A terrific Kansas-Missouri game on Saturday night provided a springboard into “Rivalry Week,” which features a number of intriguing matchups.

Before that tips off though, here are this week’s power rankings.

College Basketball Power Rankings

1. Kentucky (23-1, Previous Ranking: 1)

Freshman sensation Anthony Davis had a phenomenal week with 40 points (on 15-of-17 shooting from the field), 16 rebounds, and 15 blocks in wins over Tennessee and South Carolina, as the Wildcats won by a combined 59 points.

Kentucky’s schedule finally starts to get challenging this week as they host Florida on Tuesday and head to Vanderbilt on Saturday.

2. Ohio State (20-3, Previous Ranking: 2)

The Buckeyes got just seven points from players not named Jared Sullinger, Deshaun Thomas, or William Buford against Wisconsin, but that trio combined for 51 points and led OSU to a terrific road win at the Kohl Center.  Sullinger scored 24 points and grabbed 10 boards, including five on the offensive glass, to pace the Buckeyes, who are now alone in first place in the Big Ten.

They welcome Purdue and second-place Michigan State to Columbus this week.

3. Syracuse (23-1, Previous Ranking: 3)

So maybe Fab Melo was more important to this team than everyone realized.  After a loss and two other close games, Melo returned from his academic issues to score 14 points in a 25-point route of St. John’s.

The Orange face Georgetown and UConn at home this week, and the matchup with the Hoyas will be their first game against a ranked team in over a month.

4. Missouri (21-2, Previous Ranking: 6)

With the Tigers down eight points with just over two minutes left against Kansas, senior guard Marcus Denmon put the team on his back.  He scored nine of his 29 points during an 11-0 run to finish the game, which gave Mizzou the three-point victory.  Earlier in the week, Michael Dixon hit the game-winner with 30 seconds left to win at Texas.

The Tigers are now in a three-way tie for first place in the Big 12, and Monday they head to Oklahoma before a home date with Baylor next Saturday.

5. North Carolina (20-3, Previous Ranking: 4)

The Heels picked up a pair of road wins this week, although they trailed for a while against Maryland.  Tyler Zeller continued his solid play with 40 points and 25 rebounds in the two victories, while Kendall Marshall dished out 16 assists against the Terps.

UNC has a pair of huge home games this week with arch rival Duke visiting the Dean Dome on Wednesday and Virginia coming to town on Saturday.

6. Baylor (21-2, Previous Ranking: 7)

It wasn’t always pretty, but the Bears picked up road wins over Texas A&M and Oklahoma State by a total of just seven points.  Perry Jones III had 31 points and 16 rebounds during the week, while Pierre Jackson tallied 30 points.

This week Baylor gets a chance to avenge both of their losses when they host Kansas on Wednesday before traveling to Missouri on Saturday.

7. Kansas (18-5, Previous Ranking: 5)

The Jayhawks were mere minutes away from picking up a huge road win against Missouri, and many will cite a pair of questionable charging calls down the stretch as one of the reasons their lead slipped away.  Thomas Robinson was phenomenal in the second half and finished with 25 points and 13 rebounds against the Tigers after posting 20 points and 17 boards earlier in the week against Oklahoma.

Kansas heads to Baylor on Wednesday before a winnable home game against Oklahoma State next weekend.

8. Michigan State (18-5, Previous Ranking: 9)

Sparty lost an ugly game against Illinois early in the week, and they also feared they had lost Draymond Green who suffered a knee injury in the second half.  Green returned Sunday against Michigan and posted 14 points, 16 boards, and four assists in a 10-point victory.

Michigan State is a game behind Ohio State in the Big Ten race, but they get their first shot at the Buckeyes in Columbus next weekend after they host Penn State on Wednesday.

9. Georgetown (18-4, Previous Ranking: 12)

The Hoyas won home games against Connecticut and South Florida by a combined 44 points to get back on track.  Henry Sims scored 13 points in each game and had a strong all-around game against USF with nine rebounds and five assists.

Georgetown hits the road for three of their next four games, starting in Syracuse on Wednesday.

10. Florida (19-4, Previous Ranking: 17)

Saturday’s home win over Vanderbilt was Florida’s seventh straight victory, and the Gators are finally looking like the team many people ranked in the Top 10 before the season.  Freshman Brad Beal continued his solid play with 33 points, 18 rebounds, and one massive dunk over the course of the week.

Tuesday’s road trip to Rupp Arena will be Florida’s biggest test of the season, while Saturday gives them a chance for revenge against Tennessee.

11. Duke (19-4, Previous Ranking: 8)

The Blue Devils won at Virginia Tech early in the week behind 18 points from Austin Rivers, but they were outplayed at home by Miami on Sunday when they lost in overtime after coming back from a large second half deficit.

Getting back on track won’t be easy with their next game coming on Wednesday at North Carolina.  Duke follows up that rivalry game by hosting Maryland next weekend.

12. Murray State (23-0, Previous Ranking: 14)

Isaiah Canaan went off for six threes and 32 points in a comeback win over Southeast Missouri State, and the Racers followed that up with a seven-point victory against Tennessee-Martin.

Home games against Austin Peay and Tennessee State await this week, but the big one for Murray State comes on February 18th when Saint Mary’s comes to town as part of the BracketBusters.

13. Creighton (21-3, Previous Ranking: 11)

The Bluejays saw their 11-game win streak snapped when Northern Iowa’s Anthony James hit a three-pointer at the buzzer to win it for the Panthers. Earlier in the week, Creighton hung 102 points on Illinois State behind 25 from Player of the Year candidate Doug McDermott.

They head to Evansville on Tuesday before hosting MVC co-leader Wichita State on Saturday, which should be an outstanding matchup.

14. San Diego State (20-3, Previous Ranking: 16)

Wins over Boise State and TCU have the Aztecs at 6-1 through the first half of the Mountain West season.  Guard Jamaal Franklin led the way in both games with a total of 40 points and 19 rebounds during the week.

San Diego State’s only game this week comes Saturday at UNLV with first place in the MWC on the line.

15. UNLV (21-4, Previous Ranking: 10)

The Rebels made just 3-of-14 from beyond the arc in Saturday’s loss at Wyoming, but they blew out Colorado State by 19 points earlier in the week.  Chace Stanback has been up and down of late, and that continued this week with 16 points against the Rams but just two versus the Cowboys.

Like SDSU, the Rebels have the week off before they welcome the Aztecs in a revenge game for first place in the league.

16. Florida State (16-6, Previous Ranking: 18)

Things keep on rolling for the Noles, who knocked off Georgia Tech and Virginia at home this week.  They have now won seven straight games and are tied atop the ACC with North Carolina.  Michael Snaer continued his strong play with five three-pointers and 21 points against the Jackets, while the team relied on a more balanced attack versus UVA.

This week, the Noles head to Boston College before hosting an improving Miami squad next weekend.

17. Michigan (17-7, Previous Ranking: 15)

The Wolverines have now alternated wins and losses over their last eight games after beating Indiana at home during the week before falling at Michigan State on Sunday.  Tim Hardaway Jr. went just 5-of-25 during the week, while senior Zack Novak stepped up with 27 points and six threes.

Michigan heads to Nebraska this week before welcoming Illinois to Ann Arbor on Sunday.

18. Marquette (19-5, Previous Ranking: 13)

Marquette ran into a buzzsaw when they lost to Notre Dame on Saturday, which snapped their seven-game winning streak.  It was an up and down week for Jae Crowder, who had 20 points and 12 boards against Seton Hall but managed just four against the Irish.

The Golden Eagles travel to DePaul on Monday for a winnable road game, and then Cincinnati comes to Milwaukee next weekend.

19. Wisconsin (18-6, Previous Ranking: 19)

After winning at Penn State and losing at home to Ohio State, there’s no change for the Badgers this week.  Wisconsin’s struggles from long range crept up again versus OSU, as they hit just 5-of-27 from deep.

With their six-game win streak snapped, the Badgers hit the road for four of their next five games, starting with this week’s trip to Minnesota.

20. Saint Mary’s (22-2, Previous Ranking: 22)

The Gaels extended their winning streak to 12 games by beating San Diego, but their biggest headline came when they were announced as Murray State’s opponent in the BracketBusters.  Rob Jones went off for 28 points against the Toreros, and Stephen Holt chipped in with 23 of his own.

Saint Mary’s has a challenging road date with Gonzaga on Thursday as part of Rivalry Week, which gives us yet another “mid-major” game to look forward to this week.

21. Mississippi State (18-5, Previous Ranking: 23)

In their only game of the week, the Bulldogs won by just three against Auburn.  Forwards Arnett Moultrie and Renardo Sidney led the way with a combined 38 points, while Dee Bost and Brian Bryant combined for 16 assists.

MSU needs to take care of business at home this week against Mississippi and Georgia before playing four of their final six games on the road.

22. Indiana (18-6, Previous Ranking: 20)

The Hoosiers dug themselves a 20-point hole early against Michigan as their road woes continued, but they bounced back to win by 17 points at Mackey Arena against arch rival Purdue.  Victor Oladipo and Remy Abell keyed the victory against the Boilers thanks to their aggressiveness, and they will look to build on those performances against Illinois this week.

IU plays five of their final seven games at home to close out the regular season.

23. Virginia (18-4, Previous Ranking: 21)

A late rally against Florida State came up just short on Saturday, but Mike Scott had another fantastic week for the Cavaliers.  He had a pair of double-doubles and finished with 39 points and 21 boards while hitting 14-of-19 from the field.  Still, Virginia has just one Top 50 win and that came back in November.

After hosting Wake on Wednesday, the Cavs will get a chance to pick up another one when they travel to North Carolina next weekend.

24. Notre Dame (15-8, Previous Ranking: N/A)

I’m not sure if there is a hotter team in the country right how, as the Irish have ripped off four straight wins, three of which have come against ranked opponents and all of which have come against tournament teams.

Without Tim Abromaitis, the Irish have been getting contributions from a number of different players.  Eric Atkins combined for 31 points in last week’s wins, while Pat Connaughton came through with 23 points and 11 boards versus Marquette on Sunday.

Notre Dame heads to West Virginia in search of their fourth Big East road win before hosting DePaul on Saturday.

25. Southern Mississippi (20-3, Previous Ranking: N/A)

The Golden Eagles are overrated as a Top 10 team in the RPI, but this is a solid basketball teamwithout a doubt.  They beat Memphis at home this week to break a lengthy losing streak against the Tigers and take sole possession of first place in Conference USA.  Kentucky transfer Darnell Dodson is playing really well right now, and Larry Eustachy has seven players averaging at least 7.0 points.

This week USM has a road trip to UAB followed by a home date against a solid Central Florida team.

**********

Follow me on Twitter (@andybottoms) for more thoughts on college hoops, and check out the latest edition of the Bottoms Line podcast.

The great news is that in a mere six weeks, we’ll have a bracket in our hands with March Madness just days away.

College Basketball Power Rankings

1. Kentucky (21-1, Previous Ranking: 1)

The Wildcats won road games against Georgia and LSU by a combined 37 points, with Darius Miller leading the way with 19 against the Bulldogs and Terrence Jones going off for 27 against the Tigers.

Kentucky has now won 13 straight, but for those waiting to see them against the SEC’s best, they’ll have to wait another week.  The Wildcats are home against Tennessee on Tuesday before a road trip to South Carolina.

2. Ohio State (19-3, Previous Ranking: 2)

It was Lenzelle Smith Jr., not Jared Sullinger, who posted a double-double against Michigan, as the OSU sophomore had 17 points and 12 rebounds in a 15-point victory.  The Buckeyes crushed Penn State at home earlier in the week behind 20 points and 13 boards from Sullinger.

Ohio State is idle until next Saturday when they head to the Kohl Center for a matchup with the resurgent Badgers.

3. Syracuse (22-1, Previous Ranking: 4)

It wasn’t exactly pretty from the Orange this week, but they managed to beat Cincinnati and West Virginia.

Against the Bearcats, ‘Cuse made just 5-of-15 free throws, shot 25% from beyond the arc, and allowed 13 offensive rebounds, which is not exactly the typical recipe for a win.  They were nearly doubled up on the glass by West Virginia and benefited from a late no-call on a clear goaltend to win by two points.

Fab Melo’s status is still uncertain due to academic issues, and the Orange haven’t been quite the same without him.  Their only game this week is at St. John’s on Saturday.

4. North Carolina (18-3, Previous Ranking: 6)

The Heels took care of business at home this week against North Carolina State and Georgia Tech.  Tyler Zeller had 21 points and 17 rebounds against the Wolfpack, and Harrison Barnes poured in 23 against the Jackets.

UNC hits the road this week for a pair of winnable road games against Wake Forest and Maryland, but they need to make sure not to look ahead to the Duke game the following week.

5. Kansas (17-4, Previous Ranking: 5)

The Jayhawks suffered their first Big 12 loss at Iowa State on Saturday, as the Cyclones limited Thomas Robinson to 13 points and seven rebounds.  KU also put the Cyclones on the line 34 times and got almost no production from their bench.

The Jayhawks will look to bounce back when Oklahoma comes to Lawrence on Wednesday before they head to Mizzou for what should be a terrific game on Saturday.

For now, I gave the Jayhawks the slight edge over Missouri since their loss this week was more “forgiveable.”  I also couldn’t rank Baylor ahead of KU based on their margin of defeat in Lawrence.

6. Missouri (19-2, Previous Ranking: 3)

On the heels of their impressive road win at Baylor, the Tigers dropped a game at Oklahoma State, as they allowed their second-highest point total of the season and shot poorly from the outside.  They bounced back to beat Texas Tech at home behind 22 points from Kim English and 12 assists from Flip Pressey.

Mizzou starts a tough four-game stretch with a road trip to Texas on Monday before the Jayhawks visit Columbia on Saturday.

7. Baylor (19-2, Previous Ranking: 7)

The Bears pulled away late to pick up a road win at Oklahoma then held on to defeat Texas by five at home.  Perry Jones III had a huge week with 43 points and 26 rebounds in the team’s two wins.

Based on their overall body of work, Baylor is likely to be a one seed in my next set of bracket projections, but they can’t afford to slip up this week in road games against Texas A&M and Oklahoma State.

8. Duke (18-3, Previous Ranking: 6)

Mason Plumlee came up big for the Blue Devils this week with 23 points and 12 boards in a road win at Maryland, and he followed that up with 15 points and 17 rebounds against St. John’s.

Outside of a three-point home win against Virginia, Duke hasn’t beaten a tournament-caliber team since late November, which makes it hard to truly assess them.  This week features a road trip to Virginia Tech and a home game with Miami leading into a February 8th matchup against North Carolina.

9. Michigan State (17-4, Previous Ranking: 9)

Tom Izzo won his 400th game in MSU’s lone outing this week, a 16-point win over Minnesota at the Breslin Center.  Draymond Green was fantastic with 22 points on 9-of-11 shooting, 14 rebounds, and six assists.

The Spartans have a pair of tough games this week when they head to Illinois on Tuesday and host Michigan on Sunday.  They need to win both to stay tied in the loss column with Ohio State.

10. UNLV (20-3, Previous Ranking: 11)

The Rebels needed overtime to knock off both Boise State and Air Force on the road this week, but they managed to escape with a pair of wins.  Mike Moser was simply ridiculous, as he had 18 points and 21 (yes, 21) rebounds against the Broncos followed by 27 points and a mere 12 boards versus the Falcons.

UNLV hosts Colorado State this week before a weekend trip to Wyoming.

11. Creighton (20-2, Previous Ranking: 12)

With wins over Drake and Bradley, the Bluejays extended their winning streak to 10 games.  To the surprise of no one, Doug McDermott tallied 54 points in the victories, making 10-of-14 shots in each contest.

Creighton has just eight regular season games left, starting with a home game against Illinois State on Wednesday and a road trip to Northern Iowa on Saturday.

12. Georgetown (16-4, Previous Ranking: 10)

The Hoyas lost their only game of the week against an improving Pittsburgh team after allowing the Panthers to shoot 52.1 percent from the field while they struggled to get anything going offensively.

Senior guard Jason Clark was held to just nine points in the loss, but Georgetown can’t afford to get down on themselves with UConn coming to D.C. on Wednesday.

13. Marquette (18-4, Previous Ranking: 18)

Marquette continues to fall behind early in games, but they rallied from an 18-point first half deficit to win at Villanova on Saturday.  They also blasted South Florida by 20 points earlier in the week.  Seniors Darius Johnson-Odom and Jae Crowder combined for 46 points, 17 rebounds, nine assists, and four steals to key the victory over the Wildcats.

The Golden Eagles have now won six straight heading into a home game against reeling Seton Hall before a road trip to surging Notre Dame.

14. Murray State (21-0, Previous Ranking: 14)

The Racers won easily over Eastern Illinois in their only game of the week.  They got 18 points each from Isaiah Canaan and Donte Poole, but perhaps most importantly, forward Ivan Aska returned after missing the last six games with a hand injury.

Murray State shouldn’t have much trouble with Southeast Missouri State or Tennessee-Martin, but the biggest part of their week comes on Monday when the BracketBusters matchups are announced.

15. Michigan (16-6, Previous Ranking: 15)

After starting the week with a hard-fought road win against Purdue, the Wolverines lost by 15 at Ohio State on Sunday.  Tim Hardaway Jr. led the way in both games with a total of 34 points, but the team has now alternated wins and losses over the last six games.

The tough stretch of their schedule continues when Indiana comes to Ann Arbor on Wednesday before they head to East Lansing on Sunday.

16. San Diego State (18-3, Previous Ranking: 13)

I mentioned that road games at Wyoming and Colorado State might be tougher than people think, and that turned out to be the case when the Aztecs lost by 17 to the Rams on Saturday.  SDSU made just 3-of-21 from beyond the arc against Colorado State and shot only 31.3 percent from the field.

Home games with Boise State and TCU this week should allow them to get back on track and remain atop the MWC standings.

17. Florida (17-4, Previous Ranking: 19)

The Gators picked up a pair of solid victories this week, winning by four at Mississippi and knocking off a ranked Mississippi State team by 12 points.  A number of different players contributed for Florida, with Patric Young scoring 15 against the Rebels and freshman Brad Beal going for 19 versus the Bulldogs.

Thursday’s home game against South Carolina is one they should win handily, while a Saturday matchup with Vanderbilt gives Florida another chance to prove themselves.

18. Florida State (14-6, Previous Ranking: 20)

The red hot Noles extended their winning streak to five games with a 23-point win at Wake Forest last week.  Michael Snaer continued his strong play with 18 points in the victory, while the team turned in a solid all-around effort on both ends of the floor.

They shouldn’t have any issues with Georgia Tech on Wednesday, but Saturday’s date with Virginia will help settle the argument about who the ACC’s third-best team really is.

19. Wisconsin (17-5, Previous Ranking: 25)

After holding off Indiana on Thursday, the Badgers have now won five straight after a 1-3 start in Big Ten play.  Four players scored in double figures for Wisconsin, and Ryan Evans grabbed nine rebounds, including a few key offensive boards late.

The Badgers head to Penn State this week before a huge home date with Ohio State on Saturday.

20. Indiana (17-5, Previous Ranking: 16)

The Hoosiers had a chance to win in Madison but struggled down the stretch and lost by seven.  On Sunday, they bounced back to take advantage of a poor Iowa defense to the tune of 103 points.  Freshman Cody Zeller struggled against the Badgers but scored a career-high 26 points against the Hawkeyes.

The Hoosiers also changed up their starting lineup for the first time this season, as Will Sheehey started in place of fellow soph Victor Oladipo.

IU hits the road this week for games against Michigan and Purdue.

21. Virginia (17-3, Previous Ranking: 21)

ACC Player of the Year candidate Mike Scott scored 18 points against both Boston College and North Carolina State, as the Cavs won both games to move to 4-2 in the conference.

A winnable home game with Clemson awaits this week before a Saturday trip to Tallahassee.  The reality is that Virginia has a solid record, but only one of those victories has come at the expense of a Top 50 team.

22. Saint Mary’s (21-2, Previous Ranking: 23)

The Gaels beat Loyola Marymount and BYU on the road to move to 10-0 in the WCC.  Brad Waldow continued his solid play with 19 points and eight rebounds against the Cougars, and Saint Mary’s was able to win comfortably despite an uncharacteristic 11 turnovers during the week from Matthew Dellavedova.

Their only game this week is at home against San Diego, but they are also anxiously awaiting their BracketBusters fate.

23. Mississippi State (17-5, Previous Ranking: 22)

Arnett Moultrie extended his streak of double-doubles to five games, but the Bulldogs went 1-1 during the week, beating LSU at home and falling to Florida on the road.

MSU plays their next three games at home, starting with Saturday’s home date with Auburn.  They need to hold serve in those games with four of their final six on the road.

24. Kansas State (15-5, Previous Ranking: 17)

After losing to Oklahoma for the second time this year, the Wildcats nearly dropped out of the Top 25.  Rodney McGruder had a solid game against the Sooners with 19 points, but the team struggled offensively with 41.2 percent shooting and 20 turnovers.

This week they head to Ames to take on a confident Cyclones team followed by a home game against Texas A&M.

25. West Virginia (15-7, Previous Ranking: 24)

The Mountaineers played poorly in a road loss to St. John’s, but they bounced back to give Syracuse everything they could handle at the Carrier Dome.  Had referees not missed a clear goaltend near the end of regulation, West Virginia would have had a shot to pick up a huge road in overtime.

Kevin Jones continues to be phenomenal and has now scored at least 20 points in seven straight games, including four double-doubles.

The Mountaineers play three of their next four games at home, starting with Pitt on Monday.

**********

Follow me on Twitter (@andybottoms) for more thoughts on college hoops, and check out the latest edition of the Bottoms Line podcast.

And as usual, that led to plenty of shakeups in this week’s Top 25.

College Basketball Power Rankings

1. Kentucky (19-1, Previous Ranking: 2)

The Wildcats picked up a pair of home wins last week, crushing Arkansas by 23 and beating Alabama by six.  Anthony Davis was phenomenal against the Hogs with 27 points, 14 rebounds, and seven blocks, and he has already broken the UK single-season record for rejections.

Image source: Andy Lyons/Getty Images via B/R

Terrence Jones tallied 28 points, 15 boards, and seven blocks of his own in the two victories, which is a good sign for Kentucky fans.  They shouldn’t be tested until a February 7th home date with Florida.

2. Ohio State (17-3, Previous Ranking: 4)

William Buford led the way with 15 points in the Buckeyes’ lone game of the week, a 34-point drubbing of Nebraska.  Jared Sullinger and Deshaun Thomas chipped in with 14 points each in OSU’s second road win in league play.

The Buckeyes play four of their next five games in Columbus, starting with this week’s matchups against Penn State and Michigan.

3. Missouri (18-1, Previous Ranking: 6)

After taking care of business at home against Texas A&M, the undersized Tigers picked up a huge road win at Baylor, outrebounding the much taller Bears in the process.  Ricardo Ratliffe grabbed six of Mizzou’s 12 offensive boards and scored 27 points in the victory.  Point guard Flip Pressey was fantastic with 18 points, seven assists, six steals, and five rebounds.

The Tigers have a pair of winnable games this week as they travel to Oklahoma State and host Texas Tech.

4. Syracuse (20-1, Previous Ranking: 1)

The Orange never led against Notre Dame and suffered their first loss of the year on Saturday night.  They were playing without center Fab Melo, who is out with academic issues of some kind.  Without him, the Irish dominated the glass and shot 50 percent from the field, while the Syracuse offense struggled throughout the game and shot just 34 percent.

The Orange beat Pitt by eight in their first game of the week, and this week brings a tough road test at Cincinnati on Monday followed by a home date with West Virginia.

5. Kansas (16-3, Previous Ranking: 9)

After outplaying Baylor and squeaking out a win at Texas, the Jayhawks have now won nine straight and 13 of their last 14 contests.  Tyshawn Taylor and Thomas Robinson continue to lead the way for KU, with Taylor posting 78 points over the last three games and Robinson going for 44 points and 23 boards in two games this week.

Next up for the Jayhawks is a home game against reeling Texas A&M and a road trip to Ames to face an Iowa State team desparate for a signature win.

6. North Carolina (16-3, Previous Ranking: 8)

For about a half, the Heels didn’t appear to have responded well to getting drubbed by Florida State, but a 19-0 run during the second half propelled them to a 14-point win at Virginia Tech in their only game this week.  Harrison Barnes scored 27 points and attempted a season-high 12 free throws, while John Henson and Tyler Zeller combined for 30 points and 27 rebounds.

UNC has four winnable games coming up before Duke comes to the Dean Dome in early February.

7. Baylor (17-2, Previous Ranking: 3)

The Bears lost their first two games of the season last week, losing by 18 at Kansas and by one at home to Missouri.  In both games, Baylor was outrebounded and allowed far too many second chance points for a team with so much height.

In the end, questions about the team’s toughness and Scott Drew’s ability to make adjustments remain following their two losses.  However, the Bears still have a number of quality wins, but they need to stop their skid with wins at Oklahoma and at home versus Texas this week.

8. Duke (16-3, Previous Ranking: 5)

A Michael Snaer buzzer-beater ended Duke’s 45-game home winning streak and gave the Devils their first conference loss.  Freshman Austin Rivers led the team in scoring with 19 points after not starting the Wake Forest game, but Duke shot under 40 percent from the field in a losing effort.

The Devils head to Maryland on Wednesday before a non-conference matchup with St. John’s next weekend.

9. Michigan State (16-4, Previous Ranking: 7)

It was another strange week for the Spartans.  Despite doubling up the Wolverines on the boards and shooting 46.7 percent from deep, they lost at Michigan before bouncing back to crush Purdue at home on Saturday.  Big man Derrick Nix played well in both games, totaling 25 points in just 41 minutes of action.

MSU plays just once this week with Minnesota visiting East Lansing on Wednesday.

10. Georgetown (16-3, Previous Ranking: 10)

It wasn’t always pretty, but the Hoyas won both of their games this week against DePaul and Rutgers.  Center Henry Sims posted a double-double against the Scarlet Knights and had 16 points and seven boards versus DePaul.

One potential concern is that Hollis Thompson has a pulled thigh muscle that limited him on Saturday, but the Hoyas don’t play again until next weekend when they visit Pittsburgh.

11. UNLV (18-3, Previous Ranking: 12)

The Rebels bounced back from a road loss to San Diego State to win a pair of home games this week versus TCU and New Mexico by a combined 40 points.  Mike Moser tallied 30 points and 25 boards while posting two double-doubles, and UNLV now faces winnable road games this week against Boise State and Air Force.

12. Creighton (18-2, Previous Ranking: 12)

Despite getting ”just” 27 points from star Doug McDermott in their two games last week, the Bluejays continue to pile up wins.  First they avenged one of their two defeats by winning at Missouri State, and then they crushed Indiana State on Saturday.

Creighton takes an eight-game winning streak into games at Drake and home against Bradley this week.

13. San Diego State (17-2, Previous Ranking: 15)

The Aztecs followed up their big home win against UNLV by going into The Pit to beat New Mexico behind 22 points from Xavier Thames.  Guard Jamaal Franklin had 14 points and 10 boards in Saturday’s game against Air Force, putting SDSU in sole possession of first place in the Mountain West.

Road games against Wyoming and Colorado State this week will be tougher than you might think.

14. Murray State (20-0, Previous Ranking: 20)

At some point you just have to give the Racers credit, because they just keep rolling along in a year when Top 25 losses are becoming the norm.  They got a scare from Morehead State this week, but guards Isaiah Canaan and Donte Poole combined for 35 points to lead the comeback.  Those same two players combined for 35 again on Saturday night to remain the lone unbeaten team in college hoops.

Murray State is idle until a Saturday home game against Eastern Illinois.

15. Michigan (15-5, Previous Ranking: 16)

The Wolverines continue to be inconsistent, and this week was no exception.  They picked up a hard-fought one-point win over Michigan but fell behind by as many as 20 points against Arkansas in a non-conference road game on Saturday.  A furious comeback came up just short, as a potential game-winning three-pointer by Trey Burke rimmed out at the buzzer.  Tim Hardaway Jr. continues to struggle with just 28 points in his last three games on 8-of-30 shooting.

A tough week awaits with road games at Purdue and Ohio State.

16. Indiana (16-4, Previous Ranking: 13)

After blowing a double-digit lead on the road against Nebraska, the Hoosiers stopped the bleeding with a home victory over Penn State.  Cody Zeller continued his strong play with 18 points in each game, but defense and turnovers continue to be a concern for Indiana.

This week they head to Madison to take on a resurgent Wisconsin squad before a home game with Iowa on Sunday.

17. Kansas State (14-4, Previous Ranking: 21)

Behind 33 points from Rodney McGruder, the Wildcats beat Texas at home early in the week.  They followed that up with a road win against Oklahoma State to even their Big 12 record at 3-3.

K-State has a pair of winnable games this week when they travel to Texas Tech before returning to The Octagon for a game against Oklahoma.

18. Marquette (16-4, Previous Ranking: 22)

The Golden Eagles dug themselves a huge early hole but stormed back to beat Louisville on Monday, then picked up a road win at Providence on Saturday.  Not surprisingly, they were led by seniors Darius Johnson-Odom and Jae Crowder, who combined for 69 points in the two victories.

Marquette hosts South Florida on Tuesday before traveling to Villanova on Saturday.

19. Florida (15-4, Previous Ranking: 19)

I have a hard time moving the Gators up any further in the rankings until they actually beat someone.  Five Florida players scored in double figures in a 12-point win over LSU this week, led by 15 from Erik Murphy.

On Thursday, they have a road date with Mississippi, and then turn around to host Mississippi State on Saturday.  Those games should tell us a bit more about the Gators.

20. Florida State (13-6, Previous Ranking: N/A)

You’d be hard-pressed to find a hotter team than the Seminoles right now.  In their last three games, they have blown out North Carolina, knocked off an improving Maryland squad, and pulled out a road win at Duke.  In addition to hitting the game-winner, Michael Snaer has really stepped up offensively with 50 points in those three victories.

The Noles travel to Wake Forest for their only game this week.

21. Virginia (15-3, Previous Ranking: 14)

The Cavaliers destroyed Georgia Tech on Thursday but slipped up at home against rival Virginia Tech Sunday night.  Against the Hokies, UVA hit just 1-of-14 from long range, and Mike Scott was held to just 10 points, which is not exactly a recipe for victory.  At this point, they have a number of good – but not great – wins on their profile with a pair of losses to teams who wouldn’t make the tournament if it started today.

The Cavaliers face Boston College at home on Thursday before heading to Raleigh for a matchup with North Carolina State.

22. Mississippi State (16-4, Previous Ranking: 18)

The Bulldogs stumbled on the road against Ole Miss but hung on for an overtime win at Vanderbilt on Saturday night to salvage their week.  Dee Bost and Arnett Moultrie combined for 45 points against the Commodores, while Jalen Steele drained five three-pointers.

LSU visits Starkville on Wednesday in a game MSU should win, but Saturday’s game at Florida will be a huge test.

23. Saint Mary’s (19-2, Previous Ranking: 24)

After beating Pepperdine and Santa Clara, the Gaels reached the halfway point of the WCC season with a perfect 8-0 record.  Matthew Dellavedova had 39 points and 12 assists in the two victories, and Saint Mary’s has now won nine straight and 17 of their last 18.

Five of their final eight league games are on the road, starting this week with trips to Loyola Marymount and BYU.

24. West Virginia (15-5, Previous Ranking: N/A)

The Mountaineers picked up a couple solid wins last week over Marshall and Cincinnati, and forward Kevin Jones continued his campaign for Big East Player of the Year with 51 points and 20 rebounds in those contests.  He now has at least 22 points in five straight games and 13 double-doubles for the season.

West Virginia hits the road this week for games against St. John’s and Syracuse.

25. Wisconsin (16-5, Previous Ranking: N/A)

A road win at Illinois extended Wisconsin’s winning streak to four games, and after a disastrous start to Big Ten play, they are now 5-3 in the league.  Jordan Taylor is starting to heat up with 53 points, 18 rebounds, and 11 assists over the last three games.

The Badgers return to the Kohl Center to take on Indiana this Thursday in their lone game of the week.

**********

Follow me on Twitter (@andybottoms) for more thoughts on college hoops, and check out the latest edition of the Bottoms Line podcast.

The middle of the list has proven to be a complete mess, but since road wins have been so tough to come by, there are some teams that actually stayed put or even moved up despite losing.

College Basketball Power Rankings

1. Syracuse (19-0, Previous Ranking: 1)

The Orange won their two games this week by a combined 36 points and are the only Big East team without a loss.  I am dying to see this team be challenged, but with games at home against a reeling Pitt squad and on the road at Notre Dame, I don’t see that happening this week.

2. Kentucky (17-1, Previous Ranking: 2)

With road victories against Auburn and Tennessee last week, the Wildcats have already equaled their SEC road win total from last season.  Freshmen Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist continue to lead the way for Kentucky, while fellow frosh Marquis Teague could stand to cut back on his shooting given his efficiency numbers.  Kentucky has home games against Arkansas and Alabama this week.

3. Baylor (17-0, Previous Ranking: 5)

The Bears picked up arguably the biggest road win in college hoops last week by knocking off K-State in the Octagon before dumptrucking Oklahoma State over the weekend.  Monday’s game with Kansas is the marquee matchup of the week, but win or lose, Baylor has proven they should be considered among the nation’s elite teams.  Saturday’s game against Missouri closes out a brutal week for the Bears.

4. Ohio State (16-3, Previous Ranking: 4)

Brandon Paul almost singlehandedly beat the Buckeyes on Tuesday with 43 points, but they returned to form against Indiana on Sunday and had the look of a Final Four team in that game.  Lenzelle Smith Jr. gave them a huge spark with 28 points against the Hoosiers, and if he can become a consistent contributor, it takes OSU to another level.  Their lone game this week is at Nebraska on Saturday.

5. Duke (15-2, Previous Ranking: 8)

The ACC doesn’t provide many chances for quality wins this year, but the Blue Devils picked up one on Thursday by knocking off Virginia at home.  They followed that up with a road win at Clemson and are currently the only team undefeated in ACC play.  A pair of home games await this week, with Wake Forest coming to Cameron on Thursday and surging Florida State visiting on Saturday.

6. Missouri (16-1, Previous Ranking: 9)

The Tigers rebounded from a loss to Kansas State to win by 10 points at Iowa State and by 11 at home versus Texas.  Flip Pressey tallied 30 points and 15 assists in the two victories, while Ricardo Ratliffe scored 21 against the Longhorns and is now shooting 77.4 percent from the field.  Mizzou has a winnable home game against A&M on Monday before a showdown at Baylor on Saturday.

7. Michigan State (15-3, Previous Ranking: 6)

It was an uneven week for the Spartans, who dismantled Iowa in their first game but lost at Northwestern on Saturday.  Draymond Green and Keith Appling continue to pace the MSU offensive attack, but turnovers were the team’s undoing against the Wildcats and their 1-3-1 zone.  An intra-state battle at Michigan awaits Sparty on Tuesday before they return home to take on Purdue next weekend.

8. North Carolina (15-3, Previous Ranking: 3)

It’s hard to put into words how disappointing UNC’s performance was on Sunday as they allowed Florida State to jump out to a large lead and eventually rolled over and got blown out.  As I mentioned with Duke, there aren’t many chance to pick up resume-enhancing wins in the ACC, which magnifies the importance of any unexpected losses.  UNC’s only game this week comes Thursday at Virginia Tech.

9. Kansas (14-3, Previous Ranking: 11)

Tyshawn Taylor had a fantastic game to lead the Jayhawks to a comeback win over Iowa State on Saturday, scoring 28 points and dishing out six assists.  Thomas Robinson posted two more double-doubles, and his play will be critical against Baylor’s talented frontline on Monday.  Kansas follows up that terrific matchup with a trip to Texas over the weekend.

10. Georgetown (14-3, Previous Ranking: 9)

Turnovers led to a disappointing home loss to Cincinnati, but the Hoyas bounced back to win at St. John’s on Sunday.  Senior Jason Clark had a solid all-around game against the Red Storm with 15 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists.  With games against DePaul and Rutgers this week, Georgetown has a good chance to move to 16-3.

11. UNLV (16-3, Previous Ranking: 12)

The Rebels lost a hard-fought game against rival San Diego State on a last-second shot in their only game of the week.  Anthony Marshall paced the UNLV attack with 26 points while Chace Stanback, Mike Moser, and Oscar Bellfield combined to go 7-of-32 from the field.  They have a pair of home games this week, the second of which comes against a red hot New Mexico squad.

12. Creighton (16-2, Previous Ranking: 15)

While many teams had a hard time winning two games this week, the Bluejays won three MVC games, knocking off Northern Iowa, Illinois State, and Southern Illinois.  Player of the Year candidate Doug McDermott posted 59 points and 28 boards in the three games.  This week Creighton heads to Missouri State to try to avenge an earlier loss before hosting Indiana State over the weekend.

13. Indiana (15-3, Previous Ranking: 7)

It was a disappointing week for the Hoosiers, who dropped a winnable game at home against Minnesota on Thursday before losing by 17 at Ohio State on Sunday.  Defense continues to be a concern with IU allowing the most points per possession of any team in Big Ten play.  Games against Nebraska and Penn State give them the opportunity to get back on track.

14. Virginia (14-2, Previous Ranking: 16)

The Cavaliers had a pair of last-second shots that could have sent their game against Duke into overtime.  Mike Scott was fantastic once again with 23 points and nine rebounds in a losing effort.  The Cavs have established themselves as the clear-cut third best team in the ACC, which means they should be able to win at Georgia Tech and at home against Virginia Tech this week.

15. San Diego State (15-2, Previous Ranking: 22)

After beating UNLV at home, the Aztecs validated their hot start after having played virtually no one for a month.  Jamaal Franklin led the way with 24 points and 10 rebounds, including the game winner with just 0.3 seconds left.  James Rahon was also on fire and poured in 22 points for the Aztecs.  Another tough tests awaits when they head to The Pit this week to face New Mexico.

16. Michigan (14-4, Previous Ranking: 13)

The Wolverines needed overtime to take care of Northwestern and followed that up with a 16-point loss at Iowa.  Tim Hardaway Jr.’s inconsistent shooting continued, and Michigan made just 8-of-31 from three-point range against the Hawkeyes.  They need significantly more production from their frontline with Michigan State coming to town this week.  On Saturday, the Wolverines head to Arkansas for a non-conference matchup of contrasting styles.

17. Connecticut (14-3, Previous Ranking: 20)

The Huskies picked up a much-needed win against West Virginia and played one of their best games of the season at Notre Dame on Saturday.  Freshman Andre Drummond had two more double-doubles to extend his streak to three, but fellow frosh Ryan Boatright’s eligibility is in question again.  Wednesday’s game against Cincinnati is a big one for both teams, and a non-conference matchup at Tennessee will be challenging as well based on how the Vols are playing.

18. Mississippi State (15-3, Previous Ranking: 24)

After losing to Arkansas last weekend, Mississippi State bounced back to beat Tennessee and Alabama at home.  Arnett Moultrie had a huge night against the Tide with 25 points and 13 boards, while Dee Bost had 30 points in the two wins.  The Bulldogs, who are just 1-1 in true away games, hit the road this week to take on Mississippi and Vanderbilt.

19. Florida (14-4, Previous Ranking: 19)

The Gators won two games they should have won this week, with Kenny Boynton leading the way with 32 points in victories over Georgia and South Carolina.  Florida still doesn’t really have a signature win this year, although the 18-point drubbing of Florida State looks better now.  Their only game this week comes on Saturday when a struggling LSU squad comes to Gainesville.

20. Murray State (18-0, Previous Ranking: 23)

Things just keep on rolling for the Racers even with second-leading scorer Ivan Aska out with an injury.  Donte Poole had a huge week for Murray State, scoring 21 points against Jacksonville State before pouring in a career-high 28 versus Tennessee Tech.    A pair of road games await the Racers this week, but I don’t expect them to lose either one.

21. Kansas State (12-4, Previous Ranking: 14)

The Wildcats lost a hard-fought game to Baylor on Tuesday, so there’s no shame in that.  However, they played poorly in a road loss to an Oklahoma team that had struggled in conference play.  K-State’s first three league games were as tough as they come, so things should start to even out for them from a scheduling standpoint.  This week they welcome Texas to the Ocatgon before heading to Oklahoma State.

22. Marquette (14-4, Previous Ranking: 25)

The Golden Eagles took care of business at home against St. John’s and Pitt thanks to seniors Darius Johnson-Odom and Jae Crowder.  DJO scored 38 points in the two wins while Crowder went for 30.  This week they face Louisville at home on Monday before a winnable road game at Providence on Saturday.

23. Illinois (15-3, Previous Ranking: N/A)

Brandon Paul’s 43-point outburst against Ohio State was one of the best individual performances this season, particularly given his subpar efficiency numbers heading into that game.  The Illini are now 4-1 in Big Ten play, and after a lengthy layoff, they head to Happy Valley this week for a date with Penn State before hosting Wisconsin on Sunday.

24. Saint Mary’s (17-2, Previous Ranking: N/A)

The Gaels already had a handful of decent wins, but they played arguably their best game of the season in a 21-point blowout of Gonzaga on Thursday.  Matthew Dellavedova was fantastic against the Zags with 26 points and six assists and is one of the more underrated guards in the country.  Saint Mary’s has a pair of winnable games this week as they look to stay alone atop the WCC.

25. Seton Hall (14-2, Previous Ranking: 17)

Blowing a late lead and losing at South Florida on Friday night put an end to the Pirates’ win streak, but I’m not prepared to write off wins over West Virginia and UConn as a fluke just yet.  However, they need to avoid a road loss against a struggling Villanova team in their only game this week to stay in the Top 25.

Follow me on Twitter (@andybottoms) for more thoughts on college hoops, and check out the latest edition of the Bottoms Line podcast.

1. Draymond Green, Michigan State

Justified or not, these types of awards typically go to the best player on the best team, but that isn’t why I have Green ranked this high despite the fact the Spartans are playing the best basketball of anyone in the league.

Quite simply, Green does everything for this team.

In terms of raw numbers, he leads them in points (15.9 ppg), rebounds (9.8 rpg), and blocks (1.2 bpg) and is second in assists (3.4 apg) and steals (1.5 spg).  He’s the only player in the league to be in that Top 15 in each of those categories and one of just three players to rank that high in four of them.

Green has scored in double figures in 16 of MSU’s 17 games with eight double-doubles, and he’s narrowly missed three others.  He ranks among the nation’s leaders in defensive rebounding percentage and has a tremendous assist rate, particularly when you consider he doesn’t play guard.  Throw in the fact that he also attacks the offensive glass, draws a lot of fouls, and is an above average defender.

Perhaps most importantly, he is the unquestioned leader of the Michigan State team and has helped propel one of last season’s most disappointing teams to a Top 10 ranking, even after losing their first two games.

Image credit: Al Goldis – AP via The Only Colors

2. Jared Sullinger, Ohio State

Sullinger’s absence, either via injury or foul trouble, played a key role in Ohio State’s first two losses this season against Kansas and Indiana.  Brandon Paul can take credit for the third.  But ultimately, that shows what a game-changer Sullinger is and how vital he is to OSU’s success.  The 17.4 points and 9.3 boards per game speak to that too I suppose.

I could rattle off stats for quite a while about just how impressive Sullinger is, but here are just a few.  His 126.9 offensive rating is among the best in the country.  His 31.0 defensive rebounding percentage means he grabs nearly one out of every three of their opponents’ missed shots, which has helped the Buckeyes become the most efficient defensive team.  Sullinger makes better than 60 percent of his field goal attempts, is a monster on the offensive glass, and draws a ton of fouls.  He has eight double-doubles in 16 games, and the only game where he hasn’t scored at least 11 points is the one he left with a foot injury.

Interestingly, Sullinger’s free throw rate has fallen from last season, and he’s attempted just six free throws in the last three games.  That said, with the team struggling from beyond the arc, they would be well served to pound the ball inside to him even more.  Without a doubt, he is the top low-post player in college basketball and the top player on one of the nation’s elite teams.

3. Cody Zeller, Indiana

For a player who came in with extremely high expectations from a fan base starving for success, it’s hard to believe that Zeller has already blown those out of the water.  You can add to that what his signing meant for the program and its future, but let’s focus on his play on the court.

Zeller is in the Top 11 in the Big Ten in points (14.2 ppg), rebounds (6.4 rpg), steals (1.7 spg), and blocks (1.5 bpg).  He’s shooting over 66 percent from the field, and as Luke Winn pointed out, he rarely gets into foul trouble.  His offensive rating is in the nation’s Top 25, and he quite simply has changed the way the Hoosiers play due to his ability to score in the post, draw fouls, rebound, and run the floor.

The scary part is that he’s only going to get better once he adds more bulk and gets used to the physical nature of conference play.  And while you can’t give him all the credit, the reality is that the Hoosiers are the most surprising team in the country.  They returned virtually everyone from a team that went 12-20, and the only addition to play substantial minutes is Zeller.  Take from that what you will.

4. Tim Frazier, Penn State

Frazier will never actually win this award, because his team is barely over .500 at this point.  But I’m not sure they would have won more than a game or two without him.

Like Zeller, he ranks among the Big Ten leaders in points (17.4 ppg), rebounds (5.4 rpg), assists (6.8 apg), and steals (2.2 spg), all of which are tops on the team.  He has played just under 90 percent of the team’s minutes this season, ranks second in the nation in assist rate at 47.8, and draws 7.0 fouls per 40 minutes, which he has parlayed into 125 free throw attempts already.  In short, he is Penn State’s team, and even though their opponents knows that coming in, he continues to produce.

The team’s reliance on him ultimately leads to the two knocks against him, a high number of turnovers and a relatively poor shooting percentage.  Even so, I would argue that no player in the league means more to his team.

5. Trey Burke, Michigan

Coming into the season, my biggest question about the Wolverines was how they could (or if they could) replace Darius Morris at the point.  Burke has provided a resounding answer to that question, and if not for Zeller, he would be a lock for Freshman of the Year.

After logging just 18 minutes in the opener, Burke has played at least 30 minutes in every game since, reaching double figures in 14 of 15 games including the last ten.  He leads the team with 5.0 assists per game, and his 29.8 assist rate ranks just outside the Top 100 nationally and is among the five best in the league.  His turnover rate and decision-making bely his youth, and ultimately his ability to run the offense so effectively has allowed the Wolverines to pick up where they left off last season.

As with Zeller, the fact that Burke is only going to get better is a frightening proposition for Big Ten coaches, and he has the talent to be a contender for this award over the next few years as well.

6. Robbie Hummel, Purdue

It’s hard not to feel good for Hummel after suffering not one, but two, devastating knee injuries.  He’s leading the Boilers in scoring (16.2 ppg), rebounding (6.2 rpg), and blocks (1.2 bpg)  while hitting over 38 percent from three-point range.  Hummel has been remarkably consistent, scoring at least 10 points in all but one game and grabbing at least five boards in 14 of 17 contests.

With JaJuan Johnson and E’Twaun Moore gone, Hummel has been counted on as the primary scorer for the first time in his career, as evidenced by the fact he’s taken 109 more shots than anyone else on the team.  Given how much he handles the ball, his paltry 7.2 turnover rate is that much more impressive.

While Hummel isn’t a flashy player by any means, he’s as steady as they come and has given a relatively young Purdue team a rock to build around.  And a year after losing two of the best players in school history, the Boilers are in good position to get a tournament bid, which is a testament to his leadership and overall ability.

7. Christian Watford, Indiana

While Watford played hero in one of the top moments (ok, the top moment) of the season so far with his buzzer-beater to knock off then top-ranked Kentucky, focusing only on that play would be a disservice to Watford’s overall productivity this season.  You could argue that he’s one of the most improved players in the conference as well despite the fact that he led the Hoosiers in scoring last season.

Tom Crean cites a change in Watford’s mindset following Spring Break last season, but the transformation was most evident to me starting with the second half of the N.C. State game.  He scored 11 points and grabbed seven rebounds after halftime to lead the Hoosiers to a key road win.  In the nine games since, he has eight double-digit scoring games, four 20-point performances, and a pair of double-doubles.

The addition of Zeller has allowed Watford to play more on the perimeter where he’s hitting 52.9 percent from beyond the arc, but he continues to draw fouls and get to the line at a relatively high rate.  He and Zeller are still learning how best to play with one another, but Watford is playing like an All-Conference performer of late and deserves some credit for IU’s overall success – as well as its signature moment.

8. Keith Appling, Michigan State

Just one month ago I would have been committed for putting Appling on this list, but his play over the last eight games has been a huge factor in Michigan State’s improvement.  After being used primarily as a defensive stopper as a freshman, he was asked to take on an expanded role at the point this season.  Through two games, he had zero assists, although he did show flashes with a 22-point outburst against Duke.

Over the last eight games though, he has 43 assists compared to just 16 turnovers.  Appling’s scoring has ramped up as well with 17.8 points per game over the last fives contests.  His best game came against Indiana where he 25 points, seven assists, and six rebounds while being incredibly dispruptive on defense and holding Jordan Hulls to just four points on 2-of-10 shooting with four turnovers.  In Sparty’s road win over Wisconsin, he was the MSU offense at certain points in the second half.

There were plenty of questions about Michigan State’s offense after their first few games, and Appling’s improved play at the point has spurred them to become significantly more effective on that end of the floor.  Many of his efficiency numbers are among the best in the league, and considering his age, he’s only going to get better as the season rolls along.

9. John Shurna, Northwestern

Regardless of whether you think the Wildcats will be able to make the tournament for the first time ever (which I don’t), you can’t really leave the conference’s leading scorer off of this list.  Shurna is scoring 18.7 points per game while also grabbing 6.1 boards and blocking 1.7 shots per game.

Despite an unorthodox shooting motion, Shurna is hitting over 42 percent from beyond the arc and shoots over 83 percent from the line, although he could stand to get there more often.  For a team that is limited defensively, the Wildcats are forced to rely heavily on Shurna and Drew Crawford to post big offensive numbers every night.  He’s played at least 35 minutes in all but three games and has scored at least 15 points in all but four contests with six 20-point efforts and two 30-plus point outbursts.

If Northwestern somehow finds a way to go dancing in March, you can be certain that Shurna will be the main reason why, which gives him the opportunity to climb this list as the season moves forward.

10. Jordan Taylor, Wisconsin

I know Taylor and the Badgers have struggled this season, and my first pass at this list didn’t even have him on it.  Sure, his numbers are down from last season, but I would argue that has more to do with how much Wisconsin misses guys like Jon Leuer and Keaton Nankivil.

In the end, Taylor’s value to the team is probably second only to Tim Frazier’s, because while some of his teammates have played at times, none of them have been a reliable Robin to Taylor’s Batman.  Even so, his assist rate is just slightly lower than last season, and his turnover rate has remained outstanding for someone with the ball in his hands so much.  His two-point shooting is virtually even with last year, but his three-point shooting has dropped with fewer wide open looks than he saw as a junior.

In many ways, the Badgers are playing as poorly as I can recall in recent years, but I’m not convinced that is an indictment of Jordan Taylor.  What I do know is that they wouldn’t have even been competitive against teams like North Carolina or Michigan State without him.

 **********

It’s worth noting that I am writing this the day after Illinois’ Brandon Paul went off for 43 points against Ohio State, so you may be surprised to not see his name on this list.  It was a phenomenal performance – one of the best so far this season – but his play earlier in the season doesn’t exactly warrant his inclusion.  He was scoring but had posted some pretty ugly efficiency numbers in the process with just a 91.7 offensive rating heading into that game.

 **********

Follow me on Twitter (@andybottoms) for more thoughts on college hoops, and check out the latest edition of the Bottoms Line podcast.

College Basketball Power Rankings

1. Syracuse (17-0, Previous Ranking: 1)

The Orange picked up a road win against Providence and held off a late Marquette rally on Saturday to remain unbeaten.  They continue to get contributions from a number of different players, with Brandon Triche stepping up this week to score 16 points in each game.

With struggling Villanova and another game with Providence on tap this week, ‘Cuse should be able to keep their perfect record intact.

2. Kentucky (15-1, Previous Ranking: 2)

Freshman sensation Anthony Davis had a big week, totaling 34 points, 26 rebounds, and 10 blocks in two comfortable wins.  Perhaps more importantly Terrence Jones scored 20 against South Carolina.  If he can develop some consistency, it takes the Cats to another level.

They have their second and third road games of the season this week against Auburn and Tennessee.

3. North Carolina (14-2, Previous Ranking: 3)

The Heels beat an overmatched Boston College squad in their only game of the week.  Harrison Barnes scored 25 points for UNC, who has been a bit under the radar since losing at Kentucky.

The ACC is clearly a two-horse race, and the Heels won’t face another ranked team until February.

4. Ohio State (15-2, Previous Ranking: 4)

After losing to IU on New Year’s Eve, the Buckeyes bounced back to beat Nebraska and Iowa by a combined 60 points this week.  Player of the Year candidate Jared Sullinger led the way with 28 against the Hawkeyes and a double-double against the Huskers.

OSU heads to Illinois on Tuesday and gets a chance for revenge against the Hoosiers on Sunday.

5. Baylor (15-0, Previous Ranking: 6)

Baylor won two more games this week, but things start to get more difficult starting with Tuesday’s trip to Kansas State.  They also have dates with Kansas and Missouri over the next couple weeks, which will be their three toughest games of the season.  We’ll know a lot more about how good this team is following that stretch.

Image source: Ballin Is a Habit

6. Michigan State (14-2, Previous Ranking: 10)

The Spartans picked up their second Big Ten road win at Wisconsin to extend their winning streak to 14 games.  Draymond Green posted 18 points and 14 boards in the overtime victory, while Keith Appling added 16 points and was the MSU offense at various points down the stretch.

With games against Northwestern and Iowa this week, Tom Izzo’s club should be able to keep their win streak alive.

7. Indiana (15-1, Previous Ranking: 11)

IU picked up another big victory in Assembly Hall this week by beating Michigan, led by Christian Watford with 25 points, seven rebounds, and four assists. While the frontcourt fueled the victory over the Wolverines, the backcourt stepped up in a road win at Penn State.  Jordan Hulls had a career-high 28 points, and Matt Roth came off the bench to hit five triples and a number of key free throws for the Hoosiers, who went 16-of-24 from beyond the arc.

Minnesota visits Bloomington this week before IU hits the road to face Ohio State.

8. Duke (13-2, Previous Ranking: 5)

The Blue Devils started the week by losing to Temple on the road, and they nearly fell to 0-3 in true road games against Georgia Tech on Saturday.  Ryan Kelly hit all 14 of his free throw attempts en route to 21 points, but there are still question marks about this team’s defense.

Unfortunately given the lack of depth in the ACC, they won’t have many chances to prove themselves.  One of those chances comes Thursday when Virginia comes to Cameron Indoor.

9. Missouri (14-1, Previous Ranking: 8)

The undersized Tigers got pounded on the boards against Kansas State and lost their first game of the season on Saturday.  It will be interesting to see how they respond with a road game against an improving Iowa State team followed by a home date with Texas this week.

Following the transfer of Kadeem Green, Mizzou has just seven scholarship players and just two guys over 6-foot-6, which should make it tough for them against the top teams in the league.

10. Georgetown (13-2, Previous Ranking: 9)

After staging a furious comeback to beat Marquette, Georgetown fell on the road against West Virginia to break an 11-game winning streak.  Hollis Thompson continued his solid play, hitting the game-winner against Marquette and scoring 20 points against the Mountaineers.

The Hoyas have a favorable schedule for the remainder of the month before facing UConn on February 1st.

11. Kansas (12-3, Previous Ranking: 15)

Junior guard Travis Releford came up big for the Jayhawks this week, posting a double-double in an 18-point win over Kansas State and pouring in 28 points on the road against Oklahoma.

Kansas isn’t going to end their reign as Big 12 champs without a fight, and they should be 14-3 when Baylor comes to Lawrence on January 16th.

12. UNLV (16-2, Previous Ranking: 13)

With just eight teams in the Mountain West, the Rebels have yet to play a conference game and played just once last week.  Mike Moser posted yet another double-double in a win over Cal State Bakersfield, but a road date at San Diego State this Saturday will make for an exciting MWC opener for both teams.

13. Michigan (13-3, Previous Ranking: 18)

The Wolverines bounced back from a close loss to Indiana by throttling Wisconsin at home on Sunday.  Tim Hardaway Jr. led the team in scoring in both games while Trey Burke continues to excel at the point and extended his double-digit scoring streak to 10 games.

They face Northwestern at home this week before traveling to a resurgent Iowa squad this weekend.

14. Kansas State (12-2, Previous Ranking: 24)

It was an interesting week for the Wildcats, who lost by 18 to rival Kansas but bounced back to beat Missouri by 16 points on Saturday.  The backcourt duo of Rodney McGruder and Will Spradling combined for 34 points against the Tigers, but the schedule doesn’t get much easier with Baylor coming to town on Tuesday.

15. Creighton (13-2, Previous Ranking: 21)

Doug McDermott went off for 44 points on 18-of-23 shooting against Bradley on Saturday, and I strongly suggest you find a way to see him play if you haven’t already.  The Bluejays have three games with week as they face Northern Iowa and Southern Illinois at home with a trip to Illinois State in between.

16. Virginia (14-1, Previous Ranking: 25)

To a certain extent, the Cavaliers took advantage of the losses by other Top 25 teams to move up, but they did pick up a solid road win at LSU and beat a tough Miami (FL) squad in their ACC opener.  Mike Scott should be receiving serious consideration for ACC Player of the Year.  He scored a total of 35 points and grabbed 17 rebounds in the two wins, and he remains one of the most efficient players in the country.

17. Seton Hall (14-2, Previous Ranking: N/A)

The Pirates picked up a huge win over UConn at home this week and followed it up by beating Providence on the road.  Seton Hall’s only losses have come against Northwestern on a neutral floor and at Syracuse, but they have solid wins over West Virginia, Dayton, VCU, and Saint Joseph’s.

Kevin Willard has the Pirates playing well defensively, and point guard Jordan Theodore has been outstanding, posting 51 points and 28 assists in the last three games.

18. Louisville (13-3, Previous Ranking: 12)

After losing in double overtime to Notre Dame, the Cardinals have now dropped three of their last four games.  They continue to struggle offensively, but they should be able to bounce back against Providence and DePaul this week.

Louisville needs more from Peyton Siva, who has just 23 points and 13 assists to go with 12 fouls and 11 turnovers over the last three games.

19. Florida (12-4, Previous Ranking: 14)

The Gators shot just 35.7 percent from the field and 31.8 percent from beyond the arc in a loss to Tennessee, which was the second bad loss for Florida in their last four games.  They are now 0-4 in true road games this season and don’t have a signature win.  That said, the Gators should be able to take care of Georgia and South Carolina this week.

20. Connecticut (12-3, Previous Ranking: 7)

UConn is searching for answers after a pair of road losses last week.  They now sit at just 2-2 in the Big East with a tough test coming on Monday against West Virginia.  The Huskies clearly have the talent, but leadership is another matter without Kemba Walker.  Freshman Andre Drummond continues to be inconsistent, and Alex Oriahki continues to struggle.

21. Gonzaga (13-2, Previous Ranking: N/A)

The Zags have now won eight straight heading into Thursday’s game with rival Saint Mary’s.  Big man Sam Dower is playing well off the bench, and the freshman backcourt of Kevin Pangos and Gary Bell is really starting to gel.

22. San Diego State (13-2, Previous Ranking: 22)

The Aztecs haven’t played anyone decent since early December, but their first two MWC games are against UNLV and New Mexico, both of which will tell us a lot about SDSU.  Chase Tapley leads four players averaging in double figures for Steve Fisher’s club.

23. Murray State (16-0, Previous Ranking: 23)

Isaiah Canaan was on fire Saturday night against Austin Peay, hitting seven three-pointers and scoring 27 points in the first half.  He finished with 35 to keep the Racers unbeaten.  Look for them to stay that way with Jacksonville State and Tennessee Tech coming to town this week.

24. Mississippi State (13-3, Previous Ranking: 16)

The Bulldogs played just their second true road game of the season on Saturday, losing by 10 points to Arkansas.  Foul trouble limited Arnett Moultrie and Renardo Sidney, and MSU managed to lose despite shooting 51.9 percent from the field and 45.0 percent from deep.  Tennessee and Alabama both come to Starkville this week.

25. Marquette (12-4, Previous Ranking: 19)

It’s tough to penalize the Golden Eagles for losing at Georgetown and Syracuse, but they have now lost four of their last six games after starting 10-0.  They need to right the ship with their next three games at home, starting this week with St. John’s and Pitt.

Follow me on Twitter (@andybottoms) for more thoughts on college hoops, and check out the latest edition of the Bottoms Line podcast.

Things are only going to get better as conference play heats up, but for now, here are the latest risers and fallers in the college basketball world, starting with someone hoops fans in the Hoosier state will be very familiar with.

The Bottoms Line: Stock Up

Georgia State

After losing their first three games of the season to Washington, Portland, and Florida Atlantic, the Panthers and first-year coach Ron Hunter have reeled off 11 straight wins. The first nine of those wins are pretty easy to dismiss given the competition (all 238th or lower in the Pomeroy Ratings), but Wednesday night’s victory at VCU was impressive.  They also beat Drexel in CAA play and are currently 3-0 in the league heading into a road trip to George Mason this weekend.

Hunter, the former IUPUI head man, has his team playing terrific defense and taking good care of the basketball.  The offense hasn’t been particularly efficient, but they do have three double-digit scorers and nine players averaging at least 10 minutes and 4.0 points.  Whether they can win the Colonial remains to be seen, but they have been one of the bigger surprises so far this season.

Image credit: Hyosub Shin via AJC.com

Michigan State

It’s not a stretch to say the Spartans are playing the best basketball in the Big Ten right now.  They have won 14 straight and sit atop the conference at 3-0 with wins over Indiana and Wisconsin.  After struggling mightily on offense during their first few games, Michigan State has really turned things around on that end of the floor, scoring at least 1.07 points per possession in eight of their last nine contests.

Keith Appling proved himself as a defender last season, and this year he’s added the offensive game to go with it.  He was sensational against IU with 25 points, seven assists, and six rebounds, and he was the offensive during key stretches against Wisconsin.  The Spartans continue to do a terrific job defensively as well as on the glass, which has been a staple of all the great Izzo teams.

New Mexico

Steve Alford’s club has now won 11 straight and picked up a couple key victories late in December on the road against New Mexico State and at home against Saint Louis.

Sophomore Tony Snell has really stepped up his game, averaging a team-high 13.9 points and hitting 44.8 percent from deep.  That gives them yet another threat to go with big man Drew Gordon and guard Kendall Williams.  Gordon has scored at least 10 points in seven straight games with five double-doubles, including efforts with 19- and 20-rebounds.  Williams is starting to show flashes of the ability that made him the MWC Freshman of the Year last season, and Aussie guard Hugh Greenwood is playing well in the backcourt.

The Mountain West race should be entertaining with UNLV, San Diego State, and the Lobos all battling it out.

Seton Hall

It was easy to dismiss Seton Hall’s 11-1 start after they got crushed by Syracuse, but the Pirates bounced back to beat West Virginia and UConn at home by a combined 31 points.

Senior Herb Pope is leading the way by averaging a double-double, and he seems fully recovered from the health issues that lingered with him throughout last season.  They are also getting terrific play at the point from Jordan Theodore who boasts one of the nation’s top assist rates and has already been to the free throw line 82 times.

Outside of the Syracuse game, their offensive and defensive efficiency numbers have been pretty consistent.  They’ve scored at least 1.05 ppp in eight of their last nine and have held 10 of their last 11 opponents to 0.97 ppp or less.  Don’t be surprised if they win their next five Big East games.

Temple

The Owls have been up and down so far this season, but they looked terrific in a 78-73 win over Duke this week.  It’s even more impressive when you consider they are without big man Micheal Eric, which leaves them just one player over 6-foot-6.  Projected started Scootie Randall hasn’t played all season either, but the team continues to be efficient on the offensive end, thanks in part to 38.9 percent shooting from beyond the arc.

The trio of Ramone Moore, Khalif Wyatt, and Juan Fernandez has been terrific on the perimeter, averaging a combined 44.3 points, 10.9 rebounds, and 10.7 assists.  The Owls haven’t been as effective defensively as Fran Dunphy’s recent teams, but they do enter Atlantic 10 play with plenty of momentum.  Like the MWC, it should be a fun conference race to track throughout the season.

The Bottoms Line: Stock Down

Harvard

A loss to Fordham would hurt any team, but the damage is magnified for the Crimson.  Entering that game, they were 12-1 with their lone loss coming on the road to UConn, which really couldn’t be held against them from a seeding standpoint.

Not the case with the Fordham loss.  So while I still believe Harvard is a virtual lock to win the Ivy League auto-bid, their best wins are against Florida State and Saint Joseph’s, neither of which is a lock for the tournament at this point.  And when the committee evaluates the Crimson, they aren’t going to find many quality wins, but they will see an ugly loss to Fordham.  The last set of bracket projections I looked at had them around an eight seed, but this loss drops them into double digits.

Northwestern

It would be a great story to see Northwestern finally make the tournament, but I just don’t see it happening.  While their neutral court wins over Seton Hall and LSU look much better now than when they happened, they have lost to every other decent team they’ve played.  Baylor and Ohio State beat them by a combined 61 points, and they lost on the road against Creighton.

But this week’s home failure against Illinois was a killer.  The Illini are decent but have struggled recently and played without starting guard Sam Maniscalco, which for a team with virtually no bench scoring should have been a huge blow.  So now the Wildcats are 1-2 in the league with their next five games on the road against Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota and at home versus Michigan State and Purdue.  Given the team’s struggles on defense, a 1-7 start in Big Ten play is not out of the question.

Pittsburgh

If you were on the fence about Pitt heading into Thursday’s game against DePaul (I wasn’t), their last-second loss to the Blue Demons places them firmly in full meltdown mode.  They have now lost four straight games and sit at 0-3 in the Big East, and the air of invnicibility at home is gone after three home losses.  Their best win is against La Salle, and at least a couple of their losses came against teams that won’t even be in the tournament discussion.

The Panthers are salvageable offensively, but they completely lack the trademark Pitt toughness on the defense end, allowing each of their three league foes to score at least 1.08 points per possession.  That’s not something you can easily fix at this point in the season, and the schedule only gets harder.

Texas A&M

The Aggies were projected to finish at or near the top of the Big 12, but right now they aren’t even in the tournament discussion.  Following Monday’s loss to Baylor, they are 9-4 with zero wins against anyone in Pomeroy’s Top 150.  Seven of their wins have come against teams ranked 281st or lower, and they’ve also lost at home to Rice.

A&M’s offense has been brutal, scoring less than a point per possession in eight of their last 11 games.  They are shooting less than 30 percent from three-point range, turn the ball over at a high rate, and rarely get to the line (although they don’t shoot well when they get there).  The defense has been decent, but the lack of quality competition has played a big role there as well.

Injuries have played a role in the team’s struggles, but now freshman point guard Jamal Branch has decided to transfer, which leaves the inefficient Dash Harris as the only real option at that position.  I just haven’t seen anything from them so far that suggests they will turn things around.

Xavier

It’s tough to recall another team with a more precipitous fall, and the Musketeers have now lost five of six games since the brawl with Cincinnati, their only win coming against a terrible Southern Illinois team.

Jeff Borzello of CBS talked to some coaches about what they think might be wrong, and the numbers back up many of the theories.  Xavier has allowed their last six opponents to score at least 1.02 ppp after holding their first eight foes to 0.98 or less.  On offense, they have scored 1.01 ppp in five of the last six games after doing so just twice in their first eight.

Maybe the fight caused them to be less aggressive on both ends.  Their free throw rate has dropped, they are forcing fewer turnovers, and they are allowing opponents to get more open shots to name a few things that support that claim.  All that being said, they still have the talent to win the A-10 if they can right the ship, but every loss makes that seem less and less likely.

**********

Follow me on Twitter (@andybottoms) for more thoughts on college hoops, and check out the latest edition of the Bottoms Line podcast.

I’ll be releasing my own projections starting next week, but for now I thought it would be worthwhile to look at how Big Ten teams are shaping up with as many as nine of them in some of these mock brackets.

For the purposes of this exercise, I have narrowed down the projections to Andy Glockner of SI.com, Shawn Siegel of College Hoops Net, and Dave Ommen of Bracketville.  The latter two names both rank atop the bracket project matrix which has tracked success over the last few years, and Glockner is a great follow on Twitter and does a tremendous job of sharing his thought process as he brackets the teams each Sunday night.

One other thing to keep in mind is that while the committee uses RPI in the selection and seeding process, it can be a bit misleading at this point of the season.  You’ll currently find a number of teams from outside of the six major conferences with high RPI’s, fueled largely by their strength of schedule numbers.  Once they start playing teams in their own leagues, and once major conference teams start challenging themselves in conference play as well, things should start to shift.

In order of average seed, here are the nine Big Ten teams in the discussion:

Ohio State (Glockner/Ommen: 1, Siegel: 2)

Kentucky and Syracuse were unanimous top seeds, while Ohio State and North Carolina showed up on two of the three projections.

Siegel opted for Baylor over the Buckeyes, which is an argument you can certainly make.  The Bears have more wins against the RPI Top 100 and have a number of good wins against teams like Mississippi State, San Diego State, Saint Mary’s, and at BYU.  However, the Buckeyes have knocked off Duke and Florida, so their “best” wins are better.

Still, they have two losses, although neither can be considered “bad” since one game at Kansas without Jared Sullinger and the other came in a close game on the road against Indiana, who is 13th in the RPI.

Barring a collapse, it’s hard seeing the Buckeyes getting anything lower than a two seed come March.

Indiana (Glockner/Siegel/Ommen: 3)

With wins over Kentucky and Ohio State, you could argue that no team has two better wins than the Hoosiers.  If you want to nitpick though, seven of their 13 wins have come against teams outside of the RPI Top 200, so strength of schedule is one factor keeping them from getting a higher seed.

Their SoS should climb as they move through Big Ten play, and with UConn losing to Seton Hall, the opportunity to move up is certainly there.  Indiana’s lone loss came at Michigan State, so there’s no shame in that.

Michigan State (Glockner/Siegel/Ommen: 3)

These projections came out prior to Sparty’s road win over Wisconsin, so Tom Izzo’s squad has a good chance to improve their seed when the next set of projections come out.  Both of their losses came against teams in the RPI Top 15, one of which was on a aircraft carrier so who knows how much stock you can put in that.

MSU has now won 14 straight games and is playing as well as anyone in the nation’s top conference.  The only knock on them is that just two of their wins (Indiana, at Gonzaga) are against the RPI Top 50.  If they keep playing the way they are, a two-seed is definitely realistic.

Wisconsin (Glockner/Siegel: 5, Ommen: 6)

The Badgers are an interesting case.  They rank 60th in the RPI and are just 1-3 against the Top 50 and 5-4 against the Top 150.  Outside of an 11-point home win over UNLV, there really isn’t much else on their profile in terms of a marquee win.  Their next two games are on the road against Michigan and Purdue, so a split there would help stop their seeding freefall.

Michigan (Siegel: 4, Glockner/Ommen: 6)

The Wolverines are one of the teams I can’t quite figure out yet.  Their two best wins are against Memphis in Maui and at home against Minnesota, and at this point neither of those teams is safely in the field.  They currently sit at 31st in the RPI with seven of their 12 victories against teams outside of the Top 150.

Thursday’s game at Indiana is a chance to prove themselves, as is Sunday’s home date with Wisconsin.  At this point, I lean more toward Glockner and Ommen’s seed for Michigan.

Purdue (Siegel/Ommen: 7, Glockner: 10)

Purdue’s road win at Iowa looked better after the Hawkeyes knocked off Wisconsin, and I think their win over Miami (FL) will look better by the end of the year.  For now, the loss to Butler hurts, but that may change as well.

The Boilers also have wins over Iona, Temple, and Illinois, all of which are in the Top 32 of the RPI.  That said, they are 4-3 against the Top 100 with six of their 12 wins over sub-150 teams.  For seeding purposes, their losses to Alabama and Xavier may become important, because right now those teams are right around the same seed range.

Illinois (Siegel/Ommen: 8, Glockner: 9)

Since winning their first 10 games, the Illini have dropped three of five with their two wins over that span coming by four over Cornell and in double overtime against Minnesota.  A home win against Gonzaga is nice, but otherwise there isn’t much meat on their resume.  They are 3-3 against the RPI Top 100, but they also don’t really have a bad loss.  T

he schedule doesn’t do them any favors with just one game against Iowa and Penn State in Big Ten play.  A few more losses could send Illinois careening toward the bubble.

Minnesota (Glockner: 11, Siegel/Ommen: 12)

The Gophers have performed better than most people expected following the loss of Trevor Mbakwe, but they are off to a 0-2 start in Big Ten play.  They are just 1-3 against the RPI Top 50, but they are 5-0 against teams ranked 51-100 (Bucknell, Fairfield, Indiana State, North Dakota State, and South Dakota State).

I’m not sure how realistic it is for many of those teams to remain in that range, which means the Gophers need to start picking up some quality wins to remain in the field.

Northwestern (Siegel/Ommen: 13, Glockner: First Four Out)

The good news is that the wins against LSU and Seton Hall look better now than they did earlier this year.  The bad news is they have been crushed by a combined 61 points in games against Baylor and Ohio State.  Eight of their 11 wins have come against teams outside of the RPI Top 150, which leaves them just 3-3 against everybody else.

Their next six games are critical with home games against Illinois, Michigan State, and Purdue and road trips to Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota.

 **********

Follow me on Twitter (@andybottoms) for more thoughts on college hoops, and check out the latest edition of the Bottoms Line podcast.

Topics in this week’s episode include:

• Michigan State’s win over Wisconsin
• Seton Hall’s win over UConn
• A look at teams like Illinois, Minnesota, Northwestern, Louisville, Marquette, Pitt, LSU, Miami, Kansas State and more.
• Plus we spend time talking about Rob and Troy’s upcoming road trip of college games.

Click play on the player below to listen:

How to subscribe to The Bottoms Line College Basketball Podcast:

• Subscribe to the the Midwest Sports Fans Podcast on iTunes
• Join the The Bottoms Line College Basketball Email Digest to get an email whenever a new post or podcast is posted
• Follow the The Bottoms Line on Twitter or via RSS to get updates as soon as new articles and podcasts are posted.
• Download this podcast in mp3 format for later: Right-click this link, then hit “save link as”
• For all MSF podcast subscriptions options, click here.

Tonight, the 15th ranked Hoosiers travel to their own personal house of horrors, The Breslin Center, to face 17th ranked Michigan State. It is the first Big Ten game for both teams.

Indiana enters the game an unblemished 12-0 while Michigan State is 11-2, having reeled off 11 straight victories after starting 0-2 with losses to North Carolina and Duke.

As always, we will be hosting The Assembly Call IU Postgame Show, which starts as soon as the final buzzer sounds.

The Toms, Izzo and Crean (Photo credit: Kevin Fowler, LansingStateJournal.com)

IU-Michigan State Game Info

• Date: Wednesday, December 28th, 2011
• Tip Time: 7:30 ET (6:30 CT)
• TV: BTN
• Announcers: TBD (according to Peegs’ Gameday page)
• Point Spread: Michigan State -5
• Over-Under: 140
• Postgame Show: The Assembly Call

Indiana is one of three Big Ten teams currently in the top 6 of Ken Pomeroy’s rankings. Michigan State is 14th. Kenpom’s projections for the game have Indiana losing 71-69 with a 43% chance of coming away victorious.

If the Hoosiers are able to find a way to win, it would be their first win in the Breslin Center since Calbert Cheaney was wearing #40. Tonight, he’ll be on the bench watching Cody Zeller wear #40.

Indiana Injuries

Of course the biggest storyline for Indiana is injuries. Coming out of the Hoosiers’ win over UMBC, there were question marks about Will Sheehey, Derek Elston, and Verdell Jones.

Elston should be fine to play, but he will be forced to wear a protective mask due to the nose surgery he had to undergo after taking a stray elbow from Victor Oladipo.

As best I can tell, the latest update on Sheehey and Jones is this from Tom Crean’s recent press conference (via Inside The Hall):

On the team’s health:

“There is really nothing new to report. Will and Verdell stayed back and got some extra treatment before heading out for Christmas and they continue to get better.”

So that’s that. We’ll just have to see who suits up tonight at 6:30.

If I were to guess, I’d say Verdell plays and Sheehey doesn’t, but I am basing that on nothing more than watching Sheehey on the sidelines last week and the lack of any catastrophic news regarding Jones’ injury. I hope they both play, but more importantly I hope they come back 100%, whenever that is.

I know that we all want to get off to a good start in the Big Ten season, and it will be tough to do against Michigan State, Ohio State, and Michigan even at full strength; but even if we go 1-2 or 0-3, it’s not the end of the world. This is a good, mentally tough team that – I think – can overcome a slow Big Ten start and still get to 10, 11, or even more wins. There is no reason to sacrifice the long-term to rush guys back who aren’t fully healed.

I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to go. The nonconference schedule was great, and far more enjoyable than I ever could have imagined, but now it’s time for conference play. The Hoosiers have only won eight games in conference play under Tom Crean, even regressing last year from four wins to three; 12-0 against non-Big Ten teams is nice, but the real season starts now. Hopefully it gets off on the right foot tonight.

IU-Michigan State Postgame Show

As soon as the final buzzer sounds, the postgame show begins. Feel free to listen right here:

Call-in number: (858) 365-5571

Use this number to call in and provide your thoughts on-air or to listen on your phone.

(MOBILE USERS: CLICK HERE.)

IU-Michigan State Chat

Our postgame chat will start late in the 2nd half and continue on throughout the postgame show. We may or may not have a moderator tonight, but feel free to talk amongst yourselves, and the hosts will pop in from time to time to see what the hot topics are.

So even though many teams took the week off due to finals, I am taking the opportunity to hand out some progress reports of my own.

The Bottoms Line: Stock Up

BYU

While the Cougars haven’t beaten anyone ranked higher than 90th in the Pomeroy Ratings, they are 8-1 since a season-opening loss to Utah State, winning each game by at least 14 points.  Noah Hartsock, Charles Abouo, and Brandon Davies are all averaging at least 10 points and six rebounds, and the team is knocking down nearly 40 percent from beyond the arc, proving there really is life after Jimmer.

With Gonzaga struggling, the WCC is definitely up for grabs, and the Cougars will certainly be a factor.  Saturday’s matchup with Baylor will be a challenge, but it’s also a chance to pick up a marquee win.

Indiana

Saturday’s thrilling win over Kentucky vaulted the Hoosiers back into the polls and gave Tom Crean and the program the signature win and the signature moment they’ve been longing for.  New Bloomington folk hero Christian Watford has been a different player since the second half of the North Carolina State game, and the team continues to get contributions from a number of different players.

If IU can avoid a hangover against Notre Dame this weekend, they should be 12-0 heading into Big Ten play.  Their first three league games are as tough as they come with a road trip to Michigan State followed by home dates against Ohio State and Michigan.

Marshall

With Memphis struggling, the Herd is starting to look like the C-USA favorite.  They won in overtime at Cincinnati and lost by just six at Syracuse before beating a solid Iona team by 19.  A two-point home loss to Ohio is the other blemish on their record, but if they can navigate a home-and-home with Belmont, the Herd could be 11-2 before the conference opener against UTEP.

Led by juco transfer Dennis Tinnon and Robert Goff, Marshall leads the nation in offensive rebounding percentage, which has helped to offset poor outside shooting.  Guards DeAndre Kane and Damier Pitts have combined to average 29.9 points, 7.8 rebounds, 8.2 assists, and 2.9 steals between them.

Michigan State

Led by a career-high 34 points from Draymond Green, the Spartans picked up a big road win at Gonzaga and extended their win streak to eight games.  Green was superb, hitting 11-of-13 from the field, including 4-of-5 from beyond the arc.

Michigan State continues to get it done with tough defense and relentless rebounding, and while the offense remains a work in progress, there are signs of improvement.  The team has scored at least 1.04 points per possession in each of the last five games after doing so just once in their first five contests.  Look for Sparty’s win streak to be at 11 games when they open conference play against the aforementioned Hoosiers.

Northern Iowa

Many predicted a two-horse race in the Missouri Valley between Creighton and Wichita State, but it would seem the Panthers have other ideas.  Despite a couple key losses from last season’s roster, Northern Iowa has been able to maintain a high level of play thanks to a number of talented long-range shooters and solid team defense.  Junior guard Anthony James is averaging 18.7 points over the last six contests, and fellow junior Jake Koch is playing some of his best basketball as well.

The Panthers have a tough matchup against Ohio on Tuesday, but the early part of their MVC slate should allow them to get off to a good start.

The Bottoms Line: Stock Down

Belmont

The Bruins dropped a close game on the road against Middle Tennessee State, and it looks more and more like they’ll need to win the Atlantic Sun Tournament in order to make the Big Dance.  Things are shaping up much like they did last season for Belmont when they piled up 30 wins but were ultimately undone by a low RPI and lack of quality wins.  They need to sweep their upcoming home-and-home series with Marshall to have any hope of an at-large bid, because they have just one other game remaining against a team in Pomeroy’s Top 150.

Creighton

Last weekend’s loss to Saint Joe’s prompted me to look a little closer at the Bluejays.  So while they have a superb talent in Doug McDermott and are leading the nation in effective field goal percentage, defense is a concern.  As their level of competition has increased, so has Creighton’s defensive struggles.  Three of their past four opponents have scored at least 1.10 points per possession, and they have also struggled on the glass during that stretch.

Creighton can definitely outscore people, but the defense has to improve if they want to make noise in March.  The MVC race should be entertaining as usual with Creighton, Northern Iowa, and Wichita State all in contention.

Memphis

The fact that the Tigers already have three losses is one thing, but it’s hard to begrudge them for losses to Michigan and Georgetown, both of whom are ranked in both polls.  However, no matter what you think of Murray State, that’s a team Memphis should be able to handle at home.

More than that, there just doesn’t seem to have been a ton of growth from this team.  Last season they came together at the end of year after it looked like they wouldn’t even make the tournament.  Given the young nucleus from that team, I expected that progress to continue, but they seem to have regressed instead.

The Tigers are getting manhandled on the glass, and four of their key players have relatively ugly efficiency numbers.  They have a chance to erase some of the disappointment when they travel to Louisville this weekend before a trip to Georgetown next Thursday.

Villanova

I wasn’t sold on the Wildcats coming into the season, but somehow I talked myself into them finishing seventh in the Big East.  That may still happen I suppose, but as it stands, they are just 6-4 with their best win coming in overtime against La Salle.  Outside of that, Nova hasn’t beaten anyone in Pomeroy’s Top 165.  That said, the only questionable loss came against Santa Clara in the 76 Classic.

Still, I am not sure many things suggest a turnaround for the Wildcats either.  They are among the worst teams in the nation at forcing turnovers, and their shooting, particularly from three-point range, has been pretty ugly.  Starting guards Maalik Wayns and Dominic Cheek are a combined 27-of-97 (27.8%) from deep, and their career numbers don’t suggest future improvement.

Washington

After dropping two games in New York, the Huskies have now lost three straight and four of their last five, and now big man Aziz N’Diaye is out for a few games with a knee injury.

Offensively, Terrence Ross and C.J. Wilcox have been terrific, with both guys averaging 16.5 points, shooting the ball well from the outside, and posting solid overall efficiency numbers.  The team has struggled with turnovers at times, and doesn’t get to the line very often, which may be a good thing since they are one of the worst free throw shooting teams in the country.

Perhaps the bigger issue is on defense where they rank outside the Top 125 in each of Pomeroy’s four factors.  The Huskies aren’t forcing turnovers, and opponents are make frequent trips to the line while also hitting better than 36 percent from beyond the arc.  Freshman Tony Wroten’s evolution and maturity will go a long way toward determining this team’s fate, but right now his advanced stats are stunning – and not always in a good way.

The postives are a strong assist rate and the fact that he draws nearly eight fouls per 40 minutes.  However, his 35.7 usage rate is third in the country, but he is hitting just 51.9 percent from the stripe and turning the ball over at a high rate.  The good news is that the Pac-12 is wide open, so by no means are they at risk of getting left in the dust there.

**********

Follow me on Twitter (@andybottoms) for more thoughts on college hoops, and check out the latest edition of the Bottoms Line podcast.

I, like most – would like to see some sort of playoff system in place. Taking the current four BCS games and making them National Championship quarterfinals (in the end adding two games to the season) to me seems like a logical solution.

To the naked eye, Alabama does appear to be the second-best team in college football, but thanks to one distracted night in Ames, IA a few weeks back, Oklahoma State will never have a chance to prove the case that they were more deserving of the #2 seat.

But college football is spectacular as it is: only 14 precious Saturdays with an entire menu of games available on television (no Sunday Ticket package needed) and mind-boggling finishes the norm on a weekly basis. Sadly, it is all over except the 35 bowl games, then nearly eight long months before the madness returns.

But there is one injustice in the BCS (besides continuing to give the Big East an automatic bid) that indeed will happen and must be pointed out.

Why are the Michigan Wolverines likely headed for the Sugar Bowl while the Michigan State Spartans are headed for the Outback (literally)?

And to make it even worse, this will mark the second straight year Sparty will get jobbed.

Last year, Michigan State beat Wisconsin in the regular season, but wound up in the dreaded three-way tie with Sconnie and Ohio State, which gave the Badgers the trip to Pasadena due to highest BCS ranking, while the now-tainted 2010 Buckeyes program got the at-large Sugar Bowl bid based on a higher-BCS ranking and name recognition.

And there was not a lot of complaining one year ago.

This year is a bit different.

I said Saturday afternoon, before what turned out to be the epic sequel between Michigan State/Wisconsin in Indianapolis, that both teams deserved BCS bids regardless of the outcome, although a losing Badgers side would have had far less of a case with two conference losses in the regular season, and what would had been two losses at the hand of the Spartans.

Of course it was the Badgers who earned another trip to Pasadena with a thrilling 42-39 win over MSU.

But the Spartans, just as they had back on October 22, did everything possible to beat the Badgers, except this time they suffered the heartbreak of being on the receiving end of a late-game miracle (34-yard Russell Wilson pass to Duckworth on fourth and six) and a game-ending running into the kicker, which wiped out a Sparty punt return inside the Sconnie five-yard line (though Sconnie special teams may had relaxed knowing they were getting the penalty).

With that, we are left with the final results.

• The Spartans won the Legends Division with a 7-1 record, the lone one-loss team in the conference. In a pre-division Big Ten, Sparty would had won the conference outright.

• MSU did not only defeat Wisconsin in the regular season, but defeated Michigan 28-14 on October 15.

• Michigan State’s two losses over all were at conference newcomer Nebraska and also non-conference at Notre Dame, a common opponent that Michigan beat in an epic early-season regular season finish. Beseides losing to MSU, Michigan’s other loss came two weeks later at Iowa (4-4/7-5).

In the final polls by AP and USA Today just released (including MSU’s loss to Sconnie), Michigan State finishes 12th, with Michigan #13 on AP poll, Michigan #12/MSU #13 on USA Today. Of teams ranked ahead of those two, #5 USC does not get in do to probation, #7 Arkansas and #10 South Carolina are out due to only two SEC teams being allowed in BCS, and #8 Boise State is out since they did not win their conference. TCU gets an at-large bid as a non-AQ if they finish top-16 in BCS due to being ranked ahead of West Virginia, and #11 Kansas State is the other at-large possibility.

Remove the brand names from Michigan and Michigan State, and the Spartans are slightly more deserving presenting these facts.

But one Facebook discussion I had Saturday about sums up why Michigan will likely end up seeing Sugar fall from the skies of Ann Arbor Sunday night (credit Charley Shonat)…

‘Michigan has the history, the cache. It isn’t fair, but money and fans will never overcome that…’

Translated, Michigan and Ohio State remain the Kardashians in the eyes of the BCS Bowl games. And Michigan State gets punished for losing a third game in a game that was earned just by participating in the Big Ten title game, which Michigan did not get by losing to MSU. It should be better to play and lose a conference title game than to not be a title game at all.

That rule does not apply to Alabama’s #2 overall bid, as the evidence points to Bama beating able to beat Georgia handily just as LSU did.

But with all respect to Brady Hoke getting the Wolverines back on the right track in 2011, and with all due respect of the 115,000+ that continue to fill up the Big House, is Michigan State THAT much less than a draw?? Sparty’s fan base would fill up Bourbon Street just as much as ‘Michigan Fan’. It’s not like the universal brand recognition of Notre Dame is involved.

Or I’ll just quote the kite Ari Kaufman just sent me…

‘A joke. Michigan doesn’t deserve to be anywhere near BCS. No quality wins. Eight home games.’

But at the end of the day, football wise, Michigan State is to Michigan like Oklahoma State is to Oklahoma, which is why OK State fan went overboard storming the field after beating a OU team they were clearly better than. It’s an inferiority complex.

If Michigan State does manage to squeeze out the final BCS bid Sunday night, it’s much deserved.

If not, Mark Dantonio’s troops still get a chance to prove their true worth against a foe from the much-feared SEC on January 2. And at least it will be another B1G Ten team spreading the bowl income throughout the conference.

And Sparty can talk the next four weeks about being ‘disrespected’ all over again.

(And courtesy of our friends at Verizon, you have a chance to win four free tickets to the game, but you need to act quickly. Click here.)

Wisconsin and Michigan State also have quite a bit of excitement in their recent history against each other, courtesy of Spartans’ quarterback Kirk Cousins’ Hail Mary touchdown pass to Keith Nichol as time expired to beat the Badgers in East Lansing on October 22.

That game was the most thrilling game of the Big Ten’s conference season, so it’s only fitting that these two teams get a chance to go at it again, this time on the neutral field of Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

A trip to the Rose Bowl is the prize, and we can only hope the game comes close to the drama of the first matchup.

Things to consider for Saturday

It’s hard to imagine a more exciting game than the one we saw last month featuring these eventual division winners, but all of the things that made that game so great are still in play for this weekend.

In that game, Wisconsin came out hot on the road, scoring on their opening drive and again after a Michigan State fumble, to open up a 14-0 lead after the first quarter.

We can only hope for another moment this exciting.

Michigan State responded by forcing Wisconsin quarterback Russell Wilson into an intentional grounding penalty in his own end zone, which gave the Spartans a safety and their first points.  From then on, the rest of the first half belonged to Michigan State, as they scored 3 consecutive touchdowns (KeShawn Martin rush, Cousins to B.J. Cunningham pass, blocked punt return) to lead 23-14 at the half.

In the 4th quarter, Michigan State scored again on a 15-yard pass from Cousins to Martin, and added a two-point conversion to go up 14.  Wisconsin wouldn’t stay down long, scoring 2 unanswered touchdowns to tie the game and set up the game’s final play.

With 4 seconds left, Cousins launched a prayer of a pass that bounced off the facemask of star receiver Cunningham, only to land in the arms of Nichol for a touchdown and the win.

Following that game, both teams had moments where they played uneven football.  Wisconsin’s only other conference loss came the very next week against Ohio State in Columbus.  That game featured another late breakdown by the Badgers, as they allowed a game-winning 40-yard touchdown pass with just 20 seconds left.  Wisconsin was never threatened again, though; they won their final four Big Ten games by a total score of 177-54 (including a 45-7 drubbing of Penn State last week in which a spot in the conference championship was on the line) on their way to winning the Leaders division.

Michigan State also stumbled the week after the thriller against Wisconsin in East Lansing, falling at Nebraska 24-3 in their worst offensive showing of the season.  The Spartans gained just 187 yards of total offense in Lincoln, but rebounded with 4 consecutive wins of their own to clinch the Legends division.

What Wisconsin must do to win

Running back Montee Ball, who some have argued should have a shot at the Heisman (I agree), had his worst two rushing yardage totals in conference play against Michigan State (18 carries, 115 yards) and Ohio State (17 carries, 85 yards).

Clearly, as Ball goes, the Badgers go.

If they want to avoid a repeat of the East Lansing game, they will get Ball involved and force the Spartans to stop him.  He ran effectively in the first game, but 18 carries is not enough.  If Ball gets 25-30 touches and the massive Wisconsin offensive line can hold the Spartan front at bay, the Badgers will control the clock and win the game.

Wisconsin’s defense hasn’t struggled against anyone like they did against Cousins and the Spartans.  Cousins was having a good game even before the last-second scoring pass, but Wisconsin seems to have righted the ship in their last 4 games.  Granted, Purdue, Minnesota, Illinois and Penn State don’t offer nearly the same caliber of offense as Michigan State, but it seems that Wisconsin has toughened up.  Holding Cunningham in check will be key, and they must also watch for KeShawn Martin on reverses and trick plays.  He is an elusive ball carrier who can turn a single missed tackle into a touchdown.

Wisconsin does a great job protecting the ball, and they will need to do that again this week.  Wilson threw 2 interceptions in the last Wisconsin-Michigan State game, which is uncharacteristic of him.  It is vital for Wisconsin to not give Michigan State any easy opportunities.  This includes special teams, where they allowed Michigan State to score a touchdown off a blocked punt and also allowed a blocked field goal.  Wilson’s safety via intentional grounding also occurred because of a Michigan State punt that started the Badgers at their own 5-yard line.

What Michigan State must do to win

The Spartans' defense will be tested Saturday night.

Despite getting the win on a Hail Mary that defied all odds, a lot of things went right for Michigan State last time against Wisconsin.  They forced two Wilson turnovers, had several key special teams plays, and were able to throw the ball with great success.  They will need more of the same to hope to win the Big Ten and get to Pasadena.

For Michigan State, everything starts on defense.  They are 11th in the FBS against the run, but perhaps no running back can abuse a defense like Montee Ball.  In the first meeting, they allowed Ball to go for 115 yards; if they allow him 6.4 yards per carry like this time like they did then, they will have trouble.  I expect Ball to receive a healthier workload this time around, so it’s up to defensive tackle Jerel Worthy and end William Gholston (who was suspended for the first Wisconsin game) to limit his effectiveness.

Of course, stacking the line to stop the run may allow Wilson to get loose, which is just as dangerous.  Last time, the second of Wilson’s two interceptions allowed Michigan State to hold off a scoring drive that might have iced the game for Wisconsin.  The Spartans must force a turnover or two in order to win this game.

B.J. Cunningham (67 catches, 1125 yards, 9 TD) is the clear star of the receiving corps, but it is KeShawn Martin who intrigues me most.  I would like to see Michigan State get him the ball in a variety of ways, including bubble screens, reverses and end-arounds.  He can big play ability, and they will need a few big plays to beat the Badgers.

Big Ten Championship Game Prediction

I think almost everything that could have gone right for Michigan State in the final three quarters of the first matchup, did go right.  Even though they enter as the team with only one Big Ten loss to Wisconsin’s two, I see the Badgers winning this game.

The combination of Montee Ball’s brilliance and Russell Wilson’s efficiency will be too much, and I think that Michigan State will have much more trouble passing the ball this time.

Final Score: Wisconsin 38 | Michigan State 24

Remember, you have a chance to win four free tickets to the Big Ten Championship Game. Click here, like our Facebook page, leave a comment on the picture, and you’ll be entered! We’re picking the winner today though, so you need to act quickly.

Who do you think will punch their ticket to Pasadena and the Rose Bowl?

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

**********

Big Ten Championship Game Info

• Wisconsin-Michigan State Date: Saturday, December 3rd
• Wisconsin-Michigan State Kickoff Time: 8:17 PM EST
• Wisconsin-Michigan State Location: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana
• Wisconsin-Michigan State TV: FOX
• Wisconsin-Michigan State Point Spread: Wisconsin -10
• Wisconsin-Michigan State Over/Under: 54.5

*********

Follow me on Twitter @keithmullett

*********

For the first time, both leagues have the same number of teams, so there are 12 games on this year’s slate.  (In the event of a 6-6 tie, the Big Ten will retain the Commissioner’s Cup in case you were wondering.  Spoiler alert: That shouldn’t be an issue.)

Here’s a look at the schedule for the two-day event.  I also wrote a preview for Run The Floor, which focuses more on advanced metrics and is a bit snarkier since the Managing Editor there is an ACC guy.

ACC/Big Ten Challenge Games on Tuesday, Nov 29th

———-

#15 Michigan at Virginia – 7:00 EST (ESPN2)

Expect this one to be played at a painfully slow pace, but the tip time is early enough that it shouldn’t put you to sleep. Virginia is among the most efficient teams on the defense end, while Michigan is just outside the Top 25 in offensive efficiency, so something has to give.

The Wolverines have played better competition thanks to their time in Maui, while the Cavaliers recently returned from the Paradise Jam where they rebounded to win two games after a disappointing loss to TCU in the tournament opener.  UVA big man Mike Scott could give Michigan some trouble inside, but both teams are largely perimeter-oriented in terms of their personnel.

Tim Hardaway Jr. will be the best player on the floor, but I also like the contributions Michigan is getting from veterans Zach Novak and Stu Douglass as well as freshman point guard Trey Burke.  Still, the Wolverines have struggled to defend the three-point shot, and Virginia excelled from long range last season.

The other red flag has been Michigan’s propensity to put their opponents on the free throw line, and their 13th-ranked free throw rate suggests the Cavaliers will be able to take advantage of that deficiency.  I expect a close game, with Virginia having the slight edge based on concerns about Michigan’s defense.

• Prediction: Virginia

Northwestern at Georgia Tech – 7:15 EST (ESPNU)

Both of these teams participated in the Charleston Classic with Northwestern winning the tournament and the Jackets finishing 1-2.  It’s worth noting they played one of those games without leading scorer Glen Rice Jr., who was wrapping up a three-game suspension.  At 17.7 points per game, Rice leads five Georgia Tech players averaging over 8.0 points, but they aren’t getting much outside of those five guys.

Defense has been the Yellow Jackets’ calling card so far, but they will be tested by the duo of John Shurna and Drew Crawford, who have combined to score better than 40 points per game so far.  Keep an eye on how freshman point guard Dave Sobolewski handles Georgia Tech’s defense, as that will go a long way toward deciding the outcome.

The other area to monitor is Northwestern’s ability to limit second shots.  The Jackets have posted a strong offensive rebounding percentage and could give the Wildcats trouble on the glass.

• Prediction: Northwestern

Illinois at Maryland – 7:30 EST (ESPN)

For a number of reasons, the Terps are forced to play mostly young and/or inexperienced players, which has them off to a 3-2 start.  They lost two of their three games in Puerto Rico, to Alabama by 20 and to Iona by 26.

Maryland Sophomore Terrell Stoglin is emerging as a star with 20.2 points per game.  His shooting percentages have dropped across the board, but he’s the clear focal point of the offense with nearly twice as many field goal attempts as any of his teammates.  Maryland’s efficiency numbers have been absolutely brutal on both ends of the floor, leaving little reason for optimism there.

The Illini are also young, so neither team has a clear advantage in that regard.  Junior guard D.J. Richardson is off to a good start with 13.5 points per game to go with 40.5 percent shooting from beyond the arc.  Inside, soph big man Meyers Leonard is posting 12.3 points, 6.8 boards, and an impressive 3.2 blocks per game.  In a game with two relatively inexperienced teams, Illinois’ defense and inside play should be the difference.

• Prediction: Illinois

Miami (FL) at Purdue – 9:00 EST (ESPN2)

Had injuries not ravaged the Miami frontcourt, this would be a tougher matchup for Purdue given the composition of their team.

As it stands, the Canes are 4-1 while relying heavily on their talented backcourt of Malcolm Grant and Durand Scott, who combine to average 30.4 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 5.2 assists.  Miami is shooting just 40 percent from the field, which is not a good sign against a Purdue defense ranked in the Top 15 for defensive efficiency.

The Boilers picked up solid wins over Iona and Temple in Puerto Rico before falling to Alabama in the championship, but the best news is that Robbie Hummel looks healthy after missing last season with a knee injury.  He is pacing the team with 19.3 points per game while hitting 46.7 percent from deep.  Sharpshooter Ryne Smith has been red hot for most of the season, and Lewis Jackson has been terrific at the point.

Look for Kelsey Barlow to lock down either Grant or Scott and for the Boilers to emerge victorious.

• Prediction: Purdue

Clemson at Iowa – 9:15 EST (ESPNU)

I won’t blame you if you don’t go out of your way to watch this one.  Clemson has losses to College of Charleston and Coastal Carolina, while Iowa just lost at home by 15 to Campbell.

The Tigers have four players averaging at least 9.8 points, led by guard Andre Young with 14.4 points per contest.  Clemson has been solid defensively, but they haven’t been impressive on offense, particularly in terms of getting to the free throw line.  Of course, they’re only making 64.5 percent once they get there, so maybe it’s by design.

Meanwhile, Iowa has eight players scoring at least 7.2 points per game, and as a team they are hitting over 39 percent from deep.  Like Clemson, they have struggled to get to the stripe, but they have really struggled defensively, and their opponents have routinely shot a high percentage from the field.

• Prediction: Clemson

#4 Duke at #2 Ohio State – 9:30 EST (ESPN)

This is easily the marquee matchup of the event’s first day.

The Blue Devils should have plenty of confidence coming off of their win in Maui.  Duke is hitting a ridiculous 45.9 percent from beyond the arc so far, led by Seth Curry at 57.1 percent and Andre Dawkins at 44.7.  They are two of the five Blue Devils scoring in double figures, but there hasn’t been a ton of production from others with the notable exception of Tyler Thornton’s two huge three-pointers to seal the win over Kansas.  Duke has been adept at getting to the free throw line, and they have been better than I expected on defense.

As for the Buckeyes, they have been outstanding on both ends of the floor, as evidenced by Pomeroy Ratings in the Top Five for both offensive and defensive efficiency. Jared Sullinger has picked up right where he left off with 18.8 points and 10.7 rebounds along with 63.3 percent shooting from the field.

Like most teams in college basketball, Duke will have a hard time containing him on the inside.  William Buford complements Sullinger outside where he’s averaging 17.7 points and hitting 50 percent from deep.  Throw in point guard Aaron Craft, who is one of my favorites guys to watch, and you have a really intriguing backcourt matchup between these two squads.

Ohio State has struggled with its long-range shooting, but its defense should be enough to disrupt Duke on offense.

• Prediction: Ohio State

###

ACC/Big Ten Challenge Games on Wednesday, Nov 30th

———-

Indiana at North Carolina State – 7:15 EST (ESPN2)

While many predicted a rebuilding year for Mark Gottfried and the Wolfpack, they have played fairly well so far and came back from a healthy second half deficit to knock off Texas on a neutral floor.  After serving a three-game suspension to start the season, C.J. Leslie has been impressive with 16.7 points, 5.7 boards, 2.3 steals, and 2.3 blocks while hitting 63.0 percent from the field.  He leads six players scoring in double figures, including point guard Lorenzo Brown who is dishing out 6.5 assists per game as well.  While N.C. State has done a nice job taking care of the ball, they have struggled to hit and defend shots from beyond the arc.

The Hoosiers are off to their best start in years, thanks in large part to their hot shooting both inside and outside the arc.  Seven players are averaging at least 7.0 points, led by freshman phenom Cody Zeller with 14.8 points and 7.7 rebounds per contest. The biggest difference for IU has come on the defensive end where they have seen a sharp increase in their turnover rate.  They have also done a much better of job of not putting opponents on the line while getting there with much more regularity on offense.

This will be another solid road test for the Hoosiers but one they seem poised to pass based on their defense and outside shooting.

• Prediction: Indiana

Penn State at Boston College – 7:15 EST (ESPNU)

Unless you attended one of these schools or both of the other games are at commercial breaks, you probably aren’t tuning in for this one.

Both teams lost virtually everyone from last season’s rosters and are in full blown rebuilding mode this year.  Both teams have also been woefully inefficient offensively, with Boston College being the worse of the two on the defensive end.

With 19.1 points per game, Penn State guard Tim Frazier is the only Nittany Lion scoring in double figures, and he’s also pacing the team with 7.1 assists.  Freshman Patrick Heckmann leads BC with 13.8 points per game, but tons of questions remain on the roster, particularly once you get past their top four scorers.

Penn State’s offensive rebounding could be the difference in this one, but in the end, I simply can’t write any more about this game.

• Prediction: Penn State

Florida State at Michigan State – 7:30 EST (ESPN)

Like the previous matchup, these two teams are pretty similar.  The difference is that they both aren’t terrible, at least not on both ends of the floor.  These squads are built around defense and rebounding, while both struggle to put points on the board.

Seven Noles are scoring at least 7.0 points per game, but the team is shooting just 31.7 percent from beyond the arc.  The Spartans are actually worse, hitting just 23.8 percent of their triples.  They have also been unable to find a true point guard, which has led to an ugly turnover rate.  Draymond Green is averaging a double-double with 12.7 points and 11.2 rebounds, but his shooting has been poor and he’s trying to do too much on offense.

Aside from the battle on the glass, keep an eye on Florida State’s ability to get to the free throw line.  The Noles have a decent free throw rate, while Michigan State is putting opponents on the line with regularity.  Ultimately it’s hard to see Sparty solving their shooting woes against a team ranked 10th in effective field goal percentage defense.

I’m pretty sure it’s ok to plagiarize yourself, so as I said in my Run The Floor piece: In short, these two teams are mirror images of one another, which is ironic since watching either one play offense will make you want to break a mirror and start cutting yourself with the shattered pieces.  This one is a toss-up, so give me the home team!

• Prediction: Michigan State

Virginia Tech at Minnesota – 9:15 EST (ESPN2)

The Hokies gave Syracuse a scare in the NIT semi-finals before squeaking out a two-point win over Oklahoma State in the consolation game.  Their strength lies in the backcourt with Erick Green and Dorenzo Hudson leading the way with over 29 points per game between them.  Freshman wing Dorian Finney-Smith has impressed early in his career and is averaging 10.3 rebounds through six games.  On offense, the Hokies have struggled with turnovers but have done a nice job of getting to the stripe.

For Minnesota, the recent loss of forward Trevor Mbakwe is devastating in every possible way, as everything they did well on offense resulted from his relentlessness inside.  The Gophers are still searching for answers in the backcourt, but juco transfer Julian Welch played well in the Old Spice Classic.

Since the Hokies have struggled to force turnovers, it seems unlikely they will be able to take advantage of Minnesota’s biggest weakness, and without Mbakwe the Gophers will struggle to exploit Va Tech’s weakness on the offensive glass.  Instead, they will end up shooting more from the perimeter, where the Hokies are at their best on defense.

• Prediction: Virginia Tech

Wake Forest at Nebraska – 9:15 EST (ESPNU)

On the surface, this would appear to be another matchup of two teams picked to finish in the bottom of each league.

OK, that’s actually what it is, but I do think Nebraska could surprise a few teams in the Big Ten.  They have a pair of talented guards in Bo Spencer and Dylan Talley, who are averaging a combined 28.4 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 7.2 assists, to go with Jorge Brian Diaz inside.  Outside of solid shooting, their offensive efficiency numbers aren’t impressive, as they struggle to get to the line or grab offensive boards.  The Huskers also don’t force many turnovers, but otherwise they’ve been solid defensively.

The Demon Deacons are coming off of a 8-24 season and just went 1-2 in the Old Spice Classic.  C.J. Harris and Travis McKie each score better than 19 points per game and pace the offense.  Outside of the 6-foot-7 McKie, Wake isn’t getting much from its frontcourt.  They are doing a woeful job on the offensive glass and an equally poor job on the defensive boards, while their opponents are routinely shooting a high percentage from the field.

Look for the Huskers to take advantage of Wake’s poor defense to pick up the victory.

• Prediction: Nebraska

#7 Wisconsin at #5 North Carolina – 9:30 (ESPN)

This will be an interesting contrast in styles to close things out. The Badgers play at one of the slower paces in all of college hoops, while North Carolina wants to get up and down the floor.

Wisconsin is the top team in terms of limiting opponents’ effective field goal percentage and offensive rebounding, while the Heels have struggled to defend the three-point shot over their last few games.  The Badgers have Jordan Taylor (11.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 5.8 apg) and a bunch of guys no one has heard of, while UNC’s roster is full of McDonald’s All-Americans and lottery picks, led by Harrison Barnes (17.3 ppg, 4.8 rpg), John Henson (15.8 ppg, 9.8 rpg, 3.0 bpg), and Tyler Zeller (13.5 ppg, 7.2 rpg).

After being outplayed by UNLV on Saturday night, I will be interested to see how North Carolina responds.  They forced shots and got dominated on the glass by the Rebels, and they were unable to prevent penetration on defense, which led to a number of kick-outs for three-pointers.  That could be bad news against a Wisconsin team hitting better than 47 percent from downtown.

The Badgers were tested by BYU on Saturday before going on a second half run to win by 17 points, but going into the Dean Dome and winning is a pretty tall order.  Their defense will keep it close, but they will need big shooting days from Ben Brust and Josh Gasser to spring the upset. Given UNC’s defense so far, that isn’t as far-fetched as it might seem.

• Prediction: North Carolina

 **********

Follow me on Twitter (@andybottoms) for more thoughts on college hoops, and check out the latest edition of the Bottoms Line podcast.

This week, they touch on several important items from the season’s first week, including the many upcoming early season tournaments. Among the teams and conferences discussed: Vandy, Michigan State, the MAC, MVC, and WAC, as well as Duke and UCLA to name a few.

Click play on the player below to listen:

How to subscribe to The Bottoms Line College Basketball Podcast:

• Subscribe to the the Midwest Sports Fans Podcast on iTunes
• Join the The Bottoms Line College Basketball Email Digest to get an email whenever a new post or podcast is posted
• Follow the The Bottoms Line on Twitter or via RSS to get updates as soon as new articles and podcasts are posted.
• Download this podcast in mp3 format for later: Right-click this link, then hit “save link as”
• For all MSF podcast subscriptions options, click here.