NCAA Basketball: Kansas rises, Duke, Kentucky, and Texas Tech fall in latest top-25 power ranking

1. UConn Huskies - 20-2 (10-1 Big East)

UConn entered the week on an 8-game win streak and playing its best basketball of the season. Coming off a dominant 43-point victory versus Xavier, they had a couple of bubble teams that could’ve used a signature win for their respective resumes.

Up first was Providence at home, a game that was close for a good portion throughout. In the end, the Huskies managed to push out for a 74-65 win. Freshman Stephon Castle scored 20 points, while Tristen Newton went for 16 points and 11 rebounds. They survived a 4/23 3PT shooting performance with 10 more FTs made.

In Madison Square Garden, UConn took on Rick Pitino and St. John’s to open Saturday’s slate. It was another close game, with the Huskies trailing again in the second half. But another big run, led by the guards, ended with a 77-64 victory. Cam Spencer had 23 points, while Castle had a season-high 21 points. Tristen Newton was three assists shy of a triple-double as well.

Now with 10 straight wins and multiple games ahead in the Big East standings, UConn looks to continue its winning ways against Butler and Georgetown. The Hoyas have been a disaster as of late, while the Bulldogs are playing well and have shown they can beat top teams on the road.