March is just around the corner and the madness on the court is starting a tad early in 2024. From UConn finally faltering to miraculous buzzer-beaters in Baton Rouge and East Lansing, this week had it all in college hoops as the conference and NCAA Tournament brackets start to take shape. Catch up on all you need to know in this week’s NCAA Power 16!
1. UConn (25-3)
It turns out the Huskies are mortal after all but not enough to kick them out of the top spot in our rankings. A triple-double from Tristan Newton sparked the team back to life in a rout of Villanova over the weekend, which sets them up for a fascinating close to the season with trips to Marquette and Providence still on the schedule. Cam Spencer (pictured) continues to be a fortunate transfer from Rutgers.
2. Houston (24-3)
It’s hard to have a more impressive week than Houston just had to put one hand on the Big 12 regular season championship trophy in its first season in the conference. Despite not having much NBA talent, the top overall seed in the NCAA Tournament is well within reach for the Cougars who are getting hot at just the right time.
3. Purdue (25-3)
Even against the worst team in the Big Ten, Purdue should feel accomplished any time it avoids a major upset on the road in the Big Ten. After all, that’s how the Boilermakers have lost all three of their games this season. These top three teams are very clearly in a separate tier than the rest right now.
4. North Carolina (21-6)
I’m not sure anyone in the North Carolina locker room envisioned scoring 54 points would be enough to snap the eight-game losing streak at John Paul Jones Arena but Virginia’s historically awful stretch of offense did just that. Give the Heels some credit though who should cruise until the final night of the season in an epic rematch with Duke at Cameron.
5. Arizona (21-6)
Tommy Lloyd celebrated his illustrious contract extension in style with a 3-point home loss to Washington State that completed the regular season sweep for the Cougars and put them on top of the Pac-12. For a few days. The Wildcats responded with a big win over Washington to right the ship heading into the best month of any sport.
6. Kansas (21-6)
The health of Kevin McCullar remains in question but it wasn’t a problem for the Jayhawks on Saturday. While they survived this test without him, Bill Self will need his senior back to his old self in a flash if he wants this group to make any noise in March.
7. Tennessee (21-6)
The Vols avoided a disaster Tuesday night at Missouri and refused to play with their food in a 35-point beatdown of Texas A&M on Saturday night. Four consecutive ranked opponents await to close the season so if Rick Barnes wants to lay claim to another SEC Championship, he’ll have to earn it in the final two weeks.
8. Iowa State (21-6)
Although the Cyclones came up short Monday night against Houston, it was a fabulous introduction to those who haven’t seen just how talented this team is. They went toe-to-toe with the hottest team in America in one of the most hostile environments in the country. Doubt T.J. Otzelberger and Iowa State at your own peril.
9. Duke (21-6)
The only thing worse than Duke dropping Saturday’s contest to Wake Forest was its star player going down during the court storming. I don’t agree with advocating for the total elimination of these storms is not a great look but I’m sure I’d be upset too if I saw a player of Kyle Filipowski’s caliber limp off the court because of one.
10. Marquette (20-6)
I think Marquette might’ve been a little ticked off following an embarrassing loss to UConn last weekend. While DePaul always looks horrendous, making Xavier look the same on Sunday should turn some heads. However, this season has shown that anybody can put it together on their home court, so I’ll wait to see how a trip to Omaha looks before declaring them back.
11. Creighton (20-8)
Which Creighton will show up for the NCAA Tournament? The one that crushed No. 1 UConn or the one that followed it up with a double-digit loss to St. John’s? The ceiling is clear but with eight losses, including multiple in blowout fashion, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to trust the Blue Jays.
12. Alabama (19-8)
Following one of the worst defensive efforts in college basketball history, Alabama has now given up 308 points in its last three road games. And they won one of them! The offensive brilliance is all good fun until meltdowns like this make me question if the Tide can really put it together for six games in March. Until they show they can defend a high school junior varsity team, I’m going to consider my doubts justified.
13. Baylor (19-8)
Baylor showed a ton of resolve battling back from a 16-point halftime deficit against Houston but as the comeback fell apart in overtime, an 0-2 week dropped the Bears out of Big 12 title contention. Getting back on track won’t be easy with the dreaded road game on Big Monday coming and a rematch with No. 9 Kansas on Saturday.
14. Saint Mary’s (23-6)
The longest winning streak in college basketball now belongs to Saint Mary’s following UConn’s loss to Creighton. What a turnaround it’s been this year by Randy Bennett after high expectations were thrown out the window during a 3-5 start. The Gaels look unstoppable right now as their rise up the rankings continues.
15. Washington State (21-7)
Oh, the ups and downs of college basketball. Beat No. 4 Arizona on the road one night and lose by 12 to a .500 team two days later. Still, the sweep of the Wildcats is what I’m taking away from this week as the Cougars secured a spot in the NCAA Tournament and put some pressure on Tommy Lloyd for the Pac-12 title.
16. Gonzaga (22-6)
How the Zags are on the bubble is a complete mystery to me considering how many teams have struggled to avoid upsets in college basketball this season. None of their losses are anything to be ashamed of and a road win vs. Kentucky is looking better and better after the Wildcats’ big wins the last two weekends.
Next 5: Kentucky, San Diego State, Alabama, Illinois, Florida
Players of the Week:
Kam Jones, No. 9 Marquette Golden Eagles
Jones went on quite the heater this week with back-to-back 34-point performances to lead Marquette to a pair of huge wins in Big East play. His outside shot is wildly inconsistent, but when it’s falling like it was this week, you’re looking at one of the best pure scorers in the sport. It’s a big reason why he’s in our projected mock right now.
Zach Edey, No. 3 Purdue Boilermakers
The Canadian giant put together one of his most complete performances of the season on Sunday with 35 points and 15 rebounds against the Wolverines. The effort matched a season-high for Edey and tightened his grip on the National Player of the Year trophy.
Khalif Battle, Arkansas Razorbacks
Is 42 points on 15 shots good? It’s been a depressing letdown of a season for the Muss Bus and the Razorbacks but in the midst of it, Battle enjoyed a night to remember with a career-high 42 points on 6-10 shooting from beyond the arc and 14-14 shooting at the charity stripe.
Jamal Shead, No. 2 Houston Cougars
Shead is the central cog in the Houston machine and with him firing on all cylinders this week, the Cougars grabbed two crucial wins to take the Big 12 conference lead. The senior played nearly flawless in a 73-65 win over Iowa State on Monday and while his deep 3-pointer was just after the buzzer against Baylor, Shead left his mark on the match in an impressive road victory in Waco.
Hunter Sallis, Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Before the Demon Deacon faithful stormed the court in Winston-Salem, Sallis blitzed the Blue Devils defense all night to give the fans this exuberance. The junior is reveling in his new home after transferring from Gonzaga, which was never more evident than in a 29-point outburst on a national stage with incredible efficiency (11-13 FG, 5-6 3PT).
Play of the Week
FAU was one of the biggest Cinderella stories from the NCAA Tournament a season ago, and while a recent spell of losses has them in danger of getting back to the Big Dance, Alijah Martin is still having fun with posters like this. This ferocious finish is a terrific feature from a week filled with incredible plays and moments.
https://www.espn.com/video/clip/_/id/39578655
Video Credit: ESPN
