NCAA Basketball: Missouri, San Diego State rise in latest power rankings

While the Tar Heels were the only team to not let Luka Garza go off so far this season, they allowed the rest of the Iowa Hawkeyes to, ending with a 93-80 defeat. There must have been lingering effects, as they were in a tightly-contested contest with NC Central of the MEAC on Saturday.

UNC won that game but isn’t playing at their highest level of confidence at the moment. Freshman forward Day’Ron Sharpe has been great, while five-star freshman guard Caleb Love has been struggling as the lead guard as of late. Backcourt issues are starting to rear their ugly head, something that the Tar Heels need to figure out before taking on Ohio State.

The Aztecs may have been looking ahead to their big matchup with Arizona State, as they had to fight to beat Pepperdine of the WCC on Sunday. They pulled ahead in the final eight minutes and turned their attention to the Sun Devils. That game wasn’t in doubt in the second half, with San Diego State leading by as much as 20 points en route to an 80-68 win.

Jordan Schakel’s career-high 25 points was the main storyline but big man Nathan Mensah going for 17 points and 15 rebounds also are important. After missing most of last season with health issues, the 6’10 junior gives them a real inside presence to balance out the offense. He’ll be needed this weekend with a home game with BYU coming up.

14. Richmond Spiders (4-0)

Last rank: 15

After the major win at Kentucky, Richmond became ranked and had a target on its back. Mid-major threats Wofford and Northern Iowa each had second-half leads and push the Spiders to their limits. However, the experience and talent won it out for Richmond, winning both of those games in the end.

While the four seniors continue to play well, sophomore forward Tyler Burton has been great in replacement for Nick Sherod. He currently leads the Spiders with 9.0 rpg and has been a double-digit scorer as well.

*This poll was taken before the defeat to West Virginia on Sunday