16 of the 25 nationally ranked teams lost last week, and the trend continued with 14 more going down over the last seven days. It’s true bedlam in college basketball, but it makes for exciting games week after week as attention completely shifts to the sport with the college football season having come to an end on Monday. If you’re just catching up on what’s going on in college ball, we’ve got you covered with the important weekly happenings to know in these rankings.
1. Alabama (15-2)
Power rankings have nothing to do with bracketology. My job is to find who the best teams are as of right now and Alabama is the team I’d be most intimidated by if I had to play someone tomorrow. After handling Arkansas on the road, the Tide scored 1.45 points per possession in against LSU, according to KenPom.
2. Kansas (16-1)
Of their five wins to start conference play, the Jayhawks have won four of them by four points or fewer, making a habit out of closing games out late. That’s the making of a championship team, but the bench will need to step up sooner or later in Lawrence.
3. Purdue (16-1)
Nobody stands a chance against the Boilermakers if they consistently shoot the ball from the perimeter the way they did against Nebraska on Friday. Matt Painter is starting to flex his muscles with one of the most productive freshmen classes in the nation.,
4. Houston (17-1)
Conference play has been slightly more difficult than anticipated for the Cougars, who are getting tested almost every night against far inferior opponents. Kelvin Sampson will need to make a few tweaks before the schedule heats up in March.
5. UCLA (16-2)
The Bruins played their worst game in a long time and still rallied to turn a nine-point deficit with 10 minutes remaining into a 14-point win over Colorado. The clear favorites in the Pac-12 have their three toughest games on their conference schedule all in a row over the next week and a half.
6. TCU (14-3)
After back-to-back heartbreaking losses, TCU responded like a championship team with a beatdown of the hottest team in college basketball. A showdown at Allen Fieldhouse is appointment television on Saturday afternoon.
7. Texas (15-2)
The Longhorns erased a pair of double-digit deficits on their home floor this week to improve to 4-1 with a gauntlet of road games on the horizon over the next month.
8. Kansas State (15-2)
Marquis Nowell and the Wildcats never got into a rhythm against TCU, but I’m still buying the legitimacy of this team. They’ll have a national stage to prove it on Tuesday night when they welcome the Jayhawks to Manhattan.
9. Iowa State (13-3)
Caleb Grill is the x-factor for the Cyclones and they nearly pulled off an upset in Allen Fieldhouse with him shooting 1-8 from the field. The Cyclones are more than capable of making a run for the conference crown.
10. Gonzaga (16-3)
Gonzaga continues to survive on the road with Julian Strawther playing the hero to stave off an upset bid from BYU. Point guard play continues to let the Zags down who will need someone to step up in the next few months.
11. Xavier (15-3)
The Musketeers survived in a sensational Sunday afternoon matchup against Marquette to remain unbeaten in Big East action. Sean Miller and this program are officially back and ready to make some noise in March.
12. Tennessee (14-3)
The Vols can defend but they need to figure out how to score against real competition. Getting 19 points from Uros Plavsic and only putting up 56 on your home floor is inexcusable against an average Kentucky defense that came in limping and walked out of Knoxville dancing.
13. Virginia (13-3)
The Cavaliers rallied to fend off an upset bid by North Carolina on Tuesday to stay toward the top of the ACC standings and a favorable upcoming schedule should keep them there without a ranked opponent coming up until Clemson in the penultimate game of the season.
14. Marquette (14-5)
The loss to Xavier was Marquette’s first loss in regulation since mid-November and there’s no shame in coming up short at the raucous Cintas Center. They’ll return to their home floor in a ranked clash with Providence on Wednesday night with an excellent opportunity to get right back on track.
15. Clemson (15-3)
The ACC runs through…Clemson? The Tigers are winners of seven straight and introduced themselves into the national conversation with a win over Duke on Saturday. Keep the Tigers on your radar and add Brad Brownell to your coach of the year shortlist for his work so far this season.
16. Arizona (15-3)
The Pac-12 looks to be the weakest power-five conference this season and the Wildcats are off to a dismal 4-3 start with a trifecta of beatdowns coming at the hands of unranked teams in the conference. The latest against Oregon is the worst I can remember Arizona looking during Tommy Lloyd’s tenure.
Next 5: Baylor, NC State, Connecticut, Miami, New Mexico
Players of the Week:
Brandon Miller, No. 4 Alabama Crimson Tide
The top two NBA prospects might not be playing college basketball, but the sport still has an electrifying star in Brandon Miller. Alabama dropped 106 on LSU with Miller leading the way with 31 points on 7-11 shooting from beyond the arc. His quick trigger and shotmaking are rare at his size (6’9) which is why it’s no surprise he is ascending into the top three on our latest mock draft.
Jett Howard, Michigan Wolverines
Howard single-handedly kept the Wolverines in the game against Iowa with 34 points on 7-13 shooting from beyond the arc and embraced more of a playmaking role to avoid a home loss against Northwestern with a team-high seven assists. This combination of sharpshooting and playmaking has the coach’s son knocking on the door of the lottery in our latest mock draft.
Tyler Kolek, No. 25 Marquette Golden Eagles
While the Bills were throttling the Dolphins during wild card weekend, Tyler Kolek was shredding Xavier’s defense with 20 first half points in a thrilling Big East battle. The lefty point guard is one of the best passers in the nation, but proved he is more than capable of getting his own shot, further complicating defensive efforts to slow down the surging Golden Eagles.
Antoine Davis, Detroit Mercy Titans
Davis went into Saturday needing eight threes to break the record for most 3-pointers in a career. Why settle for 8 when you can make 11? His 41-point outburst lifted the Titans to their first win of the new year, and it was a win that he will never forget.
Kendric Davis, Memphis Tigers
The UCF-Memphis game this week flew under the radar, but was a massive game with bubble implications for both programs. The Knights survived in double overtime, but not before reigning AAC Player of the Year Kendric Davis dropped 42 points to keep the Tigers alive. He then led a second-half rally against Temple to get his team back on track and back on the bubble.
Play of the Week:
Oregon’s upset win over Arizona was one of the more shocking results of the weekend, but what was even more shocking was the pulverizing poster dunk that N'Faly Dante hammered over Kerr Kriisa to get the party started in Eugene. Check out the potential dunk of the year below!
https://www.espn.com/video/clip/_/id/35447447
