Week 7 Power Rankings
This week was a big week of games, which saw a lot of big games, surprising results and a couple of upsets. The headliner of all this week came when Arizona State beat number one Kansas, however, other teams like Auburn and North Carolina took losses. Following this past week’s results, there is a new number one in my Power Rankings, as well as a few changes were made.
1.Duke: The Blue Devils moved back to the top spot after beating a really good Texas Tech team by 11 in Madison Square Garden. The Blue Devils faced adversity, with foul issues, struggling offense, but they were able to overcome it on the defensive side of the ball. If they play like that and are able to win, there’s really no stopping this team.
2.Michigan: The Wolverines beat Air Force 71-50 to move to 12-0 on the season, they own wins against the last three National Championship teams, as they have beaten both Villanova and North Carolina this season.
3.Kansas: This is where the Jayhawks fall in my rankings following their loss to Arizona State. This team went into Arizona State and controlled the game throughout before the game slipped away. Many will rank the Jayhawks lower than third but they still possess wins over three of my Top-10 teams, so not having them in the Top-3 would be silly.
4.Virginia: The Cavaliers are now 11-0 after they won at South Carolina and beat William & Mary this week. The Cavaliers have three players in Ty Jerome, Kyle Guy, and De’Andre Hunter who are averaging 14 points per game.
5.Tennessee: The Volunteers beat Samford and Wake Forest this week, they’ll get Tennessee Tech, before they begin SEC play on January 5th.
6.Nevada: The Wolf Pack is now 12-0, which is impressive. Since beating Arizona State, they’ve struggled a little bit. They’ll be tested this week as they play at Utah, although they should win this game.
7.Gonzaga: The Bulldogs beat Texas Arlington 89-55 and Denver 101-40, they still look like they are one of the seven true National title contenders.
8.Michigan State: The Spartans beat rival Oakland 99-69 this week, they’ll have an easy game against Northern Illinois, before starting Big Ten play back up next week.
9.Florida State: The Seminoles played against a decent St. Louis team in Florida and they dominated that game, winning 81-59. Phil Cofer also played his first game of the season, which a good sign for Seminoles fans.
10.Marquette: The Golden Eagles picked up another good win by beating Buffalo 103-85 this week. In that game Markus Howard went off, scoring 45 points, including 40 in the second half and at one point 23 straight. The craziest part is he was sometimes smothered and it didn’t matter, as he would still make it. Overall this Marquette team is a really good team that should probably enter into Big East play as the favorites to win the conference.
11.Texas Tech: The Red Raiders pushed Duke in Madison Square Garden but it came up short, a they struggled to score down the stretch. This defense has all the makings to be one of the best in the country but its offense will be what will likely keep them from winning a Big 12 title.
12.Virginia Tech: The Hokies continued to take advantage of an easy schedule, as they beat North Carolina A&T 82-60. They’ll play Maryland-Eastern Shore this week.
13.Wisconsin: The Badgers beat Grambling 84-53, next up they’ll play at Western Kentucky on Saturday.
14.St. John’s: The Red Storm moved to 12-0 after beating up on Sacred Heart and St. Francis (NY) this week. Their first big test of the season will come when they play at Seton Hall on Saturday.
15.Ohio State: The Buckeyes beat UCLA 80-66 in the CBS Sports Classic to move to 11-1, once again it looks like Chris Holtmann should not be bet against.
16.Auburn: The Tigers struggled against NC State, losing 78-71, they then struggled against Murray State only winning 93-88. This team is good but how good is the real question.
17.North Carolina: The Tar Heels had a lackluster performance against Kentucky, as they lost 82-72. Their inconsistent play on a game by game basis could be what keeps them out of the National Championship picture.
18.Arizona State: The Sun Devils lost a trap game at Vanderbilt on Monday but they then beat number one Kansas Saturday night. This Sun Devils toughest part of their schedule is now over, now they can feast on the easy PAC-12.
19.Buffalo: The Bulls went on the road and beat Syracuse, which put them in the drivers seat for an at-large bid. They had Marquette on the ropes on Friday night but then Markus Howard went nuts, scoring 45 points.
20.NC State: The Wolfpack beat Auburn 78-71 this week, which was a really impressive win. The Wolfpack have a bunch of players that can beat you on any night, in that game it was Markell Johnson, who led the way with 27. They also beat South Carolina State to move to 11-1.
21.Kentucky: The Wildcats appear to have gotten out of whatever funk they were in, as they beat North Carolina 80-72 in the CBS Sports Classic. Keldon Johnson and Reid Travis showed out in that game, both players look like they are the best players on their team.
22.Oklahoma: The Sooners added a couple more quality wins as they beat Creighton 83-70 on Tuesday and they then went on the road to beat Northwestern 76-69. The only major conference that the Sooners don’t have a win over is the Big 12, pretty good for a team that was expected to be decimated after losing Trae Young.
23.Houston: The Cougars beat a quality Utah State team 60-50 after trailing by 10 at the break, the also beat Coppin State to move to 12-0.
24.Indiana: Indiana beat Central Arkansas and Jacksonville this week, they’ll get a week off before starting Big Ten play again.
25.Villanova: Villanova beat Uconn 81-58 this week in Madison Square Garden. The impressive part of this game is that they did it without starting point guard, Collin Gillespie. This team may not be what they have been in years past but they are still really good.
Just Missed Out: TCU, Mississippi State, Kansas State, Louisville, San Francisco, Iowa, Seton Hall