Hey there guys,
In this weeks power rankings we see some shifting after a very interesting week of Basketball. In the SEC we see the rise of the Florida Gators continue to happen as with two very solid wins they head in to a critical part of their schedule on the right side of the bubble while on the flip side we saw Ole Miss flop in two games in which they were favored, must wins really, that have essentially killed their dreams of an NCAA Birth. In the NBA we have a new leader atop the board as Cleveland has entered into a slump so the Lakers, who were still pretty good despite not having Kobe, jump into #1. The NBA's top riser was may be the Detroit Pistons, now that they are healthy, are playing some competitive basketball, and the top loser was the Atlanta Hawks after a bad upset on the road against the Golden State Warriors. Hope you enjoy.
My Power Rankings.....
SEC Men's Basketball
1. Kentucky Wildcats
Why: Alright they've done it. They are the best team in the SEC. Barring any kind of cheating or some ridiculously awful finish this is your SEC Regular Season Champs.
2. Tennessee Volunteers (+1)
Why: With two wins this past week the Volunteers are catching steam after winning two this past week as they won games at home against a tough Georgia squad and than on the road at South Carolina, a place where both Florida and Kentucky faltered. They can guarantee an NCAA Lock with a home upset of Kentucky this weekend.
3. Vanderbilt Commodores (-1)
Why: In the last 3 games for the Commodores I have really questioned them. Almost upset at home by LSU, they beat Ole Miss in Oxford but the Rebels were in the lead for the majority of the game, and than faltering at home against Kentucky. I am by no means saying they aren't a very good team but I get the feeling they are playing in a bit of a slump right now.
4. Florida Gators (+2)
Why: Great week for the Gators. Winning at home against Auburn and than upsetting Ole Miss on the road the Gators are now on the right side of the bubble watch but have a ridiculous last 4 games as 3 of the 4 are ranked. This schedule includes a road game at Kentucky to finish the season.
5. Mississippi State Bulldogs (-2)
Why: Best defensive team in the SEC. Still too reliant on the 3 but is the SEC West's best shot at an NCAA bid. Right now I think that they get it. But they need to keep winning. They get Alabama at home before a couple of interesting road trips. If the Bulldogs can win at South Carolina and Auburn and bump their win total to 22, than they will definitely be in the tournament.
6: Georgia Bulldogs(+1)
Why: The Bulldogs record does not show how good this team is. They rebound well, and play good defense. Travis Leslie and Trey Thompkins are both All SEC type players and if they can get some better guard play next season they may be one of the teams to beat in the SEC next season. They close out with a rough schedule including a road game at Vanderbilt to start it off.
7. Ole Miss Rebels (-2)
Why: Just how far will the Rebels fall? In two must win games this past week the Rebels lead late in the game, only to falter and lose. Defense and turnovers have cost them and if they want to get a decent seed in the NCAA they are going to need to sweep the final 4 games. All winnable. They start at home against Auburn this week and at Alabama this weekend.
8. Alabama Crimson Tide
Why: This is one of the best defensive teams in the NCAA this season. Problem is that they are pretty bad on the offensive side and just have awful 2nd Halves. They might be able to put themselves in the NIT mix with a sweep of the Mississippi squads this week.
9. Arkansas Razorbacks
Why: I have been saying for awhile now that I do not think that the Razorbacks are as good as their conference record. They have now lost 2 of their last 3 losing at Alabama and Auburn. They finish start the second to last week of the regular season at LSU and than host Vanderbilt. It'll be interesting to see how they finish the season.
10: Auburn Tigers (+1)
Why: This isn't a bad team. They are just lacking another big man in the post. Lucas Hargrove is a very good PF but if they had some more depth down low they could be a pretty good team. They might want to start playing defense though. They finish with a tough schedule including road games at Ole Miss and Alabama.
11. LSU Tigers (+1)
Why: Go ahead, laugh, I know that LSU has not won a conference game, with 4 to go in the SEC season. But I feel that on a neutral court, LSU would win a game against South Carolina. This team has nearly upset Vanderbilt and Mississippi State in their last two outings. Wouldn't surprise me to see this team finish the season with 2+ conference wins if they continue to play at a high level.
12. South Carolina Gamecocks (-2)
Why: I know this sounds crazy, because LSU, winless in the SEC, should be dead last in any power rankings right? Not necessarily. South Carolina is a one man team, and Devan Downey is that man, and I think he is running out of gas. In only 2 SEC games this season has he not reached 20 points. They were @ Georgia the Saturday before last and than this past Saturday against Tennessee. On the road against Arkansas during this past midweek he dropped 28 points, but also turned the ball over 8 times. I am not taking anything away from Downey but I think he is running out of gas.
NBA
- Los Angeles Lakers (+1)
- Utah Jazz (+1)
- Cleveland Cavaliers (-2)
- Orlando Magic
- Denver Nuggets
- Oklahoma City Thunder (+1)
- Boston Celtics (+2)
- Phoenix Suns
- Dallas Mavericks (+3)
- Atlanta Hawks (-4)
- San Antonio Spurs (-1)
- Toronto Raptors (-1)
- Portland Trail Blazers
- Miami Heat (+1)
- Chicago Bulls (+3)
- Milwaukee Bucks
- Charlotte Bobcats (-3)
- New Orleans Hornets (+2)
- Houston Rockets (-2)
- Memphis Grizzlies (-1)
- Philadelphia 76ers
- Detroit Pistons (+4)
- Washington Wizards (+2)
- Los Angeles Clippers (-2)
- Golden State Warriors (+4)
- Indiana Pacers (+1)
- Sacramento Kings (-4)
- New York Knicks (-4)
- Minnesota Timberwolves (-1)
- New Jersey Nets
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