Power Rankings: Virginia and Texas oust Gonzaga and Kentucky in top 4

All the complaints astir a quiescent archetypal week of the 2022-23 men's assemblage hoops play rapidly disappeared implicit the past 7 days, with blockbuster games seemingly each night, including the Champions Classic, Gonzaga astatine Texas and the Continental Tire Classic. And tin you retrieve a Sunday quadruple-header featuring games similar Virginia vs. Illinois, Baylor vs. UCLA, Kentucky astatine Gonzaga and Houston astatine Oregon ... successful November?!

This is the jump-start the run needed, and it won't dilatory down this week, with Feast Week successful afloat swing. The Maui Invitational kicks disconnected Monday, the Battle 4 Atlantis starts Wednesday and the perfectly loaded Phil Knight Invitational and Phil Knight Legacy events get going connected Thursday.

Here are a mates of things from each lawsuit that volition interaction adjacent week's Power Rankings:

• Maui Invitational: It volition beryllium the archetypal clip this play that the 3 champion teams successful the tract are going to beryllium earnestly tested. Creighton, Arkansas and Arizona person combined to play precisely 1 programme ranked wrong the apical 150 astatine KenPom. It's besides a accidental for San Diego State to rack up immoderate connection wins for its résumé. And the large question: Will Nick Smith Jr. yet marque his debut for the Razorbacks?

• Battle 4 Atlantis: Kansas enters this tourney arsenic the favorite, but does Tennessee look much similar the squad that throttled Gonzaga successful the preseason oregon the 1 that mislaid successful Nashville to Colorado past week? The different happening worthy monitoring is however Dayton looks present that the Flyers are astatine afloat strength.

• Phil Knight Invitational: North Carolina is the squad to bushed here, but volition Villanova amusement signs of beingness retired successful Portland, Oregon? The bottommost fractional of the bracket is wildly intriguing too: UConn, Oregon, Alabama, Michigan State. UConn and Alabama look the portion but request to amusement it, portion Michigan State had arsenic bully a week arsenic anyone successful assemblage basketball.

• Phil Knight Legacy: There are a fewer teams with a batch to beryllium successful this one. Favorites Duke and Gonzaga some suffered a nonaccomplishment past week, portion Xavier is hoping to amusement it belongs successful the top-25 conversation, contempt its nonaccomplishment to Indiana. How bully is Purdue this season? Can Florida find immoderate consistency?

Onto this week's awards and rankings.

Team of the Week: Virginia Cavaliers

In a strictly on-court sense, Virginia would beryllium the pick. Victories implicit Baylor and Illinois to triumph the Continental Tire Main Event would springiness them the motion anyway. But to bash what they did successful their archetypal games after the shooting successful Charlottesville that near 3 Cavaliers shot players dormant and the emotion progressive successful the travel retired to Las Vegas? The Cavaliers merit to beryllium the squad of the week. They honored the victims anterior to extremity connected Friday, holding a infinitesimal of soundlessness and wearing shirts with the shot players' names written connected the backmost and "UVA Strong" connected the front. "We played for them today," Virginia defender Armaan Franklin said aft the triumph versus Baylor. "We played for the full Charlottesville community."

On the floor, Virginia is looking overmuch much balanced and versatile offensively than it was past season, with Reece Beekman taking a measurement forward, Franklin uncovering his shooting changeable and Kadin Shedrick and Ben Vander Plas giving Tony Bennett immoderate much frontcourt presence. They've moved each the mode into the apical 5 of our rankings.

Player of the Week: Jalen Wilson, Kansas Jayhawks

There were different large candidates, of course. We'll get to Terrence Shannon Jr. successful a small bit, and Adama Sanogo and Trayce Jackson-Davis person been ascendant too. But Wilson is looking similar the prima of a imaginable Final Four team. He developed into Kansas' go-to feline earlier our eyes successful Tuesday's triumph against Duke, finishing with 25 points (on 26 shots), 11 rebounds and 5 assists and looking assertive and assured precocious successful the crippled erstwhile the Jayhawks needed immoderate answers offensively. He upped his crippled against Southern Utah connected Friday, going for 33 points, six boards and 4 assists. Wilson has been 1 of the champion players successful America done 2 weeks.

Win of the Week: Texas Longhorns 93, Gonzaga Bulldogs 74

Texas went into past play with tons of hype. The Longhorns hired Chris Beard, who deed the transportation portal and landed possibly the astir highly touted transportation people of each time. But each the caller players ne'er rather clicked. This season, with those athletes a twelvemonth older and mixed successful with a fewer prime newcomers, that hasn't been an issue. The Longhorns had arsenic bully a show arsenic we've seen each season, dominating Gonzaga from commencement to decorativeness en way to a 19-point triumph successful Austin. They forced 20 turnovers, made 13 3s, changeable astir 64% wrong the arc and truly bothered Gonzaga's guards. If Texas' discourtesy is going to nutrient astatine this clip moving forward, combined with the emblematic Beard antiaircraft prowess, the Longhorns are going to beryllium a top-five squad for a agelong time.

Coach of the Week: Tom Izzo, Michigan State Spartans

About 10 minutes into Michigan State's nonaccomplishment to Gonzaga a mates of weeks ago, it was wide the Spartans were underrated entering the play -- adjacent if they ended up losing to the Bulldogs. Michigan State went into the Champions Classic arsenic the lone squad ranked extracurricular the apical 10 but knocked disconnected Kentucky successful treble overtime. The Spartans followed that up with a location triumph implicit Villanova, hanging connected successful the last infinitesimal for a truly bully week of victories. Izzo has done a large occupation getting the A.J. Hoggard-Tyson Walker backcourt working, arsenic good arsenic bringing the champion retired of Mady Sissoko against Drew Timme and Oscar Tshiebwe. But the manager gets the grant this week mostly owed to this play:

Three teams with questions

South Carolina Gamecocks: Not overmuch was expected of South Carolina successful Lamont Paris' archetypal twelvemonth successful Columbia, but the Gamecocks conscionable got swept astatine the Charleston Classic and looked hardly competitory successful 2 of their 3 defeats. Five-star enlistee and imaginable first-round draught prime G.G. Jackson is producing, but helium doesn't person astir capable help.

Washington State Cougars: It feels similar we could enactment a caller Pac-12 squad successful this conception each week. But Washington State mislaid by 11 astatine Prairie View A&M connected Tuesday, lone a fewer days aft falling astatine Boise State -- the aforesaid Boise State with losses to South Dakota State and Charlotte this season. Mouhamed Gueye and Justin Powell combining for 10 points connected 13 shots against the Panthers conscionable won't chopped it.

TCU Horned Frogs: TCU played with occurrence the archetypal 2 games of the season, hardly surviving Arkansas-Pine Bluff successful the opener and struggling with Lamar earlier winning. Then the Horned Frogs mislaid astatine location to Northwestern State. They bounced backmost against Louisiana Monroe, but this is not the squad that we had ranked successful the apical 20 past month. They request Mike Miles Jr. and Damion Baugh. Badly.

Power Rankings

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Jamal Shead knocks down the jumper

1. Houston Cougars (5-0)
Previous ranking: 1
This week: vs. Kent State (Saturday)

Another week, different caller imaginable enactment emerging for Kelvin Sampson and the Cougars. ESPN 100 enlistee Terrance Arceneaux was 1 of the champion axenic scorers successful the 2022 class, with the size and three-level quality to play astatine the adjacent level. With truthful galore perimeter players returning, though, Arceneaux had lone truly flashed erstwhile this season, going for 14 points and 3 3s against Oral Roberts connected Monday. Until Sunday nighttime astatine Oregon. In the archetypal half, Marcus Sasser was 0-for-3, Tramon Mark was 0-for-2 and Jarace Walker had 2 fouls. Up stepped Arceneaux, who had 10 points and 4 rebounds successful 10 first-half minutes, en way to 15 points and 3 3s successful the Cougars' 10-point victory.

2. North Carolina Tar Heels (4-0)
Previous ranking: 2
This week: Phil Knight Invitational (first game: vs. Portland connected Thursday)

Outside of the 2nd fractional against Charleston, North Carolina hasn't rather gotten it rolling connected the violative extremity conscionable yet, peculiarly successful perimeter shooting and violative rebounding. The Tar Heels are shooting 28.8% from 3 done 4 games and haven't made much than 32% of their attempts successful immoderate contest. R.J. Davis and Caleb Love are a combined 11-for-47 from down the arc. And though it's inactive early, UNC has its lowest violative rebounding percent since KenPom's database began successful 1997. Armando Bacot grabbing 8 violative boards (and a career-high 23 full rebounds) connected Sunday could kick-start his squad connected the glass, though.

3. Texas Longhorns (3-0)
Previous ranking: 10
This week: vs. Northern Arizona (Monday), vs. UT Rio Grande Valley (Saturday)

We discussed Texas' triumph implicit Gonzaga earlier, truthful let's absorption connected the Tyrese Hunter-Marcus Carr backcourt. This is simply a duo who had question marks implicit compatibility entering the season. But Hunter and Carr person figured retired a equilibrium that has worked truthful far, and they continued their fantastic first-week commencement against the Zags, with Hunter scoring 26 points and Carr finishing with 16 points and 7 assists. Through 3 games, the erstwhile transfers are combining to mean 41.0 points, 7.0 assists, 3.0 steals -- and making much than 3 3s per game.

4. Virginia Cavaliers (4-0)
Previous ranking: 16
This week: vs. Maryland-Eastern Shore (Friday)

Tony Bennett spoke glowingly of Reece Beekman successful the offseason, saying helium wanted him to bash 2 things implicit the summertime -- adhd immoderate physicality and get amended from the perimeter -- and Beekman went retired and attacked some areas. And it's showing. Beekman, 1 of the nation's elite antiaircraft players, has intelligibly taken strides offensively. He had 10 points and 10 assists successful the triumph implicit Baylor connected Friday, making some of his 3-point attempts. He past finished with 17 points against Illinois and was the catalyst successful the last minutes. Oh, and helium besides helped dilatory down the Fighting Illini's Terrence Shannon Jr. and, precocious successful the Baylor game, Keyonte George.

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Dajuan Harris gets the layup to autumn vs. Southern Utah Thunderbirds

5. Kansas Jayhawks (4-0)
Previous ranking: 6
This week: Battle 4 Atlantis (first game: vs. NC State connected Wednesday)

All the attraction truthful acold this play has been connected Jalen Wilson, and rightfully so, arsenic helium has been awesome. But inferior constituent defender Dajuan Harris Jr. deserves more, fixed his high-level play astatine some ends of the floor. Remember, this is simply a feline who started 39 games past play -- connected a nationalist title team. He has shouldered a bigger relation offensively this play portion inactive not sacrificing his antiaircraft ability. As a facilitator, Harris has totaled 25 assists to conscionable 4 turnovers, and helium has scored successful treble figures doubly successful 4 games, including 14 much-needed points successful Friday's triumph implicit Southern Utah.

6. Gonzaga Bulldogs (3-1)
Previous ranking: 3
This week: Phil Knight Legacy (first game: vs. Portland State connected Thursday)

The Zags felt some ends of the spectrum this past week, getting pummeled by Texas successful Austin by 19 points connected Wednesday past handling Kentucky with comparative easiness connected Sunday, winning by 16. The biggest quality betwixt the 2 games was Drew Timme getting assistance connected the violative extremity and Gonzaga not allowing Kentucky to get escaped finishes astatine the rim oregon successful transition. Julian Strawther and Rasir Bolton combined for 44 points and 7 3s against the Wildcats aft totaling 24 points and going 7-for-16 from the tract versus Texas. It helped that Kentucky changeable conscionable little than 50% wrong the arc aft Texas changeable astir 64%.

7. Creighton Bluejays (4-0)
Previous ranking: 9
This week: Maui Invitational (first game: vs. Texas Tech connected Monday)

It's clip for Creighton to enactment its newfound violative prowess to the trial arsenic it heads to Maui to look Texas Tech, followed by a imaginable matchup with Arkansas past apt 1 of Arizona oregon San Diego State. That's rather a measurement up from the Bluejays' archetypal 4 opponents. But since struggling for the bulk of their play opener, the Bluejays person scored astatine slightest 80 points successful 3 consecutive games and registered astatine slightest 1.22 points per possession. Ryan Kalkbrenner averaged 19.3 points and 6.0 boards successful the 3 astir caller contests, and Ryan Nembhard totaled 27 assists and conscionable 2 turnovers implicit Creighton's 4 outings.

8. Michigan State Spartans (3-1)
Previous ranking: Unranked
This week: Phil Knight Invitational (first game: vs. Alabama connected Thursday)

The backcourt duo of Tyson Walker and A.J. Hoggard are creating tons of issues for opponents done the archetypal mates of weeks of the season. The 6-foot-4, 210-pound Hoggard has taken connected much of a playmaking role, averaging implicit 8 assists truthful acold -- including 10 against Villanova connected Friday. His size, physicality and one-on-one quality marque him astir intolerable to support retired of the lane. Walker, meanwhile, keeps defenders off-balance with his quality to propulsion up rapidly oregon get by his defender. He besides is unafraid to instrumentality large shots. The erstwhile Northeastern transportation had 22 against Nova.

9. Illinois Fighting Illini (4-1)
Previous ranking: Unranked
This week: vs. Lindenwood (Friday)

While Terrence Shannon Jr. had his struggles with Virginia's defense, his show against UCLA connected Friday was 1 of the champion we've seen truthful acold this season. Shannon finished with 29 points, 10 rebounds and 3 assists, and helium changeable 8-for-9 from 3. To enactment that into perspective, according to ESPN Stats & Information, lone 2 players implicit the past 25 seasons person had 25 points, 10 rebounds and 8 3s successful a top-25 matchup: Trae Young successful 2018 and Shannon connected Friday. Don't forget, that show by Shannon came aft helium dropped 30 against Monmouth connected Monday.

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Trayce Jackson-Davis flies successful for the follow-up jam for Indiana.

10. Indiana Hoosiers (4-0)
Previous ranking: 12
This week: vs. Little Rock (Wednesday), vs. Jackson State (Friday)

Amid each the blockbuster games past week, Indiana's roadworthy triumph versus Xavier shouldn't spell unnoticed. It's a triumph that should look amended and amended arsenic the play progresses -- and it besides was, arsenic the Indy Star's Zach Osterman pointed retired connected Twitter, Indiana's archetypal existent nonconference roadworthy triumph implicit a top-40 KenPom squad successful precisely 21 years. Twenty-one years! Indiana! Just a singular stat. Trayce Jackson-Davis was ascendant against the Musketeers, finishing with 30 points and six boards, and helium past came backmost against Miami (Ohio) connected Sunday for 17 points and 16 rebounds.

11. Baylor Bears (4-1)
Previous ranking: 7
This week: vs. McNeese State (Wednesday)

Baylor divided its outings successful Las Vegas, losing to Virginia connected Friday but bouncing backmost with a triumph connected Sunday implicit UCLA. The large standouts from the desert? Scott Drew's seasoned guards. LJ Cryer is intelligibly steadfast again aft missing overmuch of past play injured, totaling 67 points and shooting 11-for-20 from 3 scope implicit the past 3 games. Adam Flagler had 22 points and 4 assists against UCLA, including a mates of pugnacious buckets precocious to seal the win. But Baylor needs a batch much from Jalen Bridges; the West Virginia transportation didn't marque a azygous changeable successful 2 games, scoring conscionable 2 points.

12. Duke Blue Devils (3-1)
Previous ranking: 5
This week: vs. Bellarmine (Monday), Phil Knight Legacy (first game: vs. Oregon State connected Thursday)

We're getting person to seeing a full-strength Duke team, but we're not rather determination yet. Former No. 1 precocious schoolhouse enlistee Dereck Lively II missed the archetypal crippled of the play and came disconnected the seat for the adjacent two, earlier moving into the starting lineup against Delaware -- but playing lone 15 minutes and fouling out. Dariq Whitehead, the No. 2 recruit, made his play debut against the Blue Hens connected Friday aft undergoing ft country successful precocious August. He came disconnected the seat but made the astir of his time, taking 11 shots successful 15 minutes. He has the mentality to beryllium a go-to feline offensively, though, truthful aboriginal aggressiveness isn't a immense surprise.

13. Arkansas Razorbacks (3-0)
Previous ranking: 11
This week: Maui Invitational (first game: vs. Louisville connected Monday)

Despite each the hype surrounding the Razorbacks' incoming recruiting class, which featured 3 five-star prospects, Eric Musselman has been leaning connected -- surprise! -- transfers truthful acold this season. Ricky Council IV (Wichita State) has been the team's astir accordant violative threat, averaging 18.7 points and 3.7 assists, portion Makhi Mitchell (Rhode Island) has started each 3 games. Former Missouri guardant Trevon Brazile is putting up 14.0 points and 10.0 rebounds disconnected the seat ... and besides did this:

DUNK OF THE YEAR CANDIDATE BY TREVON BRAZILE 😤 @RazorbackMBB pic.twitter.com/fUzqSSEoAq

14. Alabama Crimson Tide (4-0)
Previous ranking: 15
This week: Phil Knight Invitational (first game: vs. Michigan State connected Thursday)

Brandon Miller has been the champion freshman successful the state truthful acold successful 2022-23, averaging 20.3 points and 9.3 rebounds done 4 games and shooting astir 52% from 3-point range. But we'll person plentifulness of clip to constitute astir him. So however astir the instrumentality of Jahvon Quinerly? Quinerly tore an ACL successful the NCAA tourney against Notre Dame, and helium already is backmost successful unrecorded action. He played 4 minutes against South Alabama and upped it to 17 minutes against Jacksonville State, against whom helium dished retired 8 assists disconnected the bench.

15. Auburn Tigers (4-0)
Previous ranking: 13
This week: Cancun Challenge (first game: vs. Bradley connected Tuesday), vs. Saint Louis (Sunday)

Keep an oculus connected Chance Westry this week. A top-50 recruit, Westry missed the archetypal 2 games of the play aft undergoing arthroscopic genu country successful October but returned to mean 17 minutes successful wins implicit Winthrop and Texas Southern. Before helium was sidelined, Westry was pushing for a spot successful Bruce Pearl's starting lineup. He has bully size, is simply a versatile perimeter player, tin walk efficaciously and keeps defenses honorable from 3. He'll beryllium an plus for the Tigers.

16. Arizona Wildcats (3-0)
Previous ranking: 14
This week: Maui Invitational (first game: vs. Cincinnati connected Monday)

After mowing done Nicholls State, Southern and Utah Tech successful the archetypal 3 games, the Wildcats volition yet beryllium enactment to the trial retired successful Maui. One cardinal happening to ticker this week is whether Oumar Ballo's early-season accumulation holds up against stiffer competition. The 7-foot erstwhile Gonzaga transportation has been dominant, averaging 17.0 points, 9.3 rebounds and 2.3 blocks successful conscionable 22 minutes. If Ballo tin proceed to nutrient consistently -- adjacent if it isn't to that grade -- Arizona could travel retired of the Maui Invitational with higher expectations.

Dropped out: Kentucky Wildcats (No. 4), UCLA Bruins (No. 8)

In the waiting room

Kentucky Wildcats: Kentucky's reliance connected Oscar Tshiebwe was precise evident this past week. The reigning nationalist subordinate of the twelvemonth returned from wounded against Michigan State and was ascendant disconnected the bench, going for 22 points and 18 rebounds -- until helium fouled retired and his squad fell isolated successful the 2nd overtime to lose. Tshiebwe was past the lone 1 to get disconnected the autobus successful the archetypal fractional against Gonzaga, going for 14 points and 7 rebounds successful the opening period. By the clip helium got immoderate assistance successful the 2nd half, the crippled was fundamentally retired of reach.

UCLA Bruins: In their losses against Illinois and Baylor this past week, the Bruins showed a inclination to get bogged down if Tyger Campbell and Jaime Jaquez Jr. aren't some producing astatine a precocious level offensively. The duo were terrific successful the archetypal fractional against Illinois, but Sencire Harris stifled Campbell successful the 2nd half. Campbell continued to conflict to marque shots against Baylor, but Jaylen Clark past stepped up. The Bruins' 1.16 points per possession allowed against Baylor would person been their third-worst show each of past season, per KenPom.

San Diego State Aztecs: The buzz astir Jaedon LeDee during the play helium sat retired pursuing his transportation from TCU was consistently positive, and helium has backed that up during the archetypal mates of weeks of play for the Aztecs. Against Stanford, erstwhile Matt Bradley and Darrion Trammell were struggling, it was LeDee who stepped up with 14 points. He is averaging 16.0 points and 4.7 boards disconnected the bench.