SEC Basketball: Alabama, Mississippi State rise in latest 2022-23 power rankings
By Matt Melton
8. Ole Miss Rebels
Previous Ranking: 9
Ole Miss rises a spot up to No. 8 in this week’s update coming off their 6-1 start to the 2022-23 season. The Rebels lone defeat during that stretch came in their most recent contest against Oklahoma, while Ole Miss also owns wins over the likes of Florida Atlantic, Stanford, and Chattanooga.
The Rebels will also have the chance to add to their impressive non-conference run in the coming weeks with matchups against teams such as Memphis, UCF, and Temple. Should they win a majority of those remaining games, then Ole Miss could potentially be ranked nationally come SEC play.
7. Mississippi State Bulldogs
Previous Ranking: 10
As mentioned in the title, Mississippi State was one of the biggest teams to rise this week, with the Bulldogs currently sitting undefeated at 7-0. Included in that stretch are notable wins over the likes of Marquette and Utah, as well as currently ranking No. 2 nationally by only allowing 49.3 PPG to opponents defensively.
Chris Jans’ Bulldogs will likely be favored in a majority of their remaining non-conference games as well, with a trip to Minnesota and a neutral-site game against Drake as the biggest. Whether or not Mississippi State is still undefeated at the next update is a different question, but the Bulldogs could very well be ranked soon if they keep the momentum going, especially defensively.