College Basketball Power Rankings: Week 13

Week:

Overall | Voters 1-6 | Voters 7-12 | Voters 13-12 |

College Basketball Power Rankings - Week 13
RANK	TEAM / RECORD	TRENDING	PTS	COMMENT
1	Memphis 20-0	-- Last Week: 1	191	The only unbeaten team left standing took a strong early punch from C-USA foe Houston on the road, but took care of business in one of the few expected tests left on the schedule. For now, there's no debate as to who is No. 1, and there might not be for a while, as the Tigers have a serious chance to enter the NCAA Tournament undefeated.
2	Duke 17-1	1 Last Week: 3	167	The trip down the road to North Carolina next Wednesday is the farthest the Blue Devils will travel for any game in their next five, so if they can handle the Heels, they could really open up a big lead in the ACC. Joe Lunardi already has them as a No. 1 seed, but where that seed is could be more important in March.
3	Kansas 20-1	2 Last Week: 1	163	It's hard to call K-State a rival given the Jayhawks' utter domination of the series, but Kansas definitely ran into a rivalry-game atmosphere Wednesday night in Manhattan. Getting ambushed by the Wildcats doesn't invalidate everything KU has shown this season, but it does make claims to the top spot moot at this point.
4	North Carolina 19-1	-- Last Week: 4	161	Not much to say this week, because the Heels haven't played since last Wednesday. UNC has two more games -- home to BC and at Florida State -- to work out any kinks before Duke comes calling in the first of two (or quite possibly three) games that could decide who gets the East's No. 1 seed and the coveted Raleigh/Charlotte path to San Antonio.
5	UCLA 18-2	-- Last Week: 5	151	The win at Oregon last Thursday, sans Luc Richard Mbah a Moute and Lorenzo Mata-Real, was extremely impressive, as was the 26 and 18 put up by Kevin Love in a hostile homecoming. The Bruins can't overlook a very hungry Arizona State team, but Saturday's showdown with Arizona at Pauley looks mouthwatering.
6	Georgetown 17-2	3 Last Week: 9	130	After needing a Roy Hibbert 3 and a no-call on a bang-bang block/goaltend to survive their two previous Big East games, the Hoyas settled in and routed St. John's on the road Wednesday night. Finally, it seems like Georgetown is starting to create some separation at the top of a very jumbled Big East.
7	Tennessee 18-2	1 Last Week: 8	109	The Volunteers have played a different kind of game in their last five outings. Chris Lofton has found his stroke and the Vols have found a way to stop opponents from scoring as much. If both of those trends continue, this team is a much different animal and one that is significantly more dangerous in a knockout event.
8	Michigan St 19-2	2 Last Week: 10	107	Who knows if Tom Izzo will ever be satisfied with how this group plays, but they are 19-2 and well-positioned to stake a claim to the Big Ten title. After dates at crippled Penn State and home to Northwestern, the Spartans are at Purdue and Indiana -- two games that should go a long way toward deciding the league champ.
9	Washington St 17-2	3 Last Week: 6	104	That was an important one-point escape at Arizona State after losing the front end of the trip in Tucson. Now at 5-2 in the Pac-10, the Cougars have their next four, and seven of their final 11, at home. Given how nasty WSU can be in Pullman, UCLA's one-game league lead looks far from safe.
10	Indiana 17-2	3 Last Week: 7	65	Not too many teams have frontcourt personnel like UConn's, so it's a stretch to call the Huskies' upset in Bloomington a blueprint for future IU foes. It did underscore, though, that D.J. White doesn't have a lot of help inside, and if Eric Gordon's not on his game, the Hoosiers can be vulnerable.
11	Xavier 17-4	10 Last Week: 21	40	The Musketeers look like the best team in the A-10, but that doesn't mean it will be an easy march to the title. The X-men have been drilled a couple of times on the road already this season, and they still have to visit NCAA Tournament hopefuls Charlotte, Rhode Island, Dayton and Saint Joseph's. Stanley Burrell is one-tenth of a point per game away from giving X six double-digit scorers, with Drew Lavender leading the way at just 12.2 points per game. That kind of balance is hard to stop.
12	Butler 19-2	5 Last Week: 17	35	That didn't take long. Thanks to Cleveland State's lost trip to the Wisconsin hyphens, the Bulldogs are back in first place in the Horizon. The next three are on the road at Valpo and the UWs, though, so it won't be the easiest couple of weeks. A.J. Graves gets notice for his small-town background and big 3-point shots, but Mike Green makes this engine go and freshman forward Matt Howard is the team's second-best player.
13	Wisconsin 16-3	2 Last Week: 11	32	Was Michael Flowers fouled by Robbie Hummel? The double-clutch didn't help his case. Either way, the Badgers don't have time to dwell on the tough loss at Purdue over the weekend. Irritated Indiana visits the Kohl Center Thursday night and then five of the next seven after that are on the road.
14	Drake 19-1	-- Last Week: 14	28	The Bulldogs swept Creighton Wednesday night and Illinois State lost at Northern Iowa, which means Drake now has a complete hammer lock on the Missouri Valley, even with five of its last eight on the road. Get used to the reality: This team is going to the NCAA Tournament and very likely will be wearing white jerseys in its first game there. Maybe the second one, too.
14	Stanford 16-3	5 Last Week: 19	28	The Cardinal have quietly established themselves as one of the better teams in the Pac-10. They still have road games left at six of the seven other best teams in the league, so we'll find out more down the stretch. Brook Lopez has been terrific since his return. If the Cardinal can rejuvenate Lawrence Hill to help carry more of the offense, they would look that much more imposing.
16	Kansas St 15-4	NEW Last Week: NR	26	They knew they needed to make some noise in the Big 12 to make up for a series of misses in nonconference play. How does 5-0 with a convincing beating of Kansas work? Michael Beasley gets most of the national love, but the Wildcats' surge has been keyed by the growth of Bill Walker as option 1B and the development of the team's supporting cast. Like O.J. Mayo at USC, Beasley has recently had to do less, which has meant more success for KSU.
Others receiving votes: Texas (24), Arizona (16), Connecticut (15), Pittsburgh (10), USC (10), Florida (6), Gonzaga (6), Texas A&M (3), Saint Mary's (2), Ole Miss (2), Marquette (1)
Biggest Jump: 10 Biggest Drops: 3