Louisville’s win over rival Kentucky help them move up to 6th in the latest AP poll. Upcoming games include #12 Virginia, #16 Indiana and #24 Notre Dame. Not to mention conference games still on the schedule vs #5 Duke, #9 North Carolina and #20 Florida State.
| 1 |  |
Villanova (56)
Record: 12-0
|
PV Rank
1 Points
1,614 |
| 2 |  |
UCLA (3)
Record: 13-0
|
2
1,518
|
| 3 |  |
Record: 11-1
|
3
1,461
|
| 4 |  |
Baylor (6)
Record: 12-0
|
4
1,458
|
| 5 |  |
Record: 12-1
|
5
1,375
|
| 6 |  |
Record: 11-1
|
10
1,260
|
| 7 |  |
Record: 12-0
|
7
1,222
|
| 8 |  |
Record: 10-2
|
6
1,171
|
| 9 |  |
Record: 11-2
|
8
1,113
|
| 10 |  |
Record: 12-0
|
9
1,049
|
| 11 |  |
Record: 11-1
|
11
933
|
| 12 |  |
Record: 10-1
|
12
892
|
| 13 |  |
Record: 11-1
|
13
837
|
| 14 |  |
Record: 11-2
|
14
772
|
| 15 |  |
Record: 11-2
|
15
745
|
| 16 |  |
Record: 10-2
|
16
709
|
| 17 |  |
Record: 10-2
|
17
548
|
| 18 |  |
Record: 11-2
|
18
512
|
| 19 |  |
Record: 10-1
|
19
407
|
| 20 |  |
Record: 12-1
|
21
326
|
| 21 |  |
Record: 11-2
|
20
321
|
| 22 |  |
Record: 13-0
|
23
248
|
| 23 |  |
Record: 10-2
|
24
207
|
| 24 |  |
Record: 10-2
|
25
204
|
| 25 |  |
Record: 9-3
|
–
76
|
Here are the ESPN updated power rankings (click link to get full article from ESPN)…
1. Villanova Wildcats
Record: 12-0
Last week’s ranking: 1
Jay Wright‘s team has now won 18 straight games dating back to the NCAA tourney last season. The last loss? Seton Hall in the Big East tourney on March 12.
2. UCLA Bruins
Record: 13-0
Last week’s ranking: 2
UCLA finished the nonconference slate a perfect 13-0. The last time they entered league play without a blemish was 1994-95, which also happens to be the last time the Bruins won the national title.
3. Baylor Bears
Record: 12-0
Last week’s ranking: 3
The Bears beat Texas Southern, extending their nonconference home winning streak to 43 games, which is second in the country to Duke’s 133. Their last loss to a non-Big 12 team in Waco was against Northwestern on Dec. 4, 2012.
4. Kansas Jayhawks
Record:11-1
Last week’s ranking: 4
Long-distance shooting was believed to be a weakness in Lawrence this season. However, KU is 14th in the country in 3-point shooting at 41 percent. Frank Mason, who shot 38 percent a year ago, has made 26 of 52 this year.
5. Duke Blue Devils
Record: 12-1
Last week’s ranking: 5
Grayson Allen‘s latest tripping incident — which resulted in an indefinite suspension — overshadowed the fact that freshman Harry Giles made his debut after 13 months off. Giles played four scoreless minutes against Tennessee State and played six minutes in the win over Elon.
6. Louisville Cardinals
Record: 11-1
Last week’s ranking: 10
The Cardinals held Malik Monk in check and have bragging rights this year after beating UK at the Yum! Center. It was Rick Pitino’s second win in 10 tries against John Calipari since he’s been in Lexington.
7. Gonzaga Bulldogs
Record: 12-0
Last week’s ranking: 8
The Zags have started 12-0 for the first time ever after a 102-65 rout over South Dakota last week. The last time Gonzaga was 11-0 was way back in 1944.
8. Kentucky Wildcats
Record: 10-2
Last week’s ranking: 6
Malik Monk was held to 16 points (6-of-17 from the field) in the loss to Louisville, but Isaiah Briscoe has really struggled of late. In the three games against UCLA, UNC and Louisville, Briscoe has averaged 10 points and is just 9-of-25 from the field.
9. North Carolina Tar Heels
Record: 11-2
Last week’s ranking: 7
The Tar Heels crushed Northern Iowa 85-42 and showed they are capable of defending. The 42 points tied the fewest amount of points allowed in the Roy Williams era in Chapel Hill, one game after allowing 103 to Kentucky.
10. Creighton Bluejays
Record: 12-0
Last week’s ranking: 9
The Bluejays knocked down 14 of 25 shots from deep, and rank first in the country in 3-point shooting at 45 percent.
11. Wisconsin Badgers
Record: 11-2
Last week’s ranking: 11
Nigel Hayes is the only active Division I player with at least 1,500 points, 600 rebounds and 200 assists.
12. Purdue Boilermakers
Record: 11-2
Last week’s ranking: 12
Caleb Swanigan went for 32 points and 20 boards in the win over Norfolk State. He is averaging 18.3 points and 12.5 boards this season.
13. Butler Bulldogs
Record: 11-1
Last week’s ranking: 13
Chris Holtmann won his 100th career game against Vermont on Wednesday. He has won 56 in two-plus seasons at Butler and won 44 at Gardner-Webb before leaving to become an assistant at Butler in 2013.
14. Xavier Musketeers
Record: 10-2
Last week’s ranking: 14
Kaiser Gates, who missed the first five games of the season with a knee injury, was just 4-of-17 from 3 going into Tuesday’s win over Eastern Washington, in which he went 4-of-7 behind the arc.
15. Indiana Hoosiers
Record: 10-2
Last week’s ranking: 15
The Hoosiers’ last five wins have come against SIU-Edwardsville, Southeast Missouri State, Houston Baptist, Delaware State and Austin Peay. Now Big Ten play starts on Wednesday at home against Nebraska.
16. West Virginia Mountaineers
Record: 11-1
Last week’s ranking: 16
Bob Huggins’ team leads the nation in turnover margin, turnovers forced, offensive rebounds and steals.
17. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Record: 10-2
Last week’s ranking: 17
The coolest part of Notre Dame’s win over Colgate came after the game, when guard Matt Farrell‘s older brother, Bo, a first lieutenant in the Army stationed in Afghanistan, surprised him by walking onto the court.
18. Virginia Cavaliers
Record: 10-1
Last week’s ranking: 18
The Cavs may have found their go-to guy in freshman guard Kyle Guy, who had 17 points in a win over Cal. Guy is averaging 14.3 points per game over the past three for a team that is led in scoring by London Perrantes at just 10 PPG.
19. Florida State Seminoles
Record: 12-1
Last week’s ranking: 20
Dwayne Bacon has been far more consistent this season, which is exactly what coach Leonard Hamilton has needed. The sophomore wing has scored in double figures in 22 straight games.
20. Florida Gators
Record: 9-3
Last week’s ranking: 21
The Gators opened the newly renovated O’Connell Center with a 94-71 win over Arkansas Little Rock. They played without John Egbunu (hamstring) for the second straight game. It was the first true home game this year for Mike White‘s team.
21. USC Trojans
Record: 13-0
Last week’s ranking: 22
Andy Enfield switched up his starting lineup, going with a four-guard attack. That meant 6-foot-4 De’Anthony Melton replaced 6-11 Nick Rakocevic in the win over Missouri State in Las Vegas.
22. Saint Mary’s Gaels
Record: 10-1
Last week’s ranking: 23
The Gaels finished the nonconference season at 10-1 and will start WCC play this week with the hopes of getting back to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2013. It’s been three straight NITs for Randy Bennett & Co.
23. Virginia Tech Hokies
Record: 10-1
Last week’s ranking: 24
Ahmed Hill has stepped forward the past few games for the Hokies, scoring at least 20 in three straight.
24. Arizona Wildcats
Record: 10-2
Last week’s ranking: 25
The Wildcats pummeled New Mexico in Tucson. For a change, Sean Miller’s team wasn’t led by a freshman. Instead, it was reserve big man Chance Comanche, who scored a career-high 14 for Arizona.
25. South Carolina Gamecocks
Record: 9-2
Last week’s ranking: 19
PJ Dozier continues to play at a high level. He has five consecutive games with at least 20 points. But the Gamecocks felt the effects of not having Sindarius Thornwell (suspension) in a 62-60 home loss to Clemson.
Dropped out: None
