College basketball power rankings: Auburn's big week pushes Tigers back to No. 1 as Wisconsin joins top 10
There's no college basketball team that has close to the same body of work as Auburn
By
Kyle Boone
•
4 min read
The Auburn Tigers -- fresh off a weekend road win over Alabama -- are back at the top of the CBS Sports college basketball power rankings for the first time in five weeks, supplanting Duke at No. 1. Auburn (24-2) has a two-game lead in the toughest conference in America, a strangehold on the No. 1 overall seed and five wins in less than 40 days over ranked teams. That's twice as many as Duke has all season.
They are a deserving No. 1.
Alabama was among the biggest fallers in this week's power rankings after losing at home to Auburn and following that up with a Wednesday night loss at Missouri. Alabama scored 98 points in the loss but surrendered 110 to the Tigers -- their highest point total in an SEC game since they joined the league in 2012 -- pushing the Tide all the way to No. 9.
Let's get to this week's rankings. As always, the caveat: this is not a ranking the best tourney résumés, nor the ranking of the best teams like Gary Parrish's Top 25 and 1. The power rankings are compiled emphasizing recent results and the quantification of the eye test and vibes based on the evaluation of yours truly.
College Basketball Power Rankings
| 1 |  |
| A win over rival Alabama in Tuscaloosa highlighted a great week for Auburn as it ascends to No. 1 this week in the power rankings. It also held off a hungry Arkansas team at home Wednesday to improve to 24-2 on the season. That's the second-best 26-game start to a season in program history. Last week: No. 4 | |
| 2 |  |
| Since its loss at Clemson two weeks ago, Duke has won three straight by an average margin of 25 points and is now 15-1 in ACC play. Last week: No. 1 | |
| 3 |  |
| Florida has two wins over No. 1-ranked teams this season, including arguably the best win by any team this season after downing No. 1 Auburn on the road earlier this month. Each of its last five wins, including the Auburn win, have come by at least nine points. Last week: No. 3 | |
| 4 |  |
| The Big 12 runs through Houston thanks to a 14-1 conference record that has the Cougars -- who won the league in their first year last season -- sitting with a two-game lead over Arizona. Wins at Arizona and Arizona State this week should go a long ways toward its effort to repeat. Last week: No. 5 | |
| 5 |  |
| With six wins and counting, Michigan is back atop the Big Ten standings and cruising down the stretch with wins of late over Purdue, Ohio State, Indiana and Oregon. Last week: No. 6 | |
| 6 |  |
| Rick Pitino's Johnnies shook off their close road loss to Villanova last week with a 2-0 week in which it beat Creighton and DePaul. They are 2.5 games up in the Big East on Marquette and Creighton. Last week: No. 9 | |
| 7 |  |
| Unranked no more, Iowa State has earned its place back in the top 10 thanks to an impressive four-game winning streak in which it has won by an average margin of 16.7 and positioned itself back in the Big 12 title picture. A fully healthy Cyclones team remains one of the most balanced and dangerous title threats in the sport. Last week: NR | |
| 8 |  |
| Missouri handed Alabama its second consecutive loss Wednesday night and won in wire-to-wire fashion. The Tigers were 0-18 in SEC play last year and are 9-4 this year, well on their way toward making not just an appearance, but an arrival, in March Madness. This team rules. Last week: NR | |
| 9 |  |
| A home loss to the No. 1 team and a road loss to a quality Missouri team on the road shouldn't dock Alabama too much, but it costs them a good fall here. Two losses this week might be the difference between winning the SEC and not. Last week: No. 2 | |
| 10 |  |
| With five consecutive wins and an 11-2 record since the start of the new year, Wisconsin has rounded into form as a worthy Big Ten contender thanks to the star turn of John Tonje. He scored 31 and 32 points in wins over Illinois and Purdue this week, respectively. Last week: NR | |
| 11 |  |
| Grant McCasland's Red Raiders dropped their second game in the last four outings this week after a close road loss at TCU on Desmond Bane night. Tech played well in the loss, but TCU just played better. Some big chances upcoming for TTU to burnish its already strong tourney résumé. Last week: No. 8 | |
| 12 |  |
| Texas A&M drops out of the top 10 this week after falling at Mississippi State on Tuesday, 70-54, its first loss since Jan. 25. The Aggies' offense has been touch-and-go for much of the season, and they finally got burned in a big spot, snapping a five-game winning streak. Last week: No. 7 | |
| 13 |  |
| Armed with the No. 1 defense in adjusted efficiency metrics at KenPom, Tennessee (21-5, 8-5 SEC) found its way back into the win column over the weekend with an 81-76 victory over Vanderbilt. The Vols go on the road Saturday to Texas A&M and College Station, where they've lost two-straight. Last week: No. 12 | |
| 14 |  |
| Sitting in second place in the ACC with Clemson and only 1.5 games back of Duke, Louisville -- winners of 14 of its last 15 games -- is a projected favorite in each of its remaining regular-season games. It could finish 18-2 and win the league in Pat Kelsey's first season. Last week:No. 15 | |
| 15 |  |
| Maryland smacked Iowa 101-75 in College Park on Sunday and welcomes USC to town Thursday night as it looks to extend its winning streak to four. The Terps continue to trend in the right direction behind a star freshman whose game is a throwback to yesteryear. Last week: NR | |
| 16 |  |
| New Mexico earns a spot in the power rankings this week despite a close road loss at Boise State on Wednesday. It has emerged as one of the most formidable mid-major teams in the sport and looks to be well on its way to earning an NCAA Tournament berth, potentially giving us two Pitinos in March Madness. Last week: NR | |
