One word to describe Ole Miss’ season? Stressful. Losing back-to-back ranked games by one score early in conference play before barely squeaking by bottom-feeders LSU and South Carolina would raise anyone’s heart rate. But even after their loss to the Bulldogs, the Rebels are sitting at a good spot in the SEC and, barring a complete meltdown, Sean Pedulla and the squad should get a chance to prove themselves in the tournament. Ole Miss excels at protecting the ball, averaging only 8.8 turnovers per game (first overall in the SEC) and with five players averaging double figures, the Rebels’ offense is a serious threat. Despite having the fifth-ranked strength of schedule for the rest of the season, Ole Miss will likely be around in March as a serious threat.
10. Vanderbilt (17-9, 5-8 SEC)
Outlook: On the Bubble
After being revitalized this season by head coach Mark Byington, Vanderbilt has the opportunity to make its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2017. With a deep nine-man rotation, the Commodores receive 31.2 bench points per game and rely on forcing 14.6 turnovers per game — ranked second in the SEC — to make up for their lack of height on the interior. Led by Jason Edwards scoring 17.6 points per game, Vanderbilt’s high-tempo playstyle is ideal for generating upsets. But, the Commodores still sit in a precarious position with the 10th-ranked remaining strength of schedule in the country and three straight games against ranked opponents upcoming. If Vanderbilt wants to go dancing again, it might need a little more magic.
11. Texas (16-10, 5-8 SEC)
Outlook: On The Bubble
Texas is hopeful after a win over Kentucky, but it will still need to be almost perfect in its admittedly weak remaining schedule. The Longhorns are led by the SEC’s leading scorer in first-year wing Tre Johnson (19.8 ppg) but questions will naturally arise about the viability of a team whose offensive production is so top-heavy. Texas would be thrilled to find itself in the Big Dance, and its chances would be favorable if it can build momentum after the team’s statement win. It will have the chance to do so with games remaining against unranked conference rivals South Carolina, Arkansas, Georgia and Oklahoma, as well as No. 21 Mississippi State; winning out in this stretch would prove the Longhorns belong in the tournament.
12. Georgia (16-10, 4-9 SEC)
Outlook: Longshot
The Georgia Bulldogs — following a strong start to SEC play — have struggled in the conference, going 2-8 in their last 10 games. Three one-score losses haven’t helped, and now the Bulldogs have some work to do to ensure a tournament bid, currently sitting as the last team in. Georgia has three players averaging double figures, but sitting in the bottom four in offense and turnovers in the SEC isn’t helping. Freshman phenom Asa Newell is averaging 15.3 points and 6.8 rebounds as the team’s leader and sophomore guard Silas Demary Jr. backs him up as the second option. If this young Georgia team wants to punch its ticket to the postseason, a resume-building win is a must after going 1-5 against top-10 AP teams in the conference.
13. Arkansas (15-11, 4-9 SEC)
Outlook: Longshot
After back-to-back losses, the Razorbacks will face Missouri to round out as tough of a stretch as any team has faced this season. Arkansas does not stand out in any statistical category, but its defense has been impressive at times. The Razorbacks have struggled to show their potential against ranked SEC opponents, however, and their losing conference record means they will likely need to win out if they want a chance to find themselves in the tournament next month. The key to doing so may lie in improving on the offensive end; they have gained some momentum on that side of the floor since the beginning of February, scoring 89 points to beat Kentucky and putting up 81 to keep their contest in Tuscaloosa close with Alabama.
14. Oklahoma (16-10, 3-10 SEC)
Outlook: Longshot
Since the start of conference play, the Sooners are 1-7 against ranked opponents, and with four more still on the schedule, the forecast is gloomy. Oklahoma has lost by an average margin of 19 points in its last five games, a concerning trend when it needs a turnaround to get back into the tournament conversation. The Sooners don’t lack star power, with Jalon Moore and Jeremiah Fears averaging 17.0 and 15.5 points respectively, but turnover and rebounding issues have been rampant. Sitting last in the SEC in rebounds per game (32.4), Oklahoma has been outrebounded by four of its five opponents in its losing streak, and after choking away a 13-point lead against a lackluster LSU team, the odds don’t look good. The Sooners’ tough remaining schedule gives it the opportunity to pick up some valuable wins and sneak into March Madness, but some big adjustments must be made to save its season.
15. LSU (14-12, 3-10 SEC)
Outlook: Maybe next year
Even after embarrassing Oklahoma last weekend with a win, the Tigers will likely be on the outside looking in at the tournament given the strength of their remaining schedule. Although it has now picked up a few conference wins, the Tigers are simply a day late and a dollar short of having a chance at the tournament. On the overall season, LSU has put up some disappointing performances leading to big losses. The team may look to find a new identity if they want to hang with strong SEC competition in the future, as the Tigers are not in the top 60 of any KenPom statistics this year. As senior Cam Carter looks to move on, head coach Matt McMahon will be looking to make some changes in order to boost the basketball program next year.
16. South Carolina (10-16, 0-13 SEC)
Outlook: Maybe next year
A highly disappointing season for the Gamecocks has been capped off by five different losses by four points or less in the conference as it is still looking for a win against the SEC. One of the few bright spots for South Carolina is sophomore Collin Murray-Boyles — averaging 15.5 points and 8.5 rebounds — but after being projected to finish 11th in the conference, this season feels far different than its 26-8 record last year. With a 3-point percentage (32.4%) and total offensive rating (111.2) in the bottom 25% of the nation, Gamecock fans might want to look away and hope for some changes in the offseason.
