We are less than a month away from Selection Sunday and the playing field is heating up as underdog teams rise to the occasion with upset wins and nail-biting matchups continue for the men’s college basketball season.
Andy Katz returns to break down his top 36 teams after another hectic week.
LATEST RANKINGS: AP Poll | NET rankings
Power 36 | Feb. 26
1. Houston (2): The Cougars had top seed week by beating Iowa State and winning at Baylor in OT.
2. UConn (1): The Huskies bounced back from the loss at Creighton to dispose of Villanova.
3. Purdue (3): The Boilermakers crushed Rutgers and beat down Michigan.
4. Iowa State (6): The Cyclones lost at Houston, but are still looking like a top two seed in the Big 12 tournament.
5. Tennessee (10): The Vols are in a first-place tie in the SEC with Alabama looming.
6. Kansas (8): The Jayhawks handled Texas to stay in the Big 12 chase.
7. Marquette (7): The Golden Eagles are primed for their showdown with Creighton as they try to lock in the second seed in the Big East.
8. Arizona (3): The Wildcats saved face by beating Washington and after losing at home to Washington State, giving the Cougars a season sweep.
9. Baylor (9): The Bears went to OT before losing to Houston. They are still elite, but need to beat Kansas this week.
10. Kentucky (13): The Wildcats obliterated Alabama and had the look of a Final Four team just after losing at LSU.
11. Alabama (5): The Tide was a defensive no-show against the Wildcats, but this is still an elite team.
12. North Carolina (11): The win at Virginia proved the Tar Heels are still the team to beat in the ACC.
13. Duke (12): The Blue Devils lost at Wake Forest but that came after two road wins at Florida State and Miami.
14. Illinois (14): The Illini lost at Rec Hall at Penn State but then bounced back to dispatch Iowa.
15. Creighton (15): The Bluejays got the much-needed win over UConn, but then couldn’t sweep the week and lost at St. John’s.
16. Saint Mary’s (16): The Gaels are still undefeated in the WCC ahead of the showdown with the Zags.
17. South Florida (19): The Bulls have clinched a share of the American regular season title with a chance to win the league outright! Please take notice of this amazing feat. They have won 13 in a row!!! Amir Abdur-Rahim has to be in consideration for national coach of the year now.
18. Washington State (17): The Cougars got a season sweep of Arizona, but then couldn’t create more distance in the standings by losing at Arizona State.
19. Gonzaga (22): Graham Ike had a player of the week run with 26 and 20, points respectively in two games.
20. Florida (20): The Gators have the strong look of an NCAA Tournament team.
21. Wake Forest (NR): The Demon Deacons are back with wins over Pitt and Duke.
22. Nebraska (32): The Huskers had a stellar week with wins over Indiana on the road and at home against Minnesota.
23. Loyola Chicago (35): The Ramblers are tied with Richmond in first place in the A-10. Drew Valentine has done a great job with this club.
24. Utah State (34): The Aggies got the win over San Diego State and tied with Boise State for first in the MWC.
25. San Diego State (18): The Aztecs are a game back in the standings but are still the best threat to go deep in March.
26. Auburn (26): The Tigers bounced back from the Kentucky loss to win at Georgia.
27. TCU (24): The Frogs split the week in the rugged Big 12 but are still a top-four seed — for now — in the conference tournament race.
28. Northwestern (31): The Wildcats continue to find ways to win and got the much-needed win over Michigan to stay in the double-bye chase in the Big Ten.
29. Boise State (NR): The Broncos have won three in a row and are tied with Utah State atop the MWC.
30. Clemson (30): The Tigers have won two in a row to stay on par for a top-five finish.
31. Pitt (28): The Panthers have won six of seven with the only loss being at surging Wake Forest.
32. South Carolina (25): The Gamecocks snapped a two-game losing skid by winning at Ole Miss.
33. Texas Tech (33): The Red Raiders had an odd week, beating TCU by one but then getting blitzed at UCF.
34. BYU (NR): The Cougars split the week by beating Baylor at home, but then losing at Kansas State.
35. Mississippi State (NR): The Bulldogs have won three in a row and are gearing up for a crazy finish with Kentucky, at Auburn, at Texas A&M and at home against South Carolina.
36. Seton Hall (NR): The Pirates have won three in a row and have 11 Big East wins!!!!
Dropped out: Michigan State (21), Dayton (23), Colorado State (27), Virginia (29), Grand Canyon (36)
Top 10 games to watch
1. Tennessee at Alabama, Saturday: The SEC title could be decided in Tuscaloosa. The Vols need to get through Auburn earlier in the week in Knoxville, while the Tide are Ole Miss first. But if they both do then we’ve got the likely showdown for the SEC title.
2. Gonzaga at Saint Mary’s, Saturday: The Bulldogs have won six in a row since losing at home to the Gaels. They are playing San Francisco at the Chase Center before this season-ending game. Saint Mary’s, up two games on the Bulldogs, are at Pepperdine before this game. Gonzaga probably needs to beat Saint Mary’s once in the next few weeks — either in Moraga or in Las Vegas.
3. Dayton at Loyola Chicago, Friday: The Flyers enter the week a game behind the Ramblers, who are tied with Richmond atop the A-10. Dayton has the best chance to be an at-large out of the A-10, but winning the regular season would help the chances. The Ramblers are trending toward a bid and this is the only time the two teams will play. This is a monster game for Drew Valentine and the Ramblers.
4. Kansas at Baylor, Saturday: The Jayhawks won by three in Lawrence. This has become one of the best Big 12 rivalries. And I’m sure this edition won’t disappoint.
5. Marquette at Creighton, Saturday: Kam Jones had an amazing week last week with 34 points in back-to-back games at Georgetown and at Xavier. The Bluejays will have just hosted Seton Hall in a critical seeding game. Lots of pressure on Creighton to get a sweep of home games this week.
6. Illinois at Wisconsin, Saturday: The Illini still have a shot to win the Big Ten and the Badgers are hoping to get one of the four coveted double-byes in the Big Ten tournament. Lots at stake in this one.
7. Virginia at Duke, Saturday: The Cavaliers lost at home to North Carolina and are struggling to crack 50 points. Duke will be primed to have an electric Cameron atmosphere game — a week ahead of the showdown with the Tar Heels.
8. Kentucky at Mississippi State, Tuesday: The Wildcats are all good now with the blowout home win over Alabama. They are back to being a title contender. The Bulldogs need this game more to clinch a bid.
9. New Mexico at Boise State, Saturday: The Lobos are desperate to get a split with the Broncos after losing to them at home earlier this season. That is one of three losses the Lobos have at home — including UNLV and most recently Air Force.
10. Nevada at Colorado State, Tuesday: The Rams are now two games behind the Wolf Pack in the Mountain West. They cannot afford to lose this game. The Wolf Pack won by 13 in Reno earlier this season.
March Madness National Team of the Week
Houston: The Cougars made another strong case to be a No. 1 seed and are in the pole position to be the top seed in the Big 12 tournament as the regular-season champs in their first season in the league. Houston beat Iowa State at home, which is one game behind the Cougars, and then won at Baylor in overtime. The schedule won’t be easy down the stretch with road games at Oklahoma and UCF and home games against Cincinnati and Kansas. But they have never wilted from a challenge. This team always rises.
March Madness National Player of the Week
Hunter Sallis, Wake Forest: The former Gonzaga guard was instrumental in a season-changing week for the Demon Deacons. Sallis scored 29 points and grabbed six boards in the 83-79 upset win over Duke. Earlier in the week, Sallis scored 17 in a win over Pitt.
