College Basketball Power Rankings: Villanova stands tall, West Virginia slips hard

CBK Power Rankings FTR

Anybody can get it. 

If nothing else, the last week of action on the hardwood has shown us there are no invincible teams in college basketball. In the past seven days, we've seen West Virginia drop back-to-back games, Michigan State fall to an unranked opponent and need overtime to survive another and Wichita State drop its first game in the American. 

There aren't many sure things but some are more certain than others. Let's see who has the juice as we prepare for what's sure to be another eventful week. 

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College Basketball Power Rankings  

25. Louisville (14-4, 4-1)

Given the circumstances, first-year, first-time coach David Padgett should be considered an ACC COY candidate, depending on how things play out the rest of the season. He's dealt with the drama of the FBI investigation that led to Rick Pitino's firing and the decimation of Louisville's staff as graciously as possible. Since arch rival Kentucky blew them out by 29 in their non-conference finale, the Cardinals have won four of their first five in league play. The Cardinals face Wake Forest Saturday and travel to Virginia Jan. 31. 

24. St. Mary's (17-2, 6-0) 

Riding a 12-game win streak heading into Thursday's West Coast Conference showdown against Gonzaga, last year's national runner-up, Jock Landale and the Gaels will have a chance to show and prove once again they're a mid-major to be reckoned with. 

23. Kansas State (13-5, 3-3)

In the rough and tumble Big 12, arguably the toughest conference in America, opponents can't go to sleep on the Wildcats. They're ranked among the league's best in scoring defense and limited superstar Oklahoma point guard Trae Young, the nation's leading scorer, to the worst game shooting night of his career since his college debut in an 87-69 defeat of the Sooners on Jan. 16. Kansas State hosts TCU Saturday and travels to Baylor Monday. 

22. Seton Hall (15-4, 4-2)

The Pirates' 20-point defeat at the hands of Marquette wasn't expected Jan. 9, but even good teams have off nights. However, after another loss, this time on the road against Creighton Wednesday, the Pirates need to get things turned around in a hurry and things won't get any easier when they host Xavier Saturday. 

21. Creighton (15-4, 5-2)

Led by SN midseason All-American Marcus Foster, the Bluejays are amid the most difficult three-game stretch of their Big East schedule, having lost to Xavier and beaten Seton Hal, heading into Saturday's meeting at Providence. The top scoring team in the Big East, Creighton can compete against the league's best. 

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20.  Auburn (16-2, 4-1)

The Tigers traveled to Tuscaloosa, Ala., and lost to their Iron Bowl rival Crimson Tide, which didn't even feature standout freshman Collin Sexton. That snapped a 14-game winning streak Wednesday. Still, Auburn had won seven in a row by double-digit margins before the defeat. Beware of coach Bruce Pearl's team. The Tigers will look to begin another streak when they entertain Georgia Saturday.

19. Wichita State (15-3, 5-1) 

Things were rolling for the Shockers when they won seven in a row, including their first five in their inaugural campaign in the American. But a loss to an SMU team that has dropped its previous three will have critics wondering if the Shockers are truly prepared to stomp with the big dogs. Wichita State travels to Houston Saturday. 

18. Arizona State (14-4, 2-4)

The Sun Devils have lost three of their last five, and it's easy to see why. They lead the Pac 12 in scoring but rank among the worst in points allowed per game. If its defense could just be half as good as its offense, Arizona State could be a contender. But who knows if that will ever happen. The Sun Devils play at Cal Saturday. 

17. Clemson (15-3, 4-2)

The Tigers missed out on their opportunity to defeat North Carolina on the road for the first time ever, but they'll look to even their record to .500 over their last four games. It starts with a meeting against Notre Dame Saturday ahead of a tough road tilt at Virginia next Tuesday. 

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16. Michigan (16-4, 5-2)

The Wolverines made a splash last week with an 82-72 win against Michigan State and followed it up with a one-point win against Maryland. With Moritz Wagner and Charles Matthews averaging about 15 points per game from the inside and outside, respectively, things are looking up for the Wolverines. Michigan has a trip to Nebraska Thursday before welcoming Rutgers to Ann Arbor Saturday. 

15. Ohio State (16-4, 7-0)

Buckeyes big man Keita Bates-Diop has been everything fans hoped he would be in returning to action after redshirting last season. He's averaging more than 20 points and pulling down close to nine rebounds per game to lead the team. But it's not just the 6-7, 235-pounder who has OSU making moves. C.J. Jackson, Jae'Sean Tate and Kaleb Wilson also are averaging double figures per game as the Buckeyes have started Big Ten play 7-0. They begin a five-game home stand Saturday against Minnesota. 

14. Xavier (17-3, 5-2)

After losing two in a row — failures at Providence and Villanova — the Musketeers bounced back with a 22-point win at home against Creighton this past Saturday and they took care of business against St. John's Wednesday night. The verdict is still out on XU. A Saturday blockbuster in New Jersey against Seton Hall will help show what it's really made of. 

13. Gonzaga (16-3, 6-0)

Gonzaga is doing its usual thing, blitzing through the West Coast Conference. With six players averaging 10 or more points for the Bulldogs, opposing teams have to pick their poison. Gonzaga hosts St. Mary's Thursday.

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12. North Carolina (15-4, 4-2)

The Tar Heels are just too solid to fall off for too long. A 1-2 start in the ACC might've had some concerned, but the Tar Heels have won three in a row. They're doing it the way you'd expect from a team with seven juniors and seniors. They rank in the top two in the league in assists-to-turnover ratio and defense. UNC hosts Georgia Tech Saturday before a tilt at Virginia Tech Monday.

11. Cincinnati (16-2, 5-0)

The Bearcats have shown they can win pretty (scoring 76 or more points in four of five games in the American) and ugly (grinding out a 49-38 victory in a battle against the defensive-minded UCF two days ago). Unblemished in conference play, Cincinnati has a pair of home games against ECU (Saturday) and Temple (Jan. 24) up next. 

10. West Virginia (15-3, 4-2)

Two matchups against teams ranked in the AP top 10 at the time (Texas Tech and Kansas) yielded back-to-back losses for the Mountaineers after they'd won 15 in a row. The humbling weekend should only make this ballhawking squad hungrier — it leads all major conference programs in steals per game — as it preps for Texas (Saturday) and TCU (Monday). 

9. Kansas (15-3, 5-1)

The Jayhawks play a high-risk brand of basketball, seldom getting to the free-throw line and shooting a ton of 3-pointers. But when they're on, they're among the toughest in the country to beat. Downing Kansas State and upsetting West Virginia, two of the best squads defending the long ball in the Big 12, showed their unconventional style is capable of producing results against top competition. The Jayhawks are at home against Baylor Saturday and on the road against Oklahoma Tuesday. 

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8. Arizona (15-4, 5-1)

We told you last week it was safe to trust the Wildcats again. They're beginning to look like the team many thought they'd be in the preseason. Featuring SN preseason All-Americans Allonzo Trier and Deandre Ayton, the Pac 12's leader in points and rebounds per game, they've gone 11-1 since losing three in a row during a stretch that caused many pundits to question if Arizona would recover. The Wildcats visit Stanford Saturday. 

7. Michigan State (16-3, 4-2) 

The Spartans are really good, leading the Big Ten in scoring, field goal percentage, field goal percentage defense, offensive rebounding, rebounding margin and blocks. They possess the potential to be great. But they have to stop giving the ball away. Only an overtime win against Rutgers has kept them from dropping their last three. In those contests, they turned the ball over 16.33 times per game. Michigan State hosts Indiana at home Friday then sees Illinois in Champagne, Ill. 

6. Oklahoma (14-3, 4-2)

It wasn't just Young who faltered in the Sooners loss against Kansas State. Oklahoma connected on just seven of 28 3-pointers and committed 20 turnovers. Their upcoming opponents, Oklahoma State (Saturday) and Kansas (Jan. 23), know the Sooners likely won't replicate those struggles when they square off against the nation's No. 2 scoring team. 

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5. Texas Tech (15-3, 4-2)

The Red Raiders haven't advanced beyond the first round of the Big 12 since the 2009-10 season. That will certainly change this year. Texas Tech suffered a disappointing loss to Texas Wednesday. Nonetheless, the Red Raiders are 4-1 against ranked teams. After snapping West Virginia's 15-game winning streak, second-year Texas Tech coach Chris Beard has put the country on notice his team could end the season among college basketball's elite. Texas Tech has games at Iowa State Saturday and at home against Oklahoma State Tuesday in the next week. 

4. Purdue (18-2, 7-0)

The Boilermakers are on a roll, having won 14 in a row, including their first seven in the Big Ten, by an average of 38.14 points per game. Purdue is making teams get down or lay down. Iowa is on the hit list Saturday. 

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3. Duke (16-2, 4-2)

Big, athletic and skilled, the Blue Devils check all the boxes. Freshman Marvin Bagley is the best post player in America and counterpart Wendell Carter is among them. They rank No. 1 in the country in scoring and rebounds per game. They have some serious deficiencies on defense but most nights they're simply too talented to succumb to their shortcomings. The Blue Devils host Pitt Saturday and have an in-state bout at Wake Forest Tuesday. 

2. Virginia (16-1, 5-0)

No need to get all technical here. No one can score against the Cavaliers, the nation's stingiest defense. Virginia has three games in five days, facing Georgia Tech (Thursday) and Wake Forest (Sunday) on the road before returning to Charlottesville to get it on with Clemson (Tuesday). 

1. Villanova (17-1, 5-1)

Wildcats coach Jay Wright has his team operating like a well-oiled machine. They've recovered from their lone loss with four straight double-digit victories to reassert their dominance. The Wildcats, led by Wooden Award candidate Jalen Brunson, play the final of three-straight road games Saturday against Connecticut, then host Providence Tuesday. 

 

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