The college basketball power rankings stay exactly the same as the top teams in the country are still working out their rotations and playing in early-season invitational tournaments. But that doesn’t mean we haven’t been in for some near surprises. Take, for example, Duke on Thursday. They needed a wicked rally to overcome Portland State. Sure, Portland State was 4-1 going into that contest and yes, it was on a neutral site, but the Blue Devils trailed at the half and had to fight back.
The pressure will start to ratchet up soon, but for now, teams are figuring out what they have and trying to stay healthy. We’ll have a few important games in the coming week as we start to move closer and closer to conference play.
1. Duke Blue Devils
Last Week: 1
NCAA Basketball Title Odds: +125
The Blue Devils (5-0) beat Southern and Furman at home last week, and this week they’ll headline the Phil Knight Invitational, also known as the PK80, in Portland. They’ll open up the 16-team, two-bracket tournament by playing Portland State, with the championship round being held on Sunday. Marvin Bagley’s college career is off to a good start as he is averaging 19.2 points and 9.0 rebounds through his first five games at Duke.
2. Michigan State Spartans
Last Week: 2
NCAA Basketball Title Odds: +500
The Spartans (2-1) routed Stony Brook at home and next, they’ll headline the other bracket in the PK80 as they open up the tournament against DePaul. Miles Bridges scored 20 points and had six rebounds in the win over Stony Brook, but he also rolled his ankle, so the Spartans will probably be careful with their star player.
3. Arizona Wildcats
Last Week: 3
NCAA Basketball Title Odds: +600
The Wildcats (3-0) thumped CSU Bakersfield in their lone game of the week before they head to the Bahamas for the Battle 4 Atlantis, which they’ll open up against North Carolina State. Allonzo Trier had 28 points to lead the way in the rout of CSU Bakersfield, while Deandre Ayton added 18 points and 10 rebounds for the Wildcats, who are sixth in the country in points per game so far.
4. Kansas Jayhawks
Last Week: 4
NCAA Basketball Title Odds: +1000
The Jayhawks (4-0) made short work of South Dakota State and Texas Southern at home last week, and they’ll host Oakland and Toledo this week. The Jayhawks are an unselfish team as they’re tied for fifth in the country in assists, and they’re also shooting 43.7% from the three-point line. If they keep that up, they’ll be very tough to stop.
5. Kentucky Wildcats
Last Week: 5
NCAA Basketball Title Odds: +1200
The Wildcats (4-1) beat East Tennessee State and Troy at home, and they’ll host Fort Wayne and UIC (University of Illinois at Chicago) this week. The Wildcats are still working out their freshman rotations, and Kevin Knox led the way with 17 points in the win over Troy that was much closer than anyone thought it would have been. The Wildcats are a disappointing 253rd in the country in points per game.
6. Wichita State Shockers
Last Week: 6
NCAA Basketball Title Odds: +2000
The Shockers (6-0) beat California and Marquette in the Maui Invitational and they’ll face Notre Dame in the final, and then head home to host Savannah State. The Shockers are going to be tough to compete with on the glass as they’re 10th in the country in rebounds, and they have four players averaging 5.3 rebounds or more. They also have five players averaging at least 9.3 points, led by Shaquille Morris with 17.5 points and Landry Shamet with 17.3 points.
7. Villanova Wildcats
Last Week: 7
NCAA Basketball Title Odds: +2500
The Wildcats (3-0) trounced Lafayette in their lone game of the week in the Allentown Showcase, and they’ll head to the Bahamas for the Battle 4 Atlantis, which they’ll open up against Western Kentucky.
The 104-57 romp over Lafayette was over by halftime as the Wildacats were up by 33 at the break, and Mikal Bridges led the way with 24 points, going a perfect 6-of-6 from the three-point line, where Villanova shot 53.1%.
8. North Carolina Tar Heels
Last Week: 8
NCAA Basketball Title Odds: +2500
The Tar Heels (3-0) played once this week as they hammered Stanford on the road, and the defending national champions will also be in Portland for the PK80 Invitational, where they’ll open up against Portland. Joel Berry scored 29 points for the Tar Heels in a 96-72 win at Stanford, going 5-of-11 from three-point land, while Kenny Williams scored 20 points and shot 6-of-8 from beyond the arc. The Tar Heels aren’t in the same bracket as their rivals from Duke at the PK80 Invitational, but they’re in the same bracket as Michigan State, so that could be a challenge for them.
9. USC Trojans
Last Week: 9
NCAA Basketball Title Odds: +2500
The Trojans (3-0) needed to go to overtime to stay perfect at Vanderbill, and they’ll host Lehigh and Texas A&M this week. While their 93-89 win at Vanderbilt was perhaps tougher than it needed to be, it might have been a good thing for the Trojans, who were down by 10 points in the second half, but they showed a lot of heart to fight all the way back and take the game to overtime, and then win it. Jordan McLaughlin scored 35 points, shooting 5-of-11 from three-point land to fuel the Trojans, who have their next big test against the Aggies, who are also ranked.
10. Florida Gators
Last Week: 10
NCAA Basketball Title Odds: +3000
The Gators (3-0) romped over North Florida and survived New Hampshire, and they might have been looking ahead to the PK80 Invitational, where they’ll open up against Stanford. The Gators beat North Florida by 40 points, but the win over New Hampshire was by a score of only 70-63 and they were tied at 32 going into halftime. Jalen Hudson came off the bench to drop 26 points or the Gators, and this might have been the game that they needed as Florida has a long way to go before they can challenge the top teams in the country. Florida is in the same bracket as Duke in Portland, and they could also face Gonzaga as well, so there are some stiff tests for them.
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