Kentucky was the official preseason pick to win the SEC, according to the media who cover the league, and the Wildcats might still do it. They're good. But, according to KenPom, it is Auburn that has emerged as the favorite through nine weeks of this season after Bruce Pearl's team extended its winning streak to 11 games Saturday with an 85-73 victory over Florida.
The Tigers are now 14-1.
"I'm just having fun with my teammates, loving Auburn, and just working to win," Auburn freshman Jabari Smith said in a televised postgame interview following his 13-point, five-rebound performance.
Smith was one of four Tigers who scored at least 13 points against Florida, which trailed for the final 37:25 of the game. In other words, Auburn, per usual, controlled things pretty much from start to finish while improving to 7-1 in the first two quadrants. FYI: the only team that has won at least seven games in the first two quadrants with a higher winning percentage in games played in the first two quadrants is undefeated and top-ranked Baylor. So if you're wondering why I've moved Auburn to No. 2 in Sunday morning's updated CBS Sports Top 25 And 1 daily college basketball rankings, it's rooted in the argument that the Tigers, in my opinion, now have the second-best resume in college basketball. Their lone loss is a double-overtime loss to UConn nearly seven weeks ago.
Auburn will spend this week on the road -- first for Tuesday's game at Alabama, then for Saturday's game at Ole Miss. So extending this winning streak to 12 or 13 games won't be simple. But, for what it's worth, the Tigers do look like a team built to win road games in the SEC. They're very good offensively, even better defensively, and the byproduct of a roster with an ideal mix of legitimate NBA talent and valuable college experience.
Will these Tigers march to the Final Four like the 2019 team did?
As always, we'll see.
But, there's no denying, they definitely look the part.
Top 25 And 1 rankings
Rk | Teams | Chg | Rcrd | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | Adam Flagler finished with 22 points and three steals in Saturday's 76-64 win at TCU. The Bears' next game is Tuesday against Texas Tech. | -- | 24-11 |
| 2 |  | K.D. Johnson finished with 23 points and three steals in Saturday's 85-73 win over Floridia. The Tigers' next game is Tuesday at Alabama. | 5 | 27-8 |
| 3 |  | Tyger Campbell finished with 17 points and four assists in Saturday's 60-52 win at California. The Bruins' next game is Thursday against Oregon. | -- | 16-17 |
| 4 |  | Chet Holmgren finished with 18 points and eight rebounds in Saturday's 117-83 win over Pepperdine. The Zags' next game is Thursday against BYU. | -- | 27-8 |
| 5 |  | Max Christie finished with 21 points and four rebounds in Wednesday's 79-67 win over Nebraska. The Spartans' next game is Wednesday against Minnnesota. | 1 | 20-15 |
| 6 |  | Isaiah Mobley finished with 19 points and nine rebounds in Thursday's 77-63 win at California. The Trojans' next game is Tuesday at Stanford. | 2 | 15-18 |
| 7 |  | Johnny Davis finished with 26 points and nine rebounds in Thursday's 87-78 win over Iowa. The Badgers' next game is Sunday at Maryland. | 3 | 22-14 |
| 8 |  | Tari Eason finished with 24 points and 12 rebounds in Saturday's 79-67 win over Tennessee. The Tigers' next game is Wednesday at Florida. | 8 | 17-16 |
| 9 |  | Trevion Williams finished with 21 points and nine rebounds in Saturday's 74-67 win at Penn State. The Boilermakers' next game is Friday against Nebraska. | 2 | 34-5 |
| 10 |  | Kansas allowed Texas Tech to shoot 50.9% from the field in Saturday's road loss to the Red Raiders. The Jayhawks' next game is Tuesday against Iowa State. | 5 | 23-11 |
| 11 |  | Josh Carlton finished with 22 points and 12 rebounds in Saturday's 76-66 win over Wichita State. The Cougars' next game is Saturday at Tulsa. | 1 | 32-5 |
| 12 |  | Bennedict Mathurin finished with 27 points and six rebounds in Monday's 95-79 win over Washington. The Wildcats' next game is Thursday against Colorado. | 1 | 27-9 |
| 13 |  | Collin Gillespie finished with 28 points and four assists in Saturday's 79-64 win at DePaul. The Wildcats' next game is Wednesday at Xavier. | 1 | 18-16 |
| 14 |  | Iowa State allowed Oklahoma to shoot 61.7% from the field in Saturday's 79-66 loss on the road to the Sooners. The Cyclones' next game is Tuesday at Kansas. | 5 | 29-8 |
| 15 |  | Duke turned the ball over 17 times in Saturday's 76-74 loss to Miami. The Blue Devils' next game is Wednesday at Wake Forest. | 13 | 27-9 |
| 16 |  | Kadary Richmond finished with 27 points and three steals in Saturday's 90-87 overtime win over UConn. The Pirates' next game is Thursday at DePaul. | 6 | 25-12 |
| 17 |  | Ohio State missed 19 of the 27 3-pointers it attempted in Thursday's 67-51 loss at Indiana. The Buckeyes' next game is Sunday against Northwestern. | -- | 22-14 |
| 18 |  | Adam Kunkel finished with 25 points and three rebounds in Friday's 87-72 win at Butler. The Musketeers' next game is Wednesday against Villanova. | 3 | 16-18 |
| 19 |  | Bryson Williams finished with 22 points and eight rebounds in Saturday's 75-67 win over Kansas. The Red Raiders' next game is Tuesday at Baylor. | 6 | 23-11 |
| 20 |  | Tennessee missed 18 of the 24 3-pointers it attempted in Saturday's 79-67 loss at LSU. The Vols' next game is Tuesday against South Carolina. | 5 | 27-9 |
| 21 |  | TyTy Washington finished with 17 points and 17 assists in Saturday's 92-77 win over Georgia. The Wildcats' next game is Tuesday at Vanderbilt. | 2 | 23-10 |
| 22 |  | Nate Watson finished with 22 points and 11 rebounds in Saturday's 83-73 win over St. John's. The Friars' next game is Tuesday at Creighton. | 2 | 21-14 |
| 23 |  | Lucas Williamson finished with 20 points and five rebounds in Saturday's 78-71 overtime win over Bradley. The Ramblers' next game is Tuesday against Valparaiso. | 3 | 23-10 |
| 24 |  | Kofi Cockburn finished with 23 points and 18 rebounds in Thursday's 76-64 win over Maryland. The Illini's next game is Tuesday at Nebraska. | NR | 29-9 |
| 25 |  | Charlie Moore finished with 18 points and seven steals in Saturday's 76-76 win at Duke. The Hurricanes' next game is Tuesday at Florida State. | NR | 15-17 |
| 26 |  | Tanner Groves finished with 16 points and six rebounds in Saturday's 79-66 win over Iowa State. The Sooners' next game is Tuesday at Texas. | NR | 20-12 |
IN: Illinois, Miami, Oklahoma
OUT: Texas, Colorado State, Alabama
