SEC notebook: Can Texas remain atop the SEC standings as the regular season culminates?

Texas completed its challenge of defeating four consecutive SEC foes to claim the SEC’s top spot, holding a half-game lead against reigning national champion South Carolina at No. 2. LSU sits at No. 3 while Kentucky rounds out the league’s top four, coming off a week where the Longhorns, Gamecocks and Tigers were in a three-way tie for the top spot.

But beyond the league’s top four vying to notch double-byes in the SEC tournament starting in less than two weeks, the battle for teams sitting between fifth through ninth in league play is fierce. Those five teams — Alabama, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Vanderbilt and Tennessee — are separated by two games or less. Get your popcorn ready for an action-packed race to the end of the season in the conference.

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Alabama (21-5) at Tennessee (19-6): Can the Crimson Tide remain among the SEC’s top five?

The Crimson Tide took care of business on Monday night against Texas A&M, defeating the Aggies 88-49 to take sole possession of fifth in the SEC standings. Alabama has won its last four games after losing a nailbiter to Vanderbilt (66-64) and a nine-point loss to Kentucky (65-56) at the end of January.

Crimson Tide leading scorer Sarah Ashlee Barker, who missed five games in the month of January with a lower leg injury, has continued to regain her rhythm and has led Alabama in scoring in four of the Crimson Tide’s last six games. But in short, Kristy Curry’s team has defeated the teams beneath them in the standings but has struggled to defeat the programs above them with losses to Texas (84-40), South Carolina (76-58) as well as the two teams mentioned above.

With a tight race between teams sitting at five through nine — teams separated by two games or less — in league play, Alabama must continue to find ways to win down the stretch starting on Thursday with a road game against a ranked Tennessee team before returning home on Sunday to face Auburn. Alabama sits at 17 in the NET rankings (4-5 in Quad 1 category) and is projected to be a No. 5 seed in this year’s NCAA Tournament. A win on Thursday against the Vols will give Alabama another Q1 victory and one more than Tennessee in that threshold.

The Volunteers were named in the first reveal of the top 16 teams in this year’s upcoming NCAA Tournament, coming in at No. 16 and a No. 4 seed. Last week, Tennessee dispatched Auburn in commanding fashion (99-61) and pulled off a hard-fought Quad 1 victory against Mississippi (80-71), a gritty team that is not ranked but one that sits 1.5 games above the Vols in the SEC standings. A big reason behind the Vols’ ability to string together their wins last week was from the continued good play from Jewel Spear, Zee Spearman and Samara Spencer. Both Spear and Spearman registered their fourth consecutive games of scoring double figures while Spearman has also notched three consecutive games of six or more rebounds. Spencer registered a double-double performance against Mississippi. The Vols could potentially add two more wins this week as they look to rise above the middle of the pack in the SEC.

• Games this week for Alabama: at Tennessee (Feb. 20), vs. Auburn (Feb. 23)
• Games this week for Tennessee: vs. Alabama (Feb. 20), at Florida (Feb. 23)

LSU (25-2) at Kentucky (20-4): Will the Wildcats become one of the SEC’s top four teams?

The Wildcats picked up a much-expected win (84-55) on Sunday against Georgia after losing to Texas (67-49) on Thursday to remain at fourth in the SEC standings. However, Kentucky’s remaining schedule is not for the faint of heart, as the Wildcats go on the road Thursday to face Missouri — a team that hasn’t registered a ton of SEC wins but has played the elite teams competitively for a significant portion of games as of late — followed by a Sunday contest at home against LSU.

Until its recent loss to Texas, Kentucky hadn’t lost at home this season. Currently, the Wildcats are projected to be a No. 4 seed in this year’s tournament and enter this week 4-3 in the Quad 1 category. With LSU (No. 10 in NET ranking, 5-2 in Quad 1 category) sitting a game ahead of Kentucky for third place, Sunday’s matchup will be an important one with SEC tourney implications on the line. 

The Tigers were hoping to be on the positive side of breaking up the three-team tie for first place in the SEC. Instead, LSU finds itself in third place in the conference after relinquishing a 12-point lead — due in part to the increased intensity of Longhorns’ defense — with nearly four minutes to play in its road loss (65-58) on Sunday to Texas. In fact, Texas outscored LSU, 34-15, in the final 4:38 of the contest. Surrendering leads and not finishing games strong have been a theme for LSU at multiple points this season. Sunday’s loss was an example of that. LSU was projected to be a No. 2 seed in the first reveal of the top 16 teams in this year’s tournament. The Tigers face Georgia at home on Thursday before a tough road contest on Sunday against the Wildcats, a game the Tigers will need to win — assuming they take care of business against UGA — to remain in the mix with the Longhorns and Gamecocks for the league’s top spot.

• Games this week for LSU: vs. Georgia (Feb. 20), at Kentucky (Feb. 23)
• Games this week for Kentucky: at Missouri (Feb. 20), vs. LSU (Feb. 23)

South Carolina (23-3)

Every women’s college basketball fan expected a thrilling matchup on Sunday between UConn and South Carolina. No one, absolutely no one, expected the Gamecocks to be part of a 29-point loss to the Huskies inside Colonial Life Arena, a place that has become a larger-than-life spectacle for women’s basketball and the place where UConn snapped the Gamecocks’ 71-game home win streak.

But, it happened and the Gamecocks have three losses to AP-top 25 opponents this season with two in the last 11 days. However, it’s better the losses happen now for Dawn Staley’s squad versus in the SEC tournament or in the NCAA Tournament next month. Still, South Carolina has the second most Quad 1 wins (10) in the nation (only Texas has more with 11 after Sunday’s win against LSU) this season and will be a No. 1 seed in this year’s tournament unless something drastic happens over the next couple weeks. Look for the Gamecocks to bounce back on Thursday against the Razorbacks and on the road Sunday against the Commodores.

• Games this week for South Carolina: vs. Arkansas (Feb. 20), at Vanderbilt (Feb. 23)

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Texas (26-2)

The Longhorns finished their four-game gauntlet of ranked SEC opponents with a win on Sunday against LSU (65-58), sending a message that they are currently the best team in women’s college basketball, or at least in the SEC. In a two-week span, the Longhorns defeated previously ranked Vanderbilt, gave South Carolina its first SEC loss, dominated Kentucky before taming the Tigers.

After Sunday’s win, Texas has the most Quad 1 victories this season (11), one ahead of the Gamecocks while also currently holding a No. 1 seed in the latest women’s bracketology projections. With a couple weeks left in the season, Vic Schaefer’s squad is playing its best basketball at the right time. Despite Madison Booker’s shooting struggles against LSU, the team stepped up when it mattered the most. From defense, veteran leadership, rebounding to efficiency, Texas has all the pieces to be a Final Four team.

• Games this week for Texas: at Georgia (Feb. 24)

Mississippi (17-8)

The Rebels came up short on Sunday in a road loss to Tennessee (80-71), a game that would have certainly been a strong addition to Mississippi’s NCAA Tournament résumé. Although Mississippi sits 1.5 games ahead of Tennessee in the SEC standings, the Vols still remain one spot ahead of the Rebels (12) in the latest NET rankings and have one less loss in the Quad 1 threshold (Tennessee is 4-6) after Sunday’s victory in Knoxville. The loss to Tennessee showcased multiple themes that have plagued the Rebels at different points of the season (i.e. turnovers that result in points for the opposing teams and failing to score at critical times). But for Mississippi, all is not lost in terms of the program improving its postseason trajectory. The Rebels face a sneaky Missouri squad on Sunday before ending the season with contests against South Carolina (Feb. 27) and LSU (March 2).

• Games this week for Mississippi: vs. Missouri (Feb. 23)

Oklahoma (19-6)

The Sooners have won three consecutive games with Sunday’s 82-66 victory against Missouri, Oklahoma’s longest winning streak in SEC play this season. Oklahoma won its last two games without star center Raegan Beers, who returned in Sunday’s contest and finished with seven points and a team-high seven rebounds.

In Beers’ absence, Payton Verhulst and Skylar Vann have not disappointed in Oklahoma’s last two games, leading the team in scoring respectively. However, Sahara Williams (10 pts), Lexy Keys (13) and Zya Vann (11) had significant double-digit contributions in the Sooners’ win against the Tigers. Oklahoma was projected to be a No. 4 seed in the first top 16 reveal on Sunday. Currently, the Sooners sit at seventh in the SEC standings, a half game behind the Rebels for sixth while sitting at 15 in the latest NET rankings. The Sooners cannot afford to lose either of their games this week, contests between teams that sit beneath them in the NET.

• Games this week for Oklahoma: vs. Vanderbilt (Feb. 20), at Arkansas (Feb. 23)

Vanderbilt (19-7)

Right when you think Mikayla Blakes’ scoring prowess can’t reach new heights, the freshman delivers another iconic performance like she did on Sunday in the Commodores’ 98-88 overtime victory against Auburn.

Blakes broke the NCAA freshman single-game scoring record with 55 points and became the first freshman since the turn of the century to register two 50-plus point performances in the same season. Vanderbilt trailed by 15 at one point in the contest, and if not for Auburn’s Mar’shaun Bostic fouling Blakes — who was attempting a 3-pointer — the Commodores likely lose the game because Blakes would not have earned the free throw opportunities to tie the game in regulation. Instead, Vandy added another win instead of a bad loss — the Commodores lost to Mississippi State on Feb. 13 in double overtime — to its SEC record. Currently, Vanderbilt sits at 23 in the latest NET rankings with a chance to bolster its NCAA Tournament and notch its third Quad 1 win of the season starting Thursday against Oklahoma and on Sunday against South Carolina.

• Games this week for Vanderbilt: at Oklahoma (Feb. 20), South Carolina (Feb. 23)

Mississippi State (18-9)

The Bulldogs were on the verge of securing back-to-back SEC wins for the first time since the second week of conference play. However, after relinquishing a nine point lead — MSU’s largest of the game — with 4:58 to play in regulation, sharpshooter Jeriah Warren delivered on a 3-pointer at the buzzer to complete the come from behind victory for Florida and gave Mississippi State its eighth SEC loss of the season. Despite the loss to the Gators, the Bulldogs are still projected to be a No. 9 seed in the latest women’s bracketology update. More importantly, with one game this week against the Aggies, Mississippi State does not need to take any more losses to teams beneath them in conference standings as the Bulldogs sit at 35 in the latest NET rankings.

• Games this week for Mississippi State: vs. Texas A&M (Feb. 23)

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Auburn (12-14)

The Tigers were seconds away from registering their first Quad 1 victory of the season in Sunday’s loss to the Commodores. It is easy to put the entire loss on Bostic and her late-game foul on Blakes. However, the Tigers allowed Blakes to eclipse the D-I freshman scoring record. When moments like this happen, chances of winning games dwindle.

On a positive note, Yuting Deng finished with 27 points in conjunction with DeYona Gaston’s 25 and Bostic’s 14 in Sunday’s loss. Auburn also nearly beat Oklahoma on Feb. 10. Perhaps the Tigers can shake things up in the basketball version of the Iron Bowl on Sunday against a ranked Alabama squad. For what it’s worth, Alabama is 9-1 in its last 10 meetings between the two teams with Tigers most recent win against their in-state rival at home in mid-January of last season.

• Games this week for Auburn: at Alabama (Feb. 23)

Florida (13-13)

Warren’s buzzer-beating 3-pointer gave the Gators a much-needed win and snapped Florida’s two-game losing streak (losses to Alabama and South Carolina). Florida is a team that will not give up in games, something that was shown in the Gators’ grit to come from behind to defeat the Bulldogs. Florida has yet to string together back-to-back SEC wins and is one of five teams in the conference that has not defeated an AP top 25 team this season.

It would be good to see Kelly Rae Finley’s squad build on its momentum from the Mississippi State win with a solid performance on Thursday against the Aggies that would set up a big home matchup on Sunday against the Volunteers. Currently, Florida sits at 56 in the NET rankings and winless against Quad 1 opponents.

• Games this week for Florida: at Texas A&M (Feb. 20), vs. Tennessee (Feb. 23)

Missouri (13-14)

It looked like the Tigers were on the verge of picking up their first Quad 1 victory of the season on Sunday when they led Oklahoma 44-40 at halftime. Instead, the Sooners elevated their level of play to defeat Missouri by 16 points.

Although still winless against AP top 25 teams this season, Sunday’s performance was another indication in the growth of Missouri, as Oklahoma was the fourth ranked foe the Tigers have played competitively in their last five games dating back to their Jan. 30 road loss to Texas (70-61). Missouri is not the team to take for granted as the regular season comes to an end and the SEC tournament right around the corner. There are eight days remaining in February, meaning there is still time for the Tigers to notch a big win before March begins.

• Games this week for Missouri: vs. Kentucky (Feb. 20), at Mississippi (Feb. 23)

Texas A&M (10-13)

The Aggies dropped their sixth consecutive game, losing 88-49 on the road to Alabama on Monday. The absence of Aicha Coulibaly has really hurt Texas A&M as Monday’s 39-point loss was the second largest margin of defeat in SEC play for the Aggies this season (41-point loss on Jan. 9 to the Gamecocks). Even more, since Coulibaly’s absence, Texas A&M’s five losses have come by a combined average margin of 20.6 points. Currently, the Aggies sit 12th in the SEC standings with an upcoming matchup on Thursday against Florida and a road contest on Sunday against Mississippi State.

• Games this week for Texas A&M: vs. Florida (Feb. 20), at Mississippi State (Feb. 23)

Georgia (10-16)

The Bulldogs scored 25 points in the final two quarters of their loss on Sunday to Kentucky (84-55), a stark difference from their first matchup on Jan. 19 against the Wildcats. More importantly, Sunday’s contest was the first of a brutal five-game stretch for UGA to end the season. The next two teams in the gauntlet for Georgia are a road game on Thursday against LSU before returning home on Monday to face Texas.

• Games this week for Georgia: at LSU (Feb. 20), vs. Texas (Feb. 24)

Arkansas (9-18)

The Razorbacks notched their fourth consecutive loss on Feb. 13, losing to Mississippi 89-50. After a week off, Arkansas gets a very tough two-game slate this week starting on Thursday against the Gamecocks on the road and a game at home against Oklahoma. Arkansas will be the first opponent that South Carolina plays following the Gamecocks’ 29-point loss to the Huskies.

• Games this week for Arkansas: at South Carolina (Feb. 20), vs. Oklahoma (Feb. 23)

Thursday, Feb. 20

• Alabama at Tennessee
• Arkansas at South Carolina
• Vanderbilt at Oklahoma
• Kentucky at Missouri
• Florida at Texas A&M
• Georgia at LSU

Sunday, Feb. 23

• Tennessee at Florida
• South Carolina at Vanderbilt
• Oklahoma at Arkansas
• Missouri at Mississippi
• Texas A&M at Mississippi State
• LSU at Kentucky
• Auburn at Alabama

Monday, Feb. 24

• Texas at Georgia