NCAA Basketball: Illinois, Ohio State rises in latest top-25 power rankings

6. Illinois Fighting Illini (13-5, 9-3)

The Illini had a tough fight on the road at Indiana, which ultimately ended up in overtime. But 19 points from Trent Frazier and 16 and 10 from Kofi Cockburn gave Illinois enough to win, 75-71. They had a much easier time on Saturday against Wisconsin, leading by double-digits throughout to win, 75-60. Cockburn had 23 points and 14 rebounds but Ayo Dosunmu was the star, going for 21 points, 12 rebounds, and 12 assists.

With the game against Michigan on Wednesday postponed, the Illini is off this week. That could allow them to play someone else in league play, or potentially another non-conference game.

5. Villanova Wildcats (11-2, 6-1)

The Wildcats may be the most talented team in the Big East, they’re not the hottest. That would be St. John’s, who has won six straight. One of those wins was last week against Villanova at home by 11 points. Jeremiah Robinson-Earl had 14 points and 17 rebounds, while Caleb Daniels had a team-high 16 points.

Villanova has a trio of games this week, starting with at home Sunday versus Georgetown. They’ll remain at home against Marquette, before taking on Creighton in a marquee Big East matchup on Saturday.

4. Ohio State Buckeyes (15-4, 9-4)

The Buckeyes have emerged as potentially the best team in the Big Ten after the last couple of weeks. They dispatched Michigan State last Sunday without much problem, before taking on Iowa on the road. But while the Hawkeyes are elite offensively, Ohio State is one of the best on both ends of the court. They won the high-profile matchup, 89-85, led by Kyle Young, EJ Liddell, and Duane Washington Jr. each scoring 16 points.

The Buckeyes look to extend the four-game win streak with a road battle against Maryland, before taking on Indiana at home. Both of those teams are squarely on the bubble and could use a massive resume-builder win over a team like Ohio State. Let’s see how they do as the “hunted” in the Big Ten.