It’s a good thing postseason tournaments don’t allow home-court advantage, because I think every higher seed would win at this rate. Upsets are taking place across the country because of this and it’s hard to find a team who goes undefeated in a week unless they played every game at home. Buckle up for the crazy closing stretch that should promise as much chaos as we would have seen in 2020.
1. Gonzaga (23-2)
Would I be remiss to say the Zags are a lock for the Final Four yet? The closest conference games they’ve played are 16-point wins, but they will have to travel to both of those teams to close their regular season. If there was ever a time for them to play a single-digit conference game, it is this upcoming week.
2. Arizona (24-2)
The Pac-12 regular season championship is all but decided as Tommy Lloyd and the Wildcats hold a 3-game lead over USC and UCLA with five games remaining. They are winners of 8 in a row since their lone conference loss to UCLA close to a month ago.
3. Auburn (24-3)
The Tigers struggled on the road for the fourth straight game against an unranked opponent and were unable to escape defeat for the second time in 11 days. Despite Jabari Smith’s best efforts, Florida topped Auburn and now Bruce Pearl’s team is in a dogfight for a 1-seed that seemed inevitable two weeks ago.
4. Kentucky (22-5)
There wasn’t a more impressive win on Saturday than Kentucky’s over Alabama without star guards Sahvir Wheeler and TyTy Washington. Alabama couldn’t miss to start the game, but the Wildcats were able to battle back and grind out an impressive nine-point win to remain in contention for the SEC conference crown.
5. Purdue (24-4)
Who needs defense when you have the best offense in the nation? The Boilermakers control their own destiny in Big Ten play and road wins over Michigan State and Wisconsin should clinch the one seed in the conference tournament.
6. Texas Tech (21-6)
The season sweep over former coach Chris Beard is complete as the Red Raiders registered their second road win since January 11th on Saturday. Scoring against these guys is a chore, which makes them just as dangerous as 2019 when they reached the National Championship.
7. Duke (23-4)
All of the pieces are starting to fit in Durham as the Blue Devils are playing their best basketball of the season. Coach K has a team talented enough to bring him one final championship, but they need to keep proving they can win more than just the big games.
8. Villanova (21-6)
The Wildcats crashed the Providence party at the Dunk on Tuesday and followed it up by handing Georgetown their 15th conference loss of the season. Depth won’t be an issue if the starters continue to shine like they did this week.
9. Baylor (22-5)
Injuries are starting to mount up even more, but the Bears were still able to go 1-1 on the week after Texas Tech handled them mid-week. A rematch with Kansas highlights an incredible Saturday slate that will be impossible to miss for true basketball fans.
10. Kansas (22-4)
The Jayhawks jumped to a one-seed with a pair of victories this week and a favorable schedule to end the regular season should keep them there going into the conference tournament. Depth and experience are the greatest assets for this team looking to get back to the Final Four for the first time since 2018.
11. Tennessee (19-7)
An eight-game SEC winning streak was snapped by Arkansas on Saturday, but not before the Vols got themselves into position to be a top-four seed in the projected NCAA Tournament. This team is firing on all cylinders and look as good as any team in the SEC despite their most recent loss.
12. Houston (21-4)
If you didn’t see the final sequence of the Houston-Wichita State game on Sunday, I recommend checking it out. The Cougars survived in double-overtime, but the recent struggles are concerning as the team is starting to feel the absence of their star players who were lost for the season with injuries.
13. Illinois (19-7)
Everyone is losing at the RAC this season, so there is no shame in their loss this week. They responded in the best possible way, knocking off Michigan State to hand them their worst week of the season. The Illini are the second best team in the Big Ten and they are starting to play like it at the right time.
14. Wisconsin (21-5)
Johnny Davis. That is all. He has my vote for National Player of the Year as he continues to prove that he is the most improved player in the sport and the most important player in the conference.
15. UCLA (19-5)
Jaylen Clark and David Singleton stepped up in a big way with Johnny Juzang and Tyger Campbell missing Saturday’s game with injuries. If they can provide the boost off the bench that the Bruins desperately need if they want to get back to the Final Four.
16. Arkansas (21-6)
Bud Walton Arena struck again this weekend and it will have the chance again as No. 4 Kentucky comes to Fayetteville this upcoming Saturday.
Next 5: Alabama, Ohio State, Providence, Connecticut, USC
Players of the Week:
Jabari Smith, PF, #2 Auburn Tigers
The Tigers found themselves down 11-0 to Vanderbilt on Tuesday. The Commodores did not enjoy what followed. Smith exploded out of a shooting slump from the outside, pouring in 7 out of 10 threes, on his way to 31 points and a 14-point win for his team.
Collin Gillespie, PG, #10 Villanova Wildcats
It took a career performance to lift the Wildcats past No. 8 Providence, but that’s exactly what Gillespie delivered on Tuesday night. The graduate guard hit every big shot in crunch time and finished the game with a career-high 33 points. Justin Moore provided a boost, but it was the Collin Gillespie show from start to finish in Providence and it’s time to seriously consider him as a Wooden Award finalist.
Johnny Davis, SG, #15 Wisconsin Badgers
Another player cementing his status as a Wooden Award finalist is the sophomore guard from Wisconsin. Davis scored the final 13 points for the Badgers who picked up a massive victory at Assembly Hall this week. These were 13 of his 30 total points and it’s easy to see why these Badgers go as their superstar goes. Johnny Davis is made for March so remember the name and look out for him in the NCAA Tournament.
Kellan Grady, PG/SG, #4 Kentucky Wildcats
John Calipari needed players to step up on Saturday and Grady hit 7 of 9 threes to answer the bell. He finished with 25 points on the day and his performance was one of the best I’ve seen all season. Every time he shot it, the entire arena thought it was going in, and they were usually right.
Julian Champagnie, SF, St. John’s Red Storm
It was an undefeated week for the Red Storm who can thank Champagnie for this being true. He averaged 29 points between the two wins this week and pulverized the Xavier and Butler defenses from start to finish. Champagnie is a superstar who is ready to make the jump to the NBA, just like his brother did last season.
Play of the Week:
It hasn’t been the best season for South Carolina, but they had a moment to remember this week with one of the best buzzer beaters of the season. They needed overtime to knock off Ole Miss, but they walked it off in spectacular fashion, which you can see for yourself below!
