NCAA Basketball: Duke rises in latest top 25 power rankings after crazy Saturday

24. Alabama Crimson Tide

This was supposed to be a fairly week overall for the Crimson Tide, taking on both South Carolina and Vanderbilt. But as we’ve seen in the past, this team tends to play to the level of its competition. That happened against the Commodores, with Alabama blowing a lead late and almost lost at the end, surviving by two points.

The game against the Gamecocks was much easier on Senior Night. A 50-point first half made it a no-contest overall, ultimately winning 90-71. Five players were in double figures, led by 20 points from Jaden Shackelford, as well as 20 from Jahvon Quinerly.

Texas A&M and at LSU is up next for the Crimson Tide before the SEC Tournament. This is a team that has a highly impressive resume so a late run of wins could vault them into the top-4 seed line. But they have to avoid losing to bad teams along the way, something that has been a struggle for them.

23. Boise State Broncos

One of the more anticipated games of the week included Boise State taking on San Diego State in a key Mountain West matchup. The game played out as expected in a defensive slugfest, where neither team had much advantage. In the end, it was the Broncos that survived with the 58-57 win, led by 21 points from Abu Kigab.

Kigab had 23 points in Saturday’s 10-point win over UNLV on the road but had some help this time around, with Marcus Shaver Jr. going for a game-high 27 points. That win keeps Boise State at the top of the Mountain West standings and a chance to win the regular-season title at home against Nevada. But if they lose that one, that makes the road clash at Colorado State all the more interesting.