ESPN Men's Basketball

Kentucky’s undefeated run through the SEC has to go down as one of the most impressive feats in the league’s history.

The Wildcats were pushed at times, but there was more dominance than anyone would have predicted in the preseason. Now the Big Blue move into the SEC tournament as the favorite en route to a likely No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament.

On to the final conference power rankings:

1. Kentucky: The Wildcats continue to handle every road challenge in the SEC, the final one coming Sunday at Florida. Not to worry. Just another double-digit win. Hey, even Anthony Davis made a 3-pointer. Scary.

2. Tennessee: The Vols swept Florida and then handled rival Vanderbilt at home Saturday. It says here that UT is the second-best team in the SEC and a deserving at-large candidate in the NCAA tournament. If John Calipari is SEC Coach of the Year, then Cuonzo Martin must be 1A.

3. Vanderbilt: The Commodores lost on the road at rival Tennessee, but they still finished in a tie with the Vols and Florida for second place. Vandy is flawed and has a weak bench, but the Commodores have done enough to be considered a top-three SEC team.

4. Florida: UF played well in spurts against Kentucky on Sunday, but once again couldn’t close it out against an elite team. Still, the Gators will do well in the NCAA tournament if they make 3s. It’s that simple for Florida.

5. Alabama: The Crimson Tide finished 9-7 in the SEC and have consistently been one of the top defensive teams in the league. But Bama struggles to score and that won’t be solved this week in the conference tournament.

6. Ole Miss: Andy Kennedy should get plenty of credit for rallying the Rebels despite a number of setbacks, including losing two key rotation players and being on the wrong end of a few blowouts. Ole Miss still found a way to finish 8-8 in SEC play.

7. Mississippi State: The Bulldogs are one of the more enigmatic teams in the country. The talent says this team should be top four in the league, but the results don’t back it up. The infighting died down last week and MSU won two games it had to have (overtime at South Carolina, and crushed Arkansas by 20). Mississippi State now has to avoid losing to Georgia in the first round of the SEC tourney.

8. Arkansas: The Hogs slumped down the stretch and lost five of their last six games. And losing at home to Ole Miss, Florida and Alabama took away some of the good vibe this team built at Bud Walton Arena earlier this season. Playing LSU in the SEC tournament could mean an early exit.

9. LSU: The Tigers finished with an improved 7-9 record as Trent Johnson has continued the rebuilding effort in Baton Rouge. But the three-game slide to end the regular season took some of the buzz out of the season. LSU can still salvage a possible postseason appearance with a win or two in New Orleans.

10. Georgia: The Bulldogs beat South Carolina by 12 to close the regular season with wins in two of their last three games. Mark Fox’s team can make perimeter shots, and if that happens this team can be a possible spoiler in the SEC tournament.

11. Auburn: The Tigers had a solid 15-point win over LSU to bookend a five-game set that started with a win over Mississippi State before they lost three in the middle. Auburn has had trouble scoring at times, but finally found production against the Tigers.

12. South Carolina: Darrin Horn is hoping he can continue to be the head coach of the Gamecocks, with a young team that will only improve in the offseason. There is talent in place, and there's no reason this team can’t climb a bit next season. Will Horn be around to see it?

The power structure in the SEC hasn’t moved one bit. Kentucky is king, and there doesn’t appear to be another team capable of getting to the Final Four.

1. Kentucky: Anthony Davis put on a show with 28 points, 11 rebounds and 6 blocks in a win against Vanderbilt. He’s a national player of the year co-favorite. UK is rolling right now as the No. 1 overall seed and the lead dog to win the national title.

2. Vanderbilt: The one thing you can say about the Commodores is that they don’t have bad SEC losses. Vandy fell to Kentucky twice, lost at Arkansas when the Hogs were unbeatable at home, and lost by one in overtime against Mississippi State when the Bulldogs were on a high. Vanderbilt still has the most experience in the league, even more so than Kentucky. That could serve it well in the coming weeks.

3. Florida: The Gators get this spot by default. Florida continues to befuddle. The Gators can look like a Final Four team at Arkansas, then appear to be a team that couldn’t get out of the First Four when they lose at Georgia. If this team makes 3s, it will advance. If it does not, it won’t. It's pretty simple.

4. Alabama: Credit Anthony Grant for the way he handled the suspensions. Despite the disciplinary actions, the Tide have moved up into the top four with three straight wins against Tennessee, Arkansas and Mississippi State. Alabama will now go to the NCAA tournament barring a complete collapse. JaMychal Green certainly got Grant’s message, and the Tide will go forward without Tony Mitchell, who remains suspended for the rest of the season.

5. Tennessee: Cuonzo Martin has the Vols believing in his philosophy of defense first. This team continues to be a spirited group that could be a spoiler in the SEC tournament. The numbers don’t add up in terms of an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament, but there’s no reason to dismiss this team as a threat in New Orleans next week.

6. LSU: The Tigers are on the rebound from a disastrous two-year period. With seven league wins so far, LSU has been more than respectable. Trent Johnson has a postseason team that will benefit from playing a few extra games in March. The Tigers, like the Vols, could pose some problems at the SEC tournament in New Orleans.

7. Mississippi State: The Bulldogs have lost five in a row and are one of the most perplexing teams in the SEC. Yes, Renardo Sidney has had injuries (back), but no, he can't be the only reason for the slide. Losing to Kentucky at home is acceptable. But dropping a home game to Georgia and failing to win one road game during this stretch at LSU, Auburn or Alabama is not. Still, don’t be surprised to see the Bulldogs leapfrog a number of these teams into the NCAAs because of their overall résumé.

8. Ole Miss: The Rebels humbled LSU 72-48 on Saturday. The Tigers have been more consistent, but the Rebels deserve plenty of credit for being resourceful of late. A depleted team that has had some squabbling within, the Rebs haven’t stopped playing. Ole Miss can be a spoiler in the final two weeks. What happens next in terms of the coaching position is a question for the administration.

9. Georgia: If the Bulldogs make shots, they suddenly are a viable team to be a winner in the final week of the SEC and into the conference tournament. Georgia won’t win at Kentucky, but it can beat South Carolina and finish with five SEC wins. The Bulldogs have impressive wins against Mississippi State and Florida at home.

10. Arkansas: The Hogs finally rallied and won at Auburn after a number of poor performances, including two at home. Arkansas can put forth a more efficient and productive effort. It needs to here down the stretch to salvage the rest of the season with winnable games against Ole Miss and at Mississippi State.

11. Auburn: The Tigers looked like a tough out, one that would be hard to chase down in a home win against Mississippi State. But suspensions to Varez Ward and Chris Denson for a violation of team rules didn’t help the cause in a six-point home loss to Arkansas.

12. South Carolina: The Gamecocks have won two games in the SEC. And the numbers in points, rebounds, assists and field goal percentage are all below 300 in Division I. This is a team that looks good in the airport but not on the floor.

Kentucky is the national favorite, but Florida’s dominant play at Arkansas and Vanderbilt’s complete game at Ole Miss should give hope that the SEC has three teams with the potential of Elite Eight appearances.

1. Kentucky: The Wildcats had one game last week and got off to a sluggish start against Ole Miss. But that was over quickly in the second half. Seeing Terrence Jones and Darius Miller star for the Wildcats is yet another indication of the talent depth of this squad. So much has been made, and rightfully so, of freshmen Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, as well as the development of Marquis Teague. But the play of veterans (yes, sophomores qualify as veterans at UK) will ultimately decide Kentucky’s title fate.

2. Florida: The Gators absolutely obliterated Arkansas by 30 on the road. It was Florida’s most complete performance, home or road, this season. The Gators can’t figure out how to play Tennessee and they couldn’t handle Kentucky in the second half. But if UF shoots, runs and rebounds as well as it did in Fayetteville, it will finish second in the SEC. And there's no shame in that this season.

3. Vanderbilt: The Commodores had their most dominant SEC effort with a 102-76 win at Ole Miss, followed up by a nine-point road win at Georgia. The play of Vandy in that first game is exactly what everyone expected in the preseason. Watch the Commodores’ offense in that game and you’ll see a team that can win multiple games in the NCAA tournament. Vandy still has the talent to win the SEC tournament if Kentucky loses focus.

4. LSU: The Tigers are suddenly back to .500 in league play, which puts them in a four-way tie for fourth. So why not have them leading that pack? Trent Johnson has taken advantage of a depleted Alabama and a Mississippi State team that continues not to close late in games. LSU’s schedule down the stretch is so favorable that it’s not out of the question that the Tigers could win four of the next five games and finish with 10 SEC wins.

5. Alabama: The Tide still are without suspended players JaMychal Green and Tony Mitchell, but Alabama has reconstituted itself, and the 12-point win over Tennessee is a strong indication that Bama may still be a factor down the stretch. The Tide defense was as solid as it has been this season in allowing the Vols to score only 50 points. If Mitchell and Green do return and buy into Grant, then Alabama will be in play down the stretch in the SEC.

6. Mississippi State: The Bulldogs have top-two talent, but they have not played that way of late. Mississippi State has inexplicably lost three games in a row. The loss at home in overtime to Georgia was a clear sign something was off. The road loss in overtime at LSU is acceptable. The Tigers at home are more than formidable. But losing by 10 at Auburn, even without Renardo Sidney (back spasms), signifies some serious issues. The Bulldogs have a tough slate ahead in the next two games in hosting Kentucky and going to Alabama. Losing five in a row is a realistic scenario that will have MSU right on the bubble.

7. Tennessee: The Vols had been one of the hottest teams in the SEC with a four-game win streak. But then they ran into Alabama’s defense and went cold on 3s by going 4-of-20. Tennessee still has a chance to finish in the top half of the SEC. The schedule of hosting Ole Miss and going to South Carolina this week puts UT in a favorable position. The final two (at LSU, hosting rival Vandy) could decide this team's SEC fate.

8. Auburn: The Tigers jump up to No. 8 above Ole Miss and Arkansas simply because they played the most efficient game of the week. The win over Mississippi State was one of Auburn’s best of the season. Of course, the next game for the Tigers is at Florida, and Auburn still has to go to Alabama, so the good vibe could be short-lived. But Auburn’s defense was on lockdown against the Bulldogs, and that’s a positive sign.

9. Arkansas: The Hogs had their worst performance at home against Florida. Arkansas headed into the game as a team that had an unbeaten home résumé, but nothing to show for itself on the road. But the complete meltdown at Bud Walton essentially eliminates the Hogs from contention for an at-large bid. It’s hard to justify Arkansas, barring a run through the SEC, after losing by 30 to Florida for its fourth loss in five games.

10. Ole Miss: The Rebels were blitzed at home by Vanderbilt in embarrassing nature. Ole Miss then found a way and mustered up a solid effort in the first half against Kentucky. And then reality hit. The Wildcats ran past the Rebs. Credit Andy Kennedy for trying to keep this team together in the short term, but it has been an exceedingly difficult season for Ole Miss and it looks like it will only get more difficult.

11. South Carolina: The Gamecocks get the nod over Georgia with a win over the Bulldogs in Columbia. This has been a humbling season for South Carolina and it will likely get worse over the final couple of weeks. The next three are against Vanderbilt, Tennessee and Mississippi State.

12. Georgia: The Bulldogs are in the infancy stages of a major rebuild and while the Mississippi State road win was a high, losing to South Carolina was another setback for a team that's now 3-9 in the SEC.

This Saturday was always going to be a bit more underwhelming than recent weeks, but boy, did it end well. Once it ended, that is. Creighton students rushed the court before the game was officially over. Their reverse storm, in which they calmly walked off the court, was one of the most surprisingly orderly things I've ever seen. Bravo, Bluejays fans. Bravo.

Read up on Long Beach State-Creighton, Michigan-Ohio State and the rest of Saturday night's action here. If you missed our afternoon recap, catch up now.

No. 19 Michigan 56, No. 6 Ohio State 51: Here's something I learned Saturday -- Michigan hasn't won a Big Ten title since 1986. As Dan Shulman said on the broadcast, that's kind of hard to believe. Here's something else we learned Saturday: The Wolverines have a legitimate chance to break that streak this season.

The race for the Big Ten title is officially a three-way affair. How did Michigan get there? By taking care of business at home. Saturday's win was the Wolverines' 16th consecutive victory in Ann Arbor. For much of the past 10 years, under Tommy Amaker and then John Beilein, Crisler was usually a cold, detached, almost lifeless place. On Saturday, it was rocking in Minute 1 and Minute 40 and constantly in between.

Of course, a home atmosphere is nice, but it doesn't mean much if your team can't play. And Michigan most certainly can play. Point guard Trey Burke continued his impressive freshman campaign against the Buckeyes, scoring 17 points -- including a flurry of much-needed late buckets, one of which he took straight at former grade-school teammate Jared Sullinger -- and dishing five dimes against the best perimeter defender in the country, Ohio State guard Aaron Craft. Tim Hardaway Jr. added efficient perimeter scoring, while forward Jordan Morgan scored 11 points and 11 rebounds against Sullinger. Those matchups -- point guard and forward -- should be Michigan's weaknesses, particularly against OSU. In this one, Burke and Morgan turned them into strengths.

That said, Michigan won the game on the defensive end, where it held the Buckeyes to .91 points per trip, and in some part it has the Buckeyes to thank. Shooting guard William Buford struggled yet again, going 3-of-12 and continuing his senior slump. Credit the Wolverines for forcing the Bucks into perimeter jump shots, but also blame Ohio State, which often settled for those jumpers without first attempting to get Sully into an iso situation on the low block. When Sullinger did touch the ball, the Buckeyes usually got a score. They figured this out eventually, which is what got them back into the game in the second half. But it was too little, too late. You wouldn't think you'd need to "figure out" that you should probably give the ball to Sullinger because, you know, he's really good.

Look, Ohio State remains a very good defensive team. After all, holding Michigan to 56 points on its own floor is no easy task. But the Buckeyes' offense, particularly its perimeter shooting (or lack thereof), looks like a serious liability. It lurched helplessly against Michigan State's defense last Saturday, and it played right into Michigan's hands tonight. As a result, OSU allowed its sworn rival to tie it in the league standings, a game behind MSU in the loss column. If the Buckeyes can't fix these problems, their March ceiling -- once as limitless as any team's in the country -- will suffer accordingly.

No. 14 Murray State 65, No. 16 Saint Mary's 51: How much fun is Murray, Ky., having right now? With a rare national audience and Dickie V in the house, the Racers played as well as they have all season, as their fans -- an intense, buoyant bunch -- gleefully soaked it all in. Judging by Vitale's rave reviews of the small burgh, I'd say Murray might be one of the best places in the country to spend this exact Saturday night. I kind of wish I was there. (My colleague Jason King is and had this to say about the game.)

In any case, the nation got a chance to see what this Murray State team was all about, and the timing couldn't have been better. After its loss to Tennessee State two weeks ago, the tone of the discussion around the Racers changed from "Whoa, this team could go undefeated!" to "Well, that was fun, but check out that at-large profile -- Murray State could miss the tournament!" I think we can put that debate to rest. The Racers might not be a national title contender, but with Isaiah Canaan leading the way (he had 23 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds, 1 steal, a 5-for-8 mark beyond the arc and at least two or three downright crossovers that made this viewer yelp in enjoyment), they are certainly one of the better mid-major teams in the country and one that can give plenty of outfits issues in the NCAA tournament. Sure, some of the wins were shaky, and sure, the Ohio Valley Conference is bad, but when you win your first 23 games, guess what? You're pretty good.

Saint Mary's was far less convincing. The Gaels' offense was hobbled by Matthew Dellavedova's rolled ankle and Rob Jones' early foul trouble, but those weren't the primary causes -- and the road atmosphere and tough Murray defense don't explain it all, either. In reality, the Gaels, who have lost three of their past four (all by double digits), are just flat-out struggling. Over the course of the WCC season, the Gaels have posted about 1.17 points per possession (adjusted), best in the league. In their three recent losses, Dellavedova & Co. have failed to exceed a point per trip. Much like Creighton, this team's defense isn't nearly good enough to get the job done when the offense struggles. Much like Creighton, if the Gaels don't throw points in at something near their usual rate, they're going to lose. It's really just that simple.

Creighton 81, Long Beach State 79: Speaking of fun, how much fun was this? The finish -- Antoine Young's brilliant left-handed, last-second game winner -- was merely the icing on the cake. The 40 minutes that preceded that shot were chock full of high-octane mid-major awesomeness. LBSU's Casper Ware, T.J. Robinson and Larry Anderson trading deep 3s and inside moves with Young and Doug McDermott? Yes, please.

We couldn't have predicted the ending, but we should have seen the entertainment value coming. These teams both excel most at one thing: scoring the basketball. That's what Creighton does. When the Bluejays don't put the ball in at a high rate, they lose, as they did in their recent three-game losing streak, culminating with a home blowout at the hands of Wichita State last weekend. The defense simply isn't good enough to save Creighton from an off night.

Fortunately, Creighton has Doug McDermott. McDermott has been great all season, though he's struggled of late, and it's no coincidence his team had lost three of its past four in that span. But on Saturday night, he was amazing. Not "amazing" in a "wow, this sesame chicken is amazing" sort of way; McDermott was actually, literally amazing. He scored 36 points on 14-of-20 shooting and added 11 rebounds, six of which on the offensive end. The most impressive came late in the second half, when McDermott flew to the hoop and somehow tipped in a wayward shot arcing halfway over his head. Once it was clear McDermott was on, LBSU coach Dan Monson ordered his charges to begin aggressively double-teaming the opposing coach's son. But McDermott's eager passing and ability to make plays without the ball in his hands -- see the aforementioned tip-in -- neutralized that strategy. He was just so good. And at the perfect time, too.

As entertaining as this game was, as memorably as McDermott performed, the good news for Long Beach is that a loss at Creighton hardly hurts its at-large profile. Chances are, this team will continue its blistering Big West pace and get to the NCAA tournament in academic, auto-bid fashion. But if something goes awry in the conference tournament, LBSU's crazy nonconference schedule -- the toughest in the country by, like, a lot -- should be more than worthy of the committee's respect. Whatever happens, we'll always have Saturday night in Omaha. What a game, man. What a game.

Other observations from the night that was:

• All season, Arkansas has been bad on the road (where it is still winless) but great in its own building (where it was undefeated). That trend ended emphatically against the Gators. Florida hung a 98-68 offensive blitz on the young, up-tempo Razorbacks, led by Erving Walker's career-high 31 points on 9-of-11 from the field, 5-of-6 from 3, and 8-of-8 from the free throw line. Walker has been criticized this season, and rightfully so; his insistence on forcing bad shots in bad situations (at Kentucky, for example) is maddening. But you can't really play much better than he did Saturday night. Insane line.
• Harvard's vaunted defense handled rival Yale with relative ease, which immediately brings to mind images of old men in smoking jackets, teasing each other over cigars and snifters of cognac. (This is how I see Harvard-Yale. I know it's silly, but I can't help it.) This creates a rather compelling finish to the conference season: Harvard, the long-dormant program with sudden title expectations, will face traditional league powers Penn and Princeton at home this week. If the Crimson win, they'll sew up at least a share of the Ivy title, maybe more. There's something slightly poetic about that.
• Huge win for Xavier, which held on to its slim margin in the final seconds of overtime to beat Dayton, 86-83. The Musketeers have been flagging badly along the bubble cut line lately and they desperately needed a home win tonight to stay viable. Oh, and here's a fun fact (unless you're a Dayton fan): This loss made it 27 straight for the Flyers at rival Xavier. Dayton hasn't won there since -- get this -- 1981. Yikes.
• Speaking of fun facts, after an 18-point effort in a 64-53 win over Minnesota, Northwestern forward John Shurna became the Wildcats' all-time leading scorer, toppling Billy McKinney's 35-year hold on the honor. That's all well and good, but Shurna is no doubt more focused on the here and now, where the Wildcats couldn't afford to drop this game and still hope to land an at-large NCAA tournament bid, at least if the bracket was selected tomorrow. The victory keeps Northwestern very much alive. Minnesota's chances, unfortunately, will suffer in proportion.
• When it rains, it -- well, you know. The cliche certainly applies to Villanova, which is struggling through an uncharacteristically bad season but had, even without Maalik Wayns (knee) and James Bell (ankle), a 20-point lead in this game. Notre Dame came back and won in overtime and, well, yeah: That's a tough way to lose. Villanova could surely have used some brief flash of sunlight in an otherwise dark year. It was so, so close Saturday. And then it wasn't. Brutal. Notre Dame, meanwhile, won its eighth game in a row. The Irish don't always look pretty, but they get the job done.
• Southern Miss lost at Houston. Yep. That happened. It's bad news for Larry Eustachy's team, of course -- it puts a definite dent into the Golden Eagles' otherwise stellar tourney résumé, which features gaudy RPI and SOS numbers -- but also bad news for Conference USA, which would no doubt prefer to be a multi-bid league this season. Speaking of which, Memphis took its own awful loss today, too, 60-58 at home to UTEP. Yes, Memphis lost to UTEP at home. The Tigers had been quietly working their way through C-USA play with relative ease, but the offensive inconsistency that plagued them in their nonconference slate crept back in against the Miners, and that doesn't bode well for the coming tournament. Mild C-USA intrigue abounds!
• Speaking of bad losses by Mississippi teams, what is going on at Mississippi State? The Bulldogs were listless at Auburn -- Auburn! -- in a 65-55 loss, MSU's third in a row in a season that is stunningly spiraling in the direction of the bubble. The Bulldogs are just 6-6 in the SEC and have games against Kentucky and at Alabama this week. Uh-oh.
• And speaking of uh-oh and three-game losing streaks, Gonzaga lost in the closing seconds at San Francisco -- the third consecutive year it's lost to the Dons on the road. The Zags shot 51 percent and yet still lost, falling into a tie with BYU for second in the WCC, one game behind 12-2 Saint Mary's.
• Colorado State held on for a rather ugly win over Wyoming. This was a definite bubble elimination game, one Wyoming couldn't afford to drop if it wanted to preserve any chance of at-large consideration. The victory won't put CSU in the field by any means, but it keeps the Rams alive, if only barely.
• Watching Georgetown, it's hard not to be impressed with the Hoyas' pinpoint Princeton offense. But this team's real strength is its defense. We saw that again Saturday, as Georgetown held Providence to 25 percent shooting at the Dunk, a win that pushed Georgetown to 10-4 in the Big East and should quell any lingering concerns its fans may have had about another late-season collapse. That's not happening.

Let’s get you warmed up for the "College GameDay" road show (live on Saturday from Ann Arbor, Mich. at 11 a.m. ET on ESPN) by taking a look at some notes and nuggets from our college hoops advanced stats research team (a group we call the "Stats in the Paint" team).

(6) Ohio State at (19) Michigan, 9 p.m. ET on ESPN

When Ohio State has the ball: What defense will Michigan play? The Wolverines have played man-to-man on 87.7 percent of their opponents’ half-court possessions this season. Their zone defense has been effective though, limiting opponents to 34.6 percent shooting, compared to 42.3 percent versus their man defense.

In a 10-point win over Minnesota on Tuesday, Ohio State shot 59.1 percent and scored 1.13 points per play against man defense. When the Gophers played zone, the Buckeyes shot only 32.1 percent and scored 0.77 points per play.

When Michigan has the ball: Expect a stingy Ohio State defense. The Buckeyes are allowing 0.85 points per possessions this season, the lowest rate in the nation according to StatSheet.com. Sophomore guard Aaron Craft has been particularly suffocating; he leads the country with 49 turnovers forced as an on-ball defender this season.


Saturday’s Other Notable Matchups

(3) Missouri at Texas A&M, 2 p.m. ET on ESPN

Key stat: Missouri leads Division I with 1.20 points per possession this season, according to StatSheet.com. Texas A&M has scored a point per possession in four of 13 conference games, and the Aggies are 2-2 in those contests, compared to 2-7 in the rest of the conference slate.

Kansas State at (10) Baylor, 1:45 p.m. ET on ESPN3

Key stat: Kansas State leads the Big 12 in second-chance points per game (16.3) and offensive rebounds per game (15.2) this season. Baylor ranks seventh in the Big 12 in defensive rebounding, grabbing 67.3 percent of available boards.

Clemson at (7) North Carolina, 4 p.m. ET on ESPN

Key stat: Roy Williams’ vaunted transition offense is humming again. North Carolina is third in the country with 20.1 transition points per game this season. The last time the Tar Heels were top five in that category was 2008-09, when they won the national title.

(12) Florida at Arkansas, 6 p.m. ET on ESPN2

Key stats: Florida is most vulnerable in the paint. In two losses to Kentucky and Tennessee last week, the Gators allowed 38 and 36 points in the paint, their two highest totals in conference play this season. Arkansas will look to force turnovers, which the Razorbacks do on 24.1 percent of opponents’ possession, the highest rate in the SEC.

Editor’s note: Jay Bilas breaks down Saint Mary’s-Murray State in today’s Weekend Watch. Myron Medcalf offers a dozen more games to keep an eye on this weekend.

Friday

Northern Iowa at VCU (7 ET, ESPN2): VCU reached last season's Final Four. Northern Iowa reached the Sweet 16 two seasons ago. But both squads enter this BracketBusters game in need of some late-season momentum and probably a conference tournament title to guarantee a berth. With both squads coming off losses -- the Rams lost to George Mason on a buzzer-beater Tuesday; the Panthers have lost two of three -- this could be the game that starts that late-season push. UNI is out of the at-large running, but VCU still clings to hope -- and this is a must-win.

Saturday

Marquette at Connecticut (12 ET, ESPN): If there's any hope left for UConn, it has to kick in nowish. Despite the Huskies' tumultuous season, it's hard to ignore last year's finish. Few had expected much from the program before it reeled off a run that ultimately led to a national title. The Golden Eagles are playing for seeding in the NCAA and Big East tourneys. And they're still in the Big East title conversation. They have an easy stretch that includes just one nationally-ranked squad (Georgetown) in their final five regular-season games. But late stumbles, especially with three more road games, could alter their postseason position.

Wichita State at Davidson (12 ET, ESPN2): Both teams have something to prove in this BracketBusters matchup. Davidson has a chance to show that its December victory over Kansas wasn't a fluke. The Shockers are clearly one of the top 20 teams in America in my opinion. But their omission from this week's ESPN/USA Today Coaches' poll suggests that some still doubt the Missouri Valley leader. The Shockers are in the NCAA tournament. On the road at Davidson, however, they can prove that they're capable of a run.

Florida State at NC State (1 ET, ESPN3): The Wolfpack (No. 49 RPI) could use a signature victory to enhance their résumé, especially after blowing a 20-point lead against Duke on Thursday night. NC State faces Florida State and North Carolina, both at home, in their next two outings, crucial games for its NCAA at-large hopes. The Seminoles are still in contention for the ACC title. But their loss at Boston College last week and a shaky win against Virginia Tech on Thursday didn't exactly make Leonard Hamilton's squad look the part. There's a three-way logjam at the top of the league and the Seminoles have struggled on the road. They have to keep winning to stay in the mix, which is why Saturday's game is so significant.

UNLV at New Mexico (1 ET, CBS): Most figured that UNLV would enter mid-February as the top team in the Mountain West. Guess again. New Mexico's win over San Diego State elevated Steve Alford's squad to the top of the conference. But Saturday wins by UNLV and San Diego State (at Air Force) would create a three-way tie between SDSU, UNLV and New Mexico entering the final four games of the year. The Pit will be an absolute madhouse for this one. Should be a lot of fun.

Arizona at Washington (3 ET, FSN): Who knows what to expect in the final weeks of the Pac-12 season, but Arizona and Washington are fighting for the Pac-12 title (the Wildcats are 10-4 and the Huskies are 11-3). And they're also trying to boost their thin at-large résumés. Joe Lunardi has both teams in his latest bracket, but not exactly by a wide margin (UW is the last team in). A strong finish by either could solidify an at-large slot. And in the weak Pac-12, a string of losses could lead to an NIT invitation.

Seton Hall at Cincinnati (4 ET, ESPN3): Losing skids interrupted the at-large hopes of both. The Bearcats have lost four of their past seven. Prior to their current three-game winning streak, the Pirates had lost six in a row. Lunardi projected both programs as double-digit-seeds in the Big Dance, so they can't feel secure entering their final stretch of the regular season. They're out of the Big East title conversation, but a Saturday victory could go a long way toward impressing the selection committee.

Florida at Arkansas (6 ET, ESPN): The Razorbacks aren't in the field right now. But Arkansas can sneak in with three remaining games against top-50 schools and the SEC tourney ahead. They've struggled on the road, but have found success at home. The Razorbacks could change their postseason prospects with a Saturday win. After losing to Tennessee last week, the Gators beat Alabama in their next game. Any momentum would be beneficial as their March 4 matchup against No. 1 Kentucky approaches.

Yale at Harvard (7 ET): Tommy Amaker's squad leads the Ivy League with a 7-1 record entering Friday's matchup against Brown. Saturday's matchup against 6-2 Yale (the Bulldogs play Dartmouth Friday), however, could change that. The Crimson were expected to run away with the Ivy League. And their 30-point win over Yale last month suggests that they'll stay on top of the conference. Harvard, however, has found itself in an unexpected fight for the Ivy League's title and automatic bid.

Ohio State at Michigan (9 ET, ESPN): Big Ten title implications here. If the Buckeyes win this game, then they'll stay on top of the Big Ten with an 11-3 record, one that Michigan State could match with a win at Purdue on Sunday. A loss, however, would allow Michigan to tie the Buckeyes and give the Spartans a chance to grab sole possession of first place. With only a handful of games remaining, the Big Ten is still tight at the top. Big game for the Big Ten.

Long Beach State at Creighton (10 ET, ESPN2): Long Beach State (No. 44 RPI) hopes to avoid the drama from the past two years. The 49ers missed the NCAA tournament following consecutive losses in the Big West tourney title game. A road victory over Creighton could help the 49ers grab an at-large bid, but a loss could put them in the same scenario they've found themselves in the past two years. Creighton looks like a lock for the Big Dance, despite a recent three-game losing skid. A loss here, however, could jeopardize that position and lead to more questions about Greg McDermott's squad.

Sunday

Michigan State at Purdue (1 ET, CBS): If Ohio State loses to Michigan on Saturday, the Spartans can seize first place -- alone -- with a road win over the Boilermakers. But Purdue nearly knocked off the Buckeyes in Columbus. They have won two in a row and they know that a victory over a Spartans squad that might earn a No. 1 seed would be a huge boost for their at-large résumé. Expect a battle in West Lafayette.

1. If you wanted more proof as to why Syracuse and Kansas can be in the Final Four then Big Monday served up prime examples. Both teams won tough road games (Syracuse at Louisville and Kansas at Kansas State) that they nearly gifted to their opponents. But both teams also made a key defensive play to win the game.They forced Louisville and Kansas State to make poor decisions late and each team failed to make a play. Syracuse and Kansas executed. The Orange and Jayhawks each has a player who has emerged that could be a key component to a possible national title run. C.J. Fair has delivered for Syracuse off the bench. Jeff Withey has become the post-presence that KU desperately needed; allowing Thomas Robinson to play his natural position.

2. Alabama coach Anthony Grant wanted to make it clear that the suspensions to Tony Mitchell and JaMychal Green were separate from each other and different than the one for Trevor Releford and Andrew Steele. The latter two were reinstated for the Florida game Tuesday while Mitchell and Green remain suspended indefinitely. Grant wouldn’t divulge the reason for any of the suspensions.

3. Loved the Nolan Richardson story on ESPNU. Richardson has never received the true credit he deserves for what he did at Arkansas. He gave the program a national identity. He commanded loyalty and earned tremendous trust. He was a pioneer. One of my favorite stories I’ve done for ESPN was going down to El Paso with Richardson when he was coaching the Mexican National Team. Spending time with him in his old neighborhood was priceless.

The SEC waited to see how Kentucky would fare with "College GameDay" at fired-up Vanderbilt in what appeared to be UK's toughest road test to date.

Well, the Wildcats passed -- and now the SEC must deal with the possibility that Big Blue could run the table and win the conference handily. There are no givens, but UK appears to be as much of a lock to win its league title as any other favorite in the country.

1. Kentucky: The one potential problem for the Wildcats was at the point. Well, Marquis Teague played one of his best games of the season at Vanderbilt, dishing out eight assists. If Teague can distribute the ball, make smart decisions and not turn the ball over, the Cats have a legit shot to win the national title, not just cruise to an undefeated SEC record.

2. Vanderbilt: The Commodores are in the No. 2 spot by default. No one else appears to want this position, and Vandy did push Kentucky 'til the end this past weekend and had the Wildcats on the ropes. But the Dores got rushed at the end and tried to shoot over Anthony Davis -- a big mistake. Vanderbilt needs to be more patient in late-game situations.

3. Florida: The Gators are also in this spot because no one else stood up and grabbed it. Florida should know better than to come out flat against a Tennessee team that clearly played with more purpose and passion on Saturday. UT was the aggressor on the offensive backboard and found the holes in the Gators’ defense. If Florida doesn’t shoot its way to a win, it simply can't physically outmuscle teams. This loss was a major concern for UF going forward.

4. Mississippi State: Hey, look: We have a full-blown trend here. The Bulldogs could easily be at No. 2 in the SEC Power Rankings had they actually won a home game against a lower-level team. Instead, State fell flat in overtime to Georgia and took the air out of the marquee remaining home game against Kentucky on Feb. 21. The Bulldogs still have the frontcourt talent, shot-blocking ability and perimeter shooting to be a dangerous team in the NCAA tournament. But their lack of consistency makes them a hard team to back in March.

5. Tennessee: The Volunteers are playing their best basketball of the season at the right time, having won three in a row and five of their past seven. If Tennessee can bottle the way it played at Florida, this team has danger written all over it going into the SEC tournament. The Vols could be a major spoiler, as UT has the size and strength to cause serious problems for teams. The win in Gainesville showed how defense and board work can get this team far during the next three weeks. Cuonzo Martin may be the coach of the year in the SEC if he continues on this run.

6. LSU: The Tigers took advantage of a depleted Alabama squad and won a convincing home game Saturday night. LSU is making shots, looking like it has figured out how to score efficiently and defending at the right time. The Tigers won't be an NCAA tournament team but now are playing like a team that could at least make the NIT. Trent Johnson’s rebuilding plan is finally looking like it took a turn upward.

7. Arkansas: If the games are at home, the Hogs have a shot to be in the NCAA tournament. But they’re not. Arkansas simply can’t win a road game this season -- the latest evidence being that beatdown it took in Athens. The Razorbacks can still beat Florida, Alabama and Ole Miss at home to finish with eight wins in the conference. But there is no indication that this young group will win a road game -- which is essential for any bubble team.

8. Alabama: The Crimson Tide are now the big unknown. Anthony Grant made a choice of choosing character in his program over possible wins and the NCAA tournament when he suspended Tony Mitchell, JaMychal Green, Trevor Releford and Andrew Steele. There is no timetable for any of their returns. If they don’t come back soon, the Tide won’t be on the bubble any longer. But it’s the right choice for Grant to show that he has a program built on character.

9. Georgia: The Bulldogs have won two in a row and are now a team that may be trouble going forward. Georgia blew out Arkansas and then won at Mississippi State, a home court that had become as difficult as any other in the SEC. UGA didn’t hesitate to go right at Arnett Moultrie and challenge him in the post. The Bulldogs are playing loosely and without the pressure of making the Dance. That’s a dangerous combination in the final three weeks of the season for teams that need wins to impress the selection committee.

10. Ole Miss: The depleted Rebels are playing hard and staying in games, but they just don’t have the personnel to finish. Andy Kennedy had to make a similar choice to Grant when key players were suspended. In his case, they won’t return. That was the end of the Rebels’ NCAA chances. But it was worth the risk. He has to run a program with ethics and character. This squad simply doesn’t have enough scoring to win key games late.

11. Auburn: The Tigers’ rebuilding progress has hit a serious bump with losses in five of their past six games. Auburn looked like it could turn its season around with a home win over Alabama after nearly winning at Mississippi State. But the Tigers couldn’t score against their archrival and lost by 18. Losing to Auburn from this point forward will be considered a bad loss for teams trying to impress the selection committee (see Alabama, Mississippi State and Florida).

12. South Carolina: Darrin Horn has tried to turn the Gamecocks around during his tenure, but it’s getting harder to believe that this will happen in the short term. This team is simply struggling to put together two quality halves. The five-game losing streak needs to end against Georgia and LSU this week, or it could continue all the way to the SEC tournament.

Now that Florida has clearly established itself as the top challenger to No. 1 Kentucky, here is where we stand in the Southeastern Conference.

1. Kentucky: Anthony Davis is having not just an SEC Payer of the Year season but is now a serious candidate for the national honor. He was simply dominant against Tennessee and South Carolina.

2. Florida: The Gators are making 3s in bunches, beating Vanderbilt to set up a top-10 showdown at Kentucky on Tuesday. The Gators can shoot the 3-pointer as effectively any team in the country. Now they’ve got to board and defend.

3. Mississippi State: The Bulldogs need to continue to hold serve at home, but that 91-88 victory over Auburn on Saturday was a little too close for comfort. Though after losing to rival Ole Miss last month, any win over the Rebels this week would be welcome.

4. Vanderbilt: The Commodores had a rough road swing, losing at Arkansas and at Florida. The Commodores had chances in both games but still aren’t ready to win and close out late. I’m still convinced the Dores can advance in March in a single-elimination format.

5. Alabama: For now, at least, the Crimson Tide have re-emerged as a top-five SEC team after a much-needed double-overtime win over Ole Miss. Bama easily could have given this game away but made the necessary plays down the stretch, notably guard Andrew Steele, who was clutch from the field and the free throw line. Remember, Steele was out with concussion symptoms earlier this season.

6. Ole Miss: Coach Andy Kennedy has had to remake this team and has turned Ole Miss into a tough out. But the Rebels continue to fall flat in crucial moments. They had a double-figure lead on Florida and couldn’t hold the Gators down in Oxford and had multiple shots to beat the Tide in Tuscaloosa. Those wins have to come soon if we're to take them seriously as a bubble team.

7. Arkansas: Coach Mike Anderson has Bud Walton Arena rocking again, but now the challenge is for the Hogs to bottle up that consistency when they hit road. Don’t hold your breath just yet. That weekend loss in Baton Rouge was highly disappointing for a team that had started to talk bubble.

8. Auburn: The Tigers nearly clipped Mississippi State on the road in Starkville. Auburn has suddenly found its offense and has a legit shot to upset archrival Alabama this week.

9. LSU: This group has meandered through the season without any kind of flow. But LSU's home victory over Arkansas may change the confidence level of this crew. The problem is that a trip to Nashville to face Vanderbilt is next.

10. Tennessee: The Vols are one of the hardest-working teams in the SEC, but the consistent results aren’t there yet. Tennessee is tough at home but pretty awful on the road. Give coach Cuonzo Martin time and this team will be a factor again.

11. Georgia: The Bulldogs have struggled to score during a four-game losing streak, failing to reach 64 points in any of the four games. Playing three of the next five on the road won’t help cure the offensive woes.

12. South Carolina: The Gamecocks got obliterated at home by Kentucky 86-52, and it wasn’t ever close. South Carolina can’t allow itself to get run out of its own house like that against anyone.

Kentucky is at the top of the national rankings and the conference rankings. But who comes next in the SEC?

1. Kentucky: The Wildcats continue to take everyone's best shot and keep on winning. The problems of winning on the road in conference play seem to be a thing of the past. Still tough spots to come at Florida, Mississippi State and Vanderbilt, but smooth sailing so far.

2. Florida: The Gators haven't lost since the SEC opener at Tennessee. If you jumped off this bandwagon, it was probably a mistake. Florida had arguably its best week of the season with a comeback win at Ole Miss and a convincing home win over Mississippi State.

3. Vanderbilt: The Commodores hold steady at No. 3 with two solid home wins over rival Tennessee and dangerous mid-major Middle Tennessee, who entered Saturday's game 20-2. It was a good week for Vandy, but the consistency has been lacking. Let's see another good week from the Dores.

4. Mississippi State: Yes, the Bulldogs won at Vanderbilt in overtime the previous week but they looked overmatched in their road loss at Florida. Mississippi State needs to get back on track this week. Still, this is at worst the fourth-best team in the SEC.

5. Alabama: The Crimson Tide have been all over the map during the conference season. But after a terrible loss at South Carolina, they did hold on to beat Arkansas at home over the weekend and this team clearly has SEC top-five talent. Still think this is the right spot for them.

6. Arkansas: Mike Anderson has made the Razorbacks a tough out even though they are depleted. Winning in Fayetteville is a chore for any team this season. Don't be surprised to see Arkansas cause trouble in the conference tournament.

7. Tennessee: The Vols have hit a bit of a skid lately, but the effort has been solid. The addition of Jarnell Stokes changes the dynamic for this team and makes them a force inside. UT will likely pull another upset here soon, although don't expect one Tuesday night in Lexington.

8. Ole Miss: Andy Kennedy has done a fine job reconstituting this team after two dismissals. The Rebels had Florida down by double digits at the half in Oxford and then still had a chance after giving up the lead to force overtime. But poor late-game decisions cost them dearly. Still, Ole Miss is 4-2 over its past six games.

9. LSU: The Tigers were legitimately playing like one of the four best teams in the league in December. But reality hit during this rebuilding process. The play against Kentucky was a bit chippy and the Tigers were blown out at home. I'm not sure if LSU can be a major factor in the second half of the conference season. Doesn't appear so.

10. Auburn: The Tigers were dreadful on offense Saturday in Knoxville, but give Tony Barbee some time to see if he can make this team into a pest by season's end. They did just miss out on winning at Arkansas earlier in the week and were coming off home wins against Ole Miss and South Carolina.

11. Georgia: Mark Fox has to be patient with this team because it is still incredibly young and inexperienced. The Bulldogs are 1-5 in the SEC and play four of their next five on the road. Ouch.

12. South Carolina: The Gamecocks did beat Alabama at home, but that's their only conference win so far and it might be their last for a while. Of their next four games, three are on the road at Florida, Tennessee and Arkansas -- with a home game against No. 1 Kentucky squeezed in between.

After a banner weekend in the SEC during which a pair of midlevel teams (Arkansas, Tennessee) beat ranked foes (Michigan, Connecticut) in nonconference play, let's attempt to rank the conference 1 to 12:

1. Kentucky: The Wildcats got pushed by Alabama more than I thought they would. That's a credit to the Tide. Kentucky still won but has to get tougher.

2. Mississippi State: The Bulldogs again looked like the second-best team in the league with a gritty overtime win at Vanderbilt on Saturday night. If they had played like that to start the SEC, they wouldn't have ever slipped out of this slot in the first place.

3. Vanderbilt: The Commodores had the Bulldogs beat -- at the half. But Vandy allowed MSU back in it and then failed to make a stop in overtime. Tough home loss. This team still can't quite find its footing.

4. Florida: The Gators are now getting the consistent play from Erik Murphy and Bradley Beal that will make a difference in March. Now can this group consistently win on the road? Big one Thursday at Ole Miss.

5. Alabama: The Crimson Tide did lose twice this week, at home to Vandy and at Kentucky, but the effort and production at Rupp on Saturday proves this team has the potential to be a pest going forward.

6. Tennessee: The Vols pulled off a huge win over Connecticut, the second signature victory under Cuonzo Martin. The addition of just-turned-18 freshman Jarnell Stokes makes this team a tough matchup to deal with. Expect a few more upsets out of UT.

7. Arkansas: The Razorbacks held off Michigan at home for another quality win at Bud Walton Arena. Mike Anderson's chore is to get the Hogs to hunt their shots on the road, too.

8. Ole Miss: Andy Kennedy has done a great job of rallying this team after some off-the-court turmoil. The Rebels beat Mississippi State at home and won at Georgia last week. They aren't at-large worthy, but can make the NIT.

9. LSU: The Tigers have been given a reality check lately and it hasn't been pretty, having dropped four of their past six games. It's evident LSU is still a young team learning how to win on the road.

10. Georgia: The Bulldogs can't seem to break through with that signature conference win this season, even though they did gut out an OT win against Tennessee. But would it have been too much to ask for a follow-up home win against Ole Miss?

11. Auburn: The Tigers need to ensure they have an identity during this rebuilding phase and at least they're proving themselves to be a tough out at home. They've knocked off South Carolina and Ole Miss in Auburn and pushed Kentucky 'til the final few minutes.

12. South Carolina: The Gamecocks have become a team you can pick up a win against. That needs to change fast or Darrin Horn is in trouble.

This Saturday promised one of the best wall-to-wall slates of college hoops fixtures thus far this season, and the afternoon action didn't disappoint. In fact, it just about blew my mind. Let's take a comprehensive look at what we learned from said afternoon action, shall we? (Check back late tonight for a recap of the evening action.)

Florida State 76, No. 4 Duke 73
What we learned: How cool is Leonard Hamilton? Bad charge call? He just smiles. Another bad, potentially crucial, game-deciding charge call? A smile and a wink. A buzzer-beating 3 to upset No. 4 Duke in Cameron Indoor Stadium -- the same 3 that sent FSU's bench into a joyous on-court scrum? A quick nod. A walk to midcourt. A handshake. No big deal, right?

Hamilton isn't the celebratory type; he's as steady a presence as there is in college hoops. But what his team did Saturday -- just a week after it blew the doors off against North Carolina at home -- was worth much more than the cucumber-cool reaction Hamilton offered. This was a massive, season-changing win for the Florida State Seminoles.

There were plenty of opportunities to fade away. Midway through the second half, Ryan Kelly hit two 3s and a fast-break dunk to extend Duke's lead to 58-50, its widest margin of the afternoon. The crowd was rocking. FSU's shots weren't falling. It appeared Duke would do what Duke does: Gather itself, extend a lead, and ride out another ho-hum ACC home victory. Instead, the Seminoles kept battling. Within a minute, they had closed the eight-point lead to just five, and by the time the game reached its crucial moments -- the final minute -- FSU pulled just ahead at 71-70.

Things stayed tight all the way through. Kelly received the benefit of the doubt on a pretty clear charge with 20 seconds left and Duke guard Austin Rivers made a great move to the rim to tie the game at 73 with just 6 seconds remaining. But FSU guard Luke Loucks, calm as his head coach, advanced the ball to guard Michael Snaer in time for Snaer's buzzer-beating, game-winning 3 just a few feet in front of the visitors bench. That's when the ecstasy, apparently shared by all but Hamilton, commenced.

So what did we learn? We learned that the Noles are indeed very real. Are they as good as their 33-point blowout over UNC? Of course not. But they're good enough -- strong enough, defensive enough, big enough, tough enough -- to present matchup problems for some of the best teams in the country, even on those teams' home floors. Before the season, we thought Florida State was the third-best team in the ACC. After losses to Harvard and Princeton and a wipeout at Clemson, that projection looked wildly optimistic. Now, it almost feels cautious. If the Seminoles play like this the rest of the way, they're definitely better than that.

No. 5 Missouri 89, No. 3 Baylor 88
What we learned: This one-point deficit was reached thanks to a meaningless last-second 3 from Baylor's Brady Heslip, and so the score line belies the real takeaway from this Tigers road win: Missouri is no illusion. No. This team is just flat good.

Can any other conclusion be reached? Consider the accomplishment here: The Tigers went on the road against the No. 3 team in the country, one with as much size and athletic interior talent as any of the nation's contenders -- a quality supposedly anathema to Mizzou's very essence -- and scored 1.24 points per possession in a win that required a first-half battle, a second-half push and a late survival of an inevitable Baylor run. The Tigers are simply relentless on the offensive end, attacking the tiniest of defensive gaps with more speed than any other backcourt in the country.

If you were wondering why Missouri forward Ricardo Ratliffe is so handily dominating competition this season -- leading the nation in field goal percentage and effective field goal percentage by a huge margin to date -- you received your answer today. Ratliffe cuts and spaces in the middle of the paint as well as any forward in the country. He's a tireless, opportunistic offensive rebounder with great hands and lightning-quick feet. And more often than not, Missouri's guards -- particularly Phil Pressey, who was brilliant in Waco -- break down the defense, ruin its rotation and find Ratliffe for easy finishes around the rim. His line Saturday, against all that long, NBA-worthy Baylor talent: 27 points on 11-of-14 from the field (see?), 8 rebounds (6 offensive) and 2 blocks. He was, per the usual, brilliant. Meanwhile, Pressey finished with 18 points and 7 assists, 6 steals and 5 rebounds. Can't understate his total impact on the game.

There are concerns for Baylor going forward. Perry Jones III continues to live up to the occasionally unfair "soft" label; when you're a 6-foot-11 lottery pick, and the opposing team had only two contributors bigger than 6-6, 8 points and 4 rebounds just doesn't cut it. The Bears, despite their clear size advantage, allowed the Tigers to rebound 48.3 percent of their misses on the offensive end; per Ken Pomeroy's rankings, Baylor is the 220th-best team in the nation on its defensive glass. When you can run a front line of Jones, Quincy Acy and Quincy Miller (who turned in a stellar scoring performance today, it should be noted), why are you getting so consistently and comprehensively outworked on the boards?

Still, let's give the Tigers a huge amount of credit. When Missouri were blown out at Kansas State, the concerns about this team's size were seemingly validated. Sure, Mizzou played well in the nonconference. Sure, the shots were falling. Sure, Ratliffe was on a tear. But could Frank Haith's team really keep it up in conference play? Weren't the Tigers, among any team with an undefeated nonconference record, the most likely to fade into Big 12 mediocrity? The answer, as we now know, is a resounding no. Small? Sure. Guard-oriented? You bet. This team is what it is. What you see is what you get. And what you get is one of the best offensive -- check, that, one of the best, period -- teams in the nation, bar none. Great win.

West Virginia 77, Cincinnati 74 (OT)
What we learned: If you haven't seen Kevin Jones play lately, you're missing the Big East Player of the Year to date -- and a legitimate national POY contender, too. Frankly, you might not recognize him. Jones, who struggled to adapt to a star role last season, has emerged as all that and more in 2011-12. This form was again on display today, especially late in regulation, when Jones hit a massive go-ahead 3 to help WVU push Cincinnati to overtime, where the Mountaineers outlasted the Bearcats for a massive home win. Jones finished with 26 points on 11-of-15 from the field, hitting both of his 3-point attempts and grabbing 13 rebounds in the process. Like I said: If that's not the Big East Player of the Year thus far, I don't know who is.

In the meantime, despite the loss -- and a truly questionable layup attempt by Dion Dixon, when the Bearcats needed a 3 to tie -- Cincinnati can come away from this game looking pretty good. Just a few days after beating UConn on the road, it faced down a star-led squad on its brutal home court and very nearly, but for a few late errors and big plays by West Virginia, came away with a win. If you thought Cincinnati was the second-best team in the league after the win over the Huskies, you might still feel that way now.

Tennessee 60, No. 11 Connecticut 57
What we learned: The Huskies can't stop the slide. Saturday's loss at Tennessee marks UConn's fourth loss in its past six games, and was again emblematic of the woes facing this team: disjointed offense, a willingness to take bad shots, lack of leadership in tough situations, interior play far below the sum of its insanely talented parts. We knew Cuonzo Martin's Tennessee squad would come out and play hard in Knoxville. Even when the Volunteers have been bad this season (which has been often: This win moves them to a mere 9-10 overall), they've played with a blue-collar, let's-work-hard spirit preached constantly by their first-year head coach. Today it paid off.

But Connecticut deserves much of the blame here, too. Andre Drummond and Alex Oriakhi should be dominating undermanned frontcourts like UT's. Instead, they combined for 11 points and were obviously outplayed by freshman Jarnell Stokes, who posted a double-double in his third career game. The same Stokes who was a 17-year-old kid in high school last month. Great win for the Vols, of course, but the postgame questions will be all about UConn. As of Jan. 21, this team -- so talented, so promising, so mystifyingly mediocre -- still has miles to go before it can be considered a Big East contender, let alone one with national title aspirations.

No. 2 Kentucky 77, Alabama 71
What we learned: There are no moral victories in college hoops. Alabama coach Anthony Grant will be eager to share that rather cliché bit of information with his team following Saturday's loss at Kentucky. And it's true -- a win is a win, a loss is a loss, and minimal nuance is allowed to color those stark W's and L's at the end of the season. Still, in the final moments of Bama's impressive Saturday road stand, against the No. 2 team in the country and a program that has won its past 47 road games, the longest active streak in Division I, the only thought that occurred to this viewer was: "Well, no matter whether they win or lose, this was a great game for Alabama."

It was. The Crimson Tide are in the midst of a three-games-in-eight-days scheduling bump, one that put them on the road at Mississippi State (loss), at home against Vanderbilt (loss, and an ugly one at that) and then, mercilessly, on the road at Kentucky. Yet Alabama never quit coming at the typically impressive Wildcats. Even when struggling forward Tony Mitchell fouled out with five minutes remaining, the Tide kept getting scores and free throws and good looks, pushing the game and preventing UK from ever finishing in comfort.

In the end, Anthony Davis' freakish interior defense saved Kentucky's day; the last of his four blocks came with 7 seconds left to preserve a four-point lead, and thus the expected result was achieved. But give Alabama credit: That was a gutsy, tough road performance. This team seemed easy to write off over much of the past two months, but if Saturday's performance was any indication, it will be a worthy competitor in the coming SEC stretch run.

Dayton 87, Xavier 72
What we learned: The Flyers have come a long way since Nov. 30. That's when this team lost 84-55 to Buffalo at home, three days after winning the Old Spice Classic title game over Minnesota. Four days later, Dayton was blown out at Murray State. At that point, first-year coach Archie Miller appeared to have a sincere rebuilding project on his hands. Nearly two months later, the Flyers are, well, flying. This 15-point home win over putative Atlantic 10 favorite Xavier puts them at 4-1 in A-10 play, another excellent addition to a résumé that includes victories over Alabama, Saint Louis and, most recently, a strong 10-point win at Temple. By now, Dayton isn't a rebuild. It isn't a neat little story. It's a legitimate A-10 contender with an easy case to make for an at-large spot in the NCAA tournament. Who saw that one coming?

In the meantime, Xavier's off-and-on struggles -- which appeared to abate with a four-game winning streak in A-10 play -- reared their ugly head again. The Musketeers were mediocre on offense and downright bad on defense, allowing 87 points in 65 possessions, or 1.33 points per trip. Sometimes it's ugly offense, sometimes it's lenient defense, but in either case, it's clear Chris Mack's team hasn't put its midseason slide entirely in the rearview.

Some other observations from Saturday afternoon's selections:

• I didn't get to see all of Kansas' tough 69-66 road win at Texas, but the portions I did see lent some solid eyeball observations to my current theory on Texas: The Longhorns have plenty of holes, particularly in their frontcourt, but they're much better than most people seem to think. To wit, the Longhorns entered Saturday ranked No. 24 in Ken Pomeroy's adjusted efficiency rankings. They're solid on the offensive glass, good at getting to the free throw line, and while they don't play vintage Rick Barnes defense, they keep games close enough to give lights-out scorer J'Covan Brown chances to go win the game late. He had one such chance Saturday, and it missed, but the lesson was well-taken: Texas will give superior teams fits from here on out. Don't say you weren't warned. (And how 'bout Tyshawn Taylor's continued torrid pace with 22 points and ZERO turnovers? What a three-game stretch.)
• Playing Kentucky's brutal Davis-led defense must have a way of making other defenses feel wide open. That appeared to be the case in Fayetteville today, where the Arkansas Razorbacks -- fresh off a loss to the Wildcats this week -- made their first 11 shots and went 80 percent from the field in the first half against Michigan. Early in the second half, the score was 49-33 Arkansas, and a blowout appeared to be in the works. But the shooting slowed down, Michigan made its comeback, and the Razorbacks narrowly avoided a late loss when Wolverines guard Trey Burke's last-second 3 missed. Bad second half, but a nonetheless solid win for freshman B.J. Young and the rest of Mike Anderson's young team. And what a day for the SEC, eh?
• Purdue had the toughest task of any team in the country Saturday afternoon: The Boilermakers had to fight a Midwestern snowstorm that trapped them on their airport tarmac and prevented them from getting more than a few hours of sleep before the 12 p.m. ET tip. Predictably, Michigan State rolled. Purdue has serious issues on both ends of the floor, particularly with an offense that offers little but a barrage of outside shots. But it's hard to blame the Boilermakers too much for the lopsided 83-58 result.
• Yes, it's hard to win on the road. Yes, it's hard to win on the road in the Big East with a team comprised almost entirely of freshmen. But it's even harder to lose when your opponent shoots 3-of-24 in the first half, 12-of-41 for the game -- which ties Harvard for the season record for fewest field goals in a win -- and makes just three of its 14 3-point field goal attempts on the afternoon. And yet, that's exactly what Rutgers did Saturday, as Georgetown overcame a legendarily poor shooting performance (effective field goal percentage: 33.8) to rally for a late win. Hoyas freshman Otto Porter continued his stellar freshman campaign, scoring Georgetown's final six points and nailing the winning free throws with just 8 seconds remaining. Georgetown fans won't necessarily be pleased with this one, but when you shoot this poorly and still get a win, and thanks to a steady freshman to boot, there's encouraging stuff in there somewhere.
• Maryland will eagerly await to hear the status of freshman center Alex Len, who left the Terps' 73-60 loss to Temple at the Palestra with an ankle injury. Len has helped lead a quiet stretch of solid play from the Terps. With him, this team can compete in the ACC. Without him, well, it's not looking good.
• Poor Boston College. The Eagles showed signs of improvement in two early ACC wins over Clemson and Virginia Tech, but Steve Donahue's team returned to early-season form Saturday, which is a way of saying it got beat soundly at home by another very marginal team -- in this case, a 71-56 home loss to Wake Forest. Yeesh.
• What happened to Belmont? Everyone's favorite mid-major darling -- which returned the lion's share of personnel from last season's 30-5 campaign -- fell 79-78 at USC Upstate on Saturday, dropping to 13-7 overall and 6-2 in the Atlantic Sun to date. The other loss came at home to Lipscomb earlier this month, and all of a sudden the Bruins' expected A-Sun dominance looks entirely vulnerable. Strange times in the Volunteer State.

Andy Katz previews New Mexico-UNLV, Florida State-Duke, UConn-Tennessee and Michigan-Arkansas.

Kentucky is No. 1. That much we know. The rest is anyone's guess at this point. Vanderbilt's games at Alabama and against Mississippi State this week should tell us a lot about slots 2 through 5. But for now ...

1. Kentucky: The Wildcats struggled in two road games at Auburn and Tennessee. But they still found ways to win. UK has two consistent stars in freshmen Anthony Davis (now at both ends of the court) and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist; look for those two to continue to shine at home this week against Arkansas and Alabama.

2. Vanderbilt: The Commodores have won seven straight, including three in a row in the SEC. But it was against three of the league's worst teams. Now Vandy gets to the thrust of its schedule with games against Alabama, Mississippi State, rival Tennessee and then one of the surging teams outside the Big Six in Middle Tennessee State.

3. Mississippi State: Some nerves were frayed in Starkville last week after nail-biting wins over Tennessee and Alabama. But the threesome of Arnett Moultrie inside and Dee Bost and Rodney Hood on the perimeter make the Bulldogs a formidable force.

4. Florida: The Gators finally won a road game, albeit against struggling South Carolina. Freshman Brad Beal is starting to find his groove. If that continues, the Gators will be in the thick of this race in March.

5. Alabama: The Crimson Tide weren’t able to steal a road win at Mississippi State, but the game was in the 50s, a real indication of how tough Bama is defensively under Anthony Grant. But the schedule continues to get tougher with Vanderbilt and a road game at Kentucky this week.

6. Tennessee: The Volunteers didn’t beat Mississippi State or Kentucky, but they came darn close, and Tennessee's effort and overall quality of play against three of the top four teams in the SEC tells me UT will end up finishing in the upper half of the conference.

7. Arkansas: The Hogs had a disappointing loss at Ole Miss, but recovered by beating LSU by nine. Mike Anderson has again made Bud Walton Arena one of the toughest places to play for opponents. Michigan had better be on upset alert Saturday when the Wolverines come to Fayetteville.

8. LSU: The Tigers were one of the surprise teams in the SEC a few weeks ago, but LSU is starting to show its inexperience. That’s why beating Auburn is a must, and giving a great show at Florida later in the week would also be encouraging.

9. Auburn: Meanwhile, these Tigers deserve plenty of credit for the way they played last week, even in a losing effort against Kentucky. Auburn was in the game well into the second half, flustering UK multiple times. Then the Tigers held on to beat Ole Miss by one in double overtime.

10. Ole Miss: The Rebels are a thin bunch after multiple dismissals. But they’ve remained competitive at least after an initial drubbing at LSU. Ole Miss beat Arkansas and then lost a heartbreaker at Auburn.

11. Georgia: The Bulldogs are better than their talent has shown of late. Georgia has really struggled to score in its first three SEC games, getting blown out against Alabama and at Florida before a better effort in a loss at Vandy.

12. South Carolina: The Gamecocks had a rough schedule to start the SEC with a road trip to Kentucky and visits from Vanderbilt and Florida. But the difference between a team like South Carolina and Tennessee is the home court. The latter has a distinct advantage in that category.

How did Florida and Mississippi State dropping their SEC openers affect my latest conference rankings? Let's take a look:

1. Kentucky: The Wildcats have Anthony Davis and everyone else does not. Terrence Jones' return as a scorer against South Carolina makes this team even more dangerous.

2. Vanderbilt: The Commodores may end up being the second-best team in the SEC, as predicted in the preseason. They should be. They have the most experience at key positions.

3. Alabama: These spots will rotate from No. 2 to No. 5 over the next few weeks. But the Tide’s defensive domination in a road sweep of Georgia Tech and Georgia was impressive.

4. Mississippi State: I can hear the Arkansas fans chirping at keeping the Bulldogs this high after the Razorbacks thumped them on Saturday night. But it was a difficult road game and I can’t lower MSU too much after that loss.

5. Florida: The Gators continue to come up with ways to lose on the road. The first two losses were legitimate at Ohio State and Syracuse. The Rutgers loss was a failure to finish. The Tennessee loss was more about overall execution.

6. LSU: The Tigers did lose earlier in the week at home to Virginia, but then did what they should: beat a depleted Ole Miss, even without Johnny O’Bryant (hand injury). This will be a huge week for LSU as it hits the road to Alabama and Arkansas.

7. Arkansas: The Razorbacks crept closer to the top half with an impressive offensive performance in the win over the Bulldogs. Mike Anderson and his explosive Hogs had Bud Walton Arena rocking again Saturday night.

8. Tennessee: The certainty you’ll get from a Cuonzo Martin team is a tough, hard-working defensive team. The win over Florida was wildly impressive, from the game plan to the execution. The Vols aren’t going to be an NCAA team, but they will become a tough out from this point forward.

9. Georgia: The Bulldogs are inexperienced in key spots, but are like Tennessee in that they are tough to punch out. The Bulldogs should remain pesky during the conference season.

10. South Carolina: The Gamecocks got rocked at Kentucky as expected. But this team still has the length and athleticism that could pose some problems in Columbia, as it did for a spell against Ohio State.

11. Ole Miss: The Rebels take the deepest drop after booting leading scorer Dundrecous Nelson and reserve Jamal Jones from the team, following Nelson’s arrest. The pair was tossed, according to a source, for multiple failed drug tests. Ole Miss then was wiped out at LSU.

12. Auburn: The Tigers are still in rebuilding mode. Scoring just 35 points in a 30-point loss at Vanderbilt is a strong indication that the project still is in toddler stage. Up next for Auburn: Kentucky. Yikes.