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College basketball power rankings: Can anyone catch Gonzaga?

By Mike Phillips

SPOKANE, WA - FEBRUARY 12: Chet Holmgren #34 of the Gonzaga Bulldogs reacts after a three-pointer during the second half of the game against the St. Mary's Gaels at the McCarthey Athletic Center on February 12, 2022 in Spokane, Washington. (Photo by Robert Johnson/Getty Images)
SPOKANE, WA - FEBRUARY 12: Chet Holmgren #34 of the Gonzaga Bulldogs reacts after a three-pointer during the second half of the game against the St. Mary's Gaels at the McCarthey Athletic Center on February 12, 2022 in Spokane, Washington. (Photo by Robert Johnson/Getty Images) /
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LOS ANGELES, CA – FEBRUARY 12: Johnny Juzang #3 of the UCLA Bruins as he drives to the basket during the game at Galen Center on February 12, 2022, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – FEBRUARY 12: Johnny Juzang #3 of the UCLA Bruins as he drives to the basket during the game at Galen Center on February 12, 2022, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) /

The Gonzaga Bulldogs remain on top of this week’s college basketball rankings, but which teams can give them a run for their money in March?

Unlike last season, where it felt like Gonzaga and Baylor were destined to meet for a national championship, college basketball has a much more level playing field this season. The Bulldogs are still on top of the heap, as they were in last week’s college basketball rankings, and were the top seed in the NCAA’s Top 16 seed reveal on Saturday but selection committee chair Tom Burnett indicated the margin between Gonzaga and the next two teams on the top line was razor-thin.

Could Burnett’s words be an indicator that someone is capable of knocking off the Zags in March? We’ll see on that front, but let’s take a look at this week’s college basketball rankings for a strong collection of teams that have a shot at taking down Gonzaga in the NCAA Tournament.

Note: All AP rankings listed are from the Week 15 Top 25 poll.

Week 16 College Basketball Rankings: Honorable Mentions

UCLA, Tennessee, Providence, Murray State, Wisconsin

Tennessee and Providence were in the Top 10 last week but fell out after splits of their games. These two teams are still dangerous and gaining confidence down the stretch, making them fascinating teams to examine when the brackets come out in a few weeks.

UCLA was the first team out of the Top 10 after sweeping the week but need to find a way to get revenge against Oregon (as well as taking care of lowly Oregon State) to restore some faith in themselves after their Arizona-trip debacle. Murray State maintains its place here with a 16-game winning streak while Wisconsin checks back into the honorable mentions after a 2-0 week that ended with some drama in the handshake line against Michigan.