For some conferences, this upcoming week will be the last of the regular season. That means it’s officially time to start talking about postseason play. There will always be people who think that conference tournaments shouldn’t be considered more important than the rest of the season, but I think team’s really show their true self when it matters the most. Expect the next couple of weeks to really shake up these rankings.
1. Gonzaga (22-0)
There’s nothing new to report on in terms of Gonzaga. Two more blowout wins for the Zags put the team just a couple of wins away from completing the undefeated regular season. The Bulldogs should have little resistance in reaching the NCAA Tournament without a loss as the WCC just simply can’t compete with this powerhouse program.
2. Baylor (17-0)
Baylor has now had its last 6 games cancelled and now will look forward to a Tuesday matchup against Iowa State. The Bears have just three games remaining in the regular season which include games against West Virginia and Kansas.
3. Michigan (16-1)
Michigan picked up the biggest win of the week with the 5-point victory over Ohio State. The Wolverines also added a win over Rutgers and will now look to close the month of February with tilts against Iowa and Indiana. Michigan has been on a hell of a run and shows no signs of slowing down.
4. Florida State (13-3)
The Seminoles added two wins this week against the likes of Virginia and Pitt. The top of the ACC keeps beating eachother up, but it seems like the 21-point win over Virginia may have distanced FSU from the rest of the pack.
5. Illinois (16-5)
Two wins over Northwestern and Minnesota moved Illinois to 16-5 on the year and are now firmly in the conversation for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Fighting Illini will close the season with games against Michigan and Ohio State, so a lot could still change.
6. Virginia Tech (14-4)
VTech has now gone two weeks without a game and unfortunately wont play one of the other top teams in the ACC before the season ends. The Hokies still hold one of the better records in the country and with wins over Villanova and Virginia among others, have well deserved a ranking this high.
7. Villanova (13-3)
The Wildcats played just one game this week and beat UConn by eight points. Villanova has been struggling recently and will need to build upon it’s win and close the regular season on a strong note. Even with all doubts, the Nova resume holds up with many of the teams above them in this list.
8. Ohio State (18-5)
Ohio State opened the week with a come-from-behind win over Penn State before falling to Michigan in a very close game. Ohio State showed that it can compete with the best and belong in the conversation for a No. 1 seed. The Buckeyes still have Iowa and Illinois on the schedule before the season ends.
9. Oklahoma (14-5)
The Sooners played just once due to a cancellation and beat Iowa State in that game. Oklahoma has strung together an impressive handful of games and continue to be one of the elite teams in the country. OU may have the next best resume in the Big 12 after Baylor.
10. USC (18-4)
The Trojans lost for the first time since since the middle of January this week. Before losing to Arizona, USC did beat Arizona State and, in my opinion, remain the best team in the Pac 12 by a relatively large margin. The next game against Oregon should be an exciting one.
11. Virginia (15-5)
Virginia had a very tough week. Opening up the week with a 21-point loss to Florida State and closing with a loss to Duke, the Cavaliers will need to bounce back and end the season strong. The last three games should be pretty easy for UVA, but another loss might be worrisome moving into the postseason.
12. Alabama (18-5)
Alabama had a game against Texas A&M cancelled, but did beat Vanderbilt. The Crimson Tide have one of the most high-powered offenses in the country and have been using that scoring ability to dominate the SEC.
13. Iowa (17-6)
The Hawkeyes struggled a couple of weeks ago but have now rattled off four straight wins against Rutgers, Michigan State, Wisconsin and Penn State. The road moving forward isn’t easy for Iowa as the couple of games include Michigan, Ohio State and Wisconsin.
14. Creighton (16-5)
Creighton wasn’t able to grace the hardwood this week, but are still riding high on the convincing win over Villanova. I’ve been skeptical of the Blue Jays for a while but will not be truly tested until they play Villanova again in two weeks.
15. West Virginia (15-6)
West Virginia was able to rebound from the double-overtime loss to Oklahoma by beating Texas in the Mountaineers only game of the week. WVU needed an incredible second-half comeback to get the win, but it happened. West Virginia still has a scheduled game against Baylor before the season ends. Miles McBride (pictured) led the Mountaineers in scoring with 17 against Texas.
16. Texas (13-6)
Texas managed to blow a 19-point second half lead to West Virginia and have now won three straight. The Longhorns will get a couple of good chances to make up for this loss with upcoming games against Kansas and Texas Tech to close the regular season.
Next Five: Kansas, Arkansas, Oregon, Oklahoma State, Houston
Players of the Week
Noah Williams – Washington State
Noah Williams is clearly deserving of Player of the Week honors. He had 32 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists and 3 steals against Cal before going for 40 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 steals against Stanford. Williams wasn’t incredibly efficient, but the numbers speak for themselves.
Dylan Disu – Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt’s season has been pretty bad this year, but Dylan Disu has been a bright spot for the team. This week he tallied 29 points, 16 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks and 2 steals against Kentucky. Disu also went for 17 points and 15 rebounds against Alabama.
Neemias Queta – Utah State
Despite the team losing both games, Neemias Queta had Boise State’s number this weekend. In the first game he scored 32 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and blocked a pair of shots. In game two, Queta went for 30 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks.
Evan Mobley – USC
Evan Mobley is one of the top prospects in the country for a reason. This week the big man filled the stat sheet with 22 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 blocks and 2 steals against Arizona State. He also had a 23-point, 5-rebound, 4-block, 2-assist and 2-steal night against Arizona. Mobley shot 16-for-23 from the floor in the two games combined.
Trayce Jackson-Davis – Indiana
Trayce Jackson-Davis has been a stud for Indiana this season. This week he recorded a 34-point, 9-rebound, 2-assist and 2-block performance against Michigan State to go along with a 20-point and 10-rebound outing against Minnesota.
Play of the Week
There weren’t as many highlight plays this week as in the last handful of weeks, but there were still some amazing plays. Day'Ron Sharpe gets the nod for his steal turned into a poster alley-oop. Check it out below.
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