SEC standings after Week 13 in college basketball: Auburn and Alabama gaining momentum

It’s still early in the season to declare the Alabama Crimson Tide or Auburn Tigers as SEC champions, but we’re already gearing up for a thrilling Iron Bowl of Basketball with at least two monumental matchups this season.

• Auburn*, set to claim the No. 1 spot in the polls for the fourth straight week, will travel to Coleman Coliseum on February 15 for a game that could likely draw the attention of ESPN’s College GameDay. Meanwhile, Alabama (No. 3 in the Coaches Poll) will head to Auburn to wrap up the regular season on March 8.

Given the way the 2024-25 college basketball season is unfolding, it might take another meeting—whether in the SEC Tournament or the NCAA Tournament—to truly determine the top team. As things stand now, both the Tigers and Crimson Tide continue to pull away from the pack, further distancing themselves from the competition this past week.

Auburn and star forward Johni Broome made light work of their matchups against LSU and No. 23 Ole Miss, picking up two solid wins. On the other hand, Alabama survived a scare against No. 14 Mississippi State, before bouncing back in a commanding win over Georgia in Tuscaloosa, led by Mark Sears’ 20 points.

Elsewhere, the Florida Gators fell to the Tennessee Volunteers in a top 10 matchup, with Tennessee securing a 64-44 victory in Knoxville, splitting their season series. We may even see these rivals face off again in the postseason.

But it wasn’t just Auburn making strides this week; Missouri also impressed, with the Tigers taking down both Ole Miss and Mississippi State, the latter in a dominant fashion on Saturday in Starkville. Under Coach Dennis Gates, Missouri sits third in the SEC, a remarkable turnaround after a winless conference season last year.

Meanwhile, Kentucky struggled with its third loss in four games as John Calipari returned to Rupp Arena for the first time since his swift exit from Lexington. Calipari’s Arkansas Razorbacks pulled off an 89-79 win, their second in SEC play.

Now, as we reach the midway point of conference play, here’s an updated look at the SEC standings.

Updated SEC Basketball Standings (Week 5 of league play):

1. Auburn Tigers (8-0, 1.000)
2. Alabama Crimson Tide (8-1, .889)
3. Missouri Tigers (6-2, .750)
4. Texas A&M Aggies (6-3, .667)
5. Florida Gators (5-3, .625)
   T-6. Tennessee Volunteers (5-4, .556)
   T-6. Ole Miss Rebels (5-4, .556)
   T-8. Vanderbilt Commodores (4-4, .500)
   T-8. Kentucky Wildcats (4-4, .500)
   T-10. Mississippi State Bulldogs (4-5, .444)
   T-10. Texas Longhorns (4-5, .444)
6. Oklahoma Sooners (3-5, .375)
7. Georgia Bulldogs (3-6, .333)
8. Arkansas Razorbacks (2-6, .250)
9. LSU Tigers (1-7, .125)
10. South Carolina Gamecocks (0-9, 0.00)

Overall SEC Team Records (Week 13 of College Basketball):

1. Auburn (20-1)
2. Alabama (19-3)
3. Florida (18-3)
4. Tennessee (18-4)
5. Missouri (17-4)
6. Texas A&M (17-5)
   T-7. Oklahoma (16-5)
   T-7. Vanderbilt (16-5)
   T-9. Mississippi State (16-6)
   T-9. Ole Miss (16-6)
7. Kentucky (15-6)
   T-12. Georgia (15-7)
   T-12. Texas (15-7)
8. Arkansas (13-8)
9. LSU (12-9)
10. South Carolina (10-12)

As we continue to move through the season, keep an eye on these teams, especially the Tigers and Crimson Tide, who seem poised for a dramatic finish.