SEC Men's Basketball Power Rankings: Week 11

Alabama basketball suffered its first SEC loss on Saturday afternoon at Missouri, but does that one loss warrant a drop from first place in this week's SEC Men's Basketball Power Rankings?

In short, no it does not.

While the Crimson Tide has been in a bit of a slump lately, losing two of its last three games, Alabama made a statement win over LSU on Wednesday night in Coleman Coliseum, drumming the Tigers by a score of 78-60. While the Crimson Tide ultimately lost, its play in the final five minutes showed what this team is capable of doing — 21-2 run in the final five minutes to bring Alabama back from the dead.

Despite the loss, Alabama still has a three-game lead over second-place Missouri, so its momentum from earlier in conference play spares them for the time being.

Missouri surges from fifth to second place in this week's power rankings. The Tigers are now on a roll, having three-consecutive wins over TCU, Kentucky and Alabama. The Tigers retain their second-place status in the SEC standings, and the three-game lead that the Crimson Tide has built up could certainly be overcome should Missouri continue to play as it has of late.

Both Alabama and Missouri have favorable schedules for the rest of the year. If one thing is certain, it will be a lot of fun watching these two teams battle it out for the regular-season conference title, especially with the Tigers now owning the tiebreaker.

For now, Missouri is in second.

Tennessee moves to third after beating Kentucky in Rupp Arena. Say what you want about the Wildcats, but a win at Rupp is still difficult for teams of the SEC. The win for the Volunteers proved that they still belong in the conversation as one of the SEC's best teams.

LSU drops from third to fourth after losing to Texas Tech at home followed by losing to Alabama for the second time this season. The Tigers are still formidable, but it has a long way to go if it wants to prove that it belongs in the top two spots.

Here is a look at the SEC Men's Basketball Power Rankings after 11 weeks of play:

SEC Men's Basketball Power Rankings: Week 11

1. Alabama (15-5 overall, 10-1 SEC)

2. Missouri (13-3, 6-3)

3. Tennessee (13-4, 6-4)

4. LSU (11-6, 6-4)

5. Florida (10-5, 6-4)

6. Arkansas (14-5, 6-4)

7. Mississippi State (11-9, 5-6)

8. Georgia (12-6, 5-6)

9. Ole Miss (10-8, 5-6)

10. Auburn (10-10, 4-7)

11. Kentucky (5-12, 4-6)

12. South Carolina (5-7, 3-5)

13. Texas A&M (8-7, 2-6)

14. Vanderbilt (5-9, 1-7)

Follow along at Bama Central every Sunday throughout the season for updated power rankings.

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