As the conference part of the college basketball schedule starts to heat up, the field is as wide open as it has been in years. There are no standout teams, although there are more than a few standout players. You know never know what you’re going to get on a night-to-night basis in college basketball, and it has been fun to watch.
We’re going to see some big games on Saturday that will give us a clearer picture. Florida will visit Kentucky in a matchup that will help determine the pecking order in the SEC, No. 11 Arizona will visit a Stanford team that has been surprisingly good in conference play, and we’ll also see a Top 25 matchup between Xavier and Seton Hall. Here’s a look at this week’s power rankings.
1. Duke Blue Devils
NCAA Basketball Title Odds: +500
The Blue Devils (16-2, 4-2 ACC) won at home over Wake Forest and at Miami, and they’ll host Pittsburgh before travelling to face the Demon Deacons. Marvin Bagley had a pair of double-doubles, putting up 30 points and 11 rebounds against Wake Forest, and then 13 points and 11 boards. Gary Trent dropped 30 points as the Blue Devils had to rally to beat Miami. However, Grayson Allen continues to struggle, going 2-of-14 from the floor and 1-of-9 from three-point land last week. He did have 12 boards and eight assists against Wake Forest, but Allen needs to shoot better.
2. Michigan State Spartans
NCAA Basketball Title Odds: +550
The Spartans (16-3, 4-2 Big Ten) lost at home to Michigan last week, and they’ll host Indiana befor heading to Illinois. The Spartans fell 82-72 to the rival Wolverines as Michigan outscored them 48-35 in the second half, and they had 18 turnovers for the game. Michigan State got 19 points each from Miles Bridges and Jaren Jackson Jr., but they have now lost two of their last three games and might not even be the best team in the Big Ten as Purdue is ranked higher.
3. Villanova Wildcats
NCAA Basketball Title Odds: +700
The Wildcats (17-1, 5-1 Big East) won at St. John’s and Georgetown, and they’ll visit Connecticut next before hosting Providence. The Wildcats won 78-71 at Madison Square Garden against St. John’s thanks to 25 points off the bench from Donte DiVincenzo, and then they walloped Georgetown 88-56 to give the Hoyas their worst loss since 1974. Villanova are clearly the class of the Big East.
4. Arizona Wildcats
NCAA Basketball Title Odds: +1000
The Wildcats (15-4, 5-1 Pac-12) had a busy week as they won at home over Oregon State and Oregon, and then they won at California. They’ll head to Stanford next, and then return home to host Colorado. Deandre Ayton continues to impress and he had two double-doubles, but Allonzo Trier stepped up his game last week. He had 21 points against Oregon State, then 25 points against Oregon and 15 points in a blowout at Cal. If he can continue to support Ayton, the Wildcats are going to be dangerous in March.
5. Kentucky Wildcats
NCAA Basketball Title Odds: +1100
Kentucky (14-4, 4-2 SEC) won at Vanderbilt last week, and then they lost at South Carolina. They’ll host Florida and Mississippi State this week. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led Kentucky to a 74-67 win at Vanderbilt will 22 points, while Kevin Knox had 21 points in the loss at South Carolina. In that loss, the Wildcats shot 1-of-11 from three-point land and had 16 turnovers.
6. Kansas Jayhawks
NCAA Basketball Title Odds: +1200
The Jayhawks (15-3, 5-1 Big 12) won at home over Kansas State, and then they pulled off a huge win at West Virginia. They’ll host Baylor next before the Jayhawks travel to Oklahoma. Kansas edged Kansas edged Kansas State 73-72 behind 23 points from Devonte Graham, who then had 16 points in a 71-66 victory at West Virginia. Graham is the closest thing that Kansas has to a star, and he has to play like it if they want to win the Big 12 and go far in March.
7. Wichita State Shockers
NCAA Basketball Title Odds: +1800
The Shockers (15-3, 5-1 American) won at Tulsa before losing at home to SMU, and they’ll travel to Houston before hosting Central Florida. The Shockers outrebounded 42-30 to power to a 72-69 win at Tulsa, but they allowed SMU to shoot 63.8% from the field in an 83-78 loss. Wichita State can score with anyone, but their defense has been up and down at times this season and that could cost them later on.
8. Gonzaga Bulldogs
NCAA Basketball Title Odds: +2200
The Bulldogs (16-3, 6-0 WCC) downed Portland at home and they won at San Francisco, and they’ll host Saint Mary’s before heading to Santa Clara and Portland. The Bulldogs ran wild in a 103-57 thrashing of Portland, holding Portland to 30% from the field while Silas Melson hit seven of 12 three-pointers en route to 23 points. It was a tough 75-65 win at San Francisco as Johnathan Williams had 17 points and nine rebounds as the Bulldogs had a 42-26 edge on the boards.
9. North Carolina Tar Heels
NCAA Basketball Title Odds: +2200
The Tar Heels (15-4, 4-2 ACC) won at Notre Dame and then at home over Clemson, and they’ll host Georgia Tech followed by a trip to Virginia Tech. Luke Maye had 18 points and 11 rebounds in a tight 69-68 win at Notre Dame, and then all five starters reached double figures for North Carolina in an 87-79 win at Clemson. The Tar Heels have won three straight since losing back-to-back games, but there is one worry about them: their depth. North Carolina has five players averaging 25 minutes or more, and while five players average between 10 and 17 minutes, they don’t add much. If the Tar Heels get in foul trouble, they could be in trouble as a team.
10. Arizona State Sun Devils
NCAA Basketball Title Odds: +2500
The Sun Devils (14-4, 2-4 Pac-12) lost at home to Oregon, they won at home over Oregon State and then lost at Stanford. They’ll visit California next, and then Utah comes to town. The Sun Devils have a lot of problems now as they have lost four of their six conference games, and they won their two games by a combined four points. Their defense is definitely a problem as Arizona State is tied for 243rd in points allowed and they need to fix that fast.
The 2018 March Madness futures are out. There has been plenty of news to keep up with in the offseason but keep an eye on the betting lines as they move around at Diamond Sportsbook! Get the latest college basketball betting lines right here.
