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College basketball power rankings: Why doesn’t Alabama get more respect?

By Mike Phillips

F Brandon Miller, Alabama Crimson Tide. (Photo by Michael Chang/Getty Images)
F Brandon Miller, Alabama Crimson Tide. (Photo by Michael Chang/Getty Images) /
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Ryan Kaklbrenner, Creighton Bluejays
F Ryan Kaklbrenner, Creighton Bluejays. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images) /

Alabama remained perfect in SEC play with a win over Auburn on Saturday. Where will the Crimson Tide fall in this week’s college basketball power rankings?

The top of the AP Top 25 poll in college basketball has been a bit of a merry-go-round this year. North Carolina began the year on top and an early slump has seen the spot ceded to Houston, which has traded it with Purdue over the past two months.

One team that hasn’t received a ton of consideration for the top spot is Alabama, which is one of just three teams left in the country to be unbeaten in conference play and the only one to do so in a Power 5 league. The Crimson Tide also played a tremendous non-conference schedule, picking up wins over the Tar Heels and Houston in the process, with the only losses coming to UCONN in Portland, Gonzaga and at Oklahoma.

The third loss is an outlier where Nate Oats’ team played its worst game of the season against a Big 12 bubble outfit, but it certainly feels like the Crimson Tide have been punished for that performance by the pollsters more than they should be. Where does Alabama fall in this week’s rankings? Find out below, but first let’s take a look at the honorable mentions.

Week 15 College Basketball Power Rankings – Honorable Mentions

Note: All rankings referenced in this story are based on the Week 14 AP Top 25 poll.

Kansas State, Marquette, Indiana, Saint Mary’s, Creighton

Marquette was in the Top 10 last week but slipped out after getting demolished by UCONN, which does raise a few questions about the Golden Eagles’ ability to stack up against NCAA Tournament teams. Kansas State also held steady with another split week in the Big 12, which is nothing to be ashamed of given the strength of the league.

The two newcomers to this section are Indiana and Creighton, who are two of the hottest teams in the country. The Hoosiers followed up their dramatic upset of Purdue by knocking off a very good Rutgers team and holding off a desperate Wolverines team to assert themselves as the Big Ten’s second-best team.

Things are getting intense for the Bluejays, who have ripped off seven straight victories to re-assert themselves as a team worthy of top billing. A seven-game losing streak in the middle of the season will likely depress Creighton’s seed but their talent level will make them a very dangerous out in March if they can keep this form going.