Each week on Monday, I will be posting a breakdown of the AP Top 25, as well as other headlines from power conference teams around the country.
*AAC, A10, and WCC included in power conferences*
AP Top-25
- Villanova
- Virginia
- Purdue
- Duke
- Michigan State
- Xavier
- Kansas
- Cincinnati
- Arizona
- Texas Tech
- Auburn
- Oklahoma
- Saint Mary’s
- Gonzaga
- West Virginia
- Wichita State
- Ohio State
- Tennessee
- UNC
- Clemson
- Kentucky
- Rhode Island
- Florida
- Michigan
- Arizona State
Top-25 Breakdown
This week, we welcome Kentucky back into the rankings after they took out West Virginia in the Big 12/SEC Challenge, and West Virginia drops a ton with two losses this week. Everything else is pretty solid in my eyes!
Top-25 Notes
- VTech and TCU begin the week with conference upsets of North Carolina and West Virginia.
- #1 Villanova’s Big East dominance continues as they take out top contender Providence with ease by 20. Then, they survived at Marquette by three.
- Oklahoma accomplishes a great win, holding off Kansas, as Trae Young was the biggest factor in the game once again.
- #2 Virginia holds then ranked #18 Clemson to 36 points in a 61-36 win. This defense is unreal and could be one the best we have ever seen.
- Florida, who was ranked, had a quick stay in the top-25, as they were upset by South Carolina.
- Auburn travels to Missouri and beats them by 18 for yet another resume building win. Then, Auburn looks the best they have looked all year in a 21-point blow-out over LSU.
- #3 Purdue for the second time this year barely holds off Michigan, who was ranked at the time.
- Ohio State tied the game versus Penn State with a three, only for Penn State Shep Garner to hit a three off the backboard at the buzzer to keep Penn State in the tournament hunt.
- NC State pulls off yet another upset, as they went to Chapel Hill to knock off UNC. NC State has upset Duke and Arizona as well.
- #2 Virginia controls and dominates Coach K’s court on their way to a victory over Duke.
- Cincinnati goes into Memphis to get a fantastic road win by 14.
- Michigan State trailed the majority of the game at Maryland, only to come back and win by six.
Big 12/SEC Challenge (SEC 6-4)
- Florida absolutely destroys Baylor at home for a momentum-building win.
- Texas Tech gets a crucial win on the road over South Carolina.
- Texas has no problem with Ole Miss, winning by 13.
- Kansas State and Georgia play in a tight game, as Kansas State comes out on top by five.
- Trae Young and Colin Sexton battle, and Sexton won that battle to give Alabama an upset win over Oklahoma.
- Tennessee wins at Iowa State by 23 points.
- TCU falls to the worst team in the SEC, Vandy, which really hurt their tournament stock.
- Kansas takes care of Texas A&M at home for a great win.
- Arkansas beats Oklahoma State at home by just one point.
- Kentucky shocks us all as they pull off an upset over West Virginia in West Virginia.
Other Headlines
- Kansas State steals an important game on the road in Waco, defeating Baylor.
- Arkansas some-how pulls out a double overtime win at Georgia.
- Ole Miss easily takes care of Alabama at home by 12 to make the SEC even more confusing. And to add to it, Texas A&M, who was starting to look better, fell to LSU.
- Syracuse dismantles Boston College for a huge win to get them closer to playing in March.
- Nebraska still has at-large tournament hopes after they beat Rutgers on the road coming off the major upset shot they gave to Ohio State.
- Miami and their freshman phenom Lonnie Walker hold off Louisville for a fantastic win in overtime.
- USC ends Stanford’s hot streak with a 69-64 win.
- Indiana may have ended their March Madness hopes as they allowed Illinois to win their first Big Ten game of the year.
- SMU falls in a game that is going to sting for a few weeks. The Mustangs fell to Uconn who is one of the worst teams in the AAC.
- Tulane will not show up on a bracket in March as they felt to the worst power conference team in the nation (USF), on their home court.
- Rhode Island needed a buzzer-beating three to beat Duquesne at home.
- VTech travels to South Bend to take out the injured Notre Dame fighting Irish by five.
- In the battle of the state of Oregon, the Ducks end the Beavers’ tournament hopes in a victory.
- Missouri suffers an unneeded loss at Mississippi State by 12.
