College football is done and it is finally time for college basketball to take over the spotlight! Tuesday was the first day after college football season and provided an incredible slate of games to entertain fans experiencing college football withdrawal. If you’re new to the rankings, I will rank the top 16 teams in the nation as they are right now. The two remaining unbeaten teams went down this week and the NCAA Tournament is officially anyone’s game. Here is where my rankings stand as we approach the mid-point of conference play.
1. Auburn (16-1)
With Baylor going down twice in one week, they vacated the top spot in these rankings for the first time in over a month. Their losses open the door for Auburn, winners of 13 games in a row, to take over as the best team in college hoops. Two huge road wins over Alabama and Ole Miss proved the Tigers can win in tough road atmospheres and not just on their home floor.
2. Gonzaga (14-2)
Even if you’re under the assumption that Gonzaga plays in a conference with no good teams, you have to admit that averaging 114 points in their first three conference games is impressive. The Zags are clicking on all cylinders and they are almost guaranteed to be a #1 seed once again in March.
3. Arizona (14-1)
With upsets taking place across the country, these top three teams deserve a lot of credit for preventing such upsets from taking place. The Wildcats are one of a few teams who are elite on both sides of the ball and once they get a crack at the top teams in the Pac-12, they will prove just how great they are as a team.
4. Baylor (15-2)
Going into this week, Baylor was 43-2 over the last two seasons. They are now 43-4 after two home losses against #19 Texas Tech and unranked Oklahoma State. They aren’t invincible, but they are still a top 5 team, and we shouldn’t forget about that after one bad week.
5. Purdue (14-2)
It took a half-court heave by Ron Harper and 37 points from National POY favorite Johnny Davis for the Boilermakers to drop their two contests this season. Write them off all you want for those losses, but they’ll be back in the discussion for title contention before you know it.
6. Duke (14-2)
AJ Griffin continues to emerge as a huge piece for this roster and a 12-point road win over Wake Forest is a massively underrated win for the Blue Devils who were without Coach K for that matchup.
7. Wisconsin (14-2)
Johnny Davis carried this team to a 12-2 record, but it was the rest of the Badgers who stepped up this week in their two wins this week. The major criticism for this team is the lack of depth, but if the role players step up like they did this week, the Badgers are a legitimate threat in the Big Ten and in the NCAA Tournament.
8. Houston (15-2)
Kelvin Sampson and the Cougars continue to win without their best players. Their two losses came by a combined 3 points and it’s possible they don’t lose again until the NCAA Tournament.
9. Kentucky (14-3)
Tennessee boasts one of the nation’s best defenses, but even they couldn’t stop the red-hot Wildcats offense. The Cats drubbed the Vols to the tune of 107 points and it’s safe to say that whenever this team wins, it’s going to be by a ton of points. All 14 wins have come by double-digits placing the Wildcats third in the nation in scoring margin.
10. Villanova (13-4)
A month after being written off by just about everybody, Villanova is one of the hottest teams in the nation. They defeated Xavier on the road and demolished Butler by 40 at home later in the week. The Big East favorites are as dangerous as anyone and figuring things out at just the right time.
11. Kansas (14-2)
The Jayhawks held serve at home this week, but two road games next week will be challenging even if they both come against unranked teams. However, they look more capable of challenging Baylor for a Big 12 title after the Bears’ brutal week.
12. Illinois (13-3)
It’s hard to come off a season as a 1-seed and start the next season 13-3 and be underrated at the same time. The Illini started 2-2 with Kofi Cockburn coming back from a three-game suspension for the second loss. They are 11-1 since Cockburn’s first game with the only loss coming against #6 Arizona. These guys are 6-0 in a deep Big Ten and should be a lot higher in the polls than they currently are.
13. UCLA (11-2)
A loss to Oregon is typically not something to be disappointed in, but the Ducks are not having a good year by any stretch and the game was played at Pauley Pavilion. The Bruins just don’t look as sharp as they did in the NCAA Tournament and will need to figure things out in a hurry because the Pac-12 is no joke at the top of the standings.
14. Michigan State (14-3)
The Spartans survived a mid-week challenge from Minnesota, but did not have the same luck against Northwestern on Saturday. With trips to Wisconsin and Illinois on the horizon, a home loss to unranked Northwestern could prove costly as their schedule starts to take a turn for the worst starting this Friday.
15. LSU (15-2)
Xavier Pinson picked up an injury last week and was surely missed when the Razorbacks went into Death Valley and knocked off the surging 15-1 Tigers. There is no time to dwell on this loss as LSU travels to Alabama and Tennessee this week in highly anticipated matchups.
16. Texas Tech (13-4)
Defense travels. It’s a main reason why people say defense wins championships, and the saying proved to be correct when the Red Raiders knocked off #1 Baylor in a road game where they were 12-point underdogs. Unfortunately, the week ended on a disappointing note with a road loss to Kansas State, but it was their third game in five days, which makes me believe this was more of a fluke than their win over the Bears.
Next 5: Iowa State, UConn, Tennessee, USC, Ohio State
Players of the Week:
Drew Timme, C, #2 Gonzaga Bulldogs
The Bulldogs are averaging 114 points in conference play and Timme is averaging 27 of those points in just 25 minutes per game. He scored 62 points on 27-32 shooting in the two games this week and even hit a three-pointer, which is a necessary development if he wants to carve out a successful career at the next level.
Wendell Green, PG, #4 Auburn Tigers
Green is one of my favorite players in the country this season. He played his freshman season at Eastern Kentucky, and shows no fear playing at a much higher level in the SEC. He’s willing to take a step back 30-footer regardless of how much time is on the shot clock or the game clock. He gets my vote for Sixth Man of the Year and his spark off the bench always gets this team moving and it is why they are 16-1 and soon to be ranked 1st or 2nd in the AP Poll.
Will Richardson and Jacob Young, Oregon Ducks
These two guys saved Oregon’s season by leading the Ducks to road wins over #3 UCLA and #5 USC this week. Young scored 23 points against the Bruins and Richardson picked up the slack versus the Trojans with 28 points of his own. Look out for the Ducks who might just sneak their way into the NCAA Tournament and make some noise.
Adama Sanogo, C, Connecticut Huskies
I truly believe UConn is a top-20 team when they are fully healthy, and they are finally starting to get there. Sanogo makes a huge difference and he proved it with 26 points, 18 rebounds and 6 blocks against St. John’s. He obviously knows how to score, but the space he creates on the perimeter is just as important for the Huskies offense.
Iverson Molinar, PG, Mississippi State Bulldogs
The projected second-round pick lit it up in what was a huge week for the Bulldogs. The 6’3 junior averaged 26 points in their two games and helped knock off #24 Alabama in a huge, resume-boosting win for the Bulldogs.
Play of the Week:
We have a two-way tie for play of the week because there were two pulverizing dunks during the incredible Tuesday night slate. Adonis Arms spun into the lane and dunked over Matthew Mayer to give the Red Raiders a four-point lead with just over a minute to go. This was the biggest play of the game and helped seal the huge upset win over #1 Baylor. About two hours later, JD Davison baptized the best shot-blocker in the nation, Walker Kessler, in the middle of a late 14-0 run to get the Tide back into the game. Check out these two incredible dunks below!
Adonis Arms over Matthew Mayer (via ESPN)
JD Davison over Walker Kessler (via ESPN)
