Here’s how the top 25 teams in the nation stack up heading into college basketball Week 12.
With Selection Sunday quickly approaching, a few teams around the nation have separated themselves in major conference races around college basketball.
The biggest national development in Week 11 came from Arizona, as Allonzo Trier returned from a lengthy suspension in Saturday’s win over UCLA. With Trier at four strength, the Wildcats are suddenly in the conversation as a Final Four threat and stand out as the favorite in the Pac-12.
Elsewhere, Kansas is in further control of the Big 12 after West Virginia lost twice over the course of the week. Kentucky also asserted its dominance of the SEC with a comfortable win over South Carolina, while Gonzaga rolled past Santa Clara and Portland to remain the nation’s lone undefeated team.
There isn’t much separation between the nation’s best teams, as Villanova, Kansas and Gonzaga all have an argument for the No. 1 spot in the rankings. With blue bloods like Kentucky and North Carolina lurking just behind, we could be in for a thrilling NCAA Tournament.
Here’s how the top 25 teams in the nation shake out in the Week 12 college basketball power rankings.
25. Duke Blue Devils
While this Duke team has much more upside than a typical fringe top 25 team, there are real concerns that could keep the Blue Devils from going far in March even if all their players get healthy.
Duke snapped a two-game losing streak with a 70-58 win over a decent Miami team on Saturday at Cameron Indoor Stadium. However, the Blue Devils couldn’t generate any momentum from the victory, as they suffered their first home loss to NC State since 1995 with a 84-82 defeat to drop to 3-3 in ACC play.
Luke Kennard and Jayson Tatum have been excellent for the most part, but several other key players have battled injury troubles and inconsistent performances. Grayson Allen shot 1-of-9 from beyond the arc against the Wolfpack, while Duke is clearly missing the interior defensive presence of senior Amile Jefferson.
Unless Harry Giles can suddenly take over, the Blue Devils are going to be a step behind the top tier of the ACC, particularly until Jefferson and Mike Krzyzewski return. While there’s hope for the Blue Devils to gel before March, the defense isn’t Final Four caliber as things stand.
Duke still stands at 15-5 on the season despite all the injury issues. The Blue Devils need a win at Wake Forest on Saturday before a tough matchup in South Bend against Notre Dame two days later.
24. Kansas State Wildcats
Following a 2-2 start to conference play, Bruce Weber’s picked up two solid wins this week to move back into the top 25.
Kansas State started the week with a solid road win on Wednesday night at Oklahoma State. The Wildcats went on to earn their first ranked win of the season over the weekend with a 79-75 victory against West Virginia in Manhattan.
While the Wildcats got through nonconference play at 11-1 with a one-point loss to a Maryland team that is exceeding expectations, they didn’t generate much buzz due to a soft schedule. Even though a 4-3 mark in the Big 12 doesn’t stand out that much, Kansas State now has a couple of decent wins, and its four losses have come by a combined 13 points, including a controversial 90-88 defeat at Phog Allen Fieldhouse.
Ken Pomeroy’s efficiency ratings have the Wildcats ranked as the No. 26 team in the nation with good balance between offense and defense. Five different Wildcats are averaging at least 10 points per game, with sophomore guard Barry Brown leading the way.
Weber almost certainly needs a trip to the NCAA Tournament, and the Wildcats are well on their way to achieving that goal. Kansas State will get a road test on Tuesday night in Ames before traveling to Tennessee for the Big 12-SEC challenge on Saturday.
23. SMU Mustangs
Tim Jankovich has quietly done an excellent job with an overhauled SMU roster this season, as the Mustangs have clearly established themselves as a top two team in the AAC.
SMU obliterated struggling Connecticut in Dallas on Thursday night to start off its week. The more impressive victory came on Saturday night, as the Mustangs breezed by a decent Houston team to move to 17-4 overall on the season and 7-1 in conference play.
After losing a lot of talent and head coach Larry Brown last offseason, the Mustangs were out of sync during a 5-3 start to the season that included a blowout loss to Michigan and defeat at Boise State. Since then, SMU has won 12 of its past 13 games, with the only loss coming by two points on the road to conference favorite Cincinnati.
Jankovich has his team controlling the pace, as SMU averages the fourth fewest possessions per game in the nation and ranks fourth in scoring defense. The offense has been the surprise, as Duke transfer Semi Ojeleye has emerged out of nowhere to lead an offense that ranks 23rd in adjusted efficiency per KenPom.
While the Mustangs have the look of a team capable of advancing to the second weekend of the tournament, we won’t learn much about them in the weak AAC. The Mustangs’ lone game this week will be Wednesday night on the road against Tacko Fall and Central Florida.
22. Saint Mary’s Gaels
The Gaels probably aren’t as good as their preseason No. 17 ranking would indicate, and have a long ways to go to challenge Gonzaga in the WCC. Still, Saint Mary’s grades out well enough to remain in the top 25 now thanks to an ultra-efficient offense and distinct style of play that fits the roster.
Following the loss to Gonzaga on January 14, the Gaels were a little sluggish in Thursday’s 62-50 win over Pacific at home. Saint Mary’s went on to handily beat Pepperdine on Saturday night, bringing their overall record to 17-2 for the season.
It’s hard to gauge where the Gaels stand, as they don’t have any ranked wins and will be held back by a loss to Texas-Arlington on December 8. A win over Dayton in the third game of the year will have to carry the Gaels,as they won’t get too many opportunities to prove themselves in the WCC.
Efficiency ratings still believe in the Gaels, as they place 22nd in KenPom’s rankings with the 14th best adjusted offense in the nation. Saint Mary’s averages 1.171 points per possession, a mark that only trails UCLA and Kentucky, and should be able to keep things close against most opponents due to its ability to slow the pace to a crawl.
Guard Joe Rahon had his best performance of the year against Pepperdine with 22 points, a promising sign moving forward. The Gaels will host San Francisco on Thursday night before a quick turnaround with a Saturday road game at Santa Clara.
21. Maryland Terrapins
Maryland’s chances of making a shock title run in the chaotic Big Ten after losing four starters a year ago are becoming more likely by the day, as the Terrapins picked up another road win in their lone game of the week.
The Terrapins earned an 84-76 victory at Iowa to improve to 17-2 overall and 5-1 in the Big Ten, tying them with Wisconsin for first place in the conference. While the Hawkeyes have struggled overall this year, they beat Purdue a week before, and Maryland deserves plenty of credit for picking up victories at Michigan, Illinois and Iowa already.
While Maryland has been kept out of the rankings for much of the season due to a soft schedule, its neutral court victory over Kansas State is looking better by the day. Losses to Pittsburgh and Nebraska are head-scratchers, but the Terrapins keep picking up solid road wins and look good enough to be a factor in the Big Ten race.
Melo Trimble provides the offense, but Maryland’s success has stemmed from the defensive end, where they rank 32nd in adjusted efficiency per KenPom. Guard Jaylen Brantley has provided an extra scoring spark over the last two games, while freshman Anthony Cowan and Justin Jackson are also producing.
There’s enough depth here for Maryland to be considered a top 25 team, which is a surprise given how much it lost from last year. The Terrapins will host Rutgers on Tuesday before hitting the road for a tricky road game at Minnesota on Saturday afternoon.
20. Cincinnati Bearcats
The Bearcats aren’t going to get a lot of national attention playing in the AAC, but have the stingy defense and tough physicality worthy of a top five seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Cincinnati kept its perfect conference play record intact with two more victories to move to 17-2 overall. Wednesday’s home win over an inconsistent Temple team was a bit of a struggle, but the Bearcats breezed by Tulane on the road over the weekend for their 10th straight win.
While the Bearcats have had problems on the offensive end in some seasons under Mick Cronin, the 2016-17 team is doing well enough to make noise in March. Four different Bearcats scored at least 15 points against the Owls, and guard Troy Caupain had one of his best performances of the year with 18 points on 5-of-10 shooting.
KenPom has Cincinnati rated as the No. 5 adjusted defense, as the Bearcats have proven to be particularly tough on the interior. Cincinnati’s best win of the season arguably came back on Dec. 1 in Ames, when it held Iowa State’s fast-paced offense to just 54 points in an overtime victory.
Just like in previous years since conference realignment, it’s worth wondering if the Bearcats will be battle tested enough by March. Cincinnati will get a rare opportunity for a ranked win on Thursday night against Xavier in the Crosstown Shootout before hosting South Florida on Sunday.
19. South Carolina Gamecocks
While South Carolina is clearly a class below Kentucky, the Gamecocks have established themselves as the No. 2 team in the SEC and have the ability to reach the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament.
The Gamecocks earned their biggest win of the season in an ugly 57-53 defensive battle against Florida in Columbia. While Kentucky was far too much at Rupp Arena in Saturday’s 85-69 loss, particularly after PJ Dozier was ruled out with neck spasms, South Carolina is now 15-4 overall and 12-1 with guard Sindarius Thornwell in the lineup.
At this point, the Gamecocks look unlikely to repeat last year’s late-season collapse with a mark of 5-1 against SEC competition, including wins against top half teams in Georgia, Ole Miss and Florida. While nonconference wins against Michigan and Syracuse are losing their luster, the Gamecocks are playing like a top 20 team with Thornwell back from suspesnion.
Frank Martin has his team playing hard-nosed defense, as the Gamecocks are KenPom’s top adjusted unit in the nation and force turnovers on 24.5 percent of opposing possessions. The versatile Thornwell is a force on both ends, as he’s averaging close to 20 points per contest, along with 2.4 steals and 1.1 blocks.
South Carolina will want Dozier back as soon as possible, as it was beaten soundly by the Wildcats despite getting 34 points from Thornwell. The Gamecocks should be able to pick up two more wins this week with games against Auburn and Missouri.
18. Wisconsin Badgers
It wasn’t the prettiest week of basketball for the Badgers, but they managed to keep pace with Maryland atop the Big Ten standings with two more victories.
Wisconsin needed a late run to beat slumping Michigan by four points at the Kohl Center on Tuesday night. The Badgers were then able to pick up a good road win at archrival Minnesota with a 78-76 overtime victory on Saturday to improve to 5-1 in the Big Ten and 16-3 overall.
While the Badgers’ offense is prone to extended slumps, it still ranks 18th in KenPom’s adjusted efficiency, Bronson Koenig and Ethan Happ might be enough to carry them to the Big Ten title. Koenig hit a number of key shots down the stretch in both games this week, while Happ broke out of a mini-slump with 28 points against the Golden Gophers.
Greg Gard has the Badgers playing like a classic Bo Ryan team with a slow pace and tough defense that allows 0.902 points per possession. The offense has opened up a bit from previous years, but the Badgers are still going to have a few clunkers like the 66-55 loss to Purdue two weeks ago, keeping them from rising further in the top 20.
The Badgers will have a great opportunity to move to 7-1 in the Big Ten this week, as they host Penn State on Tuesday before traveling to Rutgers on Saturday afternoon.
17. Butler Bulldogs
While the Bulldogs have the resume of a top 15 team, they will need to find a way to avoid slow starts to advance very far in the NCAA Tournament.
Butler’s lone game this week was a trip to DePaul on Saturday, a matchup the Bulldogs should have breezed through. However, Butler fell behind 16-2 and had to battle back for a 70-69 overtime win to keep pace in the Big East at 6-2 and 17-3 overall.
That continued a trend from the rest of the season, as the Bulldogs also trailed Marquette and Georgetown at halftime before rallying for victories. Kethan Savage had a season-high 20 points off the bench against DePaul to continue his recent hot streak, helping the Bulldogs overcome a rare scoreless outing by Andrew Chrabascz.
Having a third scoring option like Savage to compliment Kelan Martin and Chrabascz would be a nice boost to a Butler offense that already ranks 17th in offensive efficiency. While the Bulldogs have slumped at times defensively and are a step behind Villanova, they have proven themselves capable of a run in March with strong wins over the likes of Cincinnati and Indiana.
Butler can earn a nice road victory on Wednesday night against Seton Hall before returning home to take on Georgetown on Saturday.
16. Purdue Boilermakers
While there are some bad losses on Purdue’s overall resume, the Boilermakers have the upside to rise further up the power rankings with Naismith candidate Caleb Swanigan leading the way.
The Boilermakers recovered from their first somewhat bad loss of the year at Iowa last Thursday with easy wins against Illinois and Penn State. Purdue is now right behind the Big Ten leaders at 5-2 in conference play, and own a win over Wisconsin in their lone meeting of the season.
Swanigan has been an absolute force on the interior with an average of 18.5 points and 12.5 rebounds per contest. With Isaac Haas and Vince Edwards also playing well offensively, the Boilermakers have the talent to go on a deep NCAA Tournament run. They are on their way to a top five seed with a 16-4 mark that includes a win over Notre Dame and narrow loss to Villanova.
Still, it doesn’t feel like this Purdue team has reached its ceiling yet despite ranking 12th in KenPom’s efficiency ratings. The main concern for the Boilermakers moving forward will be taking care of the ball, as they are committing turnovers on 18.6 percent of their possessions.
Purdue will get a road test on Tuesday night in East Lansing against an inconsistent Michigan State squad before traveling to Nebraska on Sunday night. Both are games the Boilermakers need to have to keep pressure on Maryland and Wisconsin in the conference race.
15. Virginia Cavaliers
After a couple of tough performances earlier in ACC play, the Cavaliers are quietly playing well enough at the moment to sneak back into the top 15.
Virginia’s two point loss at home to an outstanding Florida State team can be forgiven, but the following defeat against struggling Pittsburgh on Jan. 4 was puzzling for Tony Bennett and company. Since then, the Cavaliers have won four straight to move to 15-3 overall, including triumphs this week against Boston College and Georgia Tech.
While none of those victories are against ranked teams, a four-game winning streak in the ACC is impressive nonetheless. The Cavaliers own a great win over Louisville, and are all the way up to sixth in KenPom’s efficiency ratings with strong marks on both ends of the floor.
London Perrantes remains the focal point of the offense, but some other options like Devon Hall and Marial Shayok have turned in strong outings in recent weeks. The Cavaliers are leading the nation in scoring defense once again at 53.2 points per game allowed, and have enough depth to compete with any team in the ACC despite dismissing Austin Nichols earlier in the year.
Virginia will still need more signature wins to add to the Louisville victory before it moves twoards the top 10. Those opportunities will come soon enough, as the Cavaliers face a difficult week with trips to Notre Dame and Villanova.
14. West Virginia Mountaineers
It’s not panic time in Morgantown yet, as West Virginia’s style of play is going to lead to a few upsets like the two the Mountaineers suffered this week. Still, West Virginia now has little room for error if it is going to win the Big 12, and will need to recover quickly with Kansas coming to town.
The Mountaineers suffered a bad overtime home loss to a struggling Oklahoma team on Wednesday night. While Saturday’s four-point road loss to Kansas State doesn’t hurt as much, West Virginia is suddenly well behind Kansas at 4-3 in conference play.
The win over then-undefeated Baylor propelled the Mountaineers into the top ten, but losses to Temple and Oklahoma will give fans some pause. West Virginia still has an impressive resume at 15-4 with a win over Virginia, and a defense that forces turnovers at a rate of over 30 percent won’t be easy for anyone to play against.
Outside shooting was the problem for the Mountaineers on Wednesday, as they were 7-of-25 from beyond the arc against Oklahoma. While KenPom ranks the Mountaineers at the No. 10 adjusted offense in the nation, they can struggle from the field at times, which could be an issue again in March.
Tuesday night’s matchup in Morgantown against Kansas’ guard-heavy lineup will be one of the most interesting games of Big 12 play. The Mountaineers will then host Texas A&M on Saturday in the Big 12-SEC challenge.
13. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Despite suffering their first loss of ACC play this week, the Fighting Irish continue to be one of the biggest surprises in the nation and have proven themselves capable of winning the brutal conference.
Notre Dame kept it close on the road against a top-10 Florida State team that had a massive size advantage in Tuesday’s 83-80 loss. The Fighting Irish had no problem with Syracuse’s zone on Saturday afternoon in a comfortable win that brought their overall record to 17-3 and 6-1 in ACC play.
Mike Brey is directing another high-octane offense, as the Fighting Irish shot an incredible 15-of-21 from beyond the arc to give the Seminoles a challenge. Matt Farrell has been the biggest key after playing sparingly last season, as the junior is averaging 14.3 points per game on 42.9 percent shooting from beyond the arc.
Terrific shooting from both the perimeter and free throw line has the Fighting Irish ranked ninth in KenPom’s offensive efficiency metric. While the lack of size is going to cause some problems against teams like Florida State, this Fighting Irish team is playing better defense than the previous two squads, which both reached the Elite Eight.
Notre Dame will take on the pack line when it hosts Virginia in an interesting matchup on Tuesday night before hitting the road for a weekend game at Georgia Tech.
12. Creighton Bluejays
It would be unfair to drop a talented Creighton team much more until it loses more games, but the loss of point guard Mo Watson certainly limits the Bluejays’ ceiling.
The Bluejays’ lone game this week was a home matchup against Marquette, their first full contest without Watson. While the offense was still effective, Creighton was overwhelmed defensively in a 102-94 loss to the Eagles in overtime, dropping the team to 18-2 overall.
There’s still enough talent for Creighton to win multiple games in March, and Marquette isn’t exactly a bad loss. Still, Watson is impossible to replace, as he was leading the nation in assists and executed Creighton’s offense to perfection before suffering a torn ACL on Jan. 16.
Players like Marcus Foster, who scored 30 points against Marquette, and Justin Patton are going to have to perform even better for the Bluejays to stay in the top three of the Big East standings. The Bluejays check in at No. 60 in adjusted defensive efficiency, so the Bluejays have little room for error on the offensive end.
Creighton has a chance to gain some confidence with a manageable schedule this week, as it will travel to Georgetown on Wednesday before hosting DePaul.
11. Oregon Ducks
UCLA and Arizona may be dominating the Pac-12 headlines, but Oregon is quickly proving the preseason Final Four hype was warranted.
Oregon crushed a decent California team at home on Thursday night before taking down Stanford to remain perfect in Pac-12 play at 7-0. The Ducks have won 16 straight games and are now 18-2 overall on the season, as this team looks every bit as good as last year’s Elite Eight squad.
Getting preseason All-American Dillon Brooks back from injury was obviously a huge part of Oregon turning things around after a sluggish effort in the Maui Invitational. However, the Ducks are much more than just Brooks, with Chris Boucher, Tyler Dorsey and Jordan Bell all playing at a high level.
KenPom has the Ducks ranked 21st overall, but they grade out well on the defensive end with the nation’s 12th-best offensive efficiency. Oregon leads the country with 153 blocks, with Bell and Boucher combining for over five per game, which is going to cause a matchup problem for just about any team they face.
The Ducks will hit the road for the tricky Mountain road trip this week, including an interesting matchup with an improving Utah squad on Thursday night.
10. Louisville Cardinals
Louisville adjusted to life without point guard Quentin Snider well enough to remain in the top 10 this week, and looks like a legitimate Final Four contender thanks to arguably the best defense in the nation.
The Cardinals dominated a Clemson team that had been playing a few ACC contenders tough in recent games. While Louisville would fall to 4-3 in conference and 16-4 overall with Saturday’s 73-68 loss to Florida State, it was still an impressive enough effort on the road with its leading scorer out due to a hip injury.
Snider is expected to be back soon enough, so the Cardinals won’t fall too far out of the conference title race. Deng Abel and Mangok Mathiang both played well in Snider’s absence, while Donovan Mitchell remains an effective scoring threat.
KenPom ranks Louisville as the No. 2 adjusted defensive efficiency in the country behind South Carolina, as its physical press has become a nightmare for opponents. If the Cardinals can get even a decent shooting performance from the perimeter, they become just about impossible to beat, as teams like Kentucky and Purdue found out earlier this year.
Louisville will look to get through two more winnable games without Snider, as it travels to Pittsburgh and hosts NC State in Week 12.
9. Baylor Bears
The Bears enjoyed another nice bounce back week following their first loss of the season on January 10 at West Virginia to remain right behind Kansas in the Big 12 title race.
Baylor overcame a sluggish start on Tuesday night in Waco to pull away from Texas in a 74-64 win. A much better win came on Saturday, as the Bears took down a good TCU squad 62-53 on the road.
While the Bears probably aren’t going to regain the top spot in the AP Poll anytime soon, they still own the resume of a top two seed at 18-1 overall. In addition to its nonconference victories over Loiuisville and Oregon, Baylor’s road wins over TCU and Kansas State shouldn’t be discounted just due to one loss.
The Bears rank third in the nation in adjusted defensive efficiency and fifth overall per KenPom’s ratings. The offense hasn’t always been terrific, but the Bears have a lot of interior strength with Jonathan Motley and Jo Acuil, while point guard Manu Lecomte has since recovered from an ugly showing against the Mountaineers.
If Baylor can take down Texas Tech at home on Wednesday night, a Feb. 1 matchup at Phog Allen against Kansas will likely be for first place in the conference. The Bears will also travel to Ole Miss for Saturday’s Big 12-SEC challenge to close out Week 12.
8. UCLA Bruins
While a loss to Arizona won’t hurt UCLA’s resume too much, the Bruins have to be concerned about their chances of winning the Pac-12 following Saturday’s developments.
As expected, the Bruins ran all over Arizona State in a 102-80 win on Thursday night, their seventh outing of at least 100 points on the season. However, Arizona took control of the conference with an impressive 96-85 victory over UCLA on Saturday at Pauley Pavilion, dropping the Bruins to 19-2 overall and 6-2 in conference play.
This is is still the nation’s best adjusted offense with six players averaging in double figures. Freshman point guard Lonzo Ball was terrific against the Wildcats with 24 points and eight assists, as UCLA is going to be tough for even the best teams to down.
However, there are real concerns on the defensive end for the Bruins, which led to losses against Arizona and Oregon. The Wildcats controlled the game by shooting 50 percent from the field, as UCLA dropped all the way to 128th in adjusted defensive efficiency per KenPom.
As good as UCLA’s overall resume is, that defensive mark needs to improve if its going to reach the Final Four. The Bruins will look for answers in their lone game this week on the road against crosstown rival USC.
7. Arizona Wildcats
Over the course of the week, Arizona went from fringe top 15 team to Final Four contender, thanks in large part to Trier’s sudden return.
The Wildcats have now won 12 straight games after sweeping the Los Angeles schools on the road this week. At 18-2 with the only losses coming against Butler and Gonzaga, Arizona is quickly building the case for a one seed.
Trier might take a few games to get totally up to speed, but still chipped in 12 points and seven rebounds against the Bruins. Freshman Kobi Simmons led the way with 20 points, while 7-0 forward Lauri Markkanen shot 3-of-4 from beyond the arc to pace Arizona’s offense.
Arizona usually has a stingy defensive unit under Sean Miller, and checks in at No. 12 in adjusted efficiency so far. Markkanen’s unique skill set also makes this team difficult to defend, particularly with Trier back to stretch the floor further.
The job Miller did to navigate through all the injuries and suspensions earlier in the season was nothing short of incredible, and now the Wildcats are positioned for a run through the Pac-12. Arizona should have no trouble extending the winning streak this week, as they host the Washington schools.
6. Florida State Seminoles
As we get further into conference play, it’s becoming clearer and clearer that this Florida State team has the ceiling of a Final Four contender.
Florida State picked up two more wins against top 15 teams in Notre Dame and Louisville this week, giving them five victories against ranked teams for the season. While both games were at home, the Seminoles are building an impressive resume at 18-2 overall and 6-1 in ACC play, with the only loss coming in Chapel Hill.
The Seminoles might have the most interior size and length in the nation, which really showed against the Fighting Irish. Freshman Jonathan Isaac put up a combined 39 points and 20 rebounds in the two wins this week, which is excellent news for Florida State after he went through a bit of a slump early in conference play.
With players like Dwayne Bacon and Xavier Rathan-Mayes capable of taking over at any time, the Seminoles are shooting nearly 50 percent from the floor as a team to rank 11th in the nation. Florida State’s defense checks in at No. 23 in adjusted efficiency, giving the Seminoles enough balance to reel off six straight wins in March.
The Seminoles will look to maintain their tie for first place in the ACC with road trips to Georgia Tech and Syracuse in Week 12. While Florida State should be able to take care of business against the slumping Orange, their size will provide an interesting matchup versus the 2-3 zone.
5. North Carolina Tar Heels
While the Tar Heels are not the most consistent squad in the nation, they are building a top five profile as the team to beat in the ACC.
North Carolina’s only game this week was an 90-82 road win against Boston College. The Tar Heels struggled much more than they should have against a bad Eagles team, which has become a trend for Roy Williams and company after an earlier upset at the hands of Georgia Tech.
Even so, North Carolina is 6-1 in ACC play and 18-3 overall with wins over Florida State and Wisconsin, plus a competitive loss to Kentucky. Theo Pinson has been productive off the bench since returning from injury two weeks ago, while Kennedy Meeks had his best performance of the year with 20 points and nine rebounds against Boston College.
With the duo of Justin Jackson and Joel Berry leading the way, the Tar Heels have the No. 12 adjusted offense in the nation and are pressuring opponents with strong play in transition. The defense is not far behind at No. 14 in KenPom’s ratings, and North Carolina enjoys the luxury of being the best rebounding team in the country.
North Carolina will look to keep pace this week with wins over Virginia Tech and Miami, as the schedule will get much tougher down the stretch.
4. Kentucky Wildcats
There’s no doubt the Wildcats are miles ahead of the rest of the SEC following Week 11’s results. We’ll find out how they compare to the class of another conference this week in a huge showdown with Kansas.
Kentucky let Mississippi State hang around in a hard-fought 88-81 road win on Thursday night. That sluggish play didn’t carry over into the weekend, as Kentucky dismantled a great South Carolina defense in a 85-69 win at Rupp Arena.
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Malik Monk scored 27 points on 4-of-7 shooting from beyond the arc to continue his remarkable freshman season. While backcourt mate De’Aaron Fox was limited to eight minutes of action due to a minor ankle injury, John Calipari has to be thrilled with Bam Adebayo chipping in 18 points in one of his best performances of the season.
As long as Monk continues to play at this level, Kentucky should be able to maintain its ranking of the No. 2 adjusted offense in the country. There are a few questions to be answered on the defensive end after the Wildcats were torched by UCLA and North Carolina, but Kentucky is just a step behind the top three teams in the nation at 17-2 overall.
With South Carolina out of the way, the Wildcats should be on cruise control in the SEC, and figure to have little trouble on the road against Tennessee on Tuesday night. However, the marquee nonconference game of the year awaits when Kansas visits Rupp Arena on Saturday night.
3. Kansas Jayhawks
An 18-game winning streak following the season-opening loss to Indiana puts Kansas firmly in the top three teams in the country, although it is yet to face the best Big 12 competition. The Jayhawks will have a chance to prove themselves as the nation’s best with a pair of very difficult road games in Week 12.
After a tough trip to Ames last Monday, the Jayhawks cruised by Texas at home on Saturday to move to 7-0 in the Big 12. While such a winning streak is impressive no matter what, particularly in a deep conference, Kansas’ only ranked win of the year came back on November 15 against a depleted Duke squad.
Frank Mason continued his Naismith campaign with 17 points and seven assists against the Longhorns. Freshman Josh Jackson is an athletic matchup nightmare, and the Jayhawks are getting enough production down low with Landen Lucas enjoying the best stretch of his career.
Kansas’ four-guard lineup is working on offense, as the Jayhawks rank fourth in adjusted efficiency and are shooting over 50 percent from the field as a team. Bill Self challenged Mason and company to play better defense near the start of Big 12 play with success, although there is still work to be done on that end if Kansas is to win the national title.
That defense will be challenged by Kentucky’s backcourt in Saturday’s showdown at Rupp Arena. As if that wasn’t enough for one week, the Jayhawks will take on the physical West Virginia press on Tuesday night in Morgantown.
2. Gonzaga Bulldogs
While Gonzaga will carry a largely undeserved reputation of underachieving in the NCAA Tournament into March Madness, this team has clearly earned a spot in the top three with a great mix of talent and depth.
The Bulldogs built off the win against Saint Mary’s on Jan. 14 by dominating Santa Clara and beating Portland twice in a span of three days. While we won’t learn anything new about Gonzaga in these games against overmatched WCC opponents, it remains the last undefeated team in Division I at 19-0.
Gonzaga’s frontcourt has been as good as expected with Przemek Karnowski and Zach Collins racking up big numbers. The biggest surprise has been point guard Nigel Williams-Goss, who has improved greatly from his days at Washington to lead the Bulldogs in scoring.
KenPom ranks the Bulldogs as the top team in the nation with the No. 6 adjusted offense and No. 4 adjusted defense. With seven players averaging at least eight points per game, this is looking like Mark Few’s best chance to make a run to the Final Four.
One loss could cost Gonzaga big time in seeding, so the Bulldogs have to be careful in WCC play. Gonzaga will host San Diego on Thursday before facing a quick turnaround in Saturday’s trip to Pepperdine.
1. Villanova Wildcats
The defending national champions kept rolling through the Big East to retain control of the top spot of the power rankings heading into a challenging week.
Villanova had just one game this week, and controlled Providence int he second half for a 78-68 victory. At 19-1 overall with the lone defeat coming at Hinkle Fieldhouse on Jan. 4, the Wildcats are one of the most memorable runs in recent memory dating back to last year’s NCAA Tournament.
The Wildcats’ depth continues to impress, as they got though Naismith candidate Josh Hart’s mini-slump unscathed thanks to Kris Jenkins and Jalen Brunson. While Phil Booth’s knee injury continues to linger, the Wildcats are getting enough out of rotation players like Mikal Bridges and Donte DiVincenzo to remain atop the AP Poll.
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KenPom’s adjusted offensive efficiency ratings have the Wildcats ranked third, as they rank seventh in the nation in field goal percentage. With the No. 17 defense, a team that will be battle-tested against good competition in the Big East, and plenty of experience, all the ingredients are there for another run to the title game.
Villanova will look to avoid a trap game at Marquette before hosting Virginia on Sunday an an intriguing nonconference matchup.