NCAA Power 16 Rankings - NBADraft.net

Losses by No.’s 1 North Carolina (two of them) and Oklahoma (at Kansas State) last week opened the gates for some revamping at the top of the latest Power 16.

And the Big East and Big Ten conferences were the ones to take biggest advantage.

Villanova and Xavier are now in the 1-2 slots.

The Big East foes next meet in Cincinnati on Feb. 24. Villanova prevailed by 31 on New Year’s Eve in Philadelphia.

And the Big Ten’s Michigan State, Maryland and Iowa are now 3, 4 and 5, respectively.

Heck of a Tuesday night Big 12 clash: No. 10 West Virginia at No. 6 Kansas.

Rank (Last week’s rank)	Record	Comment
1. Villanova (3)	20-3	It was an 18-point turnaround – on the good side – for the Wildcats against Providence Saturday.
2. Xavier (4)	21-2	A couple of tough Big East trips to Omaha and Indianapolis in store for the Musketeers this week.
3. Michigan St. (5)	20-4	Is anyone playing better than the Spartans right now? Hmmmm.
4. Maryland (6)	21-3	Any expectation that the Terps will take an eight-game into Purdue on Feb. 27 is realistic.
5. Iowa (8)	19-4	The Hawkeyes’ last eight Big Ten victories have come by an average margin of 14.3 points.
6. Oklahoma (2)	19-3	The 11-point decision in Manhattan Saturday is first (relatively speaking) “surprising” loss of season for the Sooners.
7. Kansas (10)	19-4	The Jayhawks can take a couple of very big steps toward another Big 12 regular-season title by going 2-0 this week.
8. North Carolina (1)	19-4	The defense is going to need some shoring up over the next six weeks if the Tar Heels are to be a regional No. 1 seed.
9. Virginia (12)	19-4	The Cavaliers have reeled off six ACC wins in a row – three of those away from Charlottesville. It’s another big game – more so for the host team – at Duke Saturday.
10. West Virginia (13)	19-4	So, how many folks thought that the Mountaineers would hold sole possession of the lead in the Big 12 after 10 conference games?
11. Oregon (15)	20-4	The Ducks have looked the part of the best the Pac 12 has to offer.
12. Texas A&M (7)	18-5	Allowed 79 ppg in dropping games to Vanderbilt and South Carolina last week.
13. SMU (11)	17-4	Transitioned from a loss at Houston to a 34-point beat-down of the University of South Florida in Tampa.
14. Arizona (NR)	19-5	With the return of Allonzo Trier to the rotation, the Wildcats are about as healthy as they’ve been since the start of the season.
15. Kentucky (14)	17-6	The Wildcats losing after holding 21-point advantage at Tennessee certainly among the most baffling of outcomes this season anywhere.
16. Louisville (NR)	19-4	Like SMU, the Cardinals are now left to play for pride and best-possible final record after ban from post-season competition. Stay motivated, fellas.

ON THE CUSP: Arkansas-Little Rock 21-2, Baylor 17-6, Cincinnati 17-7, Connecticut 17-6, Dayton 19-3, Indiana 19-5, Iowa State 17-6, LSU 15-8, Miami-Fla. 18-4, Providence 18-6, Purdue 19-5, San Diego State 18-6, South Carolina 20-3, USC 18-5, VCU 17-6 and Wichita State 17-6.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK (Feb. 1-7)

*Josh Hart (Villanova): The 6-5 junior averaged 13.5 points, 11.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists in Big East wins over visiting Creighton and at Providence.

*Jaysean Paige (West Virginia): A 6-2 senior from New York, Paige averaged 20.0 points and 4.0 rebounds to earn Big 12 POW for the second time after the Mountaineers swept Big 12 foes Iowa State and Baylor.

*Gary Payton II (Oregon State): The son of the Hall of Famer and all-time Beaver great averaged 18.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 3.5 steals to help his team edge visiting Pac 12 opponents Utah and Colorado.

*Ben Simmons (LSU): The 6-10 freshmen – the most gifted player in college – averaged 18.5 points, 11.0 rebounds, 7.0 assists, 2.5 steals and 1.5 blocked shots per game in SEC wins over Auburn and Mississippi State to help the Tigers move into the conference lead.

*Denzel Valentine (Michigan State): The 6-5 senior scored 21 points with nine rebounds and eight assists in the Spartans’ Big Ten win at Michigan.

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