It was absolute carnage throughout most of the Power Rankings this past week. Of the 16 teams ranked last week, eight suffered losses and one didn't play a game. Of the next nine teams under consideration last week that would have been able to play themselves into the rankings this week, six lost and one didn't play a game.
All season, the talk has been about Gonzaga and Baylor and the battle for third. But you can take it further. The battle for the 1-seeds is going to be as heated -- and as deep -- as ever. Michigan, Villanova, Houston, Texas, Iowa, Alabama have all had a chance at a top-four ranking in the past couple of weeks, while Tennessee was considered a clear top-five team not too long ago. There are going to be plenty of twists and turns in the final month of the regular season.
And that's why, due to a few good weeks of play, Ohio State and Illinois find themselves in the top five this week. That's really all it takes this season. That said, both the Buckeyes and Fighting Illini are playing as well as anyone in the country: Ohio State has won seven of its past eight contests, including victories over Illinois, Wisconsin and Iowa, while Illinois has won four in a row and eight of 10. The only thing we can guarantee for next week, though, is that Illinois won't be going anywhere. Why so confident? The Illini don't have a game scheduled for this week.
Team of the Week: Illinois Fighting Illini
On paper, Brad Underwood's team has had the ability to be in the upper tier of college basketball all season. But for most of the campaign, the Illini seem to have been missing something. Back-to-back home losses to Maryland and Ohio State in mid-January dropped them to 9-5 overall and 5-3 in the Big Ten and sent the Illini out of the Power Rankings for the first time all season. Well, they're back, and whatever was wrong a month ago seems to be figured out. Illinois won at Indiana on Tuesday in overtime; it was an ugly game, but the Illini pulling out a road win in overtime after Ayo Dosunmu struggled and then fouled out is still impressive. Then they handled Wisconsin easily on Saturday, never trailing after an initial 2-0 Badgers lead.
Underwood has All-American-caliber players in Dosunmu and Kofi Cockburn, but there's also a good mix of veterans and talented newcomers rounding out the rest of the rotation. Senior Trent Frazier hit huge shots against both Iowa and Indiana in the past couple of weeks, while glue guy Da'Monte Williams is shooting 59% from 3. At the other end of the class spectrum, the entire offense ran through freshman Andre Curbelo down the stretch against the Hoosiers, and Adam Miller has NBA potential. This team is Final Four-good.
Player of the Week: Davion Mitchell, Baylor Bears
Davion Mitchell is playing himself into the first round of this year's NBA draft. The former Auburn transfer has been playing at high level over the past two weeks, going for 31 points, five assists and three steals against Kansas State on Jan. 27, following it up with 13 points and seven assists against Auburn and then registering 27 points and four assists in a win at Texas last week. Mitchell also shot 15-for-22 from 3-point range over those three games. Mitchell is one of the nation's elite defensive players, and now he also is shooting 49.4% from 3-point range. As a result, it probably shouldn't come as too much of a surprise that he is up to No. 29 in ESPN's NBA draft rankings. Jared Butler is always going to get most of the attention for Baylor as the best guard in college basketball. But Mitchell has shown the ability to carry the offense for stretches, when needed, and his two-way ability is up there with anyone in the country.
Win of the Week: St. John's Red Storm 70, Villanova Wildcats 59
The biggest compliment one can give the Red Storm for this game is the outcome was really never in doubt for the final 30 minutes of the contest. St. John's completely outplayed Villanova, taking the Wildcats out of what they wanted to do on the offensive end. Jay Wright's team looked rattled for stretches, settling for shots and turning the ball over. The Red Storm went on a 14-2 run spanning both halves and then kept Villanova at an arm's length the rest of the way. There were a couple of times it looked as if Villanova might get run out of the building. St. John's freshman Posh Alexander tormented the Wildcats all night, going for 16 points, six assists and three steals. He was a one-man full-court press, not allowing Collin Gillespie (who finished 2-for-12 with six turnovers) to get in a rhythm.
Combined with Saturday's win at Providence, the Red Storm are squarely in the mix for the NCAA tournament. St. John's has now won six in a row to get back above .500 in the Big East, and according to the New York Post's Zach Braziller, it's the Red Storm's first four-game road winning streak in the league since 1999. Can they build on this? The schedule is friendly down the stretch.
Coach of the Week: Chris Holtmann, Ohio State Buckeyes
Chris Holtmann should be a legitimate candidate for national coach of the year this season, as he has Ohio State exceeded expectations, yet again. Entering the season, the Buckeyes were picked seventh in the Big Ten by media members around the league, sneaking inside the preseason AP poll at No. 23 nationally. As we enter the final month of the season, Ohio State is a top-five team nationally and has a real shot to be a 1-seed, following its win at Iowa on Thursday. Holtmann has kept the train rolling despite prized graduate transfer Seth Towns still working his way to full health, while also dealing with multiple point guard injuries all season. The coach is winning in a way that isn't usually in his wheelhouse -- with offense. The Buckeyes have had a top-25 defense nationally in each of Holtmann's three years in Columbus, but this season's team ranks No. 70 nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency at KenPom. He countered that by helping devise the nation's No. 4-ranked offense -- and Holtmann is doing it without a single player ranked in ESPN's Top 100 NBA draft prospects.
Three teams with questions
UConn Huskies: Since a 7-1 start to the season that saw the Huskies earn top-25 votes, they have lost three of four games. And four of their next five games are on the road. Here's the good news: James Bouknight, who was playing at an All-American level before missing the past six games after undergoing elbow surgery, is expected to return this week.
Minnesota Golden Gophers: There are few teams that can match the Golden Gophers' marquee wins: versus Michigan, Ohio State and Iowa. But there also are some big negatives on their résumé. Richard Pitino's team has lost five of its past six and has still yet to win a game away from home this season. They're down to 4-7 in the Big Ten.
LSU Tigers: I don't think the Tigers' at-large profile is nearly as solid as it might seem at a quick glance. Their NET and SOS numbers are good, but they are 1-5 against Quadrant 1 teams, with their best win coming at home against Arkansas. Outside of that, there's nothing of note. They've lost four of five games and have one of the worst defenses in the league.
Power Rankings
1. Gonzaga Bulldogs (18-0)
Previous ranking: 1
This week: at BYU (Monday), at Santa Clara (Thursday), at San Francisco (Saturday)
Gonzaga didn't end up getting the marquee nonconference game it was looking for this past weekend, as discussions with Houston fell apart late, and Villanova needed to make up Big East games instead of playing outside of the league. But the Bulldogs handled Pacific in a game that was tougher than expected; it was the only the second time all season the Zags trailed at halftime. It also was their worst offensive outing; they scored a season-low 1.03 points per possession, didn't get their typical share of offensive rebounds and hit just 4-for-17 from 3. And now Gonzaga enters its toughest week of WCC play, with three road games in six days, including Monday's trip to Provo, Utah, to face BYU, the second-best team in the league.
2. Baylor Bears (17-0)
Previous ranking: 2
This week: vs. Texas Tech (Saturday)
Scott Drew continues to get really solid production from his bench. The Bears mostly only go eight deep, but the reserve trio of Adam Flagler, Matthew Mayer and Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua provide a little bit of everything. Flagler is a very good 3-point shooter who can provide instant offense; he has hit double figures nine times this season off the bench. Mayer brings versatility and size on the wing; he can make shots from the perimeter but also is active going to the rim and finishing. Tchamwa Tchatchoua is a high-motor interior player who will crash the glass and provide energy for as long as he is on the floor. Those three give Drew quality options and flexibility, whether he wants to go with a four-guard lineup or needs to add some size.
3. Michigan Wolverines (13-1)
Previous ranking: 4
This week: at Wisconsin (Sunday)
Despite not playing since Jan. 22, the Wolverines move up a spot in the rankings due to seemingly every other team around them suffering a loss this past week. With the struggles of Iowa and Wisconsin, they're also comfortably atop the Big Ten standings, with only Illinois within two games in the loss column. The big question, however, is when we see Michigan back in action -- and whether the Wolverines will pick up where they left off. Their game against Illinois on Thursday has been postponed. Sunday's tilt against Wisconsin is expected to be played, but that's not the easiest game to play after missing three-plus weeks.
4. Ohio State Buckeyes (15-4)
Previous ranking: 9
This week: at Maryland (Monday), vs. Indiana (Saturday)
I wrote a lot about Ohio State's push for a 1-seed this past week, but let's focus on E.J. Liddell's recent performance -- and his emergence as one of the Big Ten's best players. A highly touted recruit coming out of high school, Liddell didn't really find a rhythm as a freshman, scoring in double figures just six times -- although two of those came in the final two games of the season. This campaign, Liddell has been the go-to guy for the Buckeyes, given his size and ability to score in different ways. He has been dominant over Ohio State's past six outings, averaging 19.2 points and 7.2 rebounds and shooting 42.1% from 3-point range. The Buckeyes' offense is operating at an elite level lately, and Liddell is a major reason for that.
5. Illinois Fighting Illini (13-5)
Previous ranking: 10
This week: None
With Michigan postponing its game against Illinois on Thursday, the Fighting Illini aren't in action until Feb. 16 against Northwestern, assuming the Big Ten doesn't change the schedule for them this week. That's unfortunate for Brad Underwood's team, which in recent weeks has been playing as well as it has all season. The Illini have won four games in a row and eight of their past 10, with two home losses by a combined nine points the only slip-ups during that stretch. While the role players have been solid, it's the tandem of Ayo Dosunmu and Kofi Cockburn who make the difference. On Saturday against Wisconsin, Dosunmu tallied 21 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists, while Cockburn posted 23 points and 14 boards. They are the best inside-outside duo in the country east of Spokane, Washington.
6. Villanova Wildcats (12-2)
Previous ranking: 3
This week: vs. Marquette (Wednesday), at Creighton (Saturday)
Villanova hasn't truly hit its stride since returning from a monthlong COVID-19 pause, and it finally caught up to the Wildcats against St. John's on Wednesday. The Red Storm controlled the game, and Villanova looked surprisingly out of sync. The Wildcats bounced back against Georgetown on Sunday, although the win was a bit less convincing than the 10-point final margin showed. On the plus side, Jermaine Samuels is back to playing well, following a poor performance against the Johnnies. Samuels had 32 points and six 3-pointers against Georgetown, while also contributing six rebounds and five assists. He has now scored in double figures in four of five games since the pause, after hitting that mark just twice in the first nine games of the season.
7. Alabama Crimson Tide (15-5)
Previous ranking: 7
This week: at South Carolina (Tuesday), vs. Georgia (Saturday)
It's been a concerning four-game stretch for the Crimson Tide: Not only have they lost two of those four, they haven't looked overly impressive in any of the them. They've scored fewer than one point per possession in all four games after surpassing that mark in nine straight games. They've shot a combined 31-for-97 from 3-point range, good for 32% from behind the arc. Before the four-game stretch, though, they had made at least 40% from 3-point range in six of their previous seven games. John Petty Jr.'s performance has been a microcosm of Alabama's performance: In the eight tilts prior to the Jan. 26 game against Kentucky, he averaged 16.0 points and shot 53.6% from 3; in the four contests since, he is averaging 9.0 points and shooting 30% from 3.
8. Houston Cougars (16-2)
Previous ranking: 5
This week: at South Florida (Wednesday), vs. Memphis (Sunday)
We're not going to focus too much on Houston's showdown against Our Lady of the Lake on Saturday, when Kelvin Sampson rested all five starters and the Cougars still won by 66 points. Three days prior, Houston saw its eight-game winning streak snapped at East Carolina in a stunning upset. It was the Cougars' worst defensive effort of the season: the first time they had allowed more than one point per possession; the first time they had allowed more than 67 points; and the first time they had allowed more than seven 3-pointers. At the other end, Quentin Grimes struggled. Grimes has been one of the best guards in the country this season, but he was 2-for-10 with seven points in the loss -- one game after he had shot 1-for-9 and finished with six points.
9. Missouri Tigers (13-3)
Previous ranking:14
This week: at Ole Miss (Wednesday), vs. Arkansas (Saturday)
The efficiency-based metrics are still not in love with the Tigers, but they're slowly getting there. Their win over Alabama moved them into the top 30 at KenPom for the first time all season. In terms of résumé, though, very few teams can match Missouri. The Tigers are No. 5 in ESPN's strength of record metric, which measures a team's résumé, and they now have five Quadrant 1 wins. They beat Illinois and Oregon in nonconference play and knocked off Arkansas and Tennessee away from home; now they have another marquee victory, against Alabama at home, to add to their belt. It will be interesting to see which part of Missouri's résumé the committee values more come Selection Sunday.
10. Virginia Cavaliers (13-3)
Previous ranking: 13
This week: at Georgia Tech (Wednesday), vs. North Carolina (Saturday)
Virginia bounced back from its first ACC loss of the season with a pair of seven-point wins over NC State and Pittsburgh to stay in the driver's seat at the top of the league standings. It was another week in which the Cavaliers' flip from a defensive powerhouse to an offensive juggernaut was apparent, as well. To be sure, Tony Bennett's team isn't suddenly porous on the defensive end; the Cavaliers are still No. 1 in the ACC in defensive efficiency in league play. But they've allowed more than 1.03 points per possession in six of their past 11 games. That's a mark they allowed just four times all of last season. Offensively, they've scored more than 1.02 points per possession 14 times this season; they hit that mark five times last season.
11. Texas Tech Red Raiders (14-5)
Previous ranking: In the waiting room
This week: vs. West Virginia (Tuesday), at Baylor (Saturday)
If Kevin McCullar is hitting 3s consistently, look out. The sophomore forward from San Antonio was unheralded coming out of high school and didn't see a huge role for most of his freshman season -- until he started the final six games of the campaign and hit double figures three times. Unfortunately, he missed the first nine games of this campaign with a high ankle sprain. But he has been on a tear since returning. McCullar has scored in double figures in seven of 10 games. He totaling 28 points, 14 rebounds and six assists in two wins this past week. But here's the stat to watch: He shot 5-for-7 from 3-point range in the two games. Prior to that, he had shot 2-for-15 from behind the arc on the season.
12. West Virginia Mountaineers (13-5)
Previous ranking: 16
This week: at Texas Tech (Tuesday), vs. Oklahoma (Saturday)
The Mountaineers' midseason transition from a paint-based unit to a smaller, perimeter-heavy lineup following Oscar Tshiebwe's departure has been fairly remarkable. It's been a complete change of style. In Saturday's win over Kansas, West Virginia made 11 3-pointers, representing the third time in the past eight games the Mountaineers made double-digit 3s in a game. They didn't hit that mark a single time last season, and they also didn't make more than eight 3s in their first 10 games of this campaign (all games Tshiebwe played). The biggest beneficiary in terms of minutes has been Jalen Bridges. But Taz Sherman went from averaging 10.5 points and shooting 36.4% from 3 with Tshiebwe in the lineup to averaging 16.3 points and shooting 43.2% since Tshiebwe departed.
13. Oklahoma Sooners (12-5)
Previous ranking: 12
This week: at West Virginia (Saturday)
Oklahoma had been just fine without Austin Reaves and Alondes Williams, who were both sidelined due to COVID-19 protocols, but the Sooners really struggled on the offensive end against Texas Tech last week. Reaves has been one of the best guards in the Big 12 this season, scoring and distributing at an impressive clip. Before missing two games, Reaves had dropped 23 points and four assists against Texas; he was then slotted directly back into the starting lineup against Iowa State on Saturday and finished with 16 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. Oklahoma's offense is far more efficient with Reaves in the fold; the two contests Reaves missed were the only two in which the Sooners scored fewer than one point per possession in their past seven.
14. Iowa Hawkeyes (13-6)
Previous ranking: 8
This week: vs. Rutgers (Wednesday), at Michigan State (Saturday)
Iowa blew a double-digit lead against Ohio State and then let Indiana win in the final minute on Sunday, dropping the Hawkeyes to 7-5 in the Big Ten with losses in four of their past five games. They have really struggled shooting the ball after halftime during this five-game stretch, going 2-for-10 from behind the arc against Indiana on Sunday. Over the past five games, they are just 16-for-57 from 3-point range in the second half, good enough for a 28.1% clip. Considering the Hawkeyes make 3-pointers at a 38.5% rate on the season, that's a notable drop-off -- especially when combined with Iowa's generally paltry defense. Luka Garza is great, but his supporting cast hasn't been enough late in games.
15. Texas Longhorns (11-5)
Previous ranking: 6
This week: at Kansas State (Tuesday), vs. TCU (Saturday)
One month ago, Texas was on a six-game winning streak, coming off a victory at West Virginia and looking like one of the best teams in the country. Since then, the Longhorns have lost four of five and had a COVID-19 pause right in the middle. Things hit rock bottom on Saturday against Oklahoma State, with Texas shooting a stunningly bad 5-for-35 from 3-point range and scoring just 0.74 points per possession for its worst offensive outing since last February against Baylor. The Longhorns actually guarded well, but they've struggled at that end of the floor too, allowing more than one point per possession in five of their past seven games. With three of their next four games coming against Kansas State, TCU and Iowa State, Shaka Smart will have opportunities to turn it around.
16. Tennessee Volunteers (13-4)
Previous ranking: 11
This week: vs. Florida (Wednesday), at LSU (Saturday)
Tennessee's season was at a crossroads on Saturday against Kentucky. The Volunteers had lost three of its previous five games and were staring at a 10-point deficit against the Wildcats with 12 minutes left. Then the five-star freshman backcourt of Jaden Springer and Keon Johnson came to life. They scored 22 of Tennessee's next 26 points, flipping the 10-point disadvantage into a 10-point lead and leading the Volunteers to a win. Springer and Johnson combined for 31 points, five rebounds and three assists in the second half -- and totaled 50 points for the game. Tennessee's offense has fallen off a cliff the past few weeks, but Springer and Johnson might have provided a much-needed spark moving forward.
Dropped out: Wisconsin (No. 15)
In the waiting room
Wisconsin Badgers: Wisconsin has lost three of its past five and four of its past eight -- with all four losses coming by double figures. Defensively, the Badgers have allowed opponents to make 50% or better from inside the arc in each of the four defeats. On the offensive end, Wisconsin has scored fewer than one point per possession in six of its past eight games.
USC Trojans: It came against a short-handed UCLA team, but the Trojans enjoyed complete control in the Battle for Los Angeles on Saturday night -- and now they have a leg up in the race for the Pac-12 title. By the way, Southern California is 3-0 against UCLA in the past two seasons. The Trojans have won nine of their past 10 games and have one of the best defenses in college basketball.
Florida State Seminoles: The Seminoles were off this past week due to COVID-19 issues, as they had three games postponed. They're expected to return to action against Wake Forest on Saturday. After the game against the Demon Deacons, two games that could decide the ACC race will follow: home versus Virginia and home against Virginia Tech.