NCAA Basketball: Gonzaga, Kansas drops, Duke, UNC rises in latest top 25 power ranking

17. Baylor Bears – 14-5 (4-3 Big 12)

When the Bears started out 0-3 in league play and faced three road games out of the next four, there was a real chance that things could fall apart for the team. But as expected by a team coached by national champion Scott Drew, Baylor has been able to win four straight, including a couple of important road games this week.

In the win at Texas Tech, Keyonte George led a high-powered offensive performance, with the team scoring 48 points at the half. In the end, Baylor pulled off an 81-74 win, led by 27 points from the freshman guard. LJ Cryer had 18 points, while forward Jalen Bridges chipped in with 14.

The next game for the Bears was at Oklahoma, a game in which they trailed for a fair amount. The offensive exploding didn’t happen for a long time, with the team shooting just 36% from the field. But they managed to stay close enough to make several key three-pointers late, including one by Adam Flagler to seal the game at the end. The final score was 62-60, with Flagler leading the way with 16 points and five assists.

The good news for Baylor is that they’ll be home for the next couple of games. The bad news is that it’s against Big 12 and national juggernaut Kansas, as well as Arkansas later in the Big 12/SEC Challenge.