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

Last week: Defeated Arkansas Razorbacks and South Carolina Gamecocks

Last rank: 14th

One of the most impossible teams to get a read on ever since conference play started, the Texas A&M Aggies have been highly inconsistent. When the SEC season began, this was a Top 5 team thinking about a potential No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

But a rash of injuries and suspensions forced them to an 0-5 start in conference play. They then got everybody back and won two straight, leading us to believe the old team was back. Then they suffered two straight road losses to the LSU Tigers and Kansas Jayhawks, forcing us to drop them again.

Now, though, it looks like they’ve finally found their rhythm. Two straight wins over the Arkansas Razorbacks and South Carolina Gamecocks were huge. Sure, both were at home. But Billy Kennedy’s team now is 4-6 like half the conference, meaning their record is not near the bottom.

At the same time, they have won two straight, so they are clearly the hottest 4-6 team in the league, which is why they made such a huge jump in our SEC Power Rankings. And with the No. 7 ranked strength of schedule, this is still enough to keep them safely in the NCAA Tournament for now with the No. 30 ranked RPI.

That comes despite all their struggles. But they have to keep playing to keep it up. Their next three games are brutal. Two are on the road against the Auburn Tigers and Missouri Tigers. In between them is a home game against the Kentucky Wildcats. Oh, and they follow those three games up with a tough road game against the Arkansas Razorbacks.

Simply put, this is a brutal four-game stretch that they need to come out of 2-2. If they do that, they’ll have a lot to be excited about.