Men's Power Rankings: Maryland enters the chat as Gonzaga exits

Are Gonzaga's hopes of a 4th consecutive 1-seed successful the NCAA tourney already over?

After the Bulldogs' nonaccomplishment to Baylor connected Friday, that mightiness beryllium the case. They're present conscionable 5-3 connected the season, with losses to Texas and Purdue successful summation to the Bears successful South Dakota. It's their astir losses astatine this constituent successful the play since 2011, erstwhile they yet finished 25-10 and earned an 11-seed connected Selection Sunday. In the 10 NCAA tournaments since then, Mark Few's programme has earned a 1-seed connected 5 occasions, a 2-seed once, a 4-seed once, and a 7-seed oregon little 3 times.

Given the Zags' remaining docket and the deficiency of prime adjacent the apical of the West Coast Conference this season, a sixth 1-seed successful 11 tournaments mightiness beryllium retired of their grasp. A crippled successful Birmingham against Alabama connected Dec. 17 and 2 meetings with Saint Mary's successful league play are the lone contests remaining against teams ranked wrong the apical 85 astatine KenPom. The WCC of past years, with 4 oregon 5 NCAA tournament-caliber teams, isn't happening this play -- meaning Gonzaga conscionable doesn't person the opportunities to rack up résumé-boosting wins similar it has successful the past.

Wins implicit Kentucky, Michigan State and Xavier successful the archetypal period of the play are a precise bully start. But the 3 losses mightiness person already buried Gonzaga's 1-seed chances.

On to this week's awards and rankings.

Team of the Week: Maryland Terrapins

Entering the season, the Terrapins were picked 10th successful the unofficial Big Ten media poll. Kevin Willard was taking implicit a massively disappointing squad that went 15-17 past play and was losing its apical 2 scorers. The Terps weren't expected to beryllium this bully this quickly. One period in, they tin marque a lawsuit arsenic the second- oregon third-best squad successful the league.

With neutral-court wins implicit Saint Louis and Miami already connected the résumé, Maryland started the week with a 25-point triumph connected the roadworthy against a hapless Louisville team. It past welcomed Illinois to College Park for its Big Ten opener and knocked disconnected the Fighting Illini 71-66 -- going connected a 17-2 tally midway done the archetypal fractional to get immoderate breathing room, with Charlotte transportation Jahmir Young hitting a immense 3 successful the last infinitesimal to clinch the win. The Terrapins are old, they person size and they're led by a manager who consistently produces immoderate of the champion defenses successful the country.

Plus, we got this gem postgame from Willard:

Kevin Willard everyone: pic.twitter.com/Z1JGmC8HFi

Player of the Week: Kris Murray, Iowa Hawkeyes

Murray was expected to instrumentality a large measurement guardant successful his accumulation entering 2022-23. But reaching the level of his brother, Keegan -- the No. 4 prime successful the NBA draught who averaged 23.5 points and 8.7 rebounds successful 2021-22 -- seemed unlikely. Through 7 games, though, Kris Murray is averaging 21.0 points and 10.6 rebounds, shooting 40.5% from 3-point range. Those numbers were boosted Tuesday by 1 of the champion idiosyncratic stat lines we've seen this season: 31 points, 20 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocks and 4 3-pointers successful a 16-point triumph implicit Georgia Tech.

Win of the Week: Marquette Golden Eagles 96, Baylor Bears 70

Had Marquette not mislaid connected Saturday to Wisconsin, Shaka Smart's radical would person been the wide Team of the Week. But the Golden Eagles' blowout triumph implicit Baylor was capable to gain them immoderate recognition. To spot the Bears, a seasoned squad with experienced guards, conscionable get overrun by Marquette's unit was wildly impressive. The crippled was ne'er close. The Golden Eagles were up 26 astatine halftime, their largest halftime pb implicit a top-25 squad successful the past 25 seasons, according to ESPN Stats & Information research. On the different side, it was Baylor's largest nonaccomplishment to an unranked squad since 2007. Olivier-Maxence Prosper had 24 points, Kam Jones had 20, Tyler Kolek made 11 assists -- and Marquette forced 20 turnovers. It was a tremendous performance.

Coach of the Week: Richard Pitino, New Mexico Lobos

In his 2nd play successful Albuquerque, Pitino has softly positioned the Lobos to beryllium competitory successful the Mountain West this season. They dominated six consecutive games to unfastened 2022-23, including a roadworthy crippled astatine SMU, but sent a connection past week by knocking disconnected Saint Mary's successful Moraga, California. That the Gaels went to Fort Worth and astir bushed Houston 3 days aboriginal lone made the triumph look better. Pitino has stacked the apical of his roster with erstwhile high-major talents: Morris Udeze (Wichita State), Jaelen House (Arizona State) and Jamal Mashburn Jr. (Minnesota) signifier 1 of the champion trios successful the league.

Three teams with questions

SMU Mustangs: It was ever going to beryllium a hard archetypal play astatine the helm for Rob Lanier. But the Mustangs mislaid astatine location to Jackson State connected Saturday and are present conscionable 3-5, with games against Arizona State, TCU and Iona near earlier league play. SMU won't beryllium favored successful galore games the remainder of the season.

Colorado State Rams: The aboriginal instrumentality of prima constituent defender Isaiah Stevens was expected to jump-start the Rams. But they suffered a astonishing location nonaccomplishment to Northern Colorado implicit the play and present person Colorado, Saint Mary's and USC implicit a two-week stretch. They request to triumph a mates of those to support at-large hopes alive.

Seton Hall Pirates: It hasn't been the easiest opening period for Shaheen Holloway astatine Seton Hall. The Pirates bushed Memphis connected Thanksgiving but person since mislaid 3 consecutive -- including to Siena and by 26 astatine Kansas. After the Siena loss, Holloway said helium had "never been portion of thing wherever guys don't privation to play basketball."

Power Rankings

play

0:20

Purdue's Zach Edey uses his large framework to emergence implicit a Minnesota defender for a highlight-reel slam.

1. Purdue Boilermakers (8-0)
Previous ranking: 1
This week: vs. Hofstra (Wednesday), astatine Nebraska (Saturday)

Yep, we're already getting to that constituent with Zach Edey, wherever typically ridiculous stat lines are opening to go the norm. Against Minnesota connected Sunday, Edey finished with 31 points and 22 rebounds (eight connected the violative end), going 11-for-23 from the tract and 9-for-10 from the escaped propulsion line. He has scored astatine slightest 20 points successful each of the Boilermakers' past 7 games, with double-doubles successful each but two. Overshadowed by Edey's caller exploits has been the play of freshman defender Fletcher Loyer, who is averaging 15.8 points and 4.3 assists implicit his past 4 games, shooting 45.8% from 3-point range.

2. Texas Longhorns (6-0)
Previous ranking: 4
This week: vs. Illinois successful New York (Tuesday), vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff (Saturday)

His numbers don't basal retired truthful acold this season, but five-star freshman Dillon Mitchell has truly shined done 1 period owed to his centrifugal and willingness to bargain into his role. He's taking astir lone 5 shots per crippled and hasn't attempted a 3-pointer yet, but he's 1 of the champion violative rebounders successful the state and has shown tremendous versatility arsenic a defender. He's capable to defender astir each presumption connected the level and adjacent took immoderate possessions against Creighton 7-footer Ryan Kalkbrenner past week. Throw successful explosiveness successful transition, and Mitchell is doing each the small things good truthful acold successful his Texas career.

3. Houston Cougars (8-0)
Previous ranking: 2
This week: vs. North Florida (Tuesday), vs. Alabama (Saturday)

Houston needed to clasp disconnected a valiant closing effort from Saint Mary's connected Saturday nighttime but remained unbeaten. Perhaps the bigger interest was prima defender Marcus Sasser leaving the crippled successful the last minutes with a near enarthrosis injury. Coach Kelvin Sampson said aft the crippled that Sasser should beryllium fine, and it wouldn't beryllium a semipermanent issue. Up front, J'Wan Roberts continues his astonishing breakout season, going for 15 points and 8 rebounds against the Gaels -- his sixth double-figure scoring effort truthful acold this season. It's thing helium did conscionable doubly successful his archetypal 62 games with the Cougars.

4. Virginia Cavaliers (7-0)
Previous ranking: 5
This week: vs. James Madison (Tuesday)

Virginia's 3s person dried up immoderate since the archetypal mates of games successful the season. The Cavaliers made 11 3s successful the play opener against North Carolina Central, 13 successful their 2nd crippled against Monmouth and 9 successful the triumph implicit Baylor successful Las Vegas. Since then, they've made conscionable 19 successful 4 games, and deed much than one-third of their attempts conscionable erstwhile successful that stretch. Some of it has to bash with a renewed accent connected getting Jayden Gardner touches connected the interior, but Virginia volition person to sprout much efficaciously from the perimeter -- particularly successful the Dec. 17 showdown with Houston.

5. UConn Huskies (9-0)
Previous ranking: 6
This week: astatine Florida (Wednesday), vs. LIU (Saturday)

The Jordan Hawkins breakout play is surely underway. He missed 2 games and the bulk of a 3rd aft entering concussion protocol, and played conscionable six minutes successful a 4th crippled owed to foul trouble. In the different 5 games this season, though, helium has averaged 18.2 points and changeable 44.6% from 3. He had 26 points and went 5-for-9 from beyond the arc successful past week's triumph implicit Oklahoma State. And helium has established himself arsenic the cleanable perimeter equilibrium to Adama Sanogo's overgarment domination. Hawkins is comfortably the champion shooter Dan Hurley has had since taking implicit astatine UConn successful 2018.

6. Arizona Wildcats (7-1)
Previous ranking: 3
This week: vs. Indiana successful Las Vegas (Saturday)

Arizona had rather the world cheque past Thursday, going to Utah connected the heels of a Maui Invitational rubric and top-five ranking -- and getting outplayed from commencement to decorativeness by the Utes, 81-66. The Wildcats had a hard clip containing 7-footer Branden Carlson, who connected for 5 3s and kept forcing Oumar Ballo and Azuolas Tubelis to marque a determination connected whether to travel retired and defender him connected the perimeter oregon enactment person to the rim. But the Wildcats bounced backmost against California, with Tubelis putting up 25 points and 12 rebounds -- his 5th 20-point crippled successful the archetypal period of 2022-23.

7. Alabama Crimson Tide (7-1)
Previous ranking: 8
This week: astatine Houston (Saturday)

Brandon Miller received astir of the plaudits successful Alabama's freshman people entering the season. Based connected this archetypal period of the season, it was well-deserved. But determination was besides immoderate affirmative buzz coming retired of Tuscaloosa astir ESPN 100 enlistee Noah Clowney, and he's backed that up done 8 games. Clowney has started each crippled this season, notching double-digit rebounds successful 3 of his archetypal 4 and going for a career-high 22 points against South Dakota State implicit the weekend. He came retired of obscurity to spell 5-for-12 from 3 -- successful the archetypal 7 games of the season, helium changeable 2-for-16 from deep.

8. Kansas Jayhawks (8-1)
Previous ranking: 9
This week: astatine Missouri (Saturday)

Kansas had its 2 champion violative games of 2022-23 past week, scoring 87 points successful the triumph implicit Texas Southern and dropping 91 successful Thursday's triumph implicit Seton Hall. The Jayhawks changeable amended than 60% wrong the arc and amended than 40% from 3 successful both. One noteworthy improvement has been the accrued relation of Joseph Yesufu. After hardly having a relation down the agelong past play and playing 9 oregon less minutes successful 5 of the archetypal six games successful the past month, the erstwhile Drake transportation had 14 points successful the Battle 4 Atlantis rubric crippled nonaccomplishment to Tennessee, past started the adjacent crippled against Texas Southern and scored different 14. He's provided a needed assistance with Bobby Pettiford retired with a hamstring issue.

play

3:12

After signaling his archetypal vocation commencement successful No. 11 Arkansas' 99-58 triumph implicit San Jose State, Nick Smith Jr. states however thankful helium is to beryllium backmost connected the court.

9. Arkansas Razorbacks (7-1)
Previous ranking: 10
This week: vs. UNC Greensboro (Tuesday), vs. Oklahoma (Saturday)

Welcome to assemblage basketball, Nick Smith Jr.! Arguably the champion NBA imaginable successful assemblage basketball this season, Smith missed the archetypal six games owed to precautionary measures for his close genu and past played conscionable 5 minutes successful his play debut against Troy. But Eric Musselman shifted him close into the starting lineup for Saturday's triumph against San Jose State, and Smith responded with 16 points, 5 assists and 3 3s successful 24 minutes. Given the mode Anthony Black, Ricky Council IV and Trevon Brazile person started this season, Arkansas' champion 5 is looking arsenic talented arsenic it gets successful assemblage close now.

10. Maryland Terrapins (8-0)
Previous ranking: Unranked
This week: vs. Tennessee successful Brooklyn (Sunday)

Kevin Willard has done a singular occupation with this Maryland squad done 1 month, and the Terrapins picked up a connection triumph connected Friday erstwhile they knocked disconnected Illinois successful College Park. The catalyst for this radical has been Charlotte transportation Jahmir Young, who deed the game-clinching shot. Young had 24 points successful the game, including 4 3s, and has deed treble figures successful 7 of 8 games. Veteran large antheral Donta Scott was ascendant successful back-to-back wins implicit Saint Louis and Miami earlier this season, portion sophomore Julian Reese has shown flashes of the quality that had immoderate reasoning helium was an NBA draught prime astatine the commencement of his career.

11. Tennessee Volunteers (7-1)
Previous ranking: 15
This week: vs. Eastern Kentucky (Wednesday), vs. Maryland successful Brooklyn (Sunday)

Five-star freshman Julian Phillips arrived successful Knoxville arsenic the benignant of subordinate who could beryllium the X-factor successful the NCAA tourney and origin matchup issues successful March. And aft an up-and-down start, Phillips is opening to amusement those signs of making a accordant interaction for the Volunteers. He has deed treble figures successful 5 of his past six games, including 25 points and 8 rebounds against USC successful the Bahamas. He's coming disconnected a precise coagulated week, going for 12 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists connected Wednesday against McNeese, and 18 points, 4 boards and 3 assists connected Sunday against Alcorn State.

12. Indiana Hoosiers (7-1)
Previous ranking: 12
This week: vs. Nebraska (Wednesday), vs. Arizona successful Las Vegas (Saturday)

It was the explanation of a mixed week for Indiana. The Hoosiers looked tougher, much carnal and much assertive than North Carolina successful Wednesday's 12-point win, a crippled wherever they showed wherefore they were the Big Ten favourite and wherefore Trayce Jackson-Davis deserved first-team preseason All-American recognition. And past came Saturday, erstwhile Indiana went to the location formerly known arsenic the RAC and got handled by Rutgers by 15, scoring conscionable 48 points successful the process. The biggest quality successful the 2 games came astir the rim. Against Carolina, Indiana changeable 57% from 2 and had 50 points successful the paint. Against Rutgers, it was 36% from 2 and conscionable 14 points successful the paint.

Kevin Willard everyone: pic.twitter.com/Z1JGmC8HFi

13. Baylor Bears (6-2)
Previous ranking: 14
This week: vs. Tarleton State (Tuesday)

Baylor was going to beryllium sent careening retired of the powerfulness rankings aft the 26-point nonaccomplishment astatine Marquette -- but a neutral-court triumph implicit Gonzaga connected Friday was capable to prevention its spot. For now. While the Bears person yet to find consistency this season, their guards inactive springiness maine optimism for their eventual ceiling travel March. Keyonte George is 1 of the champion defender prospects successful the state and was connected occurrence against Gonzaga early; Adam Flagler has grown successful assurance and deed aggregate large shots precocious against the Zags; and LJ Cryer had averaged 20.4 points successful his past 5 games starring up to Gonzaga. The Bears conscionable can't person much 20-turnover performances.

14. Iowa State Cyclones (7-1)
Previous ranking: 16
This week: astatine Iowa (Thursday), vs. McNeese State (Sunday)

Iowa State handled its concern this past week, beating North Dakota and St. John's heading into this Thursday's rivalry showdown astatine Iowa. Through the past month, the Cyclones fertile No. 1 nationally successful antiaircraft turnover percent astatine KenPom. They're forcing turnovers connected much than 30% of their antiaircraft possessions -- coincidentally edging retired UNLV, caput manager T.J. Otzelberger's erstwhile stomping grounds. They finished sixth successful that class past season, spearheaded by Tyrese Hunter astatine the constituent defender spot. And they're inactive forcing turnovers astatine an highly precocious level, adjacent with Hunter present astatine Texas.

15. Auburn Tigers (8-0)
Previous ranking: In the waiting room
This week: vs. Memphis successful Atlanta (Saturday)

K.D. Johnson is starting to aftermath up, which is simply a large happening for Auburn. After starting the last 31 games of 2021-22, Bruce Pearl moved him to the seat this play -- theoretically suiting Johnson's microwave-style of violative production. He didn't sprout the shot good early, making conscionable 26.1% of his shots and 21.4% of his 3s successful the archetypal 3 games. Since then, helium has been overmuch much effectual offensively. He's averaged 13.2 points successful his past 5 games, shooting 42.1% from 3 and coming disconnected a 16-point effort against Colgate, successful which helium went 4-for-5 from down the arc.

16. Duke Blue Devils (8-2)
Previous ranking: In the waiting room
This week: vs. Iowa successful New York City (Tuesday), vs. Maryland-Eastern Shore (Saturday)

This past week saw large strides from No. 1 enlistee Dereck Lively II, who had a precise dilatory commencement to his assemblage career. But helium had 11 points, 5 rebounds and 2 blocks against Ohio State, past 8 points and 3 blocks against Boston College. It seems the Blue Devils are figuring retired however to much efficaciously usage him, successful peculiar getting him progressive with lobs connected rolls to the rim. Another frontcourt freshman, Mark Mitchell, has besides had occurrence successful caller days, finishing with 15 points against Boston College aft scoring azygous digits successful 4 of his erstwhile 5 games. Neither Lively nor Mitchell deed the crushed moving similar classmate Kyle Filipowski, but there's inactive plentifulness of clip for each 3 to click.

Dropped out: Creighton Bluejays (No. 7), Gonzaga Bulldogs (No. 11), Illinois Fighting Illini (No. 13)

In the waiting room

Gonzaga Bulldogs: The Zags dropped their 3rd crippled of the play to Baylor connected Friday, and are present 5-3 -- the program's worst commencement done 8 games since starting 4-4 successful 2010-11. The docket eases up immoderate the remainder of the way, but a showdown against Alabama successful Birmingham is 2 weeks away.

Illinois Fighting Illini: While Brad Underwood needs Matthew Mayer to beryllium much of a origin successful large games, 1 affirmative of the past fewer weeks is the emergence of RJ Melendez. The sophomore defender is averaging 15.0 points implicit his past 3 games, shooting 46.2% from 3 implicit that span.

Kentucky Wildcats: The Wildcats went each the mode to London for their biggest triumph of the season, beating Michigan by four. It was freshman Cason Wallace who was the star, going for 14 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists, making each 4 3-point attempts -- including the game-clinching changeable successful the last minute.