Men’s basketball SEC Power Rankings Feb. 5: Vols remain among elites

Last week: Lost to Texas A&M Aggies and LSU Tigers

Last rank: 6th

The Arkansas Razorbacks are all of a sudden in some trouble. All year long, Mike Anderson’s team looked like they were clearly in the NCAA Tournament. They dominated non-conference play and were staying in decent shape in SEC play.

But this past week, they fell to slightly in bubble territory. A 14-point loss to the Texas A&M Aggies was a brutal hit on them. But Saturday’s road loss to the LSU Tigers hit even harder, and that was enough for us to declare them in trouble.

They dropped from the top half to the bottom tier of our SEC Power Rankings. That’s how deep this conference’s middle is. You can swing anywhere in one week’s time, and Arkansas did just that. Now, they have some work to do to assure they stay in the NCAA Tournament.

Right now, the Hogs have the No. 41 ranked RPI thanks to their No. 29 ranked strength of schedule. But that ranking could drop fast if they don’t remain consistent with their play going forward.

At least they return home this week. The South Carolina Gamecocks in Fayetteville could become a game to eliminate one team from the NCAA Tournament. At least that one is at home. Then they host the Vanderbilt Commodores in what should be a win.

Getting both of those victories will give them some breathing room. But neither is a given. They can’t take anything for granted going forward.