| Power Rankings |
| |
RK (LW) |
TEAM |
RECORD |
POINTS |
COMMENTS |
 |
1 (1) |
Kansas (10) |
25-1 |
250 |
Bill Self described Kansas’ 59-54 win over Texas A&M on Monday as “muddy.” The Jayhawks’ position atop the Big 12 standings is clearer. They hold a three-game lead with five games remaining. |
 |
2 (3) |
Kentucky |
25-1 |
239 |
There was drama, tension and animosity on display during Kentucky’s visit to Mississippi State. And then there was the game itself. The Wildcats’ OT win was UK’s 10th SEC victory. A rematch with Vanderbilt comes Saturday. |
 |
3 (5) |
Purdue |
22-3 |
225 |
With three losses in Big Ten play by mid-January, Purdue’s chances of challenging for the league title weren’t looking good. A road win at Ohio State on Wednesday night, the Boilermakers’ eighth straight, puts them in a tie in the loss column with Michigan State. They host Illinois on Saturday. |
 |
4 (2) |
Syracuse |
24-2 |
221 |
Syracuse played with fire at home against UConn last week but survived late. The Orange were burned in the Carrier Dome against Louisville on Sunday. They visit Georgetown on Thursday (ESPN2, 7 p.m. ET). |
 |
5 (4) |
Villanova |
22-3 |
209 |
Villanova fell to a UConn team fighting for its tourney life Monday night. The Wildcats are tied with Syracuse atop the Big East standings and visit Pitt on Sunday. |
 |
6 (6) |
Duke |
22-4 |
203 |
The Blue Devils dominated Maryland over the weekend and squeaked past Miami on Wednesday night to remain atop the ACC standings. Duke hosts Virginia Tech on Sunday. |
 |
7 (8) |
Kansas State |
21-4 |
191 |
Kansas State needed an 18-point second-half outburst from Denis Clemente to hold off a pesky Nebraska team at home Wednesday night. The Wildcats hit the road for their next two Big 12 contests, starting with Oklahoma on Saturday. |
 |
8 (9) |
West Virginia |
20-5 |
178 |
The Mountaineers shook off a two-game skid in Big East play with a road win at Providence. Two games behind league leaders Syracuse and Villanova, West Virginia will need some help if it is to mount a late title push. |
 |
9 (10) |
Michigan State |
21-6 |
158 |
Michigan State bounced back from its three-game league skid with road wins over two of the Big Ten’s bottom-feeders, Penn State and Indiana. The Spartans host Ohio State on Sunday and then travel to West Lafayette with a potential league-deciding matchup with Purdue. |
 |
10 (12) |
Gonzaga |
21-4 |
148 |
The Zags’ dominating win over Saint Mary’s on Feb. 11 means the WCC race is Gonzaga’s to lose. Not exactly breaking news. |
 |
11 (6) |
Georgetown |
18-6 |
146 |
Georgetown’s recent stretch has seen the Hoyas pick up convincing wins over Villanova and Duke. It’s also seen them fall to South Florida and Rutgers. Go figure. Maybe it’s not a bad trend, as long as it follows with a win over Syracuse on Thursday night. |
 |
12 (11) |
Ohio State |
20-7 |
135 |
Consider it an opportunity lost. With a chance to move into a tie for first place in the Big Ten, the Buckeyes fell to Purdue at home 60-57 on Wednesday night. An opportunity to get back on track comes Sunday with a visit from Michigan State. |
 |
13 (15) |
New Mexico |
24-3 |
126 |
It’s fitting that New Mexico and Brigham Young stand so close in the standings, because a Feb. 27 matchup in Provo, Utah, is shaping up to be a winner-take-all contest in the MWC. |
 |
14 (13) |
Brigham Young |
24-3 |
125 |
The Cougars have a visit to Wyoming and a visit from San Diego State to contend with before hosting New Mexico in a matchup that will likely decide the MWC. |
 |
15 (13) |
Wisconsin |
19-6 |
110 |
Of Wisconsin’s final five regular-season games, only one (Illinois) comes against the Big Ten’s upper echelon. The Badgers visit Minnesota on Thursday night before hosting Northwestern on Sunday. |
 |
16 (16) |
Vanderbilt |
19-5 |
107 |
Kentucky keeps rolling through SEC play, meaning Vanderbilt will have to take the Wildcats down itself if it harbor any hopes of an SEC title. The Commodores host UK on Saturday. |
 |
17 (17) |
Butler |
24-4 |
102 |
It’s cruise control for the Bulldogs, who have won 16 in a row, their past five by double figures. A BracketBuster matchup with Siena on Saturday gives Butler a break from the monotony of Horizon play. |
 |
18 (26) |
Baylor |
20-5 |
57 |
After a couple of frantic finishes in wins over Nebraska and Missouri, Baylor earned a win in comfort over Texas Tech. Three of the Bears’ final five regular-season games are on the road, starting with a trip to Oklahoma State on Saturday. |
 |
19 (26) |
Pittsburgh |
19-6 |
55 |
Pitt has rebounded nicely from a stretch that saw it lose four of five Big East games. The Panthers have won three league games in a row, including a victory over West Virginia in three OTs on Feb. 12. |
 |
20 (21) |
Temple |
21-5 |
54 |
Three of Temple’s five remaining regular-season games are on the road, starting with a visit to Saint Joseph’s on Saturday. The Owls remain a game behind Richmond in the win column in the A-10 standings. |
 |
21 (20) |
Tennessee |
19-6 |
46 |
The Vols rebounded form consecutive losses to Kentucky and Vanderbilt with a win over Georgia on Wednesday night. Up next for Tennessee: road trips to South Carolina (Saturday) and Florida (Tuesday). |
 |
22 (22) |
Texas A&M |
18-7 |
36 |
Texas A&M fell short at home to Kansas on Monday night, dropping the Aggies four games behind the Jayhawks in the Big 12. Up next: consecutive road games against Iowa State (Saturday) and Baylor (Wednesday) followed by a visit from Texas on Feb. 27. |
 |
23 |
Virginia Tech |
21-4 |
28 |
That it’s taken Virginia Tech this long to appear in the rankings is probably more indicative of the Hokies’ less-than-stellar nonconference scheduling. The Hokies’ win over Wake Forest on Tuesday night moved them into a second-place tie with Maryland in the ACC standings. |
 |
24 (25) |
Wake Forest |
18-6 |
26 |
A loss to Virginia Tech sent the Demon Deacons a game behind the Hokies and Maryland in the loss column in the ACC standings. They host NC State on Saturday. |
 |
25 (30) |
Richmond |
21-6 |
21 |
The Spiders have won seven in a row and are currently sitting atop the A-10 standings. It’ll be a difficult sprint to the finish line for Richmond, however. Its last three games include visits to Xavier and Charlotte, with a visit from Dayton sandwiched in between. |
 |
25 (18) |
Texas |
20-6 |
21 |
The Longhorns are sliding fast after picking up their sixth loss in nine games in an 82-77 loss at Missouri on Wednesday night. It doesn’t figure to get easier for Texas anytime soon, as it hits the road for three of its final five regular-season games. |
