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College Basketball Power Rankings: Are we sleeping on Gonzaga?

By Mike Phillips

F Drew Timme, Gonzaga Bulldogs. (Photo by Robert Johnson/Getty Images)
F Drew Timme, Gonzaga Bulldogs. (Photo by Robert Johnson/Getty Images) /
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Jaren Holmes, Iowa State Cyclones
G Jaren Holmes, Iowa State Cyclones. (Photo by David K Purdy/Getty Images) /

10. Week 11 College Basketball Power Rankings – Iowa State Cyclones

  • Previously: Honorable Mention
  • Record: 13-3 (4-1 In Big 12)
  • Last Week: Won 84-50 Vs. Texas Tech, Lost 62-60 At No. 2 Kansas
  • This Week: Vs. No. 10 Texas 1/17, At Oklahoma State 1/21

Teams don’t normally move up in the power rankings after a loss but Iowa State demonstrated how strong they are with a blowout win over Texas Tech before taking Kansas to the brink at Allen Fieldhouse. The Cyclones are a legitimate Big 12 powerhouse and have another tough week on tap as they welcome Texas to town on Tuesday before traveling to a desperate Oklahoma State team on Saturday.

9. Week 11 College Basketball Power Rankings – Virginia Cavaliers

  • Previously: Honorable Mention
  • Record: 13-3 (5-2 In ACC)
  • Last Week: Won 65-58 Vs. North Carolina, Won 67-58 At Florida State
  • This Week: Vs. Virginia Tech 1/18, At Wake Forest 1/21

The ACC is extremely topsy-turvy but Virginia appears to be the best of the bunch and picked up a quality victory over North Carolina on Tuesday. The Cavaliers’ defensive style will lead to plenty of close games, which is a risky way to play in a league where upsets seem to occur on a daily basis, making this week’s contests with Virginia Tech and Wake Forest dangerous.

8. Week 11 College Basketball Power Rankings – Tennessee Volunteers

  • Previously: 5th
  • Record: 14-3 (4-1 In SEC)
  • Last Week: Won 77-68 Vs. Vanderbilt, Lost 63-56 Vs. Kentucky
  • This Week: At Mississippi State 1/17, At LSU 1/21

The Volunteers have been a very good team throughout Rick Barnes’ tenure but will deliver a stinker like Saturday’s loss to floundering Kentucky every once in a while. The loss in a vacuum may prove to be an isolated incident of a talented team finding its groove for a day but Tennessee’s sloppy effort showed why they will be one of the more difficult teams to project in March Madness. Both a Final Four trip and a first-round exit could be in the cards depending on which version of the Volunteers shows up on a given day.

7. Week 11 College Basketball Power Rankings – Xavier Musketeers

  • Previously: 9th
  • Record: 15-3 (7-0 In Big East)
  • Last Week: Won 90-87 Vs. Creighton, Won 80-76 Vs. No. 25 Marquette
  • This Week: At DePaul 1/18, Vs. Georgetown 1/21

The Musketeers proved they are the class of the Big East by going through a two-week gauntlet of games against UCONN, Villanova (on the road), Creighton and Marquette with a perfect 4-0 record. The schedule eases up this week with dates against DePaul and Georgetown.

6. Week 11 College Basketball Power Rankings – UCLA Bruins

  • Previously: 7th
  • Record: 16-2 (7-0 In Pac-12)
  • Last Week: Won 68-49 Vs. Utah, Won 68-54 Vs. Colorado
  • This Week: At Arizona State 1/19, At Arizona 1/21

A halftime deficit against Colorado turned into a 14-point win for UCLA, which blitzed the Boulders after the break to remain the class of the Pac-12. This week’s Arizona trip is the toughest stretch of the season for the Bruins as they will try to secure at least a split against the league’s two most likely at-large contenders.