SEC play is underway, and things are going to be very interesting at the top with teams emerging as early contenders to win the conference.

#1 Auburn Tigers (15-0, 3-0)

Record last week: 2-0

Auburn is off to an undefeated start in 2019-20 after their first 15 games and have found themselves ranked top 5 in the country.

They had two home games this week. The first against Vanderbilt came down to the wire, but in the end, it was the Tigers that came away with the 83-79 win.

Their second game was against Georgia and they made sure to get a lead early and keep it as they were able to roll to an 82-60 victory.

Auburn’s strength is the play of their guards and they have 3-4 very solid guards that are capable scorers. They also have tough bigs that will go and grab rebounds making this a tough team to beat.

This week: @ Alabama, @ Florida

#2 Kentucky Wildcats (12-3, 3-0)

Record last week: 2-0

Kentucky has had a roller coaster season as they have won big games and lost some head scratchers as well.

This week they went on the road to Georgia and made a 2^nd half comeback to get the 78-69 victory in a tough environment.

Then they were back at Rupp for a matchup with Alabama that was close down the stretch. But Kentucky executed late to get the 76-67 win.

Like Auburn, the Cats’ strength is their guard play as they have 3 of the best in the country.

However, Kentucky is starting to find their footing and look better each time they take the floor and they emergence of Nick Richards down low as well as Immanuel Quickley as a sharpshooter has turned this team’s season around.

This week: @ South Carolina, @ Arkansas

#3 LSU Tigers (11-4, 3-0)

Record last week: 2-0

The Tigers are one of the more surprising teams so far this season as they are off to an excellent start.

Their two games this week both came down to very end. They were able to get a late stop against Arkansas to hold on for the 79-77 victory, and then followed that up with a buzzer beater against Mississippi State to get the 60-59 win.

This will be a tricky week for the Tigers as they are going on the road to face two SEC opponents that we don’t really know much about yet as they are off too much better starts than people expected.

This week: @ Texas A&M, @ Ole Miss

#4 Arkansas Razorbacks (13-2, 2-1)

Record last week: 1-1

Arkansas has come out of nowhere this season and is playing at a very high level through their first 15 games.

This week, they lost a close battle against LSU on the road 79-77. They had a shot to win it at the end but missed the jumper. They bounced back with a 76-72 win on the road at Ole Miss.

Arkansas is being led by their guards Mason Jones and Isaiah Joe who are both averaging close to 20 points a game making another team in the SEC that are winning due to excellent guard play.

We will see what the Razorbacks are made of this weekend when Kentucky comes to town.

This week: vs Vanderbilt, vs Kentucky

#5 Florida Gators (10-5, 2-1)

Record last week: 1-1

Florida has been one of the more disappointing teams so far this season as they were ranked near the top 5 early in the year but have continued to fall ever since.

This week they got a big road win against South Carolina, 81-68. However, they backed that up by getting dominated at Missouri on Saturday as they lost 91-75.

Florida picked up one of the top grad transfers in Kerry Blackshear Jr, who is having a very good year. However, the team as a whole is struggling, and it will be interesting to see if they can turn it around.

This week: vs Ole Miss, vs Auburn

#6 Tennessee Volunteers (10-5, 2-1)

Record last week: 2-0

Tennessee is in a tough spot since losing their point guard Lamonte Turner for the year due to injury.

However, they are finding a way to win as they beat Missouri on the road 69-59 and they beat South Carolina in a close battle 56-55.

Tennessee is getting very good play from their bigs but will need to get a lot of production from Jordan Bowden and Yves Pons in order to make up for what they lost when they lost Turner.

It will be interesting to see if they can keep winning or if their season starts falling apart without their point guard.

This week: @ Georgia, @ Vanderbilt

#7 Georgia Bulldogs (10-5, 0-2)

Record last week: 0-2

Georgia is off to a rough start in SEC play, but they have faced the two best teams in the conference so far.

They lost their SEC opener at home to Kentucky 78-69 and they had to go on the road to Auburn and were dominated in an 82-60 loss.

Georgia’s best player is potential top pick Anthony Edwards who is averaging 18 points a game. The problem is they aren’t getting consistent production from the rest of the team. Once they start playing more consistent basketball, the wins will come.

This week: vs Tennessee, @ Mississippi State

#8 Missouri Tigers (9-6, 1-2)

Record last week: 1-2

Missouri is a team that I think will stay around the middle of the pack this SEC season as they have shown so far, they can win against any team in the conference or lose to any of them.

This week, they lost at home to Tennessee 69-59, but then when Florida came to town, they dominated them 91-75 behind excellent play from their guards.

Missouri has a ton of potential with talented guards that can score in bunches. They also have a talented big in Jeremiah Tilmon, but he can’t stay healthy or stay out of foul trouble when he is healthy.

Missouri’s strength is no doubt their defense as they will get their hands on passes and make it difficult to score for 40 minutes.

This week: @ Mississippi State, @ Alabama

#9 Alabama Crimson Tide (8-7, 1-2)

Record last week: 1-1

Alabama’s record doesn’t add up to how good they actually are. They are averaging nearly 90 points a game and do it by shooting 30 threes an outing.

This week, they got a big home win over Mississippi State 90-69, but then lost at Rupp to Kentucky 76-67.

Alabama will fight for 40 minutes and they can easily get back in a game with the way they shoot the ball. I believe we will see their record improve and they will climb up these rankings as the season progresses.

This week: vs Auburn, vs Missouri

#10 Texas A&M Aggies (8-6, 2-1)

Record last week: 2-0

The Aggies were viewed as the worst team in the SEC coming into the season. However, they are off to a 2-1 start in conference play and picked up two big wins this week.

They were able to get a home win over Ole Miss 57-47 and then go on the road and beat a struggling Vanderbilt team 69-50.

A&M doesn’t have that one guy that gives them 20 points a night. They do, however, have several guys that give them 7-10 points a night and that has been what makes them hard to beat so far as multiple guys can score on you.

This week: vs LSU, vs South Carolina

#11 Ole Miss Rebels (9-6, 0-2)

Record last week: 0-2

Ole Miss is a team that we really don’t know much about yet. They have looked very solid at times and then will have a couple clunkers.

This week, they lost two close battles. One was on the road at Texas A&M 57-47, and then they had a home loss to Arkansas 76-72.

Breein Tyree is the leader of this team averaging 18 points a game and they have solid pieces around him. KJ Buffen down low provides solid rebounding but they just haven’t been consistent so far this season.

This week: @ Florida, vs LSU

#12 Mississippi State Bulldogs (9-6, 0-3)

Record last week: 0-2

Mississippi State is a team that is struggling in the early part of SEC play.

They were dominated by Alabama 90-69 early in the week and then had a lead on LSU before a buzzer beater handed them a 60-59 loss on the road.

The Bulldogs are a team that doesn’t have much of an identity and have struggled with consistency so far this season. They have the potential to turn this around, but they will need more consistent production from their guards.

This week: vs Missouri, vs Georgia

#13 South Carolina Gamecocks (8-7, 0-2)

Record last week: 0-2

South Carolina is not a very good team right now as they are struggling for wins early in SEC play.

They were dominated by Florida at home 81-68, but then went on the road to Tennessee and lost a heartbreaker 56-55.

AJ Lawson has been the leading scorer for this team averaging nearly 15 points a night. They are also getting good production from Maik Kotsar down low. However, they struggle with 3-point shooting and free throw shooting. That is a big difference in their games.

This week: vs Kentucky, @ Texas A&M

#14 Vanderbilt Commodores (8-7,0-2)

Record last week: 0-2

Vanderbilt is not off to a great start as they have dropped their first two SEC games.

They lost a close one at Auburn 83-79, a game that they had a real shot at winning before they lost it down the stretch. Then they fell at home to Texas A&M 69-50.

Vanderbilt could be in trouble now that one of the top players in the country Aaron Nesmith is out indefinitely with a stress fracture in his foot. The injury could cost him the rest of the season making life even more difficult for the Commodores.

This week: @ Arkansas, vs Tennessee