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

Last week: Defeated LSU Tigers and South Carolina Gamecocks

Last rank: 8th

The Florida Gators did just enough to move into the top half of our SEC Power Rankings this week. At 8-4, they are actually tied for second in the league. But as we have said countless times, power rankings are about how you’re playing at the moment.

And despite two straight wins, they come on the heels of two losses to the Alabama Crimson Tide and at the Georgia Bulldogs, a team now at the bottom of our SEC Power Rankings. So beating the LSU Tigers at home when they are at the bottom of the middle of the pack of the conference and then the South Carolina Gamecocks when they are in the bottom tier period is not enough to significantly jump them.

As a result, Mike White’s team was able to jump one spot to No. 7 in these rankings. They still have a lot to prove, and this is one of the 17-8 teams that can’t be happy about where they stand at the moment.

Why is that? Well, they aren’t actually firmly in the NCAA Tournament. Thanks to a strength of schedule ranked No. 32, their record has them down at No. 47 in the RPI. So they need to keep winning to hold onto their spot.

The Georgia Bulldogs at home and Vanderbilt Commodores on the road this week both have to be wins if they’re going to have any chance. After that, though, they have a brutal road test against the next team in our SEC Power Rankings.