On the latest episode of the March Madness 365 podcast (#MM365), March Madness correspondent Andy Katz was joined by Auburn coach Bruce Pearl and Houston coach Kelvin Sampson, and Katz also ranked his top 10 men's basketball teams that are rising right now.
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Here are Katz's latest top 10 rising teams from the #MM365 podcast:
1. Oregon
Through Monday, the Ducks are in a three-way tie for third place in the Pac-12 after they extended their winning streak to five games, including a recent road sweep of then-No. 3 UCLA and then-No. 5 Southern California. Six Oregon players scored in double figures in the team's overtime win over UCLA, led by Jacob Young's 23 points, while it was Will Richardson who scored a game-high 28 points in Oregon's victory over Southern California.
2. Florida State
Florida State is tied for fourth place in the ACC with a 4-2 conference record as the team has won three conference games in a row. Florida State beat Louisville and Miami at home, then it went on the road and knocked off Syracuse.
Next up is a home game against Duke on Tuesday.
3. Marquette
After an 0-3 start in Big East play amid a four-game losing streak, Marquette has won four in a row, beating Providence, Georgetown, DePaul and Seton Hall. The Golden Eagles' win over the Pirates came by one point, while they knocked off the Friars by 32 and the Hoyas by 28.
Through Monday's action, Marquette sits alone in fourth place in the Big East with a 4-3 conference record.
4. Rutgers
After Rutgers found its record consistently hovering around .500 — the Scarlet Knights were previously 3-3, 4-4 and 5-5 — it has since won five of its last six games to improve its Big Ten record to 4-2, which is tied for fifth in the conference. Last weekend, Rutgers picked up its first road win of the season when it beat Maryland 70-59, behind Ron Harper's 31 points.
MONDAY'S MASSIVE MATCHUP: Zach Edey, Purdue beat Illinois in double overtime
5. Texas A&M
Through Monday, Texas A&M's 15 wins are tied for the second-most in the country and the Aggies have won eight games in a row, dating back to mid-December. They're off to a 4-0 start in SEC play with wins over Georgia, Arkansas, Ole Miss and Missouri.
The road ahead will get much tougher, with a home game against No. 12 Kentucky, then road games against Arkansas and No. 13 LSU.
6. Mississippi State
The Bulldogs are 3-1 in the SEC, good for fourth place in the conference, after Mississippi State beat Arkansas, Georgia and Alabama.
7. TCU
Through Monday, TCU is alone in second place in the Big 12 with a 2-1 conference record after the Horned Frogs defeated Kansas State and Oklahoma last week. TCU eked out both wins, beating Kansas State by three points on the road, then Oklahoma by one point at home in overtime.
RETIREMENT: Time passes, and soon, so will the Duke torch from Mike Krzyzewski to Jon Scheyer
8. Miami (FL)
The Hurricanes are alone in first place in the ACC, with a 5-1 record, as Miami won nine consecutive games from Dec. 1 through Jan. 8. Miami has already beaten Duke on the road, 76-74, on a night when four starters scored at least 14 points, led by Charlie Moore's 18.
9. St. Bonaventure
After dropping back-to-back games to UConn and Virginia Tech at the end of its non-conference schedule, St. Bonaventure is off to a 2-0 start in A-10 play, with wins over La Salle and VCU. The Bonnies' upcoming schedule could be challenging with its next three games against Dayton, Duquesne and George Mason coming on the road.
10. Wyoming
Wyoming's only losses this season have come to a pair of Pac-12 teams — at Arizona and against Stanford on a neutral court. The Cowboys are currently on a four-game winning streak, including a 2-0 start in Mountain West play, with wins over Utah State and Nevada.
