Where Kentucky stands in SEC rankings after seven games

Kentucky basketball is in the mix among the top teams in the SEC so far.

Jan 21, 2026; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats forward Mouhamed Dioubate (23) reacts after being fouled during the second half against the Texas Longhorns at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

The Kentucky Wildcats just picked up a nine-point win over Ole Miss in Rupp Arena on Saturday as they have now extended their winning streak to five games with wins over Tennessee, Mississippi State, LSU, Texas and the Rebels, but a brutal stretch looms ahead, one that is going to tell us a lot about Mark Pope's Wildcats. Right now in the SEC, Kentucky is in a great position.

After another weekend of hoops in the SEC, the standings have been freshly updated, and with all of the chaos going on with multiple upsets, it's an extremely tight race. Through seven games, believe it or not, Kentucky's five-game winning streak has put them tied for second overall in the SEC behind Texas A&M, who has one-game lead with a 6-1 conference record. The Wildcats are currently in a three-way tie for second place, as they are right with Arkansas and Florida at 5-2 in the SEC, both of which Kentucky will face in this brutal stretch of games coming up.

Up next, Kentucky will hit the road to take on #15 Vanderbilt, which is the start of a two-game road stand before they also take on #20 Arkansas in Fayetteville on Saturday night. Both are clearly prime Quad 1 opportunities for their overall resume, but in terms of the conference standings, if Kentucky can go at least 1-1, it will set them up in really good position moving forward. Over the next six games, they will face four ranked opponents, three of which on the road. It's going to be a really tough test to see just how much this Kentucky team has improved over the last five games, but it's all about taking things one game at a time, and they will need to do just that as every opportunity in this upcoming stretch can go a long way in the SEC.

Jan 24, 2026; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Otega Oweh (00) celebrates with forward Andrija Jelavic (4) during the second half against the Mississippi Rebels at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

Obviously, with the SEC standings being as close as they are, one game, and you may find yourself going from second-place to sixth in the conference in no time. That is why this stretch of games coming up is so massively important. This Kentucky team has a chance to prove they really are one of the best teams in the SEC, but they will have to get some statement wins in order to make that happen. In fact, KenPom projects the Wildcats to finish 10-8 in the SEC, putting them in sixth place behind Florida (13-5), Arkansas (12-6), Texas A&M (11-7), Alabama (11-7) and Tennessee (11-7). Kentucky would be tied with both Auburn and Georgia, which is where tie-breakers would come into play. That's the real reason why this upcoming stretch is so important, because six of those teams mentioned, the Wildcats still have on their schedule coming up, including playing Florida twice.

The Kentucky Wildcats are in great position, but it's still early and they will need to continue racking up some wins, because if they don't, they could fall behind quickly in the standings given that the SEC is an extremely close race right now. Check out the full current conference standings here. Can the Wildcats stay one of the top teams in the country? They certainly have played like it in these last five games.