NCAA Basketball: UConn, North Carolina, Wisconsin rise in latest top 25 power rankings

1. Connecticut (14-2)

Not everything has gone according to plan for the defending national champions, but it’s certainly difficult to complain about the position they’re in. Donovan Clingan’s injury came in December, which is far better than three months later into the season. A season that’s already seen a few very nice wins kept churning along this past week as the Huskies rode deeper into Big East play.

They were on court just once in the last seven days and it was a second straight road contest, with the Huskies traveling to Cincinnati to take on Xavier. A strong performance led to Connecticut winning 80-75, running their winning streak to four straight games. Cam Spencer led the way with 19 points, while Tristen Newton added 16 points and 11 assists in another fantastic effort.

There will be very few easy outings in the Big East this season. Even while dealing with a major injury, the Huskies are staying afloat, certainly looking like the league’s best team a few weeks into conference play. The offense has topped 80 in three straight outings, though these last two road wins are certainly the most impressive things. A couple of home reprieves await next week, though a tricky road trip to Villanova awaits next weekend.

We have gone through the current state of the Top 25 teams in the nation, looking closely at their recent happenings. Do you agree with the teams we’ve chosen for this week or did someone else more deserve to be mentioned?