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NCAA Basketball: Purdue, Kentucky, Memphis rises, Baylor and Gonzaga falls in latest top-25 power rankings

It was a big week in the latest NCAA Basketball power rankings, as teams such as Memphis, Kentucky, and Purdue got big wins, while Baylor and Gonzaga suffered some setbacks.

By Tristan Freeman

2023 Indy Classic - Arizona v Purdue
2023 Indy Classic - Arizona v Purdue / Michael Hickey/GettyImages
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9. Baylor Bears - 9-1

It was nearly two weeks since the Bears had last played, taking care of Seton Hall to move to 9-0 on the season and one of the last seven unbeaten teams. But whether it was a combination of rust or facing a truly desperate team in Michigan State, things went sideways for the Bears on Saturday.

It was a brutal start in the game, with Baylor going down by 20+ points just midway through the first half. Not only could they not make a shot but the defense, which looked improved compared to a year ago, couldn't stop anyone. After being down 45-17 at the halftime break, the Bears ultimately fell, 88-64.

Baylor did shoot 48% from the field but that was because they turned it over a season-high 21 times, including six each from the starting guards. Rayj Dennis and Yves Missi had 11 pts each, with freshman star Ja'Kobe Walter only having 9 pts in the game. If nothing else, most of the credit can go to Michigan State, who needed this win to get back in the NCAA Tournament picture after a rough start to the season.

Things get more challenging for the Bears, as they take on Duke on Wednesday in Madison Square Garden. After that, it should be an easy game against Mississippi Valley State. A loss versus the Blue Devils could start to get concerns about them.

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