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

16. Auburn Tigers – 16-3 (6-1 SEC)

After a subpar non-conference schedule, there were questions as to how good the Tigers really were. They’ve been answering many of these questions to this point, currently in second place in the SEC standings and coming off a pair of double-digit road wins.

Against LSU, Auburn’s defense showed why it’s one of the best in the country. They held the other Tigers to just 49 points in an 18-point victory, with LSU shooting just 29% from the field. Jaylin Williams and Wendell Green each had 14 points, while the bench chipped in with 22 points collectively.

On the road at South Carolina, the Tigers raced out to a 17-point halftime lead. The Gamecocks could never get closer, as Auburn moved on with the 81-66 victory. It was the best offensive performance of the season for big man Johni Broome, scoring 27 points on 12/17 shooting, along with 11 rebounds. Green had an excellent performance as well, producing 16 points and a season-high 12 assists.

Auburn comes back home this week, taking on Texas A&M, who also has just one loss in SEC play. After that is a road trip to Morgantown, taking on West Virginia in the Big 12/SEC Challenge.