Compiled by RYAN McDONOUGH with liner notes by JOSH KAY.
- Villanova (24-3/13-1)
Points: 348. (12 first-place votes)
Previous ranking: 1.
Upcoming: Wednesday at No. 4 Xavier, Saturday at Marquette.
With two wins last week, Villanova’s senior class led by Ryan Arcidiacono and Daniel Ochefu is now the winningest class Wildcats history (106).
2. Kansas (23-4/11-4)
Points: 337. (two first-place votes)
Previous ranking: 2.
Upcoming: Tuesday at No. 16 Baylor, Saturday vs. Texas Tech.
Wayne Selden, Perry Ellis and Frank Mason III are the first trio of Jayhawks to reach the 1,000+ point club since Langford/Simien/Miles in 2005.
3. Virginia (21-5/10-4)
Points: 295.
Previous ranking: 8.
Upcoming: Monday at No. 12 Miami, Saturday vs. No. 6 North Carolina.
Rather quietly the Cavaliers have won eight of nine, have the second best points allowed ranking in the nation (59.5) and are just one game behind North Carolina for the top of the ACC.
4. Xavier (24-3/12-3)
Points: 295.
Previous ranking: 7.
Upcoming: Wednesday vs. No. 1 Villanova, Sunday at Seton Hall.
The Musketeers improved to 22-0 when leading at halftime.
5. Michigan State (22-5/9-5)
Points: 292.
Previous ranking: 9.
Upcoming: Tuesday at Ohio State, Sunday vs. Penn State.
Denzel Valentine has scored 20+ points and had 10+ assists in three straight games, only other player in the last decade to do that is Pierre Jackson from Baylor (2013).
6. North Carolina (22-5/11-3)
Points: 283.
Previous ranking: 3.
Upcoming: Wednesday at NC State, Saturday at No. 3 Virginia.
Short Memory is something that North Carolina has mastered. After a gut-wrenching loss to Duke at home the Tar Heels steam rolled Miami less than 48 hours later.
7. Oklahoma (21-5/9-5)
Points: 274.
Previous ranking: 4.
Upcoming: Wednesday vs. Oklahoma State, Saturday at Texas.
Buddy Hield’s POY performance game in and game out has masked the fact the Oklahoma has lost three of their last five.
8. Iowa (20-6/11-3)
Points: 236.
Previous ranking: 5.
Upcoming: Wednesday vs. Wisconsin, Sunday at Ohio State.
Depth continues to be the Hawkeyes kryptonite. In Iowa’s last two loses their bench has been outscored 67-10.
9. Arizona (22-5/10-4)
Points: 230.
Previous ranking: 12.
Upcoming: Wednesday at Colorado, Saturday at No. 23 Utah.
During Arizona’s six game winning streak Parker Jackson-Cartwright, newly inserted to the Wildcat starting lineup, has 25 assists to just six turnovers.
10. Maryland (23-5/11-4)
Points: 229.
Previous ranking: 6.
Upcoming: Saturday at No. 21 Purdue.
Being a Terps fan has to be frustrating. When Maryland is firing on all cylinders they are a Final Four team. When Melo Trimble and Co. are not, they lose by 13 at home or to a team that is not even in the RPI top 150.
11. Louisville (21-6/10-4)
Points: 198.
Previous ranking: 18.
Upcoming: Wednesday at Pittsburgh, Saturday at No. 12. Miami.
While post-season play my be out a the picture, with two wins this past week the cards are just a game behind North Carolina for the regular season ACC crown.
12. Miami (21-5/10-4)
Points: 191.
Previous ranking: 10.
Upcoming: Saturday vs. No. 11 Louisville.
Miami watched the UNC heart-breaking loss to Duke thinking they may be walking into a hornets’ nest on Saturday; they walked into a hornets’ nest that was hit with a metal bat, losing by 25.
13. Oregon (21-6/10-4)
Points: 181.
Previous ranking: 17.
Upcoming: Wednesday vs. Washington State, Sunday vs. Washington.
Did you know? Oregon has 162 blocks in 26 games. That smashes last year’s Ducks record of 157 in 36 games.
14. West Virginia (20-7/9-5)
Points: 162.
Previous ranking: 11.
Upcoming: Monday vs. No. 19 Iowa State, Saturday at Oklahoma State.
Bob Huggins summed up what most Big 12 coaches are thinking when they lose to Oklahoma “We didn’t make enough buckets and we don’t have Buddy Hield.”
15. Kentucky (20-7/10-4)
Points: 153.
Previous ranking: 14.
Upcoming: Tuesday vs. Alabama, Saturday at Vanderbilt.
A wild ending at College Station over the weekend brings three teams within a game of the Wildcats atop the SEC
16. Baylor (20-7/9-5)
Points: 115.
Previous ranking: 25.
Upcoming: Tuesday vs. No. Kansas, Saturday at TCU.
Another perfect example of life in the Big 12: prior to this week Baylor had lost three of four and almost fell out of the rankings. This week they beat two ranked teams and are now back inside the top 20.
17. Indiana (22-6/12-3)
Points: 110.
Previous ranking: 24.
Upcoming: Thursday at Illinois.
The Hoosiers 16-0 start at Assembly Hall is the best start in program history.
18. Duke (20-7/9-5)
Points: 104.
Previous ranking: 21.
Upcoming: Thursday vs. Florida State, Sunday at Pittsburgh.
A potential season-defining win for Duke came on the road at North Carolina. Maybe that is the type of win that will spring board the Blue Devils deep into March.
19. Iowa State (19-8/8-6)
Points: 102.
Previous ranking: 15.
Upcoming: Monday at No. 14 West Virginia, Saturday vs. Kansas State.
The Cyclones have not won back-to-back games since January 26th and yet are still in the top 25: #LifeInTheBig12
20. Texas A&M (20-7/9-5)
Points: 77.
Previous ranking: 23.
Upcoming: Wednesday vs. Mississippi State, Saturday at Missouri.
The Aggies seem to have righted the ship winning two straight including a buzzer beater at home against Kentucky.
21. Purdue (21-7/9-6)
Points: 60.
Previous ranking: 19.
Upcoming: Saturday at No. 10 Maryland.
The Boilermakers are fourth in the country in rebounding Margin at +11.2.
22. SMU (22-4/10-4)
Points: 53.
Previous ranking: 16.
Upcoming: Thursday at Memphis, Sunday vs. Tulane.
After starting out the season 18-0, the Mustangs are now 4-4 in their last eight and no longer in first place in the AAC
23. Utah (21-7/10-5)
Points: 32.
Previous ranking: unranked.
Upcoming: Thursday vs. Arizona State, Saturday vs. No. 9 Arizona.
24. Dayton (21-5/11-3)
Points: 30.
Previous ranking: 13.
Upcoming: Tuesday at Saint Louis, Saturday vs. Rhode Island.
Dayton had won 20 in a row at home in conference until Saturday’s loss to St. Bonaventure.
25. Notre Dame (18-8/9-5)
Points: 28. Previous ranking: 20.
Upcoming: Wednesday at Wake Forest, Saturday at Florida State.
Even with a Notre Dame loss the difference between first and sixth in the ACC is 2.5 games. This should be a fun final two weeks.
Also receiving votes:
Texas Tech (21), California (14), Wichita State (12), South Carolina (9), Texas (8), VCU (8), Pittsburgh (6), Wisconsin (4), Seton Hall (4), Princeton (3), Valparaiso (2), San Diego State (2), Saint Joseph’s (2), Saint Mary’s (2), Providence (2), St. Bonaventure
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