School basketball energy rankings: Texas is a basketball state, because it boasts three of the highest six groups

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1 🔄Final week: No. 1 | File: 17-0. There are six historic/main participant of the yr awards handed out in faculty hoops each season — and that does not even account for the very best one: ours! On Monday, the midseason prime 20 for the Picket Award was revealed, and here is what’s hilarious: Gonzaga has extra representatives (three), than each league besides the Huge Ten and the Huge East. Drew Timme, Corey Kispert and Jalen Suggs all stay viable contenders for First Workforce All-America standing.  2 🔄Final week: No. 2 | File: 16-0. The Bears’ 84-72 win over Auburn on Saturday improved BU to a 7-1 document in SEC/Huge 12 Problem video games, the very best mark of any college within the showcase’s historical past. At 16-0, Baylor’s now two wins away from its finest begin in program historical past; it was 17-0 in 2011-12. The Bears have led by at the very least 10 factors in each sport this season. Its Tuesday night time tilt at Texas marks the primary time two top-six groups have performed on the Frank Erwin Heart since Feb. 10, 2003. 3 🔄Final week: No. 3 | File: 11-1. The Wildcats are nonetheless ever-so-slightly underneath the radar, if it is attainable, due to the undefeated data and general dominance of Gonzaga and Baylor. But when Villanova could make it to Valentine’s Day with out a loss, Jay Wright’s group ought to and will probably be added to that prime tier. One large purpose for Villanova’s sustained success this season is the play of PF Jeremiah Robinson-Earl. Here is what Wright stated about him after Nova’s win at Seton Corridor on Saturday: “He’s so good defensively. He is the centerpiece of our protection. He can guard any place however he additionally communicates on the market, he is all the time speaking.” Robinson-Earl is a top-20 defender in hoops. 4 🔄Final week: No. 4 | File: 13-1. The Wolverines are encased in amber in the meanwhile and can possible be on the No. 4 spot once more subsequent week, as U-M nonetheless should sit and await 9 extra days till its subsequent sport. Michigan’s most up-to-date report inside its athletic division was 11 constructive coronavirus instances, which is half the quantity from the week prior. No basketball gamers have examined constructive in latest weeks.  5 ⤴️Final week: No. 6 | File: 15-1. The Cougars wiped away SMU on Sunday with a 70-48 win. The outcome helps Houston’s case and chase for a No. 1 seed, however on the identical time it is dangerous for the American Athletic Convention, which at this level might realistically wrestle to be a multi-bid league this season. UH has received its previous eight video games by 17.5 factors. It is lapping the league.  6 ⤴️ Final week: No. 7 | File: 11-3. The Horns’ hardest sport of the season awaits on Tuesday night time: a house matchup in opposition to second-ranked Baylor. These two colleges have performed one another extra typically (158 instances) than they’ve confronted every other opponent. Texas leads the collection 94-64 however Baylor has owned UT as of late with a 9-1 document prior to now 10 conferences and an 11-3 mark prior to now 14. 9 of Texas’ previous 11 losses to Baylor have been by 9 or extra factors, too. If UT needs a shot at a No. 1 seed, it must win this one. 7 ⤴️Final week: No. 12 | File: 14-4. The Buckeyes have received three in a row and made it again to the place they began the season: No. 10 in KenPom. However they’re increased right here attributable to a 6-1 document of their previous seven video games. A tasty one at Iowa is ready up for Thursday. Buckeyes level guard C.J. Walker technically ranks second within the nation in foul-shooting share (98%). He is perhaps the very best, although. Walker’s made 49 of his 50 free throws, whereas Colgate’s Jack Ferguson is 21 for 21 at this stage with virtually 60% fewer makes an attempt.  8 ⤴️Final week: No. 15 | File: 13-3. With so many ranked groups dropping prior to now week, spots 8-19 had been the hardest of any week but this season. The Hokies are 5-1 of their final six, the lone loss at bubbly Syracuse. Virginia Tech by no means began 7-2 within the ACC earlier than this yr. Saturday’s 14-point house win over Virginia featured a 19-0 second-half run and a 22-point second-half swing that matched essentially the most dominant second half any group has had in opposition to Virginia since Tony Bennett grew to become coach. Hokie junior Keve Aluma received ACC Freshman of the Week with a 21.5-point, 11.0-rebound common.  9 🔻Final week: No. 7 | File: 11-3. Let’s resist overreacting an excessive amount of within the second to UVA laying a stinker at Virginia Tech. It was the Hoos’ first loss in convention competitors in virtually a full yr, and Virginia did maintain a 10-point lead at one level. That is nonetheless the highest group within the ACC’s desk. If there’s some purpose for chin-scratching, it is that Virginia ranks seventeenth in adjusted defensive effectivity at KenPom proper now. This system hasn’t completed exterior the highest seven since 2013.  10 🔻Final week: No. 9 | File: 14-4. It has been 19 years since Alabama discovered itself within the prime 10 of the polls in February. The Tide received the SEC regular-season title that season, as it’s going to this season. This group is three video games away from a four-way tie for second in that league. The following sport is a house contest Tuesday night time vs. LSU, which is smarting after blowing a lead late in opposition to Texas Tech. Bama beat LSU by 30 lower than three weeks in the past, when it set an SEC document by making 23 3-pointers. 11 🔻Final week: No. 8 | File: 10-3. The Seminoles misplaced by 11 on the highway to a Georgia Tech group that responded lower than 48 hours later by dropping by 16 at Louisville. Luckily, FSU continues to be only a sport behind Virginia within the ACC standings. I’ve received the Noles slotted two spots increased right here than they’re within the Massey Composite, which averages out 37 (!) metrics for an all-encompassing analysis. Introduced Monday night time: the group is on COVID pause for at the very least the following 10 days. 12 🔻Final week: No. 10 | File: 12-4. The Hawkeyes took a tricky however comprehensible loss at Illinois on Friday, with Luka Garza scoring 19 and grabbing simply 4 rebounds to match his 4 fouls. All issues thought-about, possibly his worst sport of the season. However Garza continues to be main the pack for nationwide participant of the yr as we enter February. His six video games of 30 or extra factors leads the nation, as does his 26.4 scoring common and beefed-up 41.4 participant effectivity ranking. I am unable to appear him surrendering the lead in these latter two classes. 13 ⤴️Final week: No. 16 | File: 12-3. Who knew the Kansas Jayhawks might function a get-right sport? That is precisely what the Vols had been supplied on Saturday. Tennessee’s 19-point win over KU was a reminder of this group’s potential and Last 4 functionality. Perhaps freshman Jaden Springer is the important thing. He received SEC Freshman of the Week after placing up 11.0 factors, 4.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists in UT’s earlier two video games. Extra importantly: Tennessee has not but misplaced a sport when he performs.   14 🔻Final week: No. 13 | File: 13-3. A quiet week for the Bruins, who merely received by 5 at house over Oregon State on Saturday. What a distinction a yr makes, although. By means of 16 video games, UCLA is 13-3. Final yr at this level, UCLA was 8-8. So it is gone 24-7 prior to now near-12 months. Mick Cronin has additionally upgraded the Bruins’ offense from 51st nationally final season in adjusted effectivity to fifteenth as of right this moment. 15 🔻Final week: No. 14 | File: 13-3. Huge sport for the Hey Nineteen is scheduled for Thursday night time: UCLA performs at USC within the first of two conferences this season; the opposite is the season finale. Earlier than that, a highway sport for the Trojans in opposition to Stanford on Tuesday night time. It is the Cardinal’s first sport at Maples Pavilion in 11 months. USC is trying to match its finest convention begin in practically three a long time by bettering to 8-2 (which it did in 2017-18). If Southern Cal can beat Stanford after which knock off UCLA, it is going to be the varsity’s finest begin via 11 league video games in 29 years. 16 🔻Final week: No. 11 | File: 11-3. The Tigers flirted with hearth Saturday vs. TCU however wound up profitable 102-98 in time beyond regulation. The group picked a heck of a sport to get career-highs out of its two finest gamers. Jeremiah Tilmon scored 33, solely to be outdone by his diminutive teammate, Xavier Pinson, who had 36. Missouri entered the sport taking pictures 29% from 3 and managed to shoot 48% of 23 pictures, which is why Mizzou’s nonetheless in these rankings. Tigers misplaced by six at Auburn per week in the past, so a bump down is so as. Hazardous house sport is subsequent on Wednesday vs. Kentucky. 17 ⤴️Final week: N/R | File: 17-0. After a three-week hiatus, leading to a drop from the Hey Nineteen, I will not shut out the Bulldogs once more. This group, which has lined the unfold in 16 of its 17 video games, will stay within the rankings till it loses. After a petrifying house OT win over a nasty Illinois State group on Sunday night time, Darian DeVries’ group got here again on Monday and refused to mess around: Bulldogs 95, Redbirds 60. A back-to-back at Valpo is subsequent this weekend. Drake has received its previous two video games on the worst-named venue within the nation, saved solely by its respectable acronym: Valparaiso’s “Athletics-Recreation Heart” — the ARC. 18 ⤴️Final week: N/R | File: 11-5. Texas Tech beat Oklahoma (in an unpleasant sport) on Monday night time, however head-to-head outcomes don’t strictly dictate which groups get put the place right here. Oklahoma was shorthanded and it is executed sufficient as of late to squeak in. TTU is 2-2 in its previous 4, in spite of everything. OU is 5-3 in its previous eight with the losses coming at Baylor, at Kansas and at Texas Tech. OU additionally received shorthanded vs. three ranked groups: Kansas, Texas and Alabama. Splitting hairs right here, however Oklahoma’s been the higher group on the entire prior to now month. In truth, Sooners assistant Carlin Hartman instructed me that Saturday’s shorthanded win over Alabama was helped partially by OU beforehand Kansas with out starter Brady Manek and backup ahead Jalen Hill.  19 🔄Final week: No. 19 | File: 18-1. I practically booted the Bruins for Texas Tech, however the context of its most up-to-date two wins have this group sticking round for an additional week. Casey Alexander’s group is coming off its two hardest assessments of the season: at Austin Peay, at Murray State. Belmont received these two video games in a three-day span by a complete of six factors. (Belmont has a sweep of Murray State.) The Bruins’ common rating within the six metrics listed on the group sheets — that the choice committee mostly discuss with — is 86.8. That is poor for a group with a gaudy document, and appears not possible that Belmont will be capable of transfer into the 40s on common by the primary week of March. 

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