NCAA Basketball: Texas Tech, Virginia rises in latest top- 25 power rankings
4. Iowa Hawkeyes (11-2, 5-1)
In the lone game of the week, Iowa handled Minnesota by the final score of 86-71. Luka Garza continues to look like the National Player of the Year frontrunner, scoring a game-high 33 points. Joe Wieskamp had 20 points on just 7/9 shooting from the field, while point guard Jordan Bohannon had 19 points and a career-high 14 assists.
The Hawkeyes offense looks to continue thriving this week against Northwestern and Indiana. And with Michigan’s loss to Minnesota, the Hawkeyes have the chance to claim first place again in the Big Ten depending on what else happens in a few days.
3. Villanova Wildcats (8-1, 3-0)
The hope is that finally, after another pause due to covid issues, Villanova can get back on the court. They’ll be at home but will face Seton Hall and Providence, two top-half teams in the Big East.
2. Baylor Bears (12-0, 5-0)
Baylor is just one of a few NCAA Basketball left unbeaten but had to fight all 40 minutes on the road at Texas Tech. Jared Butler and the offense struggled throughout but Davion Mitchell had 19 points to lead the way, while Adam Flager had 15 off the bench to lead the way to the big-time win.
Now all attention goes to Monday’s primetime matchup at home against the Kansas Jayhawks. A win there would give them a commanding three-game over their Big 12 rivals and a potential case to overthrow the current No. 1 team in the polls if it’s a blowout. But don’t overlook Saturday’s opponent in Oklahoma State, who has one of the best players in the country in Cade Cunningham.
1. Gonzaga Bulldogs (14-0, 5-0)
The Bulldogs have looked dominant all season long, blowing opponents of all kinds out of the water. However, they looked human in the past week, struggling to put Pepperdine away until the second half, and trailing rival Saint Mary’s by a season-high 10 points in the first half before eventually pulling away as well. But Gonzaga scored a season-low 73 points, making it the first time the team failed to reach 85 total.
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Coach Mark Few alluded in the postgame press conference that the team may be a bit tired. They’ll get a bit of a break this upcoming week, facing only Pacific on Saturday. But don’t overlook a Tigers team that is second in the WCC standings at 2-0. And after their own covid issues, they’ll be fresh and motivated to try and take down the No. 1 team in the nation.