SEC basketball power rankings: Alabama turns lights out on Auburn and Kentucky goes cold

Little is certain in the world of SEC basketball besides chaos, and this past week's action delivered.

Just when it looked like the SEC's hierarchy seemed to be sorting itself out, South Carolina handed Kentucky a Big Blue walloping. The Iron Bowl of Basketball enjoyed the college basketball spotlight, and mostly delivered – except for when those lights didn't work. The conference's middle tier continued to beat itself up, and Arkansas joined the ranks of the hopeless at the bottom.

Here's how the SEC stacks up this week.

1. Tennessee

The 91-71 thrashing the Vols handed Alabama over the weekend is probably the most impressive singular performance by any SEC team this season, and further established Tennessee as the class of the conference. The Crimson Tide owns one of the best offenses in college basketball. No matter, Rick Barnes' Vols turned Alabama over 22 times.

Last week: 1

Record: 14-4

2. Alabama

Make it three consecutive wins over Auburn for Nate Oats and the Crimson Tide. The only thing stopping superstar guard Mark Spears against the Tigers was a mishap with the arena lights at Coleman Coliseum. The Crimson Tide earned state bragging rights, for now, and the No. 2 spot behind Tennessee.

Last week: 3

Record: 13-6

3. Auburn

The metrics and the eye test both say that Auburn is really, really good. But, now 0-3 in Quadrant 1 games this season, it's time for the Tigers to start succeeding against good teams if they want to prove they belong in college basketball's elite. A dismal showing from 3-point range was the culprit in a stinging loss to Alabama.

Last week: 2

Record: 16-3

MORE ON THE TIGERS:Why Auburn basketball fans shouldn't press the panic button after Alabama heartbreaker

4. Kentucky

The 62 points Kentucky scored in a blowout loss to South Carolina were the fewest in over a calendar year. John Calipari seemed to question his team's toughness afterward, publicly admonishing the Wildcats for not finishing at the rim through contact. The Gamecocks gave the rest of the SEC the blueprint. How will the Wildcats adjust?

Last week: 4

Record: 14-4

5. Texas A&M

Here's the only relevant Texas A&M question for the remainder of the season: Can the Aggies bully their opposition so comprehensively on the glass that it makes up for their truly terrible offensive efficiency? Against LSU and Mizzou, the answer was yes.

Last week: 5

Record: 12-7

6. South Carolina

At this point, Lamont Paris has to be the leader in the race for SEC Coach of the Year. He has taken a team that won four conference games last season and turned it into a group that nobody in the SEC wants to see ‒ just ask Kentucky.

Last week: 11

Record: 16-3

7. Ole Miss

Ole Miss has won each of its SEC home games by double digits. It has lost each of its road games by an average of 19.3 points. The Rebels are squarely on the bubble, and they're going to have to figure out how to defend on the road if they want to get off it any time soon.

Last week: 6

Record: 16-3

8. Florida

The Gators looked like a top-half SEC team in their nonconference slate, and are beginning to string together performances that support that, having won three of their last four. Like Texas A&M, Todd Golden's team is elite on the glass. Also like Texas A&M, Florida's 3-point shooting struggles make it tough to capitalize on that.

Last week: 8

Record: 13-6

9. Georgia

If you watched Georgia beat LSU in the final moments on Wednesday, you saw a crowd at Stegeman Coliseum that looked excited about its basketball team. At a football-first institution like Georgia, that's notable. Coach Mike White has the Bulldogs on a strong trajectory.

Last week: 9

Record: 14-5

10. Mississippi State

Coach Chris Jans has a truly special freshman in guard Josh Hubbard, who is averaging above 15 points in conference play. What the Bulldogs hoped would be an improved supporting cast has otherwise been disappointing. And their defense, while strong, doesn't look as bulletproof as it did a year ago.

Last week: 7

Record: 13-6

11. LSU

The Tigers shot a higher percentage from 3-point range than they did from inside the arc against Georgia. They've made at least 10 3-pointers in each of their last three games and lost two of them.

Last week: 10

Record: 11-8

12. Arkansas

Down Tramon Mark, the Razorbacks turned in a helpless offensive performance against a poor Ole Miss defense. Eric Musselman's team has little to play for besides the conference tournament in Nashville.

Last week: 12

Record: 10-9

13. Missouri

Mizzou sent Texas A&M to the free-throw line 37 times in a defeat on Tuesday in a game it otherwise played well enough to win. Bad teams find creative ways to lose, though, and the free-throw line is a favorite method for these Tigers.

Last week: 13

Record: 8-11

14. Vanderbilt

At least the Commodores have some company in the basement, courtesy of Mizzou's 0-6 start. Upcoming games against Auburn and Tennessee do not bode well. But, Vanderbilt can look forward to the Toilet Bowl against Missouri on Feb. 3.

Last week: 14

Record: 5-13

David Eckert covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at deckert@gannett.com or reach him on Twitter @davideckert98.