Men’s basketball SEC Power Rankings for Jan. 22: Vols lose ground

Last week: Defeated Auburn Tigers and Mississippi State Bulldogs

Last rank: 7th

The red-hot Alabama Crimson Tide are looking to be unbeatable at this moment. After a rough 1-2 start in the SEC and a 9-6 record overall, it was hard to really know how good this team was. And you had to question if they were going to turn into a disappointment.

But that didn’t happen. A 65-46 loss to the Georgia Bulldogs is exactly what Avery Johnson’s team finally needed to wake up and play to its potential. And over the past two weeks, they’ve won all four games. Three of them were against Top 100 RPI teams.

The real gem, though, was clearly last week’s home win against the Auburn Tigers. That was enough for Johnson and his guys to prove this streak was not a fluke. And it wasn’t which is why we have shot the Crimson Tide up to No. 2 in our SEC Power Rankings.

Currently, Alabama is No. 26 in the RPI with the No. 5 ranked strength of schedule. Johnson’s work is finally paying off, and they should certainly be an NCAA Tournament team this year. The upcoming schedule should only increase that schedule ranking.

After a road game against the Ole Miss Rebels this week, things get brutal for the Tide. They have to host the Oklahoma Sooners and Missouri Tigers before visiting the Florida Gators. However, hosting OU and Mizzou gives them a great chance to pick up more quality wins. And that could keep them up here in the rankings. But what is clear right now is the’ve definitely turned things around.