College basketball power rankings: Michigan State still on top as conference play arrives
Expect a whole lot more moving and shaking from this point forward, as the opening week of conference play features a host of showcase matchups.
Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports
Previous Ranking: 1
Last Week: Beat Oakland (99-93, OT)
This Week: At Iowa (Tuesday); At Minnesota (Saturday)
After almost getting Kahlil Feldered in their first game without Denzel Valentine, Michigan State is now faced with the unenviable task of beginning Big Ten play sans their best player. The good news is that after Tuesday night's tilt against Iowa, the Spartans have a manageable slate of Minnesota, Penn State and Illinois. Hopefully Valentine will be back on the court when the Hawkeyes visit East Lansing Jan. 14.
2. Kansas Jayhawks (10-1)
Previous Ranking: 2
Last Week: Beat San Diego State (70-57)
This Week: vs. UC Irvine (Tuesday); vs. Baylor (Saturday); vs. Oklahoma (Monday)
The pursuit of consecutive Big 12 regular season title No. 12 (have you heard about this?) begins with a pair of huge games against nationally-ranked Baylor and Oklahoma in the span of three days.
3. Oklahoma Sooners (11-0)
Previous Ranking: 3
Last Week: Beat Washington State (88-60); Beat Hawaii (84-81); Beat Harvard (83-71)
This Week: vs. Iowa State (Saturday); At Kansas (Monday)
Is Oklahoma a legitimate threat to Bill Self’s unparalleled regular season conference domination? The Sooners have a chance to make an awfully loud statement right out of the gate with games against the other two beasts of the Big 12, including a Big Monday showdown at Allen Fieldhouse.
4. Maryland Terrapins (11-1)
Previous Ranking: 4
Last Week: Beat Marshall (87-67)
This Week: vs. Penn State (Wednesday); At Northwestern (Saturday)
Is Maryland the best pure shooting team in the country? If they aren’t, they’re awfully close.
5. Xavier Musketeers (12-0)
Previous Ranking: 5
Last Week: Beat Wake Forest (78-70)
This Week: At Villanova (Thursday); vs. Butler (Saturday)
You can’t say the Big East isn’t giving the people what they want right away. The league’s opening week of play features multiple showdowns between its highest-ranked teams, including a pair involving the unbeaten Musketeers.
6. Butler Bulldogs (11-1)
Previous Ranking: 7
Last Week: Beat Southern Utah (88-52); Beat IUPUI (92-54)
This Week: vs. Providence (Thursday); At Xavier (Saturday)
Bulldog sophomore Kelan Martin continues to be in the midst of a full-on star turn for Chris Holtmann. Despite not playing 30 minutes in a single game this season, the 6'6 forward has now scored 12 or more points in six of Butler's last seven games, and has scored 19 or more four times over that same span.
7. Virginia Cavaliers (10-1)
Previous Ranking: 6
Last Week: Beat California (63-62, OT)
This Week: vs. Oakland (Wednesday); vs. Notre Dame (Saturday); At Virginia Tech (Monday)
Virginia’s comeback win over California a week ago was thrilling, but it also highlighted just how much the Cavaliers need to work on their mid-range game if they want to claim their third consecutive ACC title.
8. North Carolina Tar Heels (11-2)
Previous Ranking: 8
Last Week: Beat UNC Greensboro (96-63)
This Week: vs. Clemson (Wednesday); vs. Georgia Tech (Saturday); At Florida State (Monday)
It's a good thing the Tar Heels don't open ACC play with a monster slate, as head coach Roy Williams announced Tuesday that big man Kennedy Meeks will be out at least another week with a bone bruise in his left knee.
9. Iowa State Cyclones (10-1)
Previous Ranking: 9
Last Week: Beat Cincinnati (81-79)
This Week: vs. Coppin State (Wednesday); At Oklahoma (Saturday)
The Cyclones bounced back from their first defeat of the season with an extremely impressive road win over Cincinnati last weekend. They’ll need a similar effort this Saturday to start conference play with a win at third-ranked Oklahoma.
10. Purdue Boilermakers (12-1)
Previous Ranking: 10
Last Week: Beat Vanderbilt (68-55)
This Week: At Wisconsin (Tuesday); vs. Iowa (Saturday)
Loaded with depth, experience, talent and a massive frontcourt, Purdue is hoping to use the same formula that Wisconsin used the last two seasons to have similar postseason success in 2016. That being the case, it's only appropriate that the Boilermakers are opening conference play against the Badgers Tuesday night.
11. Kentucky Wildcats (10-2)
Previous Ranking: 12
Last Week: Beat Louisville (75-73)
This Week: vs. Ole Miss (Saturday)
Kentucky rediscovered its swagger by continuing its dominance over rival Louisville with a 75-73 victory in one of the series' more entertaining games in recent memory. The most impressive thing about the win for the Wildcats was that it came without Isaiah Briscoe, who injured his ankle during warm-ups.
12. Arizona Wildcats (12-1)
Previous Ranking: 13
Last Week: Beat Long Beach State (85-70)
This Week: At Arizona State (Sunday)
Unlike the last two seasons, the Wildcats seem to be just kind of hanging below that primary national radar. Maybe that's exactly what Sean Miller's team needs in order to get over the hump and into the Final Four three months from now.
13. Miami Hurricanes (10-1)
Previous Ranking: 14
Last Week: Beat La Salle (95-49)
This Week: vs. Princeton (Tuesday); vs. Syracuse (Saturday)
Miami enters Tuesday night’s game against Princeton shooting 41.7 percent from three as a team. The Hurricanes have five shooters hitting at above a 36 percent clip from beyond the arc.
14. Providence Friars (12-1)
Previous Ranking: 16
Last Week: No Games
This Week: At Butler (Thursday); vs. St. John’s (Saturday)
Kris Dunn and company will have been idle for more than a week once their showdown with Butler arrives on new Year's Eve. Don't worry about whether that's a good or a bad thing, just enjoy the show.
15. Duke Blue Devils (10-2)
Previous Ranking: 15
Last Week: Beat Elon (105-66)
This Week: vs. Long Beach State (Wednesday); At Boston College (Saturday)
The Devils will be right in the thick of things when all is said and done, but without Amile Jefferson, they just aren't one of the best 10 teams in the country right now. It's been reported that Jefferson is making progress, but there's still no timetable for the senior forward's return.
16. SMU Mustangs (11-0)
Previous Ranking: Not ranked
Last Week: Beat Kent State (90-74); Beat Colorado (70-66)
This Week: At Tulsa (Tuesday); vs. South Florida (Saturday)
It's a shame (and a mistake) that fans aren't going to be able to see the Mustangs in the NCAA Tournament, but credit Larry Brown's players for handling the situation in the most mature fashion imaginable.
DROPPED OUT:
Louisville (11)
THE NEXT 10:
17. Louisville
18. Villanova
19. West Virginia
20. South Carolina
21. Cincinnati
22. Texas A&M
23. Utah
24. Baylor
25. Pittsburgh
26. UCLA
See More:
