Previous Ranking: 3Alabama has the No. 1 offense in the nation this season, averaging 90.2 points per game. Last week, controversy swirled around the program after head coach Nate Oats benched All-American guard Mark Sears in the second half of the Crimson Tide’s win over LSU. With the win, Auburn improved 19-1 on the season […]
Previous Ranking: 3
Alabama has the No. 1 offense in the nation this season, averaging 90.2 points per game. Last week, controversy swirled around the program after head coach Nate Oats benched All-American guard Mark Sears in the second half of the Crimson Tide’s win over LSU.
With the win, Auburn improved 19-1 on the season and 7-0 in conference play, matching the best 20-game start to a season in program history. Auburn wreaked havoc on LSU, forcing 20 turnovers while hauling in twice as many offensive rebounds.
In no surprise, Houston’s defense was a game-changer. West Virginia’s two lowest offensive outputs of the season have both been against the Cougars. Houston didn’t allow a single player on WVU to score double digits in the win.
Previous Ranking: 1
Johni Broome is officially back for the Tigers, much to the chagrin for their SEC foes. On Wednesday, Auburn defeated LSU 87-84. In the win, Broome was spectacular, racking up 26 points, 16 rebounds and three blocks.
On Friday, CBS Sports’ Gary Parrish released his updated college basketball Top 25 and 1 Rankings. After a wild start to the week, Parrish had plenty to consider.
Previous Ranking: 7
Michigan State is on a 13-game win streak, and showing no signs of stopping. On Tuesday, the Spartans dominated Minnesota in 73-51 fashion. They made a living at the charity stripe, racking up 20 free throw attempts compared to the Golden Gophers’ mere five.
As usual, the SEC headlined Parrish’s list, boasting a conference-high 10 teams in the rankings. The Big Ten was the next closest conference, with six teams on Parrish’s list. It’s no surprise to see the SEC reigning supreme again this week.
Previous Ranking: 8
After suffering back-to-back losses to Alabama and Vanderbilt, Kentucky bounced back on Saturday with a 78-73 upset win over Tennessee. Kentucky was shorthanded in the victory, playing without starters Lamont Butler and Andrew Carr, who are both dealing with injuries.
Previous Ranking: 5
The Cyclones reminded their fans that they’re not perfect this week, suffering an 86-75 loss to Arizona in overtime. It was a stunning scene in McKale Memorial Center, with Arizona guard Caleb Love draining a buzzer beater from beyond half court to force overtime.
It was an all-around effort by the Golden Eagles, who had four players score double figures. Nobody outperformed Stevie Mitchell, who recorded a game-high 22 points on 9-14 shooting. Kam Jones was no slouch either, adding 17 points and four assists to Marquette’s winning effort.
Previous Ranking: 4
If there were any doubts about Florida’s ability, they evaporated this past weekend after the Gators handed Georgia an 89-59 shellacking. Florida’s defense was suffocating, only allowing one player on the Bulldogs to score double digits.
Previous Ranking: 2
Duke is the only team that has beat Auburn this season. Alas, the Blue Devils’ two losses on their record are keeping them at No. 2 in Parrish’ rankings for now. On Monday, Duke added to its stunning résumé with a 74-64 win over NC State.
When the Spartans couldn’t get to the free throw line, they shared the ball beautifully, finishing the game with 20 assists on 25 made field goals. Moreover, they prevented Minnesota from finding a rhythm, holding the Golden Gophers to just three fast break points.
A jaw-dropping 13 SEC teams are currently projected to receive a berth in the NCAA Tournament. However, before teams can look toward March, they must deal with the here and now. Parrish did just that in his latest Top 25 and 1 Rankings.
It was an unusually sloppy performance for the Cyclones, who committed 18 turnovers. For reference, Iowa State is only averaging 10.8 turnovers per game this season. Now, the Cyclones will have to bounce back as they prepare to square off against Kansas State on Saturday.
In contrast, five players racked up 13 or more points for Florida. The Gators shot 53.1% from the field in the win and recorded 19 assists on their 35 made field goals. In the victory, Florida guard Walter Clayton Jr. extended his school-record streak of consecutive games with a 3-pointer to 43.
Marquette is shaping up to look like the Big East’s ticket to national attention this season. Since losing to Xavier on Jan. 18, the Golden Eagles have won three games in a row. Most recently, Marquette downed Butler 78-69.
Braden Smith nearly recorded a triple-double in the win, recording 24 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds. He was far from the only standout for the Boilermakers. Trey Kaufman-Renn and Fletcher Loyer also combined for 33 points in the victory.
Evidently, Sears didn’t allow the ugly scene to snowball. In Alabama’s 88-84 win over Mississippi State on Wednesday, Sears collected 17 points, nine assists and six rebounds while knocking down 3-of-his-5 attempts from downtown.
Nonetheless, the ‘Cats didn’t allow their teammates’ absences to slow them down. Instead, they stuck to what’s brought them this far: 3-point shooting. Kentucky shot 12-24 from beyond the arc against the Volunteers to escape with a pivotal Quad 1 victory.
Previous Ranking: 14
Michigan State might currently sit on the throne in the Big Ten but Purdue isn’t far behind. After suffering a surprising loss against Ohio State last Tuesday, the Boilermakers redeemed themselves on Friday with a comfortable 91-64 win.
Previous Ranking: 9
At 9-0 in conference play, Houston boasts sole possession of the No. 1 spot in the Big 12 standings. The Cougars solidified their dominance on Wednesday with a 63-49 triumph over West Virginia.
11. Tennessee Volunteers
12. Mississippi State Bulldogs
13. Kansas Jayhawks
14. Memphis Tigers (+1)
15. Texas A&M Aggies (+1)
16. Missouri Tigers (+1)
17. Ole Miss Rebels (+1)
18. Michigan Wolverines (+2)
19. St. John’s Red Storm (+2)
20. Louisville Cardinals (+2)
21. Texas Tech Red Raiders (+2)
22. Oregon Ducks (-8)
23. Clemson Tigers (+1)
24. Maryland Terrapins (+1)
25. Wisconsin Badgers (+1)
26. Vanderbilt Commodores (NR)
As expected, Cooper Flagg was dominant in the triumph, tallying 28 points, seven rebounds and three assists while shooting 8-17 from the field. It was a comeback effort for the Blue Devils, who trailed the Wolfpack at halftime.
