The Southeastern Conference (SEC) solidifies its reputation as a dominant force in college basketball, boasting eight teams in the NCAA rankings, with five of those positioned in the top 10. This impressive lineup of ranked teams facilitates regular matchups among them, creating a thrilling atmosphere each week. This week is no exception, as four highly-anticipated games between ranked SEC teams are slated, including a marquee contest featuring No. 6 Tennessee taking on the top-ranked Auburn Tigers this Saturday.

Auburn (17-1, 8-0 SEC) ascended to the No. 1 ranking last week, marking a significant milestone in the program’s history. This achievement comes following a tumultuous week that saw 19 teams within the AP Top 25 suffer at least one defeat. The Tigers have been on an upward trajectory since suffering a loss to No. 2 Duke on December 4, currently riding an eight-game winning streak. They faced a setback when their starting big man, Johni Broome, a leading candidate for national player of the year, sustained an ankle injury against South Carolina on January 11. Despite this, the team has continued to perform admirably, securing victories over two ranked opponents in the past week: No. 14 Mississippi State and previously ranked No. 23 Georgia.

After defeating Mississippi State, Auburn’s head coach Bruce Pearl expressed his admiration for the team’s performance, stating, “You can’t be anything but impressed.” With their only game of the week against Tennessee, the Tigers will need to deliver another impressive outing.

Tennessee (16-2, 3-2) recently reached No. 1 for the first time since the 2018-19 season, maintaining that status for five weeks until a loss to No. 5 Florida on January 7. Despite a nail-biting 76-75 loss to Vanderbilt last Saturday, the Volunteers retained their position in this week’s rankings. While Auburn enjoys a break before Saturday’s match, Tennessee faces a challenging game against No. 14 Mississippi State on Tuesday.

The Bulldogs (15-3, 3-2) rebounded after a 22-point loss to top-ranked Auburn, managing a thrilling overtime victory over their rival, No. 22 Mississippi, with a score of 84-81, after enduring a tense final minute of play.

Ole Miss (15-3, 4-1) is also in for a busy week, taking on two ranked opponents—No. 13 Texas A&M on Wednesday and No. 22 Missouri on Saturday—both at home. The Rebels find themselves tied with Auburn and No. 4 Alabama for second place in the SEC standings, a mere half-game behind the Tigers.

Missouri is making waves this week, entering the rankings for the first time since the 2022-23 season. They recently ended Florida’s impressive 16-game home winning streak and have also secured an 18-point victory against Arkansas. The Tigers (15-3, 4-1) will face Texas on Tuesday. Texas A&M (14-4, 3-2), aiming to complete a season sweep against Texas, is looking to overcome a previous 20-point win against the Longhorns this month.

In other notable matchups, the Big 12 features five ranked teams, but this week, only two are set to go head-to-head: No. 7 Houston will visit No. 12 Kansas on Saturday. Houston (14-3, 3-0) is riding a 10-game winning streak, leading the Big 12 standings, albeit only by half a game over No. 3 Iowa State and Arizona. A matchup against Utah was initially planned for Tuesday but has been rescheduled to Wednesday due to adverse weather conditions in South Texas.

Kansas (13-4, 4-2), after a rocky start to the season despite opening at No. 1, possesses notable victories over North Carolina, No. 8 Michigan State, and Duke. However, a recent loss to Iowa State resulted in a drop in the rankings. They recovered from that setback by defeating rival Kansas State by 10 points at home.

Looking at the Big Ten, No. 11 Purdue (15-4, 7-1) recently climbed six spots in the rankings after achieving seven consecutive wins, including recent victories over Washington and No. 15 Oregon. This week, the Boilermakers are set to host Ohio State on Wednesday, followed by a matchup against No. 21 Michigan on Friday.

The Wolverines (14-4, 6-1) faced a setback last Thursday, losing in overtime to Minnesota but managed to regroup, securing an overtime win against Northwestern on Sunday. Purdue and Michigan are slated to meet again on February 11 in Ann Arbor.