RADIO
Welcome back, hoop fans! As another electrifying week of college basketball wraps up, it's time to shake up the power rankings. A handful of top-ranked teams fell this week, but some underrated teams also came away with huge victories, which has rattled these power rankings. My power rankings are updated and listed here at RotoBaller and updated weekly!
Unlike traditional polls, these rankings will also show similarities and differences between teams, breaking down not only team wins but crucial losses. This past week included wild finishes, upsets, and strong victories.
Let's break it down, team by team, and see who's falling and rising in this week's power rankings.
(25) Gonzaga (22-6)*
Last week: W 86-65 at Portland and W 94-81 vs. Santa Clara
The Zags are welcomed back into the rankings after stretching their winning streak to six games after their last loss to Saint Mary’s. In that span, the team also won against Kentucky which helped them secure a spot this week. Transfer Graham Ike has been the team’s leading scorer with 16.3 points per game, shooting an impressive 61.9 percent from the field. Gonzaga currently sits second in the WCC standings at 12-2.
(24) South Florida (21-5) ⇑1
Last week: W 66-61 at UTSA and W 79-68 vs. SMU
South Florida moved up one spot this week with two more conference wins which locks up South Florida as the American conference champions with a record of 14-1 after previously being picked to finish 10th in the conference to begin the year. Chris Youngblood is one of the team leaders in points, as he is averaging 14.9 points per game. South Florida has wins over Florida State, Memphis, FAU, SMU, and North Texas this season.
(23) Washington State (21-7)*
Last week: W 77-74 at Arizona and L 73-61 at Arizona State
The Cougars are welcomed into the rankings this week after capturing their biggest win of the season on the road against top-ranked Arizona in a very close matchup. With the win over Arizona, Washington State is just one game behind the Wildcats for first place in the Pac-12 conference standings. The loss to Arizona State was big, but the win over Arizona earlier in the week was large enough to keep them in the top 25 for this week.
(22) San Diego State (21-7) ⇔
Last week: L 68-63 at Utah State and W 73-41 at Fresno State
San Diego State remains ranked 22 this week after going 1-1 against Utah State and Fresno State. The loss to Utah State was a big one as the Aztecs are third in the Mountain West Standings at 10-5, alongside Boise State and Utah State, who also have 10 wins each but are a game ahead with only four losses. San Diego State has lacked the offense that they usually have this season, but three winnable games remain this year.
(21) Utah State (22-5)*
Last week: W 68-63 vs. San Diego State
Utah State is welcomed back into the rankings this week after securing a win over San Diego State which was huge for Utah State’s resume and conference standings status. The Aggies sit on top of the Mountain West Standings at 10-4, alongside Boise State and San Diego State, who also have 10 wins each. Looking ahead on the schedule, it wouldn’t be surprising if Utah State goes 4-0 to end conference play. Great Osobor is the team’s leading scorer averaging 17.8 points per game while shooting 58.4 percent from the field.
(20) TCU (19-8)*
Last week: L 82-81 at Texas Tech and W 75-57 at Cincinnati
New to the rankings this week is the TCU Hornedfrogs, despite going just 1-1 against Texas Tech and Cincinnati. The loss to Texas Tech was impressive, considering they lost by just one point on the road against a tough Texas Tech team. TCU is tied with both Baylor and Texas Tech for fourth place in the Big 12 standings, and the Hornedfrogs deserve to get just as much recognition as the other teams in the conference. Emanuel Miller is the primary scorer for the team and averages 16.1 points for TCU this season.
(19) Florida (18-7) ⇑2
Last week: L 98-93 at Alabama and W 77-64 vs. Vanderbilt
Florida moves up two spots this week despite going 1-1 against Alabama and Vanderbilt. The Gators proved last week that they belong in the top 25 after nearly defeating Alabama in overtime on the road and then defeating Vanderbilt by double-digits. The Gators are now 19-8 on the season and are just two games behind first place in the SEC conference, where they sit at 9-5. Florida is led by junior guard Walter Clayton Jr., who is averaging 16.9 points per game.
(18) Saint Mary’s (23-6) ⇔
Last week: W 70-66 vs. San Francisco and W 88-62 vs. San Diego
Saint Mary’s saw no movement this week but cemented a spot in the rankings for the remainder of the season after winning both games, including a close scare against an underrated San Francisco team. Their streak stretches to 15 straight wins, placing them 23-6 on the season and leading the West Coast Conference at 14-0.
(17) South Carolina (22-5) ⇔
Last week: W 72-59 at Ole Miss
The Gamecocks saw a challenging two games two weeks ago, but one of their only game this week was 13 points on the road against a gritty Ole Miss team. South Carolina should still be viewed as one of the top SEC teams. However, it was clear that this team had too much hype after being ranked 11th two weeks ago, but it is still a top 20 team in our eyes. South Carolina’s leading scorer is B.J. Mack, who is averaging 13.9 points per game.
(16) Illinois (20-7) ⇓2
Last week: L 90-89 at Penn State and W 95-85 vs. Iowa
The Fighting Illini dropped two spots this week mainly due to the road loss to Penn State that ended heartbreakingly. This was a tough pill to swallow in a game that Illinois could have easily walked away with as Penn State came out on top. Illinois recovered with a home win against Iowa and has a one-game lead over Northwestern for the second-place slot in the Big10 standings.
(15) Baylor (19-8) ⇓2
Last week: L 78-71 at BYU and L 82-76 vs. Houston
Baylor fell two spots this week after going 0-2 with a loss at BYU and against Houston in a tough conference week. This team has lost three of their last five games, and concerns are growing on how legitimate they can be come tournament play. Unfortunately, the difficulty won’t slow down as Baylor will see TCU and Kansas this week.
(14) Alabama (19-8) ⇑2
Last week: W 98-93 vs. Florida and L 117-95 at Kentucky
Alabama went 1-1 this week with an escape overtime win against Florida but allowed 117 points in a loss against Kentucky on Saturday. Alabama has been one of the more electric offensives this season as they are currently 2nd in the country, averaging 91.1 points per contest. Still, the team heavily depends on top prospect Mark Sears who has quickly become must-watch television as the guard is averaging 20.4 points while shooting 50.9 percent from the field.
(13) Creighton (20-8) ⇑2
Last week: W 85-66 vs. UConn and L 80-66 at St. John’s
The Bluejays went 1-1 this week with the win of the season against UConn but then unfortunately came back to earth with a 14-point loss at St. John’s on Sunday. Creighton moves two spots up despite the loss because of the monster win against the number one team in the nation. The loss to St. John’s shouldn’t leave too big of a scare on Creighton, but it prevented them from being ranked in the top ten this week.
(12) Kentucky (19-8) ⇑1
Last week: L 75-74 at LSU and W 117-95 vs. Alabama
Kentucky had an excellent bounce-back performance on Saturday after dominating the Alabama Crimson Tide with an offensive display of 117 points. There is no surprise that the Wildcats can score as they currently average 88.7 points per game which is fourth in the country. The problem, however, can start from the defensive end, but Kentucky has recently been better on that end. Antonio Reeves is the team’s leading scorer with 19.9 points per game.
(11) Iowa State (21-6) ⇓2
Last week: L 73-65 at Houston and W 71-64 vs. West Virginia
The Cyclones went 1-1 this week, as projected, with a loss at Houston and a win against West Virginia. Iowa State currently sits second in the Big12 standings and is just one game behind Houston, which stands on top of the standings. The Cyclones love to run and push the ball, leading to up-tempo games. The team depends on Keshon Gilbert, who is averaging 14.1 points per game this season.
(10) Auburn (21-6) ⇑1
Last week: W 97-76 at Georgia
Auburn is back in the top ten after winning their only game this week against Georgia in a match where Auburn led from start to finish. The Tigers continue to be one of the more underrated and not talked about groups in the country and deserve to get more recognition before conference tournaments begin. The team will have a massive opportunity as they face a top-ranked Tennessee Vols team to begin this week.
(9) Marquette (21-6) ⇑1
Last week: W 105-71 vs. DePaul and W 88-64 vs. Xavier
Marquette moves up one spot this week after going 2-0 against two weaker conference opponents. Marquette will most likely end the season second in the Big East standings but also end the season playing both UConn and Creighton, which will be difficult. Marquette is led by guard Kam Jones, who is averaging 15.8 points per game this season.
(8) Duke (21-6) ⇔
Last week: W 85-55 at Miami and L 83-79 at Wake Forest
The Blue Devils remain in the same slot this week after going 1-1 against Miami and Wake Forest. Duke was surprisingly underdog in the Wake Forest contest but battled with them to the final seconds. The big story here, unfortunately, is the injury to star forward Kyle Filipowski, who suffered a knee injury after a court storm from the Wake Forest student section. More news will be released throughout the week, but this is a name to monitor.
(7) Arizona (21-6) ⇓3
Last week: L 77-74 at Washington State and W 91-75 vs. Washington
Arizona went 1-1 this week, including a heart-breaking home loss against Washington State which came down to the buzzer. The team recovered with a 16-point victory over Washington but see three more road games this season. The Wildcats are currently first in the Pac-12 and are led by Caleb Love, averaging 19.4 points per game this season.
(6) Tennessee (21-6) ⇓1
Last week: W 72-67 at Missouri and W 86-51 vs. Texas A&M
Tennessee won their home games this week against conference opponents and now sit tied first in the SEC standings at 11-3. The Vols have won six of their last seven games after losing to South Carolina earlier this season. The team has been led by star forward Dalton Knecht, averaging 20.1 points per game this season.
(5) North Carolina (21-6) ⇑2
Last week: W 54-44 at Virginia
North Carolina showed strong on the road this weekend against a recently ranked Virginia team that strives for elite defensive play. UNC was held to just 54 points but won by double-digits in a must-win conference game. The Tar Heels have a one-game lead on Duke for the top spot in the ACC conference standings. RJ Davis continues to impress this season as the guard averages 21 points per game.
(4) Kansas (21-6) ⇑1
Last week: W 86-67 vs. Texas
Kansas won their only game this week as they destroyed Texas at home by 19 points without star forward Kevin McCullar, who missed the game due to his lingering knee injury. Being ranked fourth may be a little high for a Jayhawks team that has been inconsistent on the road, but they have the team and the wins to have them ranked this high. However, all eyes will be on McCullar as recent news has come out that there is a chance the star may not return this season, which would be a massive loss for KU.
(3) Purdue (25-3) ⇔
Last week: W 96-68 vs. Rutgers and W 84-76 at Michigan
Purdue went 2-0 this week against Rutgers and Michigan after losing in upset fashion against Ohio State last week. Purdue has just three losses this year and currently has a three-game lead in the Big10 conference standings. Star center Zach Edey has paved a clear path to winning the National Player of the Year award again, as he is averaging 23.7 points and 11.8 rebounds per game this season.
(2) UConn (25-3) ⇓1
Last week: L 85-66 at Creighton and W 78-54 vs. Villanova
UConn dropped one spot this week mainly due to their horrific loss at Creighton, where they lost by 19 points in the game that Creighton led for the majority of. UConn could still be the best team in the country, but going 1-1 this week lands them here. Expect the Huskies to rebound this week after losing their first game since December.
(1) Houston (24-3) ⇑1
Last week: W 73-65 vs. Iowa State and W 82-76 at Baylor
Houston climbs to the top of our rankings this week after capturing two more conference victories, including a road win against ranked Baylor. The former number one team, UConn, saw a loss this week, so Houston has no choice but to be the number one team in the country. The Cougars have won five games since losing at Kansas earlier this season.
Others Receiving Votes
- Wisconsin
- Texas Tech
- Dayton
- Virginia
- Indiana State
Stay tuned for the college basketball rankings here at RotoBaller throughout the entire season!
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