March Madness Whittles Down SEC Contenders
The final SEC Scouts Power Rankings of the season are here, but they tell a tale of two seasons: the long, grueling regular season and the unforgiving reality of the NCAA Tournament. While the Florida Gators' season-long dominance earned them the top spot in our data-driven formula, their journey, like that of many other highly-ranked SEC squads, has come to a close. As of March 30, the Big Dance has sent most of the conference's hopefuls packing, some in stunning upsets and others in hard-fought battles.
This week's rankings reflect the total body of work, a testament to the teams that consistently performed from November through March. However, the analysis must focus on the present reality. Teams like Tennessee, Alabama, and Arkansas, all stalwarts in the AP Top 25 for much of the year, saw their seasons end abruptly in the single-elimination tournament format. A strong regular season gets you into the tournament, but as the past week has proven, survival is all that matters in March.
The Final 2025-26 Power Rankings
1. Florida (27-8, 17-3 SEC) Florida's body of work, including a Power Score of 85.3 and a massive +546 point differential, secured its place atop the final rankings. Despite being a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, their season concluded with a surprising 91-74 loss to Vanderbilt.
2. Arkansas (28-9, 16-5 SEC) The SEC Tournament champions entered the Big Dance with momentum but were dispatched by the Arizona Wildcats in a high-scoring 109-88 affair, ending a strong season for the #14 ranked Razorbacks.
3. Vanderbilt (27-9, 13-8 SEC) A powerful finish to the season, highlighted by a dominant win over Florida, propelled Vanderbilt to a #16 national ranking. However, their NCAA Tournament run was cut short in a 74-72 nail-biter against Nebraska.
4. Kentucky (22-14, 12-9 SEC) The #25 Wildcats saw their season end in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, falling to Iowa State 82-63 after an opening-round victory.
5. Tennessee (25-12, 12-8 SEC) Tennessee's promising season came to a crushing halt in the NCAA Tournament with a 95-62 loss to the Michigan Wolverines. Before that, the Volunteers had advanced with a 76-62 win over Iowa State.
6. Alabama (25-10, 13-6 SEC) The #18 ranked Crimson Tide were also eliminated from the NCAA Tournament by the Michigan Wolverines, losing their matchup 90-77.
7. Georgia (22-11, 10-9 SEC) Georgia earned a #21 ranking to close the season, but their journey ended with a 76-72 loss to Ole Miss, a disappointing finish for a team with a +316 point differential.
8. Texas A&M (22-12, 11-8 SEC) The Aggies' season concluded with a tough 83-63 loss against Oklahoma, preventing a potential tournament run.
9. Oklahoma (19-15, 9-12 SEC) Oklahoma finished the season on a high note, winning four of its last five games before ultimately falling to Arkansas 82-79 in a close contest.
10. Texas (21-15, 9-10 SEC) The Longhorns' NCAA Tournament appearance was brief, ending in a heartbreaking 79-77 loss to the Purdue Boilermakers.
11. Auburn (20-16, 8-12 SEC) Despite a sub-.500 conference record, Auburn is making noise when it counts. The Tigers are still in the hunt after a 75-69 victory over the Nevada Wolf Pack in the NCAA Tournament.
12. Missouri (20-13, 10-9 SEC) Missouri limped to the finish line, dropping four of its last five games, including a season-ending 78-72 loss to Kentucky in the SEC Tournament.
13. Ole Miss (15-20, 7-15 SEC) The Rebels pulled off some late-season upsets, including wins over Alabama and Texas, but their season concluded with a 93-90 shootout loss to Arkansas.
14. LSU (15-17, 3-16 SEC) A difficult season for the Tigers ended with an 87-82 loss at the hands of Kentucky.
15. South Carolina (13-19, 4-15 SEC) The Gamecocks' season wrapped up with an 86-74 loss to Oklahoma in the SEC Tournament.
16. Miss State (13-19, 5-14 SEC) An 0-5 record in their final five games, capped by a 79-61 loss to Auburn, ended a challenging season for the Bulldogs.
Stock Up
- Auburn: The Tigers are the definition of getting hot at the right time. Despite their #11 rank in our season-long formula, they are the SEC team turning heads in the tournament. Their 75-69 win over Nevada shows a resilience that was not always present during their 8-12 conference slate. They are officially the conference's bracket buster.
- Arkansas: Although their run is over, the Razorbacks closed the season with authority, winning the SEC Tournament. Their 4-1 record over the last five games and decisive victories show a team that peaked at the right time, even if they ran into a buzzsaw in the NCAA Tournament.
- Vanderbilt: A late-season surge saw the Commodores knock off #1 Florida and climb to #16 in the AP Poll. While their tournament ended in a tight 74-72 loss, their strong finish was a major statement.
Stock Down
- Tennessee: The 95-62 blowout loss to Michigan was a shocking end for a team ranked #23 in the country. A 33-point margin of defeat in the NCAA Tournament is a brutal finish to an otherwise solid 25-win season.
- Florida: It's tough to place the #1 team in the rankings here, but expectations were sky-high for the #4 team in the nation. Topping the power rankings means little after an early exit from the postseason following a 17-point loss to Vanderbilt.
- Alabama: As another ranked SEC team, the Crimson Tide's 90-77 loss to Michigan marks a disappointing conclusion. A 13-6 conference record set a high bar that the team couldn't quite clear in the tournament.
Tournament Watch
With the NCAA Tournament now heading into the Elite Eight, all SEC eyes are on Auburn. The Tigers' unlikely run has them carrying the banner for the entire conference. The coming weekend's matchups will test their mettle as the competition intensifies. Fans will be watching to see if their underdog story can continue into the Final Four.