Men’s basketball SEC Power Rankings Feb. 12: Vols fall back to pack

Last week: Lost to Mississippi State Bulldogs; Defeated Tennessee Volunteers

Last rank: 6th

Avery Johnson’s Alabama Crimson Tide have slowly been trending up the past few weeks. And it all came together in the most beautiful way on Saturday against the Tennessee Vols to firmly establish where they belong.

Alabama was able to move up to No. 5 in our SEC Power Rankings with a dominant 78-50 win to end the Vols’ six-game winning streak. It was a flawless performance that included dominant defense from start to finish.

The Tide now have five huge quality wins against Top 25 RPI teams, and they also have some pretty decent wins against the Mississippi State Bulldogs and Florida Gators. Mississippi State did beat them this past week in Starkville. But that’s not a bad loss. And Tennessee is a huge win.

The results of the past few weeks have been enough to spike their NCAA Tournament chances. Right now, this team is firmly in the Big Dance. Their number of quality wins and No. 10 ranked strength of schedule have them at No. 33 in the RPI.

However, they have to work to maintain this position. That includes continuing to take care of business when needed. A home game against the LSU Tigers this week is a must-win. That gives them some breathing room as they get set to face the Kentucky Wildcats and Auburn Tigers on the road after that.

An upset in either of those games would be huge. But it could become necessary if they lose to LSU, so that game against the Tigers is huge.