NCAA Basketball Power Rankings: Michigan State rises, Nevada drops

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - NOVEMBER 23: Matt McQuaid #20 of the Michigan State Spartans celebrates with his teammates after winning the championship game of the 2018 Continental Tire Las Vegas Invitational basketball tournament against the Texas Longhorns at the Orleans Arena on November 23, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Michigan State defeated Texas 78-68. (Photo by Sam Wasson/Getty Images) /

2 of 26

HONOLULU, HI – DECEMBER 23: The TCU Horned Frogs bench cheers. (Photo by Darryl Oumi/Getty Images) /

25. TCU Horned Frogs

Record: 12-1 (1-0 Big 12)

Last Week: No. 23

TCU’s strength of schedule is still a talking point regarding their ranking and that is the main reason why they dropped two spots this week despite winning their only game. Admittedly, their victory over Baylor (at home) was a tad bit closer than the team would have liked but their drop was more about other teams snagging bigger wins rather than TCU’s play on the court. On the whole, I remain extremely optimistic about this Horned Frogs’ team because of their incredible ball movement.

With Alex Robinson (13.5 points, 8.7 assists) at the forefront, this is a team that really shares the wealth on the offensive end of the floor. They are not at all afraid of making the extra pass to find the best look on each possession. This has not only resulted in the team boasting incredibly balanced scoring (six players averaging 8+ points per game) but also the fourth-best assist rate in the nation. Through the team’s first 13 games, the Horned Frogs are recording assists on 68.1% of their made baskets.

Looking ahead, though, we are about to learn a lot about how successful this TCU team can be. During this upcoming week, the Horned Frogs will go on the road for back-to-back top-25 matchups against Kansas and Oklahoma. If they are able to snag one of these victories, they should move up the rankings while also gaining some attention on the national stage.

Home/NCAA Basketball News