The latest edition of the SEC Hoops Power Poll is up over at Garnet & Black Attack and it bears unfortunate news for Bulldog basketball fans. The Fox Hounds have now fallen to dead last in the league on the um . . .strength? . . . of recent losses to Ole Miss and Auburn amidst a four game slide.
Remember that the voting for this week's edition of the poll closed on Monday night, before whatever that was that happened at the Stege last night. And while it remains to be seen whether that was the beginnng of a turnaround or a mere aberration, the fact remains that the Hoop 'Dawgs are a gosh-awful 2-7 in conference play. I'm frustrated about it. You're frustrated about it. Mark Fox is frustrated about it. But (he said, filling his tired cliche quota for the post) it is what it is right now.
Further up the ladder, there appears to be no question that the Kentucky Wildcats are the class of the conference. They've beaten all comers enroute to a 24-1 overall record, a pristine 10-0 conference ledger and a #1 national ranking. If anyone believes there's a better team in college basketball right now I would love to hear that person's argument. I would then dismiss it as the ramblings of a mad man or the delusions of an Ohio State fan.
Florida's only fault at this point is that they're not Kentucky. Assuming a strong finish to the conference slate, a good performance in the SEC tournament, and a slip by one or two other squads, the Gators are a decent bet for a top seed in the NCAA tournament, and should be no worse than a #3 barring some sort of collapse.
Speaking of the tournament, SB Nation's own Blogging The Bracket currently has 5 SEC teams making it into the field: Kentucky, Florida, Mississippi State, Vandy and Alabama. I can't really quibble with that, as there appears to be a large gulf between those teams and the Ole Misses and Arkansases* of the world. It's just not a very deep conference this year, which can largely be chalked up to the likes of Georgia and Arkansas rebuilding and acclimating to new systems. It's just one of those seasons.
Until later . . .
Go 'Dawgs!
*The next time I pluralize "Arkansas" will be the second time. So cut me some slack here.