The only two teams exempt from the chaos of the college basketball regular season had been Duke and Auburn. Both lost for the first time in months within hours of each other on Saturday.
It didn’t cost them any spots in our rankings, but they seem mortal for the first time in a long time, which only adds to the drama of a fantastic college hoops season. Check out how the rankings shifted ahead of the final three weeks of the regular season.
1. Duke (20-3)
The Blue Devils were let off the hook by Auburn’s home loss to Florida and remain atop our rankings despite their first conference loss of the season at Clemson. The head-to-head victory over the Tigers, as well as a dominant undefeated stretch dating back to late November, give them the edge over the contenders for the top spot.
2. Auburn (21-2)
Fans camped outside of Neville Arena from the moment Tuesday’s game against Oklahoma ended but were left disappointed by the team’s first loss since Dec. 4. Remaining undefeated that long in the SEC was quite the accomplishment and life won’t get any easier with trips to Vanderbilt and Alabama on the docket this week.
3. Alabama (20-3)
Alabama could be the hottest team in the sport after Duke and Auburn’s losses as winners of six in a row and 14 of its last 15. They’ll also host the game of the year on Saturday night in what could be a 1 vs. 2 matchup in the AP Poll. It should be a good one and I’m going with the Tide.
4. Houston (19-4)
The Cougars responded well to their first conference loss of the season, handling Oklahoma State and Colorado. A trip to Tucson will be as challenging as any game they’ve played all season between the two clear favorites in the Big 12 at 11-1.
5. Tennessee (20-4)
Tennessee got healthy and got a pair of Quad 1 wins over Mizzou and Oklahoma. A chance for payback at Rupp Arena awaits on Tuesday as the Vols push for a top four seed and a first-round bye in the SEC Tournament.
6. Florida (20-3)
What. A. Win. Florida’s lone signature win (by 30 vs. Tennessee) was erased by a loss in the rematch last week, but now it boasts the best win of the season at No. 1 Auburn. It’s been a remarkable ascension under coach Todd Golden and the Gators now appear to be a true national title contender.
7. St. John’s (21-3)
Florida may have had the best win of the week, but St. John’s is the clear winner of the week after a pair of ranked wins against Marquette and on the road in Storrs. Rick Pitino’s still got it and should honestly be the national coach of the year at this rate.
8. Iowa State (18-5)
The three-game losing streak is finally over with the damage to Iowa State’s pursuit at a Big 12 regular season championship already done. The opportunities are there against the bottom half of the league to get back on track before a brutal close to the season awaits in late February.
9. Texas A&M (18-5)
Quietly, the Aggies continue to rise in our rankings and are now into the top-10 after two dramatic finishes, and wins, against South Carolina and Missouri on the road. They’re up to a tie for third in the SEC standings and an ever-important first-round bye in the conference tourney.
10. Purdue (19-5)
Outside of a shocking home loss to Ohio State, the Boilermakers are cruising in the new year and now sit atop the Big Ten standings heading into the week. Michigan and Michigan State are both a half-game back and will host the league’s top team in the coming week or so.
11. Memphis (20-4)
Everyone else keeps losing, so Memphis keeps climbing. It hasn’t always been pretty, but a great performance in the non-conference and an American Conference championship should push the Tigers to a top-five seed in the NCAA Tournament.
12. Creighton (18-6)
Welcome to the party, Creighton. The Blue Jays are winners of nine in a row and up to 2nd in the Big East standings after sitting on the wrong side of the bubble not too long ago. That streak will be put to the test against UConn and St. John’s this coming week.
13. Marquette (18-6)
Marquette is the latest victim of Creighton’s winning tear and questions are beginning to arise for the Golden Eagles after losing three in a row. They should coast into March from here, which is why they remain in our rankings for at least another week.
14. Michigan State (19-4)
Nobody was happier to get off the west coast this week than the Michigan State Spartans. After winning 13 in a row and starting Big Ten play 9-0, Tom Izzo’s team lost to unranked USC and UCLA but responded to a halftime deficit against Oregon to give him a conference-record tying 353rd win.
15. Ole Miss (18-6)
The Rebels crushed Kentucky and scored the final 13 points against LSU to improve to 18-6 and jump into the power rankings. Chris Beard is a top candidate for many of the big-time openings this spring and it’s no wonder why with how he’s turned around the program in Oxford.
16. Michigan (18-5)
Four straight wins by four points or less have the Wolverines within a half game of the Big Ten lead with a huge stretch ahead against the two other teams in the race. Dusty May is another candidate for the high-profile jobs but seems happy to be leading an impressive turnaround in Ann Arbor.
Next 5: Arizona, Wisconsin, Missouri, Kentucky, Texas Tech
Players of the Week:
Dylan Harper, Rutgers Scarlet Knights
In his first full game in two weeks, Dylan Harper shined for the Scarlet Knights and gave his team their first ranked win of the season against Illinois. The projected top-five pick posted 28 points, six rebounds and five assists in a terrific all-around effort that added to an impressive, albeit shortened, freshman season.
Will Riley, No. 23 Illinois Fighting Illini
Will Riley is another impressive freshman who had arguably his best game of the season on Saturday to knock off Minnesota. He led all scorers with 27 points and contributed nine rebounds and seven assists as well for the Illini.
Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton Blue Jays
That’s back-to-back weeks on this list for Kalkbrenner after dominating Providence in a 35-point, 12-rebound shellacking at the Amica Mutual Pavilion. The turnaround for the Blue Jays is being streamlined by the 7-1 phenom who bolsters his draft stock week after week.
Jase Richardson, No. 9 Michigan State Spartans
It likely would have been three losses in a row for the Spartans without Richardson leading the charge in a second-half comeback with 18 of his 29 points coming after the intermission. The son of former NBA star Jason Richardson is making a case to be a lottery selection this summer and closing in on our mock drafts as well.
Zvonimir Ivisic, Arkansas Razorbacks
Not many seven footers can put together the kind of highlight tape in a season that Ivisic put together in the first half on Saturday against No. 3 Alabama. The Kentucky transfer dropped 27 points and drilled a number of contested 3-pointers on the move to showcase his skillset in front of presumably a number of NBA scouts.
Play of the Week
The week didn’t end as great as it began for the Jayhawks, but the four players who contributed to our play of the week provided an all-time great crowd pop at the legendary Allen Fieldhouse. From jumping and sliding on a loose ball to a half-court alley-oop, Kansas’ stars showed out in one of the most impressive team plays of the season in a top-ten win over Iowa State.
https://www.espn.in/video/clip/_/id/43684412
Video Credit: ESPN
