There was no change at the top of the ESPN.com Power Rankings with Kentucky, Syracuse and Ohio State maintaining the top three spots.
Entering the top 10 is Florida, winner of five straight. Newcomers to the Top 25: Wisconsin and Gonzaga.
Here are this week's Power Rankings:
Editor's note: Team blurbs written by Myron Medcalf
Overall | Voters 1-6 | Voters 7-12 | Voters 13-16 || College Basketball Power Rankings - Week 9 | |||||
| RANK | TEAM / RECORD | TRENDING | PTS | COMMENT | |
| 1 | -- Last Week: 1 | 398 | The Wildcats are clearly the most dominant team in the country right now. Anthony Davis (13.5 ppg, 10.2 rpg, 4.7 bpg) might be the front-runner for national player of the year honors. But the Wildcats will face Florida (twice), Vanderbilt (twice) and Mississippi State in their final eight SEC games. Let's see how the freshmen handle that slate. | ||
| 2 | -- Last Week: 2 | 376 | Fab Melo is back. And that's great news for a Syracuse squad that's been bullied inside without him. He's not Anthony Davis but his defensive skills (3.0 bpg) were more important than some believed before he was sidelined with an academic issue. | ||
| 3 | -- Last Week: 3 | 372 | Saturday's matchup at Wisconsin could prove pivotal for Ohio State's Big Ten title hopes. The Buckeyes' three losses have all come on the road. But that's where they'll have to seal a conference championship. They face five nationally ranked teams (four of them on the road) the rest of the way. | ||
| 4 | 2 Last Week: 6 | 341 | The Tar Heels are still a very talented program. They've won four in a row since that Jan. 14 beatdown at Florida State. They have the nation's top scoring offense. Only question about this highly-touted bunch is whether it has the edginess to ultimately fulfill its potential in March. | ||
| 5 | -- Last Week: 5 | 333 | Last week's loss at Oklahoma State won't define the Tigers' season. Saturday's matchup against Kansas, however, could. Marcus Denmon (17.1 ppg) and that talented Tigers backcourt will have their hands full with a balanced team. But Kansas has to deal with Missouri's speed. | ||
| 6 | 2 Last Week: 4 | 321 | The Jayhawks responded to their first Big 12 loss (Saturday at Iowa State) with an 84-62 home win over Oklahoma on Wednesday night. Get your popcorn ready for the Jayhawks' upcoming tests: Saturday at Missouri and Wednesday at Baylor. The Big 12's standings could shift over the next week. | ||
| 7 | 1 Last Week: 8 | 295 | Its three-game winning streak has included two tight victories over Texas and Texas A&M. The Bears' toughness has been questioned this season. But they showcased heart by holding on for those wins. And next week, they'll have a chance to quiet all doubters when they play Kansas and Missouri. | ||
| 8 | 1 Last Week: 7 | 288 | Coach K's Blue Devils have won two in a row since suffering a Jan. 21 home loss to Florida State. But concerns about Austin Rivers' ballhandling remain. The freshman is the team's leading scorer (14.1 ppg), but he's committed 12 turnovers in Duke's past five games. In the NCAA tournament those struggles could really hurt the Blue Devils. | ||
| 9 | 2 Last Week: 11 | 261 | This is Kentucky's greatest challenge in the SEC. The Gators love the 3-ball (41 percent). But to knock off the Wildcats, whom they'll play twice over the last month of the SEC slate, they'll need a healthy, aggressive Patric Young (11.4 ppg, 6.7 rpg). | ||
| 10 | 2 Last Week: 12 | 240 | The Mountain West is legit. That much was clear when the Runnin' Rebels needed overtime to dismiss Air Force and Boise State last week. They've won five straight and they'll host San Diego State next week, a chance to avenge their only Mountain West loss. | ||
| 11 | 2 Last Week: 9 | 233 | The Spartans would tumble down the Big Ten standings without Draymond Green (14.9 ppg, 10.3 rpg). So for their sakes, it's great news that a knee injury Green suffered during a 42-41 loss at Illinois on Tuesday was less serious than it looked. But if the Spartans are truly national contenders, they'll have to win a road game at some point. | ||
| 12 | 2 Last Week: 14 | 197 | The Bluejays have won 11 straight. Doug McDermott (23.6 ppg, 8.3 rpg) continues to make a strong case for national player of the year. But the Bluejays can't look too far ahead. Every night will be a battle in the MVC. A win over Wichita State on Feb. 11 could be the deciding victory in the conference race. | ||
| 12 | 2 Last Week: 10 | 197 | Did the Hoyas just catch a surging Pitt team on the road at the wrong time? It's possible. But they can't afford another hiccup if they plan to stay in the Big East race and catch Syracuse. They're talented enough to do it. But consistency has been a problem for John Thompson III's Hoyas. | ||
| 14 | 2 Last Week: 16 | 189 | Right now, the Golden Eagles are winning and that's what matters. Seven in a row is seven in a row, regardless of the schedule. And the success could continue for a squad that will play one nationally ranked opponent (Georgetown) down the stretch. | ||
| 15 | -- Last Week: 15 | 170 | Ivan Aska picked the perfect time for a return. The Racers could have maintained their undefeated mark in the OVC without him. But when they play a hot Saint Mary's squad Feb. 18, the 6-7, 230-pound forward will be vital. Mark your calendars for that BracketBusters gem. | ||
| 16 | 2 Last Week: 18 | 154 | With the way that the Gaels are playing right now (10-0 in WCC), a win at Gonzaga on Feb. 9 could seal the conference title. They've already swept BYU. They also have a giant opportunity in their BracketBusters matchup against Murray State. | ||
| 17 | 3 Last Week: 20 | 123 | The Seminoles have turned the ACC into an actual race with one of the most impressive runs in the country. Their current six-game winning streak includes a road win against Duke and a 33-point home victory over North Carolina. | ||
| 18 | 4 Last Week: 22 | 118 | The Cavs have won three straight since that ugly Jan. 22 home loss to Virginia Tech. Are they really ACC contenders? We'll find out when they play Florida State on Saturday and North Carolina next weekend, both road games. | ||
| 19 | 6 Last Week: 13 | 117 | The Aztecs suffered a tough road loss at Colorado State last week. Again, more evidence of the Mountain West's potency. The conference should be a four-bid league. Next week's SDSU-UNLV meeting in Las Vegas will be must-see TV. | ||
| 20 | 3 Last Week: 17 | 105 | After Wednesday's win over Indiana in Ann Arbor, the Wolverines are 6-0 at home in Big Ten play. But they've struggled on the road. No worries, though. The entire conference is still trying to find its way on enemy ground. That said, one or two key wins on the road in the final weeks of the season could determine the Big Ten championship. That's why Michigan's Super Bowl Sunday matchup at Michigan State is so important. | ||
| 21 | 5 Last Week: NR | 90 | The hottest team in the Big Ten faces the Buckeyes on Saturday in Madison. It's a crucial matchup for both teams. It's also the same site of the Badgers' upset against last season's unbeaten Buckeyes. Saturday's game could change the Big Ten. With an Ohio State loss, four Big Ten teams would have three losses, depending on what happens over the weekend with other contenders. | ||
| 22 | 1 Last Week: 21 | 56 | Arnett Moultrie (16.8 ppg) is one of the top newcomers in the country. His talented teammates comprise an SEC team that's packed with potential. But the Bulldogs have looked like a different squad on the road. They've lost three SEC games away from home and they beat Vanderbilt on Jan. 21 in overtime. They're lucky that their only matchup against No. 1 Kentucky is a home game. | ||
| 23 | 3 Last Week: NR | 53 | The Bulldogs' WCC title chances may depend on a home win against Saint Mary's next week. But first, they have to get past BYU on the road Thursday night. Yep, Gonzaga's reign over the WCC might be over, folks. We'll find out in the next week. | ||
| 24 | 6 Last Week: 18 | 34 | The Hoosiers have lost five of seven. But there's a reason for Hoosiers fans to remain hopeful. The toughest part of their Big Ten slate is over. Things should get somewhat easier from here. | ||
| 24 | -- Last Week: 24 | 34 | The Commodores are 5-2 in the SEC and they'll play both Kentucky and Florida two times in the final weeks of the regular season. So Vandy is still a legit contender for the SEC crown, but the ugly loss at Arkansas did little to prove as much. | ||
| Others receiving votes: Wichita State (28), Harvard (19), Iowa State (17), Louisville (12), California (8), Kansas State (5), Southern Miss (4), West Virginia (4), New Mexico (3), Drexel (2), Memphis (2), Nevada (1) | |||||
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