Men’s basketball SEC Power Rankings for Jan. 15: Vols move up

Last week: Defeated the South Carolina Gamecocks and LSU Tigers

Last rank: 12th

Avery Johnson finally got his team back on track. The Alabama Crimson Tide struggled out of the gate in conference play because they had to deal with the shock of losing Riley Norris for the season.

But even without him, the team was able to score a dominant win over the South Carolina Gamecocks and then beat the LSU Tigers on the road. Remember, LSU had just dominated the Arkansas Razorbacks. So that was a good win.

Notable among the wins is the fact that the team is learning to not just win without Norris but also not rely solely on Collin Sexton to get things done. Sexton had five points against South Carolina, but the Tide still dominated.

Then, despite 15 points, he had a bad shooting night against LSU. So the rest of the team has been stepping up the past two weeks, especially the bench, to help the Tide.

Now, these guys are back to above .500 in the SEC. Their 11-6 record complementing their No. 19 ranked strength of schedule gives them a No. 39 ranking in the RPI. That includes quality wins against South Carolina, the Texas A&M Aggies and the surprise Rhode Island Rams.

So right now, they’d be in the NCAA Tournament. But they’re holding on, and they have more work to do. A home game this week against the Auburn Tigers is going to be a huge test for them. On top of that, they host the Mississippi State Bulldogs. That is almost a must-win. Auburn is a great opportunity.

Next week, they have a chance at another huge quality win by hosting the Oklahoma Sooners. But before that, they have to beat the Ole Miss Rebels on the road. So this team has a rough stretch coming up.