Monday's 14: SEC basketball power rankings

Alabama is on top, but what have we learned about the rest of the SEC?

In today's 14, a look at our SEC basketball power rankings for Feb. 22.

1. Alabama Crimson Tide (18-5, 13-1) - Alabama can clinch at least a share of the SEC regular season title this week, and its road trip to Fayetteville on Wednesday is one of the most must-watch league games this season.

2. Arkansas Razorbacks (17-5, 9-4) - The only thing that could slow down the Hogs was a postponed game against Texas A&M. Arkansas has won seven in a row in SEC play, and has a chance to significantly raise its NCAA Tournament stock with wins over Alabama and LSU.

3. LSU Tigers (14-6, 9-4) - LSU has multiple NBA talents in the starting lineup, and that has helped this group overcome some of its defensive woes. Road games at Georgia and Arkansas should tell us more about whether we can trust the Tigers in March.

4. Tennessee Volunteers (15-6, 8-6) - Speaking of trust, there's very little of it with the Vols right now after a brutal offensive performance against Kentucky. If Rick Barnes' team doesn't figure things out quickly, losing both at Vanderbilt and at Auburn isn't out of the question. 

5. Missouri Tigers (14-6, 7-6) - Missouri got exactly the type of win it needed at South Carolina. The Tigers snapped a three-game losing streak with a convincing 15-point victory, and Jeremiah Tilmon's was huge ahead of two winnable games in Columbia against Ole Miss and Texas A&M.

6. Florida Gators (11-6, 7-5) - There was nothing spectacular about the Gators' victory against Georgia, but you'll take any win you can get at this point in the season. Florida will likely need to be a bit sharper to score wins in its upcoming road games at Auburn and Kentucky.

7. Kentucky Wildcats (8-13, 7-7) - The argument can be made that Kentucky deserves to be higher on this list, but the Wildcats' are still five games below .500 despite their recent form. However, this is starting to look like a team that no one will want to play in the SEC Tournament.

8. Ole Miss Rebels (12-9, 7-7) - Ole Miss gave away a big opportunity against Mississippi State. The Rebels are now in a position where winning is the only thing that'll help their NCAA Tournament resume, but that'll be easier said than done with road games at Missouri and Vanderbilt up next. 

9. Mississippi State Bulldogs (12-11, 6-8) - So, to recap, the Bulldogs followed up a 21-point home loss to Vanderbilt with a 10-point road win in Oxford. Sounds about right in what has been a wildly inconsistent season for Ben Howland's group.

10. Auburn Tigers (11-12, 5-9) - You pretty much know what you're getting from the Tigers at this point. Auburn rarely struggles to score points with Sharife Cooper running the show, but the defense just isn't there for one of the nation's most inexperienced teams.

11. Georgia Bulldogs (13-9, 6-9) - Georgia has played four straight games against projected NCAA Tournament teams, going 1-3 in that stretch. The Bulldogs are set to add a fifth against LSU before traveling to South Carolina.

12. Vanderbilt Commodores (6-12, 2-10) - Vanderbilt has been close. Jerry Stackhouse's squad is 0-6 in games decided by seven points or less, and eventually, they'll find a way to win one of those. Meanwhile, Scotty Pippen Jr. and Dylan Disu deserve All-SEC recognition.

13. South Carolina Gamecocks (5-11, 3-9) -  Since surprising the SEC with a six-point road win at Florida several weeks ago, South Carolina has lost five straight. Frank Martin can't be thrilled with the Gamecocks giving up 93 points in back-to-back games, and 81 points in 8 of their 12 conference games. 

14. Texas A&M Aggies (8-7, 2-6) - The Aggies haven't played a game since Jan. 30, and their Tuesday game against Kentucky has already been postponed. Until they get back on the court, there's not much to go on with Buzz Williams' team. 

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