College Basketball Couch Power 10 (Feb. 18th)
Maryland's big win at Michigan State got them closer to a historical Big Ten title
Welcome to Week 4 of the College Basketball Couch Power 10! This time next month, the First Four games of the 2020 men’s basketball tournament will be tipping off. Strangely, enough, in a regular season that has been among the maddest we’ve had in recent history, the closer we get to March Madness, the more things seem to be settling into a sense of normalcy.
There were some eyebrow-raising upsets last week: Louisville evidently decided they didn't want to win the ACC, getting absolutely stomped by Georgia Tech and Clemson, two teams that won't make the tournament. Auburn played yet another overtime game, and won again, but then finally ended their wild run with an upset loss at Missouri. Apart from these, though, the status quo seemed to win the day. There were only 5 games between ranked teams over the course of the week, and the home team won 4 of them.
Even with some teams starting to rise to the top, the fact remains that there are no truly great teams this season, and one gets the feeling that the title is everyone’s to win. Despite this, I’ll do my best to rank the top teams based on what they’ve done to date:
1. Baylor (23-1)
The Bears played just one game in the last week, but it was a big one, defeating Top 15 West Virginia 70-59. If they can avoid upset vs. Oklahoma tonight, they will he set for a huge mega showdown (and de facto Big 12 championship) vs. Kansas this weekend.
2. San Diego State (26-0)
The Aztecs stayed perfect on the season, quietly rolling over New Mexico and Boise State. They’re now just 3 wins away from a flawless regular season, and even better, somehow still flying under the radar.
3. Gonzaga (26-1)
The Zags‘ one game was a routine procedure over Pepperdine. They’re setting up a fascinating debate on who the stronger West Coast mid-major is.
4. Duke (22-3)
After their thrilling one-two punch over UNC and Florida State two weeks ago, Duke played just one game, and it was a 34-point win over possible tournament team Notre Dame. All of a sudden, Duke are the toast of the ACC, and a contender on the national scale.
5. Kansas (23-3)
It was a big week for the Jayhawks- after a commanding win over Top 15 West Virginia, Kansas helped themselves to two blowout victories over Oklahoma and Iowa State. KU has the look of a team that’s rounding into serious national contender form, and it couldn’t have come at a better time: Baylor awaits this weekend.
6. Maryland (21-4)
Maryland checks in as our highest-ranked 4-loss team, but it's thoroughly deserved. Winners of nine straight, the Terps added a clutch win on the road at Michigan State to their already-impressive resumé. With it, they have one hand on their first ever Big Ten trophy.
7. Dayton (23-2)
This week won't move the needle in Dayton's quest to be noticed among the mid-major contenders, with just a win over lowly UMass. Still, it's their 15th-straight victory, and they boast the likely frontrunner for the Wooden Award in Obi Toppin.
8. Florida State (22-4)
What a difference a week makes. Last week, they lost their biggest ACC game so far to Duke. Now, with commanding wins over Syracuse and Pittsburgh, and two Louisville upsets, they're alone in 2nd place in the ACC, within striking distance of the Blue Devils.
9. Penn State (20-5)
Penn State, one of the surprise success stories of the season, continued their good form with comfortable wins over Purdue and Northwestern. They're on a run of eight straight wins, and that has been sufficient to help them stay within reach of Maryland.
10. Creighton (21-6)
Creighton is the latest team to make their Couch Power 10 debut! The Bluejays have six losses on the season, but their current four-game winning streak includes road victories over Top 20 teams Seton Hall and Marquette. Out of nowhere, they are suddenly keeping pace with Seton Hall and Villanova in the race for the Big East.
Just missed: Auburn, Villanova, Louisville, Kentucky, Oregon, North Carolina for the first 37 minutes of games
Bonus: Daniel's #1 Seeds as it stands today!
SOUTH (Houston): Baylor
WEST (Los Angeles): San Diego State
MIDWEST (Indianapolis): Gonzaga
EAST (New York): Duke