Another week full of upsets means another major shakeup in the men's college basketball power rankings. Andy Katz ranks his top 36 teams after another wild week.
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Power 36 | Jan. 29
1. UConn (1): The Huskies blew out Xavier and are storming toward a Big East title.
2. Purdue (2): The Boilermakers stayed on Wisconsin’s tail with a road win at Rutgers.
3. North Carolina (3): The Tar Heels are 9-0 in the ACC and looking like one of the favorites to be a No. 1 seed.
4. Tennessee (4): The Vols have won four in a row and are tied with Alabama for first in the SEC.
5. Wisconsin (8): The Badgers won at Minnesota and ran past Indiana to maintain first place in the Big Ten.
6. Houston (9): The Cougars are back to being a No. 1 seed after a 5-2 start in the Big 12.
7. Kentucky (6): The Wildcats got a much-needed road win at Arkansas after losing at South Carolina.
8. Arizona (7): The Wildcats beat Oregon in a critical Pac-12 showdown.
9. Marquette (15): The Golden Eagles avenged their previous loss to Seton Hall.
10. Creighton (13): The Bluejays have assumed their rightful place in the top three in the Big East.
11. Alabama (20): The Tide played one of the toughest schedules in the country and are seeing the benefits atop the SEC.
12. Duke (19): The Blue Devils survived against Clemson and stand two games behind UNC.
13. Texas Tech (23): The Red Raiders have been one of the stories of 2024 with a first-place position in the Big 12 after six games.
14. Northwestern (31): The Wildcats had a stellar week by beating rival Illinois in OT and blitzing Ohio State.
15. Illinois (11): The Illini bounced back from an overtime loss at Northwestern to dispatch Indiana.
16. New Mexico (21): The Lobos swept a road swing to Air Force and San Jose State and then beat Nevada Sunday night.
17. Iowa State (24): The Cyclones are a game back of Texas Tech after the home win over Kansas.
18. Kansas (10): The Jayhawks have dropped down to 4-3 in the Big 12.
19. TCU (32): The Horned Frogs got the triple-overtime win at Baylor for a 4-3 start.
20. Auburn (5): The Tigers got beat up on the road and lost two in a row.
21. Utah State (25): The Aggies stay atop the MWC with a road win at Boise State.
22. Kansas State (17): The Wildcats dropped two to drop to 4-3 in the Big 12.
23. BYU (NR): The Cougars got the win over Texas and are holding their own in the Big 12.
24. South Carolina (35): The Gamecocks have won three in a row, including beating Kentucky.
25. Saint Mary’s (26): The Gaels have won eight in a row and are looking like the team to beat in the WCC.
26. FAU (NR): The Owls have won six in a row.
27. Texas (NR): The Longhorns beat Baylor, won at Oklahoma and then lost at BYU in the last three games.
28. Providence (NR): The Friars won at Seton Hall and beat Georgetown to get back on track.
29. Ole Miss (NR): The Rebels have won two in a row, including a road win at Texas A&M.
30. San Diego State (34): The Aztecs have lost their last two road games. That needs to change if they’re going to win the league.
31. Richmond (NR): The Spiders beat Dayton and have won 10 in a row.
32. Dayton (16): The Flyers suffered their first A-10 loss of the season.
33. Florida (NR): The Gators are making a midseason push with a three-game win streak.
34. Oregon (28): The Ducks are tied with the Wildcats in the loss column after losing to Arizona.
35. Virginia (NR): The Cavs have won four in a row and re-emerged as the third-best team in the ACC.
36. Indiana State (NR): The Sycamores have won five in a row and are poised to be a problem in the NCAA tournament, assuming they get a bid.
Dropped out: Oklahoma (12), Seton Hall (14), Baylor (18), Michigan State (22), Memphis (27), Wake Forest (29), Nebraska (30), Boise State (33), Syracuse (36).
Under consideration: St. John’s, Washington State, Maryland, Gonzaga, Colorado State, Cincinnati, Cornell.
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Top 10 games to watch
1. Duke at North Carolina, Saturday: The rivalry never disappoints. And the Blue Devils need this game if they’re going to catch the Tar Heels, who are two games ahead of Duke in the loss column.
2. Tennessee at Kentucky, Saturday: Alabama is tied with Tennessee with one loss in the SEC, but this is the home-and-home series that’s going to decide the title. The second meeting will come on the last day of the SEC season.
3. Houston at Kansas, Saturday: The Cougars are trending in the right direction while the Jayhawks have stumbled again to 4-3 in the league. If Kansas wants to stay in the Big 12 title race then they need to beat the Cougars at home.
4. Purdue at Wisconsin, Sunday: The Boilers will host Northwestern and the first-place Badgers (by one game) travel to Nebraska before this showdown. So, the two teams could be tied for first by the time this game happens in Madison, putting even more emphasis on its importance.
5. UConn at St. John’s, Saturday: The Huskies are in control for the Big East title, but the atmosphere should be off the charts at MSG against the surging Red Storm. This could be a preview of a potential Big East tournament game in March in the semifinals or final.
6. Saint Mary’s at Gonzaga, Saturday: The Zags need to win the WCC to get a bid. They are tied with Santa Clara and are one game behind WCC-undefeated Saint Mary’s. That’s why this is a must-win home game for the Zags.
7. Texas Tech at TCU, Tuesday: TCU survived a triple-overtime game at Baylor and is two games behind Texas Tech. A win and the race is on for the Horned Frogs. A win for the Red Raiders and they can start to create some distance with at least one rival.
8. San Diego State at Colorado State, Tuesday: The Rams have been reeling, losing two in a row. That puts even more importance on beating the Aztecs, whom they trail by two games in the loss column, in Fort Collins.
9. Drake at Indiana State, Saturday: Drake won the first showdown in Des Moines, but trail Indiana State by one game in the loss column. A sweep and the Bulldogs have the inside track to being the top seed in Arch Madness.
10. Princeton at Yale, Friday: Cornell beat Princeton and is tied with Yale at 4-0 in the Ivy League. Princeton is at 3-1. The Tigers need to pull off this road win to avoid dropping too far back.
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March Madness National Player of the Week
RJ Davis, North Carolina: Davis is in the pole position to be one of the guards on the first-team all-American list. He had a stellar week with 36 points on 14 of 23 shooting in a 21-point win over Wake Forest. He followed that up with 24 in a road win over Florida State. Davis is averaging 21.2 points, 3.7 boards and 3.3 assists while shooting 44.8 percent for the surging/likely No. 1 seed Tar Heels. The senior guard has seen all his numbers climb from freshman to senior year. He has become a star.
🏆 Weekly Awards from 🏆
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB)
Player of the Week: RJ Davis
Team of the Week: Houston
March Madness National Team of the Week
Houston: The Cougars have settled down and adjusted to life in the Big 12. Houston won at BYU by seven and crushed Kansas State by 22 to move to 5-2 in the Big 12, 18-2 overall and prove they should remain one of the four No. 1 seeds when the top 16 is revealed on Feb. 17 by the men’s basketball selection committee. Houston is now tied with Iowa State for second in the Big 12, one game behind Texas Tech. The Red Raiders' only Big 12 loss was at Houston earlier this month.
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