The college basketball season is over halfway in the books, and we are on the path to March Madness once again. The season is working its way through conference play, which means great games are on tap every single night. Any team is capable of scoring a win in conference play, especially on their home floor. Going on the road in conference play is no easy task, and we have seen our fair share of upset wins so far this season.
The unpredictability of conference play has caused a shake-up in our rankings this week. The Big 12 Conference now has 5 teams in the list of 20. Does that mean that the Big 12 is the best conference this season? That's up for debate. Check out this week's edition of the Vavel Top 20 rankings and form your own opinions!
1.Kentucky Wildcats (17 – 0)
The Kentucky Wildcats struggled in their first two conference games, as they needed to fight to score wins over the Ole Miss Rebels and the Texas A&M Aggies. Despite their struggles, the Wildcats seem to be back on track after routing Alabama in their most recent contest. They have a great chance to go undefeated, as long as they can get past both Florida and LSU on the road this season.
This week: Jan. 20 v. Vanderbilt; Jan. 24 @ South Carolina
2. Virginia Cavaliers (17 – 0)
The Virginia Cavaliers look to once again be the class of the ACC, and are the only other undefeated team alongside the Wildcats. Kentucky is no longer the unanimous number one team, and the Cavaliers are quietly nipping at their heels. Virginia is once again one of the top defending teams in the country, as they have only allowed two teams to score about 70 points this season (one was Miami, who scored 80 in double-overtime). Virginia looks to be the real deal once again in 2014-15, and will be a tough team to knock off going forwards.
This week: Jan. 22 v. Georgia Tech; Jan. 25 @ Virginia Tech
3. Gonzaga Bulldogs (18 – 1)
The Bulldogs are once again the class of the Western Athletic Conference, currently tied atop the standings at 7 – 0 with the Saint Mary’s Gaels. The addition of Kyle Wiltjer has taken the program to another level this season, and the elevated play of both Kevin Pangos and Domatas Sabonis has propelled Gonzaga into the national title conversation. The Gaels and Bulldogs face off on Thursday in a game that will have big implications on the conference race in 2014-15.
This week: Jan. 22 v. Saint Mary’s; Jan. 24 v. Pacific
4. Villanova Wildcats (17 – 1)
These rankings were done before Villanova’s blowout loss to Georgetown on Monday night, thus the rankings reflect the team’s record and performance before the loss. The Wildcats have been one of the more impressive teams this season, and once again look to be the class of the Big East. Jay Wright’s crew is a strong combination of talent and experience, but they have had some slow starts in recent games. They had to fight to score wins over Xavier and Pennsylvania, as the games were closer than they would have liked.
This week: Jan. 19 @ Georgetown; Jan. 25 v. Creighton
5. Duke Blue Devils (15 – 2)
Again, these rankings were done before Duke topped Pittsburgh on Monday night and gave Coach K his 999th win. Last week, the Blue Devils found themselves in a two-game slump, losing back-to-back games to NC State and Miami. They bounced back with a big home win over the Louisville Cardinals, and look to be back on the right track, The Blue Devils have a ton of talent on their roster, and should be able to recover fully from those two losses as they move forwards in January. Coach K will go for his 1,000th career win against St. John’s on Sunday.
This week: Jan. 19 v. Pittsburgh; Jan. 25 @ St. John’s
6. Wisconsin Badgers (16 – 2)
The Wisconsin Badgers suffered their first loss in Big Ten play last week in a shocking road defeat to the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. Frank Kaminsky missed that game due to a concussion, but has been cleared to play. Traevon Jackson is now out for six-to-eight weeks with a broken foot, which is a huge blow for the Badgers. At the start of the season, Wisconsin looked like the top dog in the conference. However, they now look vulnerable and people are starting to question whether or not they can win the conference title. They will need a big week if they want to silence their doubters and get back on track
This week: Jan. 20 v. Iowa; Jan. 24 @ Michigan
7. Arizona Wildcats (16 – 2)
The Wildcats suffered an upset loss on the road at Oregon State a couple of weeks back, sending the team on a bit of a slide in the rankings. This past week, they scored a monster win over then-#8 Utah in a top-10 battle to give the Wildcats a nice boost back up in the rankings. With freshman Stanley Johnson leading the way for the team this season, the Wildcats are still the top contender in the Pac-12 this season. Another big week is ahead for the team, as they have two big road games in a span of three days that will test the team physically and mentally.
This week: Jan. 22 @ Stanford; Jan. 24 @ California
8. Maryland Terrapins (17 – 2)
The Maryland Terrapins, behind the play of freshman guard Melo Trimble and a breakout season from Jake Layman, have enjoyed immediate success in their first season in the Big Ten Conference. Thanks to their strong play, they have emerged as a top contender in the conference, and look like Wisconsin’s biggest threat for the title. The Terrapins have already swept the season series with the Michigan State Spartans this season. A big week is ahead for the Terrapins, starting with a top-25 battle on Thursday.
This week: Jan. 22 @ Indiana; Jan. 24 v. Northwestern
9. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (17 – 2)
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are in a similar boat to the one the Maryland Terrapins are in. The Irish have quietly emerged as a top contender in the ACC this season, thanks in part to the play of Jerian Grant. They played Virginia tough, losing by just six points. They have taken down the North Carolina Tar Heels and the Miami Hurricanes already in conference play, and look to be a legitimate contender for the title. Back-to-back road games are on tap for the team this week, and they will look to avoid suffering a similar upset loss that the Blue Devils endured earlier this year.
This week: Jan. 22 @ Virginia Tech; Jan. 25 @ NC State
10. Iowa State Cyclones (13 – 3)
The Iowa State Cyclones are coming off their biggest win of the 2014-15 season, an 86 – 81 win over the Kansas Jayhawks this past weekend, quickly forcing people to forget about their upset loss to South Carolina earlier in the season. The likes of Georges Niang, Naz Long, and Marcus Morris are all enjoying breakout campaigns, and the Cyclones are in great shape in Big 12 play. They are one of only three teams in the conference with 1 loss on their conference record, and have a big match-up ahead of them this week on Tuesday.
This week: Jan. 20 v. Kansas State; Jan. 24 @ Texas Tech
11. Louisville Cardinals (15 – 3)
After two losses in their past three games, the Cardinals are slowly slipping down the rankings, and questions about the Cardinals being overrated are being raised all across the NCAA landscape. Despite all of the background noise and chatter, the Louisville Cardinals still have a ton of talent on their roster, and look to be capable of turning it around at any time. Terry Rozier is having a breakout season, and Montrezl Harrell is leading the way for the Cardinal forwards. The Cardinals have only one game this week, and will need a win to get back on track.
This week: Jan. 25 @ Pittsburgh
12. Utah Utes (14 – 3)
The Utah Utes are still one of the nation’s top teams, and are a trendy pick by bloggers and fans all over the college basketball landscape. They are a talented team, and are a top threat in the Pac-12 this season. They suffered a blowout loss to the Arizona Wildcats last week, but still find themselves tied for the top spot in the conference with the Wildcats and the Stanford Cardinal. Delon Wright is a top Wooden Award candidate, and has the team soaring to new heights in 2014-15. With two home games this week, look for Utah to quickly bounce back after their loss to Arizona.
This week: Jan. 21 v. Washington State; Jan. 25 v. Washington
13. Kansas Jayhawks (14 – 3)
Like the other teams in this edition of the Vavel Power Rankings who played on Monday, the record and the write-up do not include Monday’s games. The Kansas Jayhawks are coming off a 1 – 1 week where they topped the Oklahoma State Cowboys but lost to the Iowa State Cyclones. Freshmen Cliff Alexander and Kelly Oubre are slowly coming into their own for the Jayhawks, which is great news for Kansas and bad news for the rest of the conference. Kansas has two games this week against top 25 teams, so Kansas has a great chance for a statement week.
This week: Jan. 19 v. Oklahoma; Jan. 24 @ Texas
14. Wichita State Shockers (16 – 2)
The Wichita State Shockers have already doubled their loss total from all of last season, but some things are still the same. They enter this week with a perfect 6 – 0 record in Missouri Valley play, and they have the look of a team that could go undefeated in conference play for the second year in a row. Ron Baker is leading the way on the offensive end, which is no surprise. The play of Fred VanVleet, Darius Carter, and Tekele Cotton have flown under the radar, which is great for the Shockers and bad for everyone else. With these four players leading the way, the Shockers may not lose again before the NCAA Tournament.
This week: Jan. 21 @ Missouri State; Jan. 25 v. Drake
15. North Carolina Tar Heels (14 – 4)
Three of the four losses for the Tar Heels this season have been by 8 points or less, which show that this team is competitive in almost every game they play. The Tar Heels entered the season with a lot of hype surrounding the team, and have been going up and down in the rankings all season long. They have fallen out, and come back in, and now they are riding a three-game winning streak to propel themselves back up in the polls. Marcus Paige and Kennedy Meeks have the team going in the right direction, which is great news for college basketball fans everywhere. They will look to stretch their streak to five this week when they play in two games that they should win.
This week: Jan. 21 @ Wake Forest; Jan. 24 v. Florida State
16. Virginia Commonwealth Rams (15 – 3)
The Virginia Commonwealth Rams suffered three losses in a five game stretch at the end of November through to the start of December, surrounding the program with doubt. Since then, they have reeled off 10 straight wins, including their first 5 games in conference play. The Rams are once again the class of the Atlantic 10 conference, and are playing like the team everyone thought they would before the season started.
This week: Jan. 23 @ Saint Louis
17. Texas Longhorns (13 – 4)
The Longhorns closed out last week with a big win over the West Virginia Mountaineers, putting an end to their two-game losing streak from the week prior. Myles Turner is having a great season for the Longhorns, and now that Isaiah Taylor is back in the mix, the team is finally healthy and they look to keep moving in the right direction as the season progresses. With dominating big men and talented guards, there’s no reason to doubt that Texas cannot end Kansas’ conference title winning streak. Both teams face off on Saturday of this week inside the Frank Erwin Center, which will go a long way in determining the regular season champion.
This week: Jan. 19 @ TCU; Jan. 24 v. Kansas
18. Northern Iowa Panthers (16 – 2)
The Northern Iowa Panthers look like the top team in the Missouri Valley Conference who can take down the mighty Wichita State Shockers this season. Their two losses have come by a combined 9 points (losses to VCU and Evansville). Senior forward Seth Tuttle is the only player to average double-digit points per game, but they have 9 players who have played in all 18 games, who average at least 15 minutes per game, and average at least 4 points per contest. Their balanced scoring attack has allowed for the team to be successful this season, and that trend should continue throughout the remainder of conference play.
This week: Jan. 21 v. Indiana State; Jan. 25 @ Illinois State
19. Oklahoma Sooners (12 – 5)
The Sooners took on the Jayhawks on Monday night, this this reflects the team’s performance before Monday night. Despite having three losses on their conference resume, the Sooners are still widely regarded as one of the nation’s best teams, and a top team in the loaded Big 12 conference. On their home floor, they have taken down three nationally-ranked opponents in conference play, which is a sign of great things for the program. Add in a win over in-state rival Oklahoma State last week, and the Sooners are a team to keep an eye on.
This week: Jan. 19 @ Kansas; Jan. 24 @ Baylor
20. West Virginia Mountaineers (15 – 3)
The Mountaineers opened eyes in the opening month of the season, as they rolled to the Puerto Rico Tip-Off tournament title. In their last three games, they have taken on three straight ranked opponents and have gone 1 – 2 over that stretch. Their most recent loss was a 77 – 50 decision at the hands of the Texas Longhorns. Senior guard Juwan Staten is still a top Wooden Award candidate, and they should be able to bounce back quite nicely this week, as they have a slow week with only one contest ahead of them.
This week: Jan. 24 v. TCU
Others Receiving Votes: Baylor Bears, Wyoming Cowboys, Old Dominion Monarchs, Iowa Hawkeyes, San Diego State Aztecs, Colorado State Rams
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The upcoming week will see a lot of teams face some stiff competition, as there are quite a few Top 25 battles slated over the course of the next few days. These games will most surely shake up next week's rankings, so keep an eye out to see what happens during this week!