NCAA Basketball: OK State jumps up, Villanova crashes down in latest top-25 ranking
3. Illinois Fighting Illini (20-6, 16-4)
With an injured Ayo Dosunmu, no one would’ve blamed Illinois if they lost both road games this week against top-10 teams Michigan and Ohio State. Instead, it turned into the best two performances of the year as a team, including a 23-point win over Michigan. Trent Frazier stepped up big time in Dosunmu’s absence with 22 points, while Andre Curbelo had 17 off the bench.
The game against the Buckeyes was a nailbiter all the way through but Illinois pulled out the 73-68 victory in Dosunmu’s return. The mask didn’t seem to affect him at all, tying a game-high 19 points on 7/10 shooting. Curbelo came up big again with 19 points off the bench as well. Up next is the Big Ten Tournament, where as long as they don’t take a bad defeat, will likely give them a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
2. Baylor Bears (20-1, 12-1)
The Bears officially captured the Big 12 regular-season title this week after beating West Virginia in overtime (94-89) in one of the more entertaining games of the season. Jared Butler led the way with 25 points and six assists but it was forward Matthew Mayer with 18 off the bench that proved most important in the win. They followed it up with a solid win over Oklahoma State to guarantee a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Baylor has Texas Tech at home on Sunday, before the Big 12 Tournament. They’ll be a No. 1 seed with a bye to the quarterfinals and with the opportunity to win both coveted titles in this special season. And there’s a chance they’ll get Kansas for Round 3 in the title game.
1. Gonzaga Bulldogs (24-0, 15-0)
The Bulldogs didn’t play last week as they got a triple-bye all the way to the semifinals of the WCC Tournament. They’re set to play Saint Mary’s after they had a low-scoring victory over LMU on Saturday.
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These are the top rivals in the conference but this season’s matchups between the two have been all Gonzaga, with a combined margin of victory of 36 points. If the Bulldogs can beat them and likely BYU in the finals, they’ll enter the NCAA Tournament undefeated and the No. 1 overall seed.