SEC Look Around the League 1/12/16

Kentucky (KenPom: 18, AP: 14): Since LSU disposed of them, Kentucky had a nice bounce-back win against Alabama and looks to build momentum until they have their big match-up with Kansas on January 30^th. While I think the current ranking is more reflective of where this wildcat team is in the grand scheme of college basketball, I also think the bad loss will serve as a wake up call for Calipari and his team and they'll find a way to hang with, if not beat, the Jayhawks. After that it's back to the grind against a strong SEC schedule that ends with a rematch with the Tigers in Rupp. That'll be a must-watch, and an extremely tough match-up for Johnny Jones and the Tigers.

South Carolina (KenPom:20, AP:19): Posted two more strong performances at Auburn and home against Vandy (who have some how found a way to fall to 0-3 in conference play) to stay perfect at 15-0. They get a slew of easy opponents until mid-February when they have to play the big boys (this is the stretch during which they'll face LSU, at their place.) Their record could balloon to something like 22 -2 by the time they go to play a tough A&M team in College Station, but the losses could start to pile up after that. After it's all said and done, I think this will be a top 3 team in the SEC, and a real threat in the tournament. Definitely a team to keep your eye on.

Texas A&M (KenPom: 21, AP:15): Posted strong performances against Arkansas and at Miss. State (one-point win on the road) to bring them to 13-2 on the season. Coach Kennedy continues to coach great basketball and is getting more of a well-balanced feel from his team as of late. These guys are going to continue to be successful all year, and coming out of College Station with a victory would be huge for the Tigers, who need all the top 25 wins they can get to be relevant come selection Sunday.

Ole Miss (KenPom: 89): Two good wins against Alabama and Georgia (1-point win at home over the bulldogs) lead to LSU at the PMAC Wednesday night. This would be a great team for the Tigers to continue to bolster their conference record against, they have one true scoring stud in Stefan Moody (though his percentages aren't great), and play solid team defense. LSU needs to dispose of opponents like this with regularity, and Saturday's loss Florida was a step backwards for the Tigers. Back in "must win" territory for Simmons and co.

Alabama (KenPom: 119): After tough losses to UK and Ole Miss at home, optimism has started to run dry for a Crimson Tide squad lacking scoring options and high-end talent. With great coaching, they'll continue to push teams but will likely post a record at the bottom of the league come the end of the year. They need to allow Johnson to establish himself with a couple of recruiting classes before they hold him to any real standards, anyways. With Saban bringing home another National Championship last night, I doubt anyone in Tuscaloosa (or the rest of the state) even notices.

That's all for this week. Again, if there are specific teams/players that people have particular interest in, feel free to comment below and I'll add them in the mix.