Giovanni Fanta
College basketball broadcaster and reporter
If you wait till March for the craziness, you will miss the great thing about January’s chaos. When we get to the useless of winter, I liken it to the canine days of baseball. Some of the perfect groups in males’s school basketball will undergo defeat, and for no less than one week, we see a mixture of dramatic finishes and mind-boggling last scores that make you query what we have been watching all season.
Last week I gave a number of groups the Monopoly “get out of jail free” card that we all the time hoped to obtain by taking part in the favored board sport. In whole, 18 of my high 25 final week misplaced.
We noticed it in Minneapolis on Thursday night time when Dawson Garcia hit a 3-pointer from the emblem as time expired to provide Minnesota a stunning 84-81 victory over a ranked Michigan staff:
In Milwaukee, a Marquette staff that had beforehand posted a 10-0 report at residence through the season was shocked by a Xavier staff that entered 0-7 in Quadrant 1 video games:
In Morgantown, West Virginia’s high 10 giant-killers obtained their one-of-a-kind victory in Year 1 of the Darian DeVries period with a surprising 64-57 victory over No. 2 Iowa State because of 27 factors, seven rebounds and 5 assists from Javon Small. and 4 steals:
And in Nashville, a Tennessee staff that beat a beforehand ranked Georgia staff by 18 factors on Wednesday went to Vanderbilt and fell quick, 76-75, for under the Vols’ second lack of the season. Meanwhile, Mark Byington obtained his first signature win in Year 1 on the helm, an enormous win that places the Commodores in my predicted Field of 68 in the mean time.
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In the midst of the upsets and insanity, Auburn and Duke remained unscathed. The Tigers continued with out Johni Broome and adopted up a dominant win over Mississippi State with a 70-68 win at Georgia on Saturday. When Tahaad Pettiford cooks from past the arc, the freshman places the Tigers into a unique gear. One of the perfect first-year gamers within the sport, the 6-foot-1 guard totaled 24 factors whereas taking pictures 5-of-7 from 3-point territory, whereas powerful shooters Chad Baker-Mazara and Miles Kelly scored 13 factors every. Not having Broome and nonetheless successful the rebounding battle over Georgia (39-38) was spectacular, as was a 22-point blowout over Mississippi State through which Chaney Johnson had 17 factors and eight rebounds and Baker-Mazara had scored 20.
Meanwhile, for the Blue Devils, Cooper Flagg positive loves Saturday video games. Three of his final 5 video games got here on Saturday, and in all three he scored no less than 24 factors: 28 factors, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, two blocks and two steals within the Blue Devils’ 88-63 win at Boston College on Saturday night time. After a scoreless efficiency towards Miami (Fla.), junior guard Tyrese Proctor scored 20 factors within the win. Freshman Isaiah Evans, who scored 18 factors within the win over Auburn on Dec. 4, buried 4 3-pointers and made 16 on Saturday night time in New England. With their final two wins by a mixed 60 factors, the Blue Devils have jumped to No. 1 within the KenPom rankings.
With that mentioned, let’s get to our Top 25!
1. Coppery (17-1)
Duke is likely to be first in an analytics mannequin, however for me the Tigers will not budge from the king’s chair. Their backcourt is the perfect within the nation, in my view, and it confirmed how nicely coached they’re that Bruce Pearl was capable of deal with final week with out Broome and go 2-0. In the 2 wins, Baker-Mazara hit 6 of 11 from distance and continues so as to add a gradual senior presence. The Tigers have a midweek bye earlier than internet hosting Tennessee on Saturday (8:30 p.m. ET) in one of many largest video games of the season to this point.
2. Duke (16-2)
The Blue Devils have the nation’s longest successful streak at 12 video games after Saturday’s blowout at Conte Forum and are 5-0 on the highway — their greatest begin on the highway for the reason that 2018-19 season, once they received their first seven video games away. The streak is the longest for this system for the reason that 2014-15 season, when this system final received the nationwide championship. This staff defends at a excessive degree and has the perfect participant within the sport. When Proctor is at his greatest, Duke turns into extraordinarily tough to beat.
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3. Iowa State (15-2)
No, I’m not penalizing the Cyclones for a loss in an precise highway sport in West Virginia. They have been 1-of-17 from 3-point vary and totaled simply 4 assists whereas committing 14 turnovers within the loss. Of course, the Mountaineers protection was disruptive and had rather a lot to do with it, however these numbers sign that when it is not your day, it is not your day. Iowa State’s 17-point residence win earlier within the week towards Kansas is what retains them in my high 3. You’ll see why later:
Sure, Alabama suffered a house loss to Ole Miss final week, however Saturday’s response in Lexington, Kentucky, with a 102-97 win over the Wildcats, is purpose sufficient to maintain the Crimson Tide in my high 5. What went incorrect within the defeat towards the rebels? Ole Miss held Mark Sears and Labaron Philon to 2-of-16 taking pictures from the ground, utilizing their athleticism and size to close down Alabama’s backcourt duo. On Saturday, Sears had 24 factors and 9 assists, whereas Grant Nelson had 25 factors and 11 rebounds. Nate Oats’ staff will in all probability be in my Final Four after I full my bracket. I belief of their expertise and talent to attain.
5. Houston (14-3)
Did you recognize Kelvin Sampson is 20-1 in his final 21 video games teaching within the Big 12? That’s completely unimaginable, particularly when you think about that one loss got here in Kansas, the place virtually nobody wins. In different phrases, Houston was unstoppable in all places. They beat UCF on Saturday, 69-68, with a game-winning play by J’Wan Roberts.
Houston hosts Utah on Tuesday (8 p.m. ET) earlier than visiting Kansas on Saturday (6:30 p.m. ET).
6. Florida (16-2)
I’ve the Gators ranked sixth even after a loss to Missouri, which joined my rankings this week, as a result of they’re the strongest of the crop of Florida, Tennessee and Kentucky within the rankings — and each the Vols and Wildcats have suffered losses on the weekend. Sure, Florida misplaced at Rupp Arena, however the head-to-head win over Tennessee issues. It wasn’t like I used to be discounting it final week, I simply thought it was harsh to fully transfer the Vols from in all probability first place to fully out of the highest 5. But Gator followers, I feel Walter Clayton and Alijah Martin are probably the greatest duos within the nation and that there’s a top-tier staff that may get to the Final Four.
While Chaz Lanier led 4 Vols in double figures with 17 factors on Saturday, the Tennessee star and All-American candidate had 5 turnovers within the loss to Vanderbilt. Offensive drought should be a theme for the Vols, and their bench is nothing to write down residence about past Jordan Gainey. He was quiet on Saturday, ending 1-for-6 from the ground. The Vols host Mississippi State on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET) earlier than visiting Auburn on Saturday (8:30 p.m. ET), adopted by Kentucky and Florida the next week. Life within the SEC!
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8. Kentucky (14-4)
The Wildcats opened the week main Georgia, however Saturday’s loss marked the second time within the final two weeks that Kentucky allowed no less than 100 factors. The protection must be cleaned up, in any other case this staff’s ceiling can be very a lot based mostly on matchups within the NCAA Tournament.
9. Michigan State (16-2)
In his thirtieth season on the helm, Tom Izzo has a 16-2 staff that has received 11 straight video games and is on their own atop the Big Ten at 7-0. Michigan State prolonged its outstanding successful streak, this system’s longest for the reason that Spartans reached the Final Four within the 2018-19 season, with an 80-78 win over Illinois. What makes this Spartans staff so particular? Their capacity to generate tempo and dribbling penetration, with Tre Holloman scoring 17 factors on Sunday and double-digit performances from Frankie Fidler and Coen Carr. Their capacity to settle right into a sport can also be spectacular, as MSU overcame a 20-10 deficit popping out and pinned the Illini on the perimeter, holding them to 5-of-24 from 3-point vary. Izzo additionally earned his 350th profession Big Ten win, transferring three shy of Bob Knight’s all-time wins report within the convention. What a begin to the yr in East Lansing, and sure, the Breslin Center was unhinged on Sunday.
The Golden Eagles are off to their greatest begin within the Big East since 2008-09, and nonetheless have wins over Purdue, Georgia and Wisconsin, all ranked this week. What went incorrect towards Xavier? The Golden Eagles trailed by as many as 19 within the second half, and it was merely an excessive amount of to beat, giving Xavier its first win of the collection in six conferences. If you restrict Kam Jones and Stevie Mitchell, you’ll be able to beat Shaka Smart’s staff. They have been pressured to shoot 7-of-24 from the sector.
11. Purdue (15-4)
12. Kansas (13-4)
13. Texas A&M (14-4)
14. State of Mississippi (15-3)
15. Illinois (13-5)
16. UConn (13-5)
17. Old woman (15-3)
18. Oregon (15-3)
19. Michigan (14-4)
20. Saint John (16-3)
21. Wisconsin (15-3)
22. West Virginia (13-4)
23. Memphis (14-4)
24. Missouri (15-3)
25. Louisville (14-5)
John Fanta is a nationwide school basketball broadcaster and author for FOX Sports. He covers sports activities in quite a lot of roles, from calling video games on FS1 to serving as a lead anchor on the BIG EAST digital community to offering commentary on The Field of 68 Media Network. Follow him to @John_Fanta.
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