Florida Tops the SEC as Week 14 AP Poll Brings Chaos Below
After Week 14, Florida (17-6, 8-2) is officially the highest-ranked team in the Southeastern Conference at No. 14.
“Until proven otherwise, I think Florida should be the top team in the SEC,” said Anthony Kristensen, AP Poll voter and reporter for Whole Hog Sports. “It finally is, on the consensus and not just myself.
But the Gators’ tough slate is far from over as one team they are gearing up to play creeps into the top 25, and two more teams outside the SEC make big moves this week.
No. 25 Kentucky
Sneaking in, Kentucky (17-7, 8-3) made a statement in Week 14 in a crowded and ever-changing SEC.
The Wildcats are not completely new to the poll, having secured their place in the early weeks and peaking at No. 9 in weeks one and two. They ultimately dropped off in Week 6 and have been left off, until now.
The Wildcats are re-established after a three-game win streak that included Arkansas, Oklahoma and a close 74-71 win Saturday over Tennessee. They eye a matchup with Florida this Saturday, their first of two meetings as they finish out the season at home against the Gators on March. 7.
The outcome of both contests will have a significant impact on the SEC standings for both parties as the Wildcats sit just behind Florida at No. 2 in the conference.
No. 12 BYU
Down six places and falling to No. 12 in this week’s poll, Brigham Young University (17-6, 5-3) stands with Gonzaga as the largest slide by any team after Week 14.
So far, BYU has lost five of its last six games, all but one of those losses coming from opponents ranked in the top 15. The only unranked game ended in a 99-92 loss to Oklahoma State.
“That’s the game right there, the Oklahoma State game, where I look at it from a BYU perspective, and I think ‘okay maybe there are some problems here,’” Kristensen said. “But I think a lot of it is kind of schedule-induced.”
The Cougars have only three ranked opponents left on their schedule, with two of them being repeat contests as the end of conference play nears.
“I don’t see an NCAA Tournament that doesn’t include them he said,” said Shawn O’Neal, senior editor at Lindy’s Sports. “But then I look at the calendar … eight more to go. If they can only win at about a 15% clip for the rest of the year, they will miss the NCAA tournament.”
No. 3 Houston
On the other side of BYU’s loss and up five spots and tying for the biggest jump of the week, the Cougars (21-2, 9-1) are officially a top-three team in college basketball.
“That’s who they are,” O’Neal said about Houston’s 77-66 win over BYU on Saturday on the road.
O’Neal said he sees Houston as a team that is able to win six games in a row and is a true contender.
Kristensen had similar thoughts on the Cougars. He said this season, Houston’s offense is rated higher than its defense, which has been uncommon for the program.
“How hard they play, it’s kind of remarkable to watch,” Kristensen said. “The thing with Houston this year as well is that its offense is more polished than it has been.”
Category: College Basketball, Gators Men's Basketball
