Insanity got here a bit early this season as greater than half of the AP Ballot went down at the very least as soon as throughout Feast Week and No. 2 UConn acquired swept out of Maui to focus on the anarchy. Making an attempt to choose up the items from a chaotic week proved to be difficult, however right here’s our greatest try at rating what stays heading into December.
1. Kansas (7-0)
With UConn happening (thrice) and a 3rd ranked win of the season over Duke this week, the Jayhawks are the brand new favorites in school basketball with one other excellent begin underneath Invoice Self.
2. Auburn (7-0)
The Tigers aren’t too far behind after successful the Maui Invitational and selecting up a second high 5 win of the early season in opposition to Iowa State. Auburn has a unending provide of super guards and among the best bigs within the nation in Johni Broome.
3. Iowa State (5-1)
Maui acquired off to a bitter begin for the Cyclones, however they responded nicely to a loss to Auburn with high quality wins over Dayton and Colorado. A matchup with Marquette on Wednesday night time might be one of many video games of the week in school basketball.
4. Tennessee (7-0)
The Vols are but to play a recreation determined by lower than 15 factors and that features wins over Baylor, Louisville and Virginia. The SEC is LOADED, particularly on the high, and Tennessee is a serious purpose why.
5. Kentucky (7-0)
Mark Pope’s first season in Lexington continues to be outlined by wins and 100-point performances. The Wildcats have already got 4 of the latter however will battle to maintain that development going with highway journeys to Clemson and Gonzaga this week.
6. Duke (5-2)
Jon Scheyer wants to determine methods to deal with late-game conditions together with his younger workforce, however the truth that his workforce is competing with the nation’s high groups already is a spectacular signal. The Blue Devils will face a 3rd workforce ranked above them right here this week once they host Auburn within the SEC/ACC problem on Wednesday night time.
7. Marquette (8-0)
Whereas a lot of the ranked groups endured at the very least one loss, Marquette coasted to a pair of straightforward wins to maintain its undefeated season rolling. That might simply change on Wednesday because the Golden Eagles journey to one of the hostile environments within the nation, Hilton Coliseum, for a top-10 conflict with Iowa State.
8. Oregon (8-0)
I’m unsure anybody had the Geese popping out of Vegas with a championship on the Gamers Period Competition in Las Vegas, however that’s precisely what Dana Altman’s group did with wins over Texas A&M, San Diego State and Alabama. It seems Oregon is again and simply in time with its debut within the Massive Ten this season.
9. Purdue (7-1)
An attention-grabbing MTE that went underneath the radar was the Rady Kids’s Invitational, which Purdue got here out on high of with an exciting win over No. 23 Ole Miss on Friday night time. Trey Kaufman-Renn (19.1 factors, 7.1 rebounds) continues to shine in Zach Edey’s former function for the Boilermakers.
10. Alabama (6-2)
Few groups, if any, have challenged themselves fairly like Alabama within the first month of the season and a visit to Chapel Hill in Wednesday’s SEC/ACC problem will proceed that development. The Crimson Tide have wins over Houston, Illinois and Rutgers but are 6-2 and doubtlessly disillusioned with that report. Regardless, they’re a real contender as soon as once more this season.
11. Wisconsin (8-0)
The Badgers carry on rolling though this week was a lot simpler with just one recreation in opposition to Chicago State on the schedule. Convention play will open on Tuesday the place we’ll study much more about how respectable of contenders they’ll be this season.
12. Gonzaga (7-1)
Gonzaga shook off a gap loss to West Virginia within the Battle 4 Atlantis and walked away with a ranked win, for now, and a 2-1 report as nicely. Life doesn’t get any simpler because the Zags will welcome No. 8 Kentucky on Saturday and face No. 2, for now, UConn at MSG of their subsequent two video games.
13. Memphis (6-1)
Anyone have Memphis knocking off UConn this week? The Tigers didn’t care should you did and shocked the two-time defending champs in an time beyond regulation thriller to kick off the Maui Invitational. Out of nowhere it seems Penny Hardaway has figured one thing out and turned his workforce right into a high workforce in school basketball.
14. Michigan State (6-2)
The Spartans had been a kind of groups to fall to the Tigers, however it was nonetheless an important week for Tom Izzo’s group. They dealt with Colorado to start out the week and prevailed in opposition to UNC to protect a profitable week.
15. Florida (8-0)
All Florida has completed this season is roll over each workforce it’s confronted and completed so whereas coping with a scandal involving its head coach. It’s a powerful begin however stiff competitors is true across the nook that may problem the Gators immensely.
16. Baylor (5-2)
The blowout losses to Gonzaga and Tennessee depart so much to be desired however exterior of these video games Baylor appears to be like deadly. Can they keep away from one other on a visit to Storrs in opposition to a determined UConn workforce?
Subsequent 5: Illinois, Pittsburgh, San Diego State, Houston, North Carolina
Gamers of the Week:
Johni Broome, No. 4 Auburn Tigers
This makes it back-to-back weeks as a participant of the week for Johni Broome. Oddly sufficient, he was even higher after every week with a 30-point, 17-rebound efficiency by main the Tigers to a Maui Invitational Championship anchoring the workforce’s elite offense and protection.
PJ Haggerty, Memphis Tigers
The large week for the Tigers was sparked by Haggerty and his terrific play within the backcourt. Haggerty is on his third workforce in three years and has discovered a house in Memphis by averaging 22 factors and enjoying a giant function within the upset over UConn. He’s additionally a prospect to observe because the season goes on.
Dylan Harper, Rutgers Scarlet Knights
One other week, one other large efficiency from one of many nation’s high prospects. Harper exploded for 36, 6 and 6 in opposition to Notre Dame and adopted it up with 37 extra factors in opposition to Alabama. It seems the hype was actual this offseason and a handful of groups are discovering that out the arduous approach.
Javon Small, West Virginia Mountaineers
The Mountaineers took down Gonzaga this week and so they couldn’t have completed it with out Javon Small. The Oklahoma State switch delivered time and time once more down the stretch, scoring 31 factors to leap begin a productive week within the Bahamas.
Keshon Gilbert, No. 5 Iowa State Cyclones
Gilbert was among the best gamers in Maui and is without doubt one of the most explosive guards within the nation. Earlier than declaring that the Cyclones are only a defensive workforce hampered by their offense, check out Gilbert and what he does to make issues occur with the ball in his fingers.
Play of the Week
Haven’t seen the Dylan Harper hype for your self? This sequence to get Rutgers again into the sport in opposition to Alabama exhibits you all you could see about why the NBA world is falling in love with this freshman. Test it out!
https://bleacherreport.com/movies/615165-wild-dylan-harper-sequence
Video Credit score: Bleacher Report
