Top 25 Breakdown 2/11/19

With another week in the books, we are slowly moving towards Selection Sunday, with 5 weeks remaining until the big day. We are really starting to get a good feel for who the elites in college basketball are, and what teams could be in trouble of getting upset early. There's been a lot of volatility in the Top 25 throughout the season, and this week they stayed a little more consistent, although there is a new top dog and some other teams are surging while others are falling, but for the most part, there weren't a ton of major changes. I'm always talking college basketball on Twitter @ThreePointRange, so be sure to follow me there, and enjoy the week ahead in hoops.

Top 25
1. Duke (2)
Record: 21-2, 9-1
Last Week: W 80-55 vs Boston College, W 81-71 @ Virginia
This Week: 2/12 @ Louisville, 2/16 vs North Carolina State

2. Tennessee (1)
Record: 22-1, 10-0
Last Week: W 72-60 vs Missouri, W 73-61 vs Florida
This Week: 2/13 vs South Carolina, 2/16 @ Kentucky

3. Gonzaga (4)
Record: 23-2, 10-0
Last Week: W 92-62 vs San Francisco, W 94-46 vs St. Mary's
This Week: 2/14 @ Loyola Marymount, 2/16 @ San Diego

4. Kentucky (5)
Record: 20-3, 9-1
Last Week: W 76-48 vs South Carolina, W 71-67 @ Mississippi State
This Week: 2/12 vs LSU, 2/16 vs Tennessee

5. Virginia (3)
Record: 20-2, 8-2
Last Week: L 81-71 vs Duke
This Week: 2/11 @ North Carolina, 2/16 vs Notre Dame

6. Michigan (7)
Record: 22-2, 11-2
Last Week: W 77-65 @ Rutgers, W 61-52 vs Wisconsin
This Week: 2/12 @ Penn State, 2/16 vs Michigan

7. North Carolina (8)
Record: 19-4, 9-1
Last Week: W 113-96 vs North Carolina State, W 88-85 (OT) vs Miami
This Week: 2/11 vs Virginia, 2/16 @ Wake Forest

8. Houston (15)
Record: 23-1, 10-1
Last Week: W 77-68 @ UCF, W 65-58 vs Cincinnati
This Week: 2/14 @ Connecticut, 2/17 @ Tulane

9. Michigan State (6)
Record: 19-5, 10-3
Last Week:  L 79-74 @ Illinois, W 79-55 vs Minnesota
This Week: 2/12 @ Wisconsin, 2/17 vs Ohio State

10. Marquette (10)
Record: 20-4, 9-2
Last Week: L 70-69 vs St. John's, W 66-65 vs Villanova
This Week: 2/5 vs St. John's, 2/9 vs Villanova

11. Nevada (9)
Record: 23-1, 10-1
Last Week: W 98-82 @ Colorado State, W 91-62 vs New Mexico
This Week: 2/16 @ Wyoming

12. Purdue (13)
Record: 16-6, 9-2
Last Week: W 81-62 vs Nebraska
This Week: 2/12 @ Maryland, 2/16 vs Penn State

13. LSU (18)
Record: 19-4, 9-1
Last Week: W 92-88 (OT) @ Mississippi State, W 83-78 vs Auburn
This Week: 2/12 @ Kentucky, 2/16 @ Georgia

14. Villanova (12)
Record: 19-5, 10-1
Last Week: W 66-59 (OT) vs Creighton, L 66-65 @ Marquette
This Week: 2/13 vs Providence, 2/17 @ St. John's

15. Kansas (14)
Record: 18-6, 7-4
Last Week: L 74-67 @ Kansas State, W 82-72 vs Oklahoma State
This Week: 2/11 @ TCU, 2/16 vs West Virginia

16. Iowa State (16)
Record: 18-6, 7-4
Last Week: W 75-74 @ Oklahoma, L 92-83 vs TCU
This Week: 2/16 @ Kansas State

17. Virginia Tech (11)
Record: 18-5, 7-4
Last Week: L 72-64 vs Louisville, L 59-51 @ Clemson
This Week: 2/13 vs Georgia Tech, 2/16 @ Pittsburgh

18. Iowa (20)
Record: 19-5, 8-5
Last Week: W 77-72 @ Indiana, W 80-79 vs Northwestern
This Week: 2/16 @ Rutgers

19. Wisconsin (17)
Record: 17-7, 9-4
Last Week: W 56-51 @ Minnesota, L 61-52 @ Michigan
This Week: 2/12 vs Michigan State

20. Buffalo (22)
Record: 20-3, 8-2
Last Week: W 90-76 vs Central Michigan
This Week: 2/12 @ Akron, 2/15 @ Toledo

21. Kansas State (28)
Record: 18-5, 8-2
Last Week: W 74-67 vs Kansas, W 70-63 @ Baylor
This Week: 2/12 @ Texas, 2/16 vs Iowa State

22. Auburn (19)
Record: 16-7, 5-5
Last Week: W 76-62 vs Florida, L 83-78 @ LSU
This Week: 2/13 vs Mississippi, 2/16 @ Vanderbilt

23. Texas Tech (25)
Record: 19-5, 7-4
Last Week: W 81-50 vs West Virginia, W 66-54 @ Oklahoma
This Week: 2/13 @ Oklahoma State, 2/16 vs Baylor

24. Louisville (21)
Record: 17-7, 8-3
Last Week: W 72-64 @ Virginia Tech, L 80-75 (OT) @ Florida State
This Week: 2/12 vs Duke, 2/16 vs Clemson

25. Florida State (NR)
Record: 18-5, 6-4
Last Week: W 80-62 @ Syracuse, W 80-75 (OT) vs Louisville
This Week: 2/13 vs Wake Forest, 2/16 @ Georgia Tech

Next 5
26. Maryland (24)
Record: 18-6, 9-4
Last Week: W 60-45 @ Nebraska
This Week: 2/12 vs Purdue, 2/16 @ Michigan

27. Washington (27)
Record: 19-5, 10-1
Last Week: W 67-60 @ Arizona, L 75-63 @ Arizona State
This Week: 2/16 @ Washington State

28. Mississippi State (23)
Record: 16-7, 4-6
Last Week: L 92-88 (OT) vs LSU, L 71-67 vs Kentucky
This Week: 2/12 vs Alabama, 2/16 @ Arkansas

29. Baylor (26)
Record: 15-8, 6-4
Last Week: L 84-72 @ Texas, L 70-63 vs Kansas State
This Week: 2/11 vs Oklahoma, 2/16 @ Texas Tech

30. Cincinnati (29)
Record: 20-4, 9-2
Last Week: W 69-64 @ Temple, L 65-58 @ Houston
This Week: 2/17 vs Wichita State

Previously Ranked: Lipscomb (30)

Also Considered: Alabama, Lipscomb, Minnesota, Mississippi, North Carolina State, St. John's, TCU, Wofford

Notes

- Duke is back atop my rankings, and honestly, this feels right. I think everyone with eyes has been able to tell that they are the best team in the country, and they completed a season sweep of Virginia to get themselves back to the coveted #1 spot in the Top 25 Breakdown. Duke actually has a tough schedule coming up, so they have their opportunity to reinforce this spot with their next 5 games being at Louisville, home for North Carolina and North Carolina State, at Syracuse (that's an L) and at Virginia Tech. As for Tennessee dropping from that top spot without losing, I don't really care. The Blue Devils did enough to take the top spot from them, and while both teams are deserving, Duke is better so they are #1. 

- The biggest game this week comes when former #1 Tennessee goes to #4 Kentucky, and I will break it down in full in my next SEC Breakdown, but I wanted to highlight this top 5 clash to make sure everyone reading this carves out the time Saturday night to watch it. The winner will be a top 3 team, and Tennessee could maybe move back on top of the rankings with a road victory.

- Houston is a legitimately great team, and I am finally recognizing them as such. They are now eighth in my rankings after wins on the road against UCF and at home against their top challenger in the American, Cincinnati. With just one loss on a controversial charge call on the road against Temple and a 3 seed in the recent bracket reveal, the Cougars are an elite outfit and a no doubt top 10 team in my mind.

- Michigan State went from one of the elite teams in the country to a team I'm starting to worry about really quickly. We've seen their entire team struggle over their losing streak, and I'm much less sold on guys like Matt McQuaid and especially Nick Ward being capable of being some of the best players on a Big Ten winning or Final Four team. I currently have them at 9, and while the win over Minnesota was nice, I really want to see how this Wisconsin game goes for them before moving them back up.

- Kansas, Iowa State, Wisconsin, and Iowa were teams that I didn't really know what to do with, They split their games this week, or in the case of Iowa, won very unconvincingly, so I didn't really want to move them at all. Marquette and Villanova also fall into that same category, and in general, I never really know how to handle a win and loss against teams of similar quality, and at this point in the year, I feel I have a good enough feel for where these teams should be ranked to keep them solid and not overreact to one loss.

- Kansas State has really surged into the top 25, having won 8 straight Big 12 games after starting 0-2, and despite a bad loss against Texas A&M, they look like a title challenger in the conference, and just beat in-state rival Kansas to keep moving up. The Wildcats really are a different team with Dean Wade in the mix, and he has brought this team up to #21 in my rankings right now with potential to keep moving up. 

- Florida State has gotten themselves back into my Top 25 after they dominate Syracuse and beat fellow Top 25 team Louisville in an overtime thriller. I got a chance to watch the Seminoles live in their performance against Syracuse, and they definitely looked the part in that game. I was really impressed with them, especially their outside shooting, and I think the nation has kind of forgotten about them, especially after they went through a rough stretch in mid-January, I know I sort of wrote them off, but they are back now and look really good.

- There had to be a team that dropped out of my Top 25 to fit everyone in, and this week that was Maryland. They just didn't have wins some of the other teams did this week, only playing one game against a struggling Nebraska, which they won, but they were an unfortunate casualty and I expect to see them back soon.

- Lipscomb also fell out, this time out of the top 30, and they could be right back if they take down Liberty this week. I'm sure you remember the beatdown they gave the Flames in their last matchup, and with this one coming at home, the Bisons have another great chance to continue to make their at-large case. Look out for Wofford as well, as they are playing a very good UNC-Greensboro team who they blew out on the road, and Spartans will be looking for revenge. They could both be in that top 30, or very close to it if they win this week and stay undefeated in conference play.

What To Watch

2/11
#5 Virginia @ #7 North Carolina
#15 Kansas @ Also Considered TCU
Oklahoma @ #29 Baylor
2/12
#12 Purdue @ #26 Maryland
#13 LSU @ #4 Kentucky
#9 Michigan State @ #19 Wisconsin
#10 Marquette @ DePaul
#1 Duke @ #24 Louisville
Also Considered Alabama @ #28 Mississippi State
#21 Kansas State @ Texas
2/13
South Carolina @ #2 Tennessee
Liberty @ Also Considered Lipscomb
Syracuse @ Also Considered North Carolina State
Also Considered Mississippi @ #22 Auburn
2/14
#8 Houston @ UConn
2/15
#22 Buffalo @ Toledo
2/16
#26 Maryland @ #6 Michigan
Clemson @ #24 Louisville
#29 Baylor @ #23 Texas Tech
Florida @ Also Considered Alabama
#16 Iowa State @ #21 Kansas State
Also Considered North Carolina State @ #1 Duke
UNC Greensboro @ Also Considered Wofford
#2 Tennessee @ #4 Kentucky
#28 Mississippi State @ Arkansas
2/17
Ohio State @ #9 Michigan State
#14 Villanova @ Also Considered St. John's