ARKANSAS
The Razorbacks’ 12-11 record does not quite paint the whole picture of the season.
Halfway through its SEC schedule, Arkansas is 5-3 and on top of the SEC West.
After starting 1-3 in the conference, the Razorbacks have reeled off four straight wins, including a win at ranked Ole Miss.
With winnable games against LSU and Alabama upcoming, and a favorable schedule through late February, Arkansas could prove to be one of the hottest teams in the nation come SEC Tournament time.

ALABAMA
Anthony Grant’s first season has been full of learning experiences. The Tide coach will have a chance to learn even more about his team this week.
Alabama is on a three-game losing streak and plays at No. 3 Kentucky and at home against red-hot Arkansas.
The Tide lost two of those three games by one point, and could be in a much different position had those games gone differently.
Grant hopes his team learns from those games and is able to handle adversity this week.
“I think (adversity) builds character and I think, for our basketball team, that’s what we need right now,” Grant said.

AUBURN
The good news for the Tigers is that they don’t face another ranked team this season (as far as the current rankings.)
The bad news is that they are 2-6 in the conference and 11-12 overall.
Auburn faces Georgia at home and Mississippi State on the road this week, and needs two wins if it has any hope of getting back in the West race.

OLE MISS
The Rebels trail Arkansas by percentage points in the West, and need keep pace this week with games at Mississippi State and at home against No. 22 Vanderbilt.
Ole Miss’ schedule sets up more favorably than Arkansas’ down the stretch, so if the Rebels can hold their own this week, they have a chance to put the pressure on the Razorbacks.
And if both teams stumble, March 6 could decide the SEC West title. That is when the Rebels travel to Arkansas to close out the season.

MISSISSIPPI STATE
The Bulldogs get a Thursday-Saturday turnaround in an important week for their division title hunt.
Both are home games against SEC West opponents, Ole Miss and Auburn.
Mississippi State is 4-4 in the SEC after losing four of its last five games.
If the Bulldogs can pull off two wins this week, they can pick up some momentum going into their home game with No. 3 Kentucky on Feb. 16.
Lack of depth late in games has been the main issue for coach Rick Stansbury’s team.
“We get worn out,” Stansbury said, “It’s tough.”

LSU
With seven league games left, LSU is still looking for its first conference win. At 0-9 and coming off a loss to a humiliating loss against Kentucky, the Tigers are reeling and dealing with reality.
Talking about his team’s 81-55 loss to the Wildcats, coach Trent Johnson did not mince words.
“We were completely overmatched, it was men vs. boys,” Johnson said.
The Tigers don’t get any favorable matchups this week, as they travel to play surging Arkansas and ranked Vanderbilt. LSU’s best chance at an SEC win this season might come against Georgia at home in the season finale on March 6.
FUN FACT: The Tigers lost 81-55 to No. 3 Kentucky at home last week. They also lost at then-No. 13 UConn 81-55 on Nov. 25. The 26-point margins of defeat are the largest for the Tigers this season.