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Jeff Borzello, ESPN Staff Writer
A couple of months ago, hoopheads around the country circled Saturday on their calendars. Or added an alert to their phone, or some other modern-day reminder. It looked to be one of the best days of nonconference basketball in some time, with matchups between two ranked teams all over the schedule.
And though the slate has lost some of its luster because of a few early results, it’s still going to shake up the Power Rankings as we inch toward full-fledged conference play. These four teams could see the biggest change next week:
UConn and Gonzaga: The best game of the day takes place in New York City. Gonzaga still has a game against UCLA after Christmas, but this is one of its last chances at a marquee win this season. UConn has responded well after its three-game losing streak in Maui, but a win here would be massive entering conference play.
Illinois: The Illini have been on the verge of a statement win throughout the early season, falling short against Alabama and then losing in overtime to Northwestern. What better way to announce your arrival onto the national stage than by beating No. 1 Tennessee — and playing the game on your home court?
UCLA: The Bruins are in the midst of a three-week gauntlet. They won at Oregon last weekend, and now face Arizona in Phoenix this weekend, and still have North Carolina and Gonzaga on the schedule for December. If the Bruins beat their former Pac-12 rival in a pseudo-road game, they’ll be a factor moving forward.
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Lanier explains how Tennessee’s composure was key vs. Miami
Chaz Lanier speaks on how the No. 1 Volunteers’ control on offense and their ability to finish plays secured a 75-62 victory over the Hurricanes.
Previous ranking: 1
Though Chaz Lanier has earned plaudits for his scoring exploits as one of the best transfers in the country, Zakai Zeigler is playing at an All-America level and has once again been a catalyst for the Volunteers. Since turning over the ball 11 times in a road win at Louisville on Nov. 9, Zeigler is averaging 8.0 assists and just 2.3 turnovers — while also scoring 11.0 points and racking up 2.2 steals.
Next seven days: at Illinois (Dec. 14), vs. Western Carolina (Dec. 17)
Previous ranking: 2
Miles Kelly is proving to be the missing piece for Auburn, a wing with size who can shoot from the perimeter. The Georgia Tech transfer was productive the past couple of seasons for the Yellow Jackets. He has slotted into the Auburn starting lineup and been a huge asset from 3. He has made multiple 3s in five of his past six games, made at least four 3s in three games and is shooting 49% from beyond the arc on more than five attempts per game.
Next seven days: vs. Ohio State in Atlanta (Dec. 14), vs. Georgia State (Dec. 17)
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Auburn’s Jahki Howard puts a Richmond defender on a poster
Jahki Howard grabs an offensive rebound, then puts a Richmond defender on a poster with a big slam.
Previous ranking: 3
What’s different about this season’s Iowa State team compared with the past couple of years? From a numbers perspective, it’s clearly on the offensive end. The Cyclones rank sixth in the country in adjusted offensive efficiency, and they’re scoring 1.24 points per possession. Though their awful nonconference schedule has provided a boost to their numbers in the past, that’s not entirely the case this season; two of their three best offensive performances of the season came against Dayton and Colorado.
Next seven days: at Iowa (Dec. 12), vs. Omaha (Dec. 15)
Previous ranking: 8
With Lamont Butler out because of an ankle injury and Kerr Kriisa sustaining a foot injury that will sideline him indefinitely, coach Mark Pope doesn’t have many point guards on his roster. But Jaxson Robinson took on much of the playmaking and ballhandling duties down the stretch against Gonzaga and started at the point against Colgate on Wednesday. There were some ups and downs, but he had help from the rest of the rotation; five Kentucky players had multiple assists and the team’s turnover rate was its lowest of the season.
Next seven days: vs. Louisville (Dec. 14)
Previous ranking: 7
After a couple of quieter weeks in which Kam Jones scored 14 points or fewer in three of four games and was outplayed by Keshon Gilbert in a loss to Iowa State, the senior guard’s player of the year candidacy got back on track in a big way against Wisconsin. Jones finished with 32 points, 6 assists and 4 steals, making three 3-pointers. The shooting is key; he was 4-for-16 from 3 in his previous five games.
Next seven days: at Dayton (Dec. 14), vs. Butler (Dec. 18)
Previous ranking: 6
Entering the season, Kon Knueppel had generated a considerable amount of hype. NBA scouts were talking about him, and he had moved into the top 10 of mock drafts. Then he scored 22 points in the season opener against Maine. It has been more uneven since then, especially when it comes to shooting against tough opponents. In games against Kentucky, Kansas and Auburn, he’s just 1-for-17 from 3. On the plus side, he has found other ways to contribute, scoring in double figures in two of those games and dishing out eight assists against the Jayhawks.
Next seven days: vs. George Mason (Dec. 17)
Previous ranking: 11
The addition of Chris Youngblood to Alabama’s rotation should be a huge boost, especially after the season-ending injury to Latrell Wrightsell. Youngblood shared AAC Player of the Year honors last season at South Florida, averaging 15.3 points and shooting 41.6% from 3. He’s 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds, and will add some physicality and toughness on the perimeter, which should help a defense that has struggled mightily at times this season.
Next seven days: vs. Creighton (Dec. 14), at North Dakota (Dec. 18)
Previous ranking: 12
Though we won’t get a true gauge for Florida’s ceiling until SEC play, the Gators face the two toughest games of their nonconference schedule in an 80-hour span this weekend into next week. They start with Arizona State on Saturday in Atlanta, before traveling to Charlotte to face North Carolina. The Sun Devils and Tar Heels need a statement performance, for different reasons, but Florida should remain unbeaten.
Next seven days: vs. Arizona State in Atlanta (Dec. 14), at North Carolina in Charlotte (Dec. 17)
Previous ranking: 5
How will Gonzaga respond after blowing a lead to Kentucky and then traveling across the country to face UConn at the Huskies’ third home, Madison Square Garden? The 3-point battle will be key. UConn ranks in the top 40 nationally in 3-point attempt rate, making nearly 37% of its 3s, and has made double-digit 3s five times this season. Gonzaga is at the opposite end, ranking No. 306 in percentage of points from 3s — and the Bulldogs are shooting only 33.7%. But the Zags are third in 3-point defense, while UConn is No. 325.
Next seven days: vs. UConn in New York (Dec. 14), vs. Nicholls (Dec. 18)
Previous ranking: 9
Nate Bittle has had a fascinating career arc in Eugene. He came out of high school as a five-star prospect, but struggled to get on the floor as a freshman. After showing flashes over the next couple of years, he suffered a broken wrist, which stunted his junior season. But now as a fourth-year player, the 7-footer is breaking out. He had 22 points and 10 boards in the loss to UCLA, and is averaging 14.4 points and 9.1 rebounds, with three double-doubles.
Next seven days: vs. Stephen F. Austin (Dec. 15)
Previous ranking: 4
Kansas had its two worst offensive performances of the season in last week’s two losses to Creighton and Missouri, while also allowing at least 1.04 points per possession in both games. The issues at both ends happened in different ways. Creighton hit 12 3-pointers, while Missouri got to the free throw line 31 times. At the other end, Creighton did a terrific job neutralizing Hunter Dickinson, while Missouri forced 22 turnovers.
Next seven days: vs. NC State (Dec. 14)
Previous ranking: 10
Out the door goes the two-time consensus player of the year, in steps another All-America candidate without missing a beat. Trey Kaufman-Renn is obviously a completely different player than Zach Edey, but it’s incredibly impressive how good he has been from the moment the season began. He started every game for the Boilermakers a year ago, but was an ancillary option. This season, Kaufman-Renn has scored at least 14 points in every game, has four 20-point games and had his best outings against Alabama, Ole Miss, Maryland and NC State.
Next seven days: vs. Texas A&M in Indianapolis (Dec. 14)
Previous ranking: 14
The big key for Ole Miss entering the season was whether the Rebels’ defense could improve. Last season, Ole Miss didn’t have anything resembling a typical Chris Beard defense. The Rebels ranked 12th in the SEC — and No. 141 nationally — in adjusted defensive efficiency, allowing nearly 1.15 points per possession. For comparison, Beard never ranked lower than 18th in KenPom’s adjusted defensive efficiency in his previous five seasons. It’s getting better, despite struggling against Purdue, especially when it comes to forcing turnovers and blocking shots — which the Rebels rank in the top 15 nationally in both categories.
Next seven days: vs. Southern Miss in Biloxi, Mississippi (Dec. 14), vs. Southern (Dec. 17)
Previous ranking: 16
Entering this season, Miles Byrd had played 35 games over two years at San Diego State, starting zero and scoring in double figures twice. And now the 6-foot-7 Byrd is one of the biggest breakout players in the country. He’s scored in all but two games this season, including 16 points against Creighton and 18 points against Houston. Byrd also went for 19 points and four 3-pointers in Wednesday’s win over Cal Baptist. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see the left-hander play himself onto NBA draft boards given his size, shotmaking and two-way ability.
Next seven days: None
Previous ranking: 17
It’s understandable why efficiency-based metrics love Houston. The Cougars entered the season with terrific priors and their three losses this season have been by a combined 13 points, with two coming in overtime. But how good is Kelvin Sampson’s team? Their best wins so far are over a Markus Burton-less Notre Dame team and a Butler group that just lost at home to North Dakota State. And we likely won’t find out about Houston for another six weeks, as the Cougars have a friendly — well, “friendly,” in Big 12 terms — start to conference play. They don’t play a Top 25 team until visiting Kansas on Jan. 25.
Next seven days: vs. Toledo (Dec. 18)
Previous ranking: 19
Clemson gets another test this weekend against Memphis, but it also gives us a chance to see the Tigers’ elite defense against a talented offensive unit. Clemson has held nine of its 10 opponents to fewer than one point per possession this season, with Boise State the only team to surpass that mark (and the only team to beat Clemson so far). The Tigers limit fast-break points and second-chance points, forcing teams to make plays in the half court. Memphis has the guards to do just that, which makes Saturday intriguing.
Next seven days: vs. Memphis (Dec. 14), at South Carolina (Dec. 17)
Previous ranking: 21
While Texas A&M’s offensive rebounding has been paramount to its success this season — the Aggies rank first in the country for the second season in a row in offensive rebounding percentage — their most telling stat might be free throw rate. According to EvanMiya.com, A&M is 5-0 with a margin of victory of 18.6 points when its free throw rate is 34.8% or higher. When it’s less than 34.8%, they’re 3-2 and the average margin of victory drops to 1.8 points.
Next seven days: at Purdue in Indianapolis (Dec. 14)
Previous ranking: 18
Despite the way last season ended, there was some hope that former Georgia Tech transfer Jalon Moore could carry his strong finish to the campaign over to this season. He scored in double-figures in 10 of his last 12 games, averaging 15.5 points and 8.8 boards in his last four games. And Moore has been even better this season, scoring at least 20 points six times after hitting that mark just twice in the first three years of his college career. He’s averaging 18.2 points and 6.3 boards.
Next seven days: vs. Oklahoma State in Oklahoma City (Dec. 14), vs. Michigan in Charlotte (Dec. 18)
Previous ranking: Unranked
The Huskies let the “dynasty is over” talk last about a week before putting together as strong of a two-game bounce-back as they could have, beating Baylor without Alex Karaban and then going on the road to knock off Texas by 11. Karaban’s return was huge, as he posted the first double-double of his career against Texas, finishing with 21 points and 11 rebounds. Dan Hurley also received really good mileage from Samson Johnson and Tarris Reed in both games.
Next seven days: vs. Gonzaga in New York (Dec. 14), vs. Xavier (Dec. 18)
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Samson Johnson throws down one-handed jam for Huskies
Samson Johnson gets up to throw the hammer down for UConn vs. Texas.
Previous ranking: 22
Josh Hubbard burst onto the scene last season as one of the most exciting freshmen in the country, moving into the starting lineup midseason and putting up big numbers. This season, Hubbard is as electric as he was last season — but his numbers are up across the board and he’s far more efficient than a year ago. He’s averaging 19.0 points, shooting better than 43% from 3 and has totaled 31 assists to just three (!) turnovers.
Next seven days: vs. McNeese in Tupelo, Mississippi (Dec. 14), vs. Central Michigan in Jackson, Mississippi (Dec. 17)
Previous ranking: Unranked
Could the long-awaited Xavier Booker breakout be upon us? The former top-10 recruit failed to carve out a consistent role for most of his freshman campaign, and started the first three games of this season before moving back to the bench following a scoreless outing against Kansas. But he has now scored in double figures in three straight games: 12 points and 7 rebounds against North Carolina in Maui, 11 points against Minnesota and then 11 points and 6 rebounds against Nebraska.
Next seven days: vs. Oakland in Detroit (Dec. 17)
Previous ranking: Unranked
As mentioned earlier, UCLA is in the midst of a five-game stretch that will give us an indication of where the Bruins might stand in the Big Ten pecking order. But Mick Cronin’s team has already turned its season around following a surprising loss to New Mexico in the second game of the season. That game saw the team turn it over 21 times and shoot 5-for-23 from 3 — the worst marks of the campaign in both categories. Since then, according to BartTorvik.com, the Bruins are shooting better than 37% from 3 and have a top-30 turnover rate in the country.
Next seven days: at Arizona in Phoenix (Dec. 14), vs. Prairie View A&M (Dec. 17)
Previous ranking: 24
As we wrote in Wednesday’s freshman rankings, guard Kasparas Jakucionis has taken his game to an entirely different level over the last couple of weeks. Over his past four games — a stretch that includes matchups against Arkansas, Northwestern and Wisconsin — Jakucionis is averaging 22.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 5.3 assists, while shooting nearly 56% from 3-point range. Saturday brings a very difficult test in Tennessee’s Zakai Zeigler.
Next seven days: vs. Tennessee (Dec. 14)
Previous ranking: 23
Jeremy Roach has missed the past two games after suffering a concussion in Baylor’s loss to UConn, which has forced a pair of freshmen to shoulder more responsibility. VJ Edgecombe has been more assertive on the offensive end against Abilene Christian and Norfolk State, totaling 30 points, 15 rebounds, 7 assists and 7 steals and shooting 60% from the field. Classmate Robert Wright III moved into the starting lineup in Roach’s place and just had 16 points and 13 assists against Norfolk.
Next seven days: vs. Oklahoma in Charlotte (Dec. 18)
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Baylor stays undefeated at home with win over Norfolk State
Baylor stays undefeated at home with win over Norfolk State
Previous ranking: 15
Yes, we’re aware Memphis just lost by 13 at home to Arkansas State. But this is still a team with neutral-court wins over UConn and Michigan State, as well as a home victory over Missouri. And now the Tigers have a huge four-game stretch before conference play begins and their opportunities to add significant wins essentially disappear. They go to Clemson this weekend, Virginia next week, then return home for games against Mississippi State and Ole Miss.
Next seven days: at Clemson (Dec. 14), at Virginia (Dec. 18)
Dropped out: Wisconsin Badgers (No. 13), Michigan Wolverines (No. 20), Creighton Bluejays (No. 25)
