A week after 19 ranked teams lost, more than half of the AP Top 25 fell again, including every team ranked from 11 through 19. College basketball is complete anarchy, even by its own high standards, which makes it harder than ever to keep up with who the top teams truly are.
That’s what we’re here for. Check out our latest Power 16 rankings below to find out who’s rolling and who’s reeling as the final full month of regular season college hoops approaches.
1. Duke (17-2)
As sad as it sounds, it doesn’t get much better in the ACC than beating unranked Wake Forest on the road and the Blue Devils did so on the back of their outstanding defense. It’s been an underrated aspect of this squad with as much firepower as they boast, but this elite defense can carry Duke as far as an outstanding class of freshmen.
2. Auburn (18-1)
Auburn-Tennessee was about as thrilling of a 53-51 game you’ll ever see with Miles Kelly hitting a clutch go-ahead 3-pointer with under 30 seconds remaining to give the Tigers the win. Even more notably, Johni Broome returned from his ankle injury and willed his way to 16 points and 13 rebounds in 33 minutes.
3. Iowa State (17-2)
The Cyclones were so, so impressive this week. First, they made a talented UCF squad look pedestrian in a 108-83 win and they followed it up by taking care of business out west with a come-from-behind win over Arizona State over the weekend.
4. Alabama (17-3)
LSU gave them a scare, but the Crimson Tide survived at home despite Mark Sears not playing in the second half after a scoreless opening 20 minutes. It’s unclear why he didn’t return to the game, but it’s something to monitor moving forward for the All-American.
5. Houston (14-3)
Game. Of. The. Year. Houston trailed by six with Kansas at the line and 18 seconds remaining in overtime and still found a way to win. At Allen Fieldhouse. Just an outrageously gutsy effort from the Cougars who remain unbeaten in the Big 12 this season. Mylik Wilson went for 18 on 3-3 shooting from three in Houston’s win over Kansas.
6. Florida (18-2)
There are many ways to win a basketball game and Florida hit both extremes this week. First, they trailed for just five seconds against South Carolina and then led for 38 minutes in a blowout win over Georgia on Saturday. What matters is that Todd Golden’s group just continues to find ways to win and they’re doing it as well as anyone with an 18-2 record heading into February.
7. Marquette (17-3)
Shaka Smart’s squad bounced back this week with a pair of fairly comfortable wins at Seton Hall and versus Villanova. Those wins hardly being a blip on the radar on the national stage shows how far the Big East has fallen this year, but the Golden Eagles have avoided such a drop off.
8. Michigan State (17-2)
There might not be a team in America with better depth than the Spartans who extended their winning streak to 12 in an exciting matchup with Rutgers at MSG. This is an elite Big Ten and national contender and anyone who stills doubt that is in denial.
9. Tennessee (17-3)
Not many teams can go toe-to-toe with Auburn, especially on the road, which is why the Volunteers got a boost in our rankings despite the loss. Getting the offense going in these big games continues to be the issue and until that changes the ceiling in Knoxville will stay exactly where it’s at.
10. Kansas (14-5)
The Jayhawks had no business losing with the control they had on Saturday night’s game at home against Houston. It’s the team’s third loss in conference play, dropping them to fifth in a league they had dominated for decades before the Cougars stepped in the way.
11. Kentucky (14-5)
The Wildcats had all week to think about a trip to Vanderbilt on Saturday and still got caught looking ahead to Tennessee as the Commodores pulled off a top-10 upset back-to-back weekends. The Mark Pope honeymoon period appears to be over, and he’s got his work cut out for him to get back on track as the Cats head to Knoxville on Tuesday night.
12. Texas A&M (15-5)
Like Florida, Texas A&M took its first lead on Wednesday night inside of the final 12 seconds, which proved to be enough against Ole Miss. The next game? The Aggies trailed for just four seconds, the final four, in a one-point loss to Texas after blowing a 22-point second half lead.
13. Purdue (16-5)
After a stunning loss to Ohio State on Tuesday, the Boilermakers responded in a big way by humiliating No. 21 Michigan at Mackey Arena on Friday night. Who knows which version is going to show up any given night, but it’s clear that their best version can compete with any team in the sport.
14. Mississippi State (13-5)
In the last five games, Mississippi State has lost to three top six teams and won twice in overtime. Talk about an exciting stretch. It gets no easier next week with two ranked matchups although both will come at home against No. 4 Alabama and No. 22 Missouri.
15. Wisconsin (16-4)
The Badgers shook off a narrow loss to UCLA on Tuesday with an impressive shellacking of Nebraska on Sunday afternoon. We’ll learn a lot more about this group as four road tests in the next five games await in a brutal schedule assignment dished out by the Big Ten.
16. St. John’s (17-3)
Rick Pitino’s group has lost three games by a combined five points and is 17-0 outside of these three nailbiters. The success in his return to the sport becomes more impressive by the day as veteran coaches continue to either retire or struggle in a new era. The same can’t be said of Pitino who has the Red Storm at 17-3 and atop the Big East standings.
Next 5: Memphis, Missouri, Ole Miss, Oregon, Louisville
Players of the Week:
VJ Edgecombe, Baylor Bears
VJ Edgecombe played the best game of his young career on Wednesday with 30 points against Kansas State to end a two-game skid for the Bears. Plenty of freshmen have compiled a better body of work than the Long Island native, but Edgecombe’s flashes continue to set him apart, which is why you can find him in the top-five of our latest mock draft.
Tre Johnson, Texas Longhorns
Edgecombe wasn’t the only highly touted freshman from a Texas school to drop 30 points in a big win this week. In fact, Johnson is one of the four players still ahead of the Baylor star in our mock draft because of his elite shot making and translatable NBA skills. The former five-star recruit is living up to the hype and some in Austin.
Curtis Jones, No. 3 Iowa State Cyclones
That’s back-to-back weeks as a player of the week for Curtis Jones who is clearly one of the top players in the nation over the past month. If his move to the starting lineup wasn’t permanent yet it certainly is now after 33 more points against Arizona State on Saturday. He’s also surpassed Keshon Gilbert as the team’s leading scorer with his dominance of late.
Dawson Garcia, Minnesota Golden Gophers
Dawson Garcia gets better year after year and its culminating in a fifth collegiate season that could see him sneak onto draft boards late in the second round. A 31-point effort to help upset No. 15 Oregon was the latest premier performance from the hometown hero who is also making a case for Big Ten Player of the Year.
Donovan Dent, New Mexico Wolfpack
One of the best and most underrated mid-major prospects resides on the Mountain West’s top team that no one seems to be talking about in New Mexico. Donovan Dent is an explosive athlete who is finally getting to lead the offense and taking full advantage of the opportunity after waiting behind some terrific guards. The junior scored 34 points to avoid an upset to UNLV on Saturday and raised his scoring average close to 20 PPG in the process.
Play of the Week
Not much is going North Carolina’s way at the moment. Ian Jackson’s emergence is one of the lone bright spots from a sluggish, disappointing season in Chapel Hill and dunks like this show you exactly why. He’s one of the most sensational athletes in the open floor in the sport and if you don’t believe me, just ask Hunter Sallis what he thinks of this fast break jam.
Video Credit: ACC Digital Network Youtube
