The end of the regular season is fast approaching and the separation between top title contenders is emerging in college basketball. While most eyes of amateur bracketologists have focused on the nightly wars in the SEC, an under-the-radar title contender lies in wait in the Big 12 as Houston has quietly seized control of the rough-and-tumble league.
The Cougars' 68-59 win over No. 8 Iowa State on Saturday pushed their record to 23-4 on the season and a whopping 15-1 in Big 12 play. How did that win, along with the rest of Week 16's top action, impact the upcoming AP Top 25 poll?
Projected AP Top 25 college basketball rankings after Houston tops Iowa State
- Auburn Tigers
- Florida Gators
- Duke Blue Devils
- Houston Cougars
- Tennessee Volunteers
- Alabama Crimson Tide
- St. John's Red Storm
- Michigan State Spartans
- Iowa State Cyclones
- Texas Tech Red Raiders
- Texas A&M Aggies
- Wisconsin Badgers
- Michigan Wolverines
- Clemson Tigers
- Maryland Terrapins
- Missouri Tigers
- Memphis Tigers
- Kentucky Wildcats
- Purdue Boilermakers
- Arizona Wildcats
- Louisville Cardinals
- BYU Cougars
- Mississippi State Bulldogs
- Marquette Golden Eagles
- Saint Mary's Gaels
Houston is the class of the Big 12
Few people are paying attention to the Cougars, which is a mistake given how dominant they have looked throughout the season. Even though the Big 12's top-to-bottom depth isn't as strong as it usually is, going 15-1 in that league is quite a statement to make in a conference that will send at least eight teams dancing.
The only teams to beat Houston this season are Auburn, Alabama, San Diego State and Texas Tech, with the first three coming back in November. Since leaving Las Vegas after their loss to the Aztecs, the Cougars are 19-1 in their past 20 and will have a chance to avenge their defeat to the Red Raiders on Monday night.
Michigan State claims the Big Ten's top spot
The top of the Big Ten has been bounced around like a game of hot potato over the past few weeks but now the top spot is back in the hands of No. 14 Michigan State, which had an extremely impressive week of action. The Spartans were faced with two of the Big Ten's top dogs and handled them with ease, winning 75-66 at home against No. 13 Purdue before heading to Ann Arbor on Friday night and knocking off No. 12 Michigan by 13 points, snapping a six-game winning streak for the Wolverines.
Those kinds of victories could be very important for the Spartans, who have a shot to land on the 2-line if they can secure a Big Ten regular season title and get deep enough in the NCAA Tournament. Sleep on the Spartans at your own peril as March, also known as the month where Tom Izzo does his best work, is approaching and his team is firing on all cylinders.
BYU pushes themselves off the bubble with two huge wins
No team made a bigger gain in the span of a week than BYU, which was clinging to a bubble spot at the beginning of the week and now is in a much better place after scoring a pair of Quad 1 wins against No. 23 Kansas and No. 19 Arizona, with the latter coming on the road. Monday's 34-point demolition of the Jayhawks marked a tie for the worst loss in the Bill Self era and likely knocked Kansas out of the polls for the first time since January of 2009.
The more impressive result is Saturday's gutty road win at No. 19 Arizona, which saw the Cougars take advantage of a crucial foul call with 3.2 seconds to go in order to sink the go-ahead free throws. Winners of four straight, BYU is now poised to consolidate their gains with a very winnable week at Arizona State and hosting slumping West Virginia.
Duke makes a statement at Madison Square Garden
A rare non-conference game in February was a good test for No. 3 Duke, which hasn't been getting pushed too hard in a weak ACC of late. Taking on Illinois at Madison Square Garden turned into a showcase spot for the Blue Devils, who shot almost 56 percent from the floor to blow out the Fighting Illini, 110-67.
That performance didn't even include a master class from Cooper Flagg, who scored 16 points with seven rebounds and five assists in his MSG debut. Seven different Blue Devils reached double figures in this one, showcasing why they are the most dangerous team outside of the SEC in the country.