19 of the AP High 25 groups misplaced this week. 19!!! Quite a lot of that has to do with the truth that the SEC has 9 groups inside that group who confronted off with one another quite a few instances, however it’s nonetheless an outrageous quantity that encapsulates the anarchy in faculty basketball proper now.
Duke and Auburn stand nicely above the remainder in the meanwhile and making an attempt to kind out the mess beneath them proved to be troublesome. Count on a lot extra modifications because the season goes on, so for now, that is what we’ve received.
1. Duke (16-2)
The Blue Devils stay atop the rankings this week as they proceed to outclass the ACC’s weak groups. They’ve received all however one sport within the convention by double figures and all however two by 23 or extra. That dominance ought to solely proceed as a date with North Carolina awaits on the primary day of February.
2. Auburn (17-1)
No Johni Broome, no downside. At the very least to this point. The Tigers have been with out their NPOY candidate for 2 ranked matchups this week and dealt with No. 15 Mississippi State earlier than thwarting a late comeback and upset try from No. 23 Georgia. Subsequent up is Tennessee who can be trying to bounce again from its second lack of the season to Vanderbilt on Saturday. Tahaad Pettiford (pictured) had a profession excessive 24 factors of their win in opposition to the Bulldogs Saturday.
3. Iowa State (15-2)
Saturday’s loss to West Virginia will be missed for the sake of a 17-point win over Kansas earlier within the week. That was the massive one and the Cyclones despatched a message with a formidable efficiency at Hilton Coliseum.
4. Alabama (15-3)
As an alternative of having fun with a giant win earlier than an upset, the Crimson Tide flipped what Iowa State did and ended the week on a excessive notice with a win in Rupp Enviornment over No. 8 Kentucky. Remarkably, Alabama is now an ideal 3-0 on the highway in SEC play with two prime 10 wins the place they averaged 98 factors.
5. Houston (14-3)
Possibly hitting the panic button on Houston was a bit untimely just a few weeks in the past. The Cougars are the final remaining unbeaten in Huge 12 play after the heroic efficiency from J’Wan Roberts to keep away from an upset at UCF on Saturday afternoon. Their protection stays among the many finest within the nation and whereas shotmaking from guards continues to be a difficulty, Roberts is rising as a legit offensive risk within the submit.
6. Kentucky (14-4)
It’s a pretty big soar for the Wildcats however one which feels nicely deserved with their 5-1 report in opposition to ranked opponents this season. There are some puzzling losses, however what issues is that Mark Pope’s workforce is constructed for big-time video games and regardless of dropping one to Alabama, that is nonetheless a workforce that may beat anybody on any given night time.
7. Florida (16-2)
A sluggish begin ended up costing the Gators in a house loss to Missouri, who deserve much more credit score than they’re getting, however we’ll get into that later. Florida needed to bounce again rapidly and did with a blowout win over Texas to get again on monitor.
8. Marquette (15-3)
It was an abysmal offensive efficiency in opposition to Xavier on Saturday and it resulted in Marquette’s first loss in Huge East play. The Golden Eagles are nonetheless the favorites within the league, rightfully so, and may bounce again in a giant week arising.
9. Tennessee (16-2)
The Volunteers have been the final undefeated workforce within the nation, however a 30-point loss to Florida and now a second loss to Vanderbilt is elevating issues over their legitimacy as a nationwide contender. There’s no time for Rick Barnes’ group to dwell on it although with three High 10 opponents within the subsequent 4 video games and No. 15 Mississippi State starting a tumultuous journey.
10. Michigan State (16-2)
The red-hot Spartans prolonged their successful streak to 11 video games on Sunday with a hard-fought win over No. 19 Illinois. What a turnaround it’s been for Tom Izzo, which has his workforce unbeaten in Huge Ten play with no indicators of slowing down.
11. Texas A&M (14-4)
The return of Wade Taylor is a welcome sight for the Aggies who missed him in a pair of tight losses to SEC powerhouses in Alabama and Kentucky. They received again to successful methods in opposition to LSU with him again within the lineup and may have faith that these losses will be flipped to wins with him totally wholesome.
12. Purdue (13-3)
The Boilermakers are responding admirably to a 1-3 stretch within the coronary heart of the season with a seven-game successful streak to soar towards the highest of the Huge Ten standings. A win on the highway in opposition to No. 13 Oregon was the most recent victory and a formidable one to cap a west coast highway journey.
13. Kansas (13-4)
Jayhawks followers nonetheless should be getting used to not being the favorites within the Huge 12 and that reality was strengthened with a second loss in convention play to Iowa State. They’ll get a crack on the defending convention champions, Houston, on their residence flooring Saturday night time to get again within the race for a daily season title.
14. Illinois (13-5)
A few questionable foul calls pressured star freshman Kasparas Jakucionis to play simply eight minutes and the Fightin Illini nonetheless almost knocked off Michigan State on the highway. That’s the signal of an elite workforce that appears poised to flip a few of these slender losses of their favor within the close to future.
15. Wisconsin (15-3)
In every week with upsets galore, Wisconsin quietly dealt with its enterprise, which solely 5 different ranked groups might say. Outdoors of a three-game shedding streak to start out December, the Badgers are an ideal 15-0 this season and are among the many true contenders within the Huge Ten.
16. Missouri (15-3)
Let’s get again to Missouri. After a humiliating 0-18 report in convention play final season, the Tigers are already 4-1 and sneaking up the league standings and into the nationwide highlight. A win over No. 1 Kansas was a stunner on the time, however the longer the season goes on, the extra that outcome is smart in hindsight.
Subsequent 5: Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Oregon, Louisville, Memphis
Gamers of the Week:
Hunter Sallis, Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Steve Forbes has a knack for getting essentially the most out of transfers and he’s finished so once more with Sallis the final two seasons. The previous five-star recruit who struggled at Gonzaga is now the most effective scorers within the nation with seven straight 20-point video games, together with a 30-point effort in opposition to Stanford on Wednesday.
In a category with many thrilling freshman prospects, Sallis might entice the eye of a contender in search of a refined function participant straight away.
Grant Nelson, No. 5 Alabama Crimson Tide
You really by no means know what you’re going to get from Grant Nelson. On Saturday in opposition to No. 8 Kentucky, it was 12 factors in simply over 5 minutes to assist the Crimson Tide construct a giant early lead and 25 factors in whole to seize an exhilarating victory in one of many meccas of faculty basketball. The lanky ahead has been on draft boards earlier than and performances like it will put him on them once more forward of this summer time’s draft.
Curtis Jones, No. 2 Iowa State Cyclones
Jones picked up simply his second begin of the season when No. 9 Kansas got here to city on Wednesday and the 6-4 senior made essentially the most of his alternative with 20 first-half factors, and 25 in whole, to carry the Cyclones to a win in a heavyweight matchup with the Jayhawks. He began once more on Saturday, scoring 18 extra factors in opposition to West Virginia, so. It’s in all probability protected to imagine he’ll be there for the foreseeable future.
Javon Small, West Virginia Mountaineers
The one cause Curtis Jones’ 18 factors weren’t sufficient on Saturday was Mountaineers senior Javon Small. The Oklahoma State switch who’s been no stranger to the massive moments all season got here by way of once more with 27 factors, seven rebounds and 5 assists to steer his workforce to an upset and a court-storming over the weekend.
David Joplin, No. 7 Marquette Golden Eagles
It was a foul week for Marquette, however it might’ve been lots worse if Joplin didn’t shoot the lights out in an time beyond regulation win at DePaul. The senior made seven triples and scored 30 factors to steer all scorers and at the very least salvage one win in a brutal week for the Golden Eagles.
Play of the Week
There won’t be something rarer in basketball than an alley-oop buzzer-beater. After surrendering a game-tying layup at one finish, Dayton pulled off the uncommon feat as Amael L’Etang transformed a reverse layup in midair to present the Flyers a win they desperately wanted after a three-game shedding streak in A-10 play. Take a look at the unbelievable game-winning bucket, and potential at-large bid saving play, under!
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