Preseason SEC Power Rankings 2026: South Carolina Still the Team to Beat

The Gamecocks Are Still the Standard

South Carolina enters the season as the clear preseason No. 1 in the SEC, and honestly, it's not close. Dawn Staley's roster has size, star power in Joyce Edwards, a returning Chloe Kitts, and a notable addition in transfer Jordan Lee from Texas. The only real question isn't whether South Carolina wins the SEC — it's whether the guard rotation gels enough to get past a team like UConn in a national title game. But betting against Staley figuring that out by March has historically been a bad idea.

Texas Is the Clear No. 2, With One Big Question

The Longhorns lost a ton of production, including floor general Rori Harmon, but they still check in at No. 2 for one simple reason: Madison Booker. She's widely regarded as the best small forward in college basketball, with a midrange game that gives Texas both a high floor and a legitimate national title ceiling. The bigger storyline here is who steps up around her. Oklahoma transfer Zya Vann and returner Breya Cunningham are being counted on to fill the gaps, but Texas's season hinges on whether a supporting cast can form quickly enough to complement Booker's brilliance.

The Chase Pack: LSU, Vanderbilt, Kentucky

Behind the top two, the SEC gets a lot more interesting. LSU, Vanderbilt, and Kentucky are all viewed as teams built for a deep NCAA Tournament run, not just a conference finish. These three programs have reloaded with enough talent and continuity to be dangerous in March, even if they're not quite in the same tier as South Carolina and Texas right now.

Why the Middle of the Pack Matters More Than Usual

Here's where this season gets genuinely fun: everything beyond the top five. The SEC is loaded with retooled rosters that could swing wildly in either direction — teams that could sneak into at-large bid contention or completely fall off. That unpredictability is rare for a conference this deep, and it means the SEC race for NCAA Tournament seeding will be must-watch basketball well before the postseason even starts.

What to Watch For

The headline question of the season is simple: can anyone actually unseat South Carolina? On paper, Texas has the best shot given Madison Booker's talent level, but the Gamecocks' depth and coaching edge make them the heavy favorite. The more compelling drama might actually be in the middle tier, where several SEC programs are fighting for tournament relevance in a conference that rarely has this much uncertainty outside its top teams.