1 Villanova
Villanova holds on to the top spot this week, but that might change soon. It was announced yesterday that Phil Booth will be out indefinitely with a fractured hand. This isn't good for a team that's already lacking depth. Losing a double-digit scorer, starter and captain at this point in the season doesn't bode well for the Wildcats. Nova has been absolutely rolling so far, but this might put their fantastic season in jeopardy.
2 Virginia
I was extremely close to putting Purdue over Virginia for this week's rankings, but then Virginia destroyed Clemson 61-36 and allowed 13 points in the second half. That is unbelievable. I don't know what's more impressive actually; Virginia giving up 36 points or Virginia scoring 61 points. The defensive is amazing, but that offensive performance might be more vital to this team's success in the tournament. They visit Duke on Saturday.
3 Purdue
In Purdue's last game they abused Iowa on the road and drilled 20 three-pointers while doing so. Purdue is playing at an extremely high level right now that hasn't been reached by previous Purdue teams. The Double Edwards Attack (DEA) has carried this team to national prominence and dominance. Purdue has yet to lose a Big Ten game, and the more I watch them the more I think they won't.
4 Duke
Duke had a nice win at Wake Forest on Tuesday. Wake Forest isn't a great team by any means, but Duke has started to show the maturity and growth that they needed in road games like Boston College and NC State. That is scary for the rest of the country. Duke came in as the most talented team in the nation, and now they are living up to that expectation. They get Virginia at home on Saturday.
5 Michigan State
Michigan State has started to recover from its recent slump with back to back wins over Indiana and Illinois. Those aren't extraordinary opponents by any means, but the key is that the Spartans actually looked like a top 10 team in those games. We saw them against Rutgers where they played horribly, but now it looks like they are starting to regain their mojo. Another good sign is that Miles Bridges had two good scoring outings with 22 and 31 points respectively. If he plays like the player we thought he'd be, then Michigan State will be fine.
6 Xavier
Xavier pummeled Marquette yesterday, and that followed a win at Seton Hall. It was a dominant week for the Musketeers. What was really impressive to me yesterday was that Xavier was up by 15 points late in the first half against Marquette, and Trevon Bluiett hadn't even scored. Guys like Quentin Goodin and Kerem Kanter have really started to step up for this squad, and now with the Booth injury at Villanova, it's very possible that Xavier can steal the Big East.
7 Kansas
I'm willing to forgive the Oklahoma loss earlier this week because Kansas was up late in the game, and it was one substitution away from winning. Udoka Azubuike is a great center, but he can't shoot a free throw for his life. Bill Self had to realize that there and take him out. Hopefully, the free throw woes of Kansas will be alleviated because of all the helpful fans showing up to the player dorms and offering advice. Yeah that'll really help.
8 Oklahoma
Trae Young had his best performance on Tuesday against Kansas. He was way more efficient (26 Pts, 7/9 FG, 9 Ast, 5 TO), and looked in control of his own game. Young thrashed Kansas with his tremendous court vision and tempo–traits that were noticeable but not always consistent. If Young continues to build off this Kansas game, Oklahoma will turn out alright.
9 Cincinnati
Cincinnati has been freaking awesome in the AAC. They've really put Wichita State behind them thanks to the Shockers kind of imploding. But anyway, the Bearcats are at 7-0 in the conference and have at least a 2 game lead over everyone else. Cronin's Cats have won 11 in a row and are the clear favorite to win the AAC.
10 Arizona
Arizona has quietly put together a four-game win streak in the PAC 12 after losing to Colorado and being called out by Sean Miller. Tonight they get a chance to avenge their only conference loss at home. A lot of people have given up on this Arizona team, and I'll give you one reason why you shouldn't: Deandre F***ing Ayton. If a team has someone so dominant on the basketball court, it's impossible to not look at them as a contender. Arizona is like Duke in that both teams need to learn how to play together. Arizona is doing that now, and we are seeing the results.
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