Faculty basketball rankings: Michigan State, Duke transfer up; Tennessee slides

John Fanta

Faculty Basketball Broadcaster and Reporter

It was a weekend of highway assessments for among the prime groups in faculty basketball, and the heavyweights discovered a strategy to move all of them and keep away from an upset. However a storyline as huge as any within the nation this weekend surrounded my No. 1 crew, Auburn. Johni Broome went down with what Bruce Pearl is looking a big ankle sprain, and the nationwide participant of the yr front-runner is anticipated to overlook a while. The excellent news is that an MRI on Sunday confirmed that Broome doesn’t want surgical procedure. The unhealthy information is that Broome is out indefinitely.

The Tigers nonetheless discovered a strategy to edge South Carolina on the highway, 66-63, as Tahaad Pettiford stepped up with clutch free throws and Pearl’s crew got here up with the closing cease. However now we have now to ask, how a lot time will Broome miss? Will he be proper again to regular when he comes again? How will Auburn look with out the man who has been the most effective participant within the nation for almost all of the season? Within the unforgiving SEC, it gained’t take lengthy to seek out out what the Tigers are with out him. Auburn welcomes a prime 20 Mississippi State crew on Tuesday earlier than visiting a red-hot and ranked Georgia squad on Saturday. It seems like Broome’s state of affairs isn’t too extreme, nevertheless it’s actually a fluid one.

This crew does have top-of-the-line backcourt models within the nation — headlined by 5 different double-figure scorers along with Broome, together with Chad Baker-Mazara, Denver Jones and Pettiford — and fifth-year senior Dylan Cardwell is a stable reserve choice to be a substitute for Broome. That stated, it isn’t time to panic by any means for the Tigers.

That is nonetheless a top-10 crew with out Broome, however having a participant who averaged 17.9 factors, 10.7 rebounds and three.3 assists per recreation made the Tigers the most effective crew within the land. With out him, they may battle some, however I nonetheless consider on this crew and assume they’ll be in San Antonio on the Closing 4 this April. Nevertheless, this damage makes for a possible revolving door for our No. 1 spot over the following two months on the highway to March Insanity.

Auburn wasn’t the one heavyweight to face and move a difficult highway check this weekend. Iowa State performed top-of-the-line video games of the day with Saint Mary’s switch Joshua Jefferson forcing additional time on the buzzer after which hitting the game-winning free throws to tug out an 85-84 win at Texas Tech. Alabama fought off Texas A&M, 94-88, behind 27 factors from Mark Sears, whereas Tennessee responded from the loss to Florida and edged Texas, 74-70.

Three different headliners of the week?

St. John’s, which has gained 9 of its previous 10 video games, is again in our rankings this week after a pair of double-digit victories at Xavier and at house towards Villanova. RJ Luis has advanced right into a first-team All-Large East choice, going for 30 factors and 10 rebounds within the win over the Wildcats. Rick Pitino now has a crew that’s 14-3 and monitoring nicely for the NCAA Event. They will make an actual run in March, particularly if perimeter taking pictures continues to return alongside prefer it did within the win over Villanova.

How about Mike White and Georgia? The Bulldogs, who haven’t appeared within the NCAA Event in a decade, are 14-2 after a pair of top-25 wins over Kentucky and Oklahoma. 5-star freshman Asa Newell is a top-10 NBA Draft decide and enjoying at a extremely excessive stage, whereas sophomore Silas Demary has taken a pleasant leap and switch Dakota Leffew was a top quality scoring pickup in his reserve function. This week is a serious one for Georgia with a visit to Tennessee on Wednesday adopted by a matchup with Auburn on Saturday.

Lastly, we flip to one-loss Utah State, who was down 79-77 with 9 seconds left towards Boise State on Saturday earlier than Ian Martinez hit a 3-pointer and was fouled on a wild sequence that gave the Aggies the victory.

The Aggies are on their third head coach in as a few years and are monitoring nicely to make a 3rd consecutive NCAA Event. Going from now-Utah coach Craig Smith to now-VCU coach Ryan Odom to now-Washington head coach Danny Sprinkle to a slam-dunk rent in Jerrod Calhoun speaks to the Aggies administration and their skill to seek out the precise coaches for his or her applications. That’s why we’re giving Utah State some nationwide love this week. A date to circle: Saturday, Feb. 1 vs. New Mexico (9:30 p.m. ET on FS1 and the FOX Sports activities app). Each the Lobos and the Aggies are undefeated (6-0) within the Mountain West.

That stated, let’s get to our Prime 25!

1. Auburn (15-1)

Whereas we’ve already mentioned at size how the Tigers will retool with out Broome, how concerning the continued manufacturing of a four-star guard in Pettiford? Not solely has he been a microwave scorer for Pearl, however he has executed it towards among the finest defensive groups within the nation — from a 21-point exhibiting towards Houston to a 20-point efficiency vs. Duke to 18 within the win over Purdue.

2. Iowa State (14-1)

Curtis Jones delivered 26 factors in Saturday’s win at Texas Tech, a victory that I don’t assume the Cyclones get final yr. However T.J. Otzelberger advanced this group offensively with the addition of Jefferson and participant growth. Up subsequent for Iowa State? Kansas. Wednesday. Hilton Coliseum.

3. Duke (14-2)

How about Cooper Flagg, America? I feel he’ll win nationwide participant of the yr when it’s all stated and executed, becoming a member of Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis and Zion Williamson as the one others to win the dignity as a freshman in faculty basketball historical past. He delivered the highest-scoring efficiency by a Duke and ACC freshman on Saturday, going off for 42 factors (11 of 14 from the ground and 16 of 17 from the free-throw line), seven assists and 6 rebounds within the 86-78 win over Notre Dame. Flagg would be the first total decide within the 2025 NBA Draft this June.

4. Alabama (14-2)

Not solely did Sears rating 27 in Saturday’s win, however the Tide confirmed their depth with Chris Youngblood and Aden Holloway combining for 29 off the bench. Alabama hosts Ole Miss on Tuesday earlier than visiting Kentucky on Saturday.

5. Tennessee (15-1)

Zakai Zeigler is certainly one of America’s finest guards, and confirmed it once more Saturday when he posted 16 factors and eight assists within the four-point win at head coach Rick Barnes’ former faculty, Texas. Barnes did have some poignant ideas on his main scorer, Chaz Lanier, on Saturday. Within the NIL world, every little thing appears to be truthful recreation.

6. Florida (15-1)

The Gators had essentially the most spectacular efficiency of the week with a 30-point win over beforehand unbeaten Tennessee behind Alijah Martin’s 18 factors. Then, they went to Arkansas on Saturday and overcame an early 13-2 deficit to win 71-63 behind 4 in double-figures. Todd Golden’s group is stacked.

7. Marquette (14-2)

The Golden Eagles are 5-0 within the Large East, their finest begin to convention play since 2008-09, after a 74-66 win over Georgetown during which junior Chase Ross had a career-high 27 factors. Marquette visits DePaul on Tuesday earlier than internet hosting Xavier on Saturday.

8. Kentucky (13-3)

Large Blue Nation may be upset with me for having the Wildcats at No. 8, however each recreation issues — and Kentucky was run off the ground by Georgia on Tuesday, 82-69. Kentucky responded with a 95-90 win over Mississippi State on Saturday behind 27 factors from Jaxson Robinson and a few huge photographs from Ansley Almonor. Amari Williams additionally delivered 10 factors, 12 rebounds and 6 assists, because the Cats notched their fourth win over a top-16 crew within the NET. This crew is able to reaching San Antonio as a result of their offense is chock-full of expertise and choices.

9. Houston (12-3)

The Cougars simply quietly go about their enterprise and beat the brakes off groups. On Saturday, Kelvin Sampson’s squad gained its eighth consecutive recreation with an 87-57 rout of Kansas State. Emanuel Sharp posted 15 factors, whereas Joseph Tugler tallied a double-double. Up subsequent: house to West Virginia on Wednesday.

10. Michigan State (14-2)

How concerning the Spartans? In his thirtieth season on the helm, Tom Izzo has executed a outstanding job with Michigan State, which gained its ninth consecutive recreation on Sunday with a 78-68 victory over Northwestern. There’s no query that Sparty will march on to a twenty seventh consecutive NCAA Event, and the items are in place for Michigan State to succeed in its sixteenth Candy 16 of Izzo’s tenure. I really like the best way Jeremy Fears can jet in transition and generate offense for a Spartans program that appears to have been lacking that in recent times. Add in Jaden Akins as a main bucket-getter, freshman Jase Richardson as an X-factor off the bench and the rebounding of Jaxon Kohler, and the Spartans are actually well-rounded. This crew can win the Large Ten.

Coen Carr throws down a dunk, extending Michigan State’s lead over Northwestern

11. Kansas (12-3)
12. Texas A&M (13-3)
13. UConn (13-4)
14. Michigan (13-3)
15. Illinois (12-4)
16. Oregon (15-2)
17. Mississippi State (14-2)
18. Memphis (13-3)
19. Ole Miss (14-2)
20. Gonzaga (14-4)
21. Georgia (14-2)
22. Purdue (13-4)
22. St. John’s (14-3)
24. Utah State (16-1)
25. Wisconsin (13-3)

John Fanta is a nationwide faculty basketball broadcaster and author for FOX Sports activities. He covers the game in quite a lot of capacities, from calling video games on FS1 to serving as lead host on the BIG EAST Digital Community to offering commentary on The Subject of 68 Media Community. Comply with him at @John_Fanta.

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