NCAA Basketball: Duke and Virginia move up in latest top-25 power rankings

24. Ohio State Buckeyes (9-3, 3-3)

All things considering, a 1-1 week for the Buckeyes is as good as one can ask. They fell to Minnesota but dispatched Rutgers on Saturday, led by 17 points from Duane Washington Jr. EJ Liddell produced 15 points, while Justice Sueing had 12 points and 10 rebounds.

The competition still remains tough for Ohio State, with a home matchup against a reeling Northwestern team before going on the road to face Illinois. The Buckeyes are in solid shape but should look for another split to remain around .500 in league play.

23. Virginia Tech Hokies (8-2, 2-1)

A major effort was made by reserve guard Jalen Cone to keep the Hokies within range against Louisville. He had a game-high 23 points on six made three-pointers. Yet they couldn’t overcome the Cardinals to lose their only game of last week.

The Hokies have two home games this week, both against Notre Dame and Duke. In a rare turn of events, the Blue Devils may be the underdog in this matchup. It’ll be a battle of great guard play and Matthew Hurt vs Keve Aluma inside on Tuesday.

22. Minnesota Golden Gophers (10-3, 3-3)

It was a mixed result for the Gophers, beating Ohio State by 17 points at home before losing on the road at Michigan by a whopping 25. The 57 points scored against the Wolverines, a season-low for the team. It’s a bit concerning that against better defensive units Minnesota struggles, as its defense will still give up plenty of points no matter who they face.

That’ll likely happen on Sunday when they face the juggernaut Iowa Hawkeyes, although the Gophers were able to outscore them in overtime earlier this season on Christmas. Then they’ll get a chance to exact some revenge of their own against Michigan on Saturday.

*Poll was taken before Sunday’s game with Iowa