College basketball power rankings: UConn separating itself from pack with nation's longest winning streak
The Huskies remain No. 1 in CBS Sports' latest power rankings
By
David Cobb
•
6 min read
There is one big problem with the idea that college basketball is experiencing a renaissance of parity: UConn. The Huskies (23-2, 13-1 Big East) own the nation's longest winning streak at 13 games and are threatening to become the sport's first back-to-back national champion since Florida did it in 2006 and 2007.
Last year's Huskies were 19-7 (8-7) at this point in the calendar and proceeded to win 12 of their next 13 games before cutting down the nets inside NRG Stadium in Houston on April 3. UConn became just the fifth national champion ever to win all six NCAA Tournament games by double digits.
This year's Huskies have already demonstrated a similar capability for dominance with plenty of time left to improve even further. UConn faces a challenge against Marquette on Saturday before traveling to face Creighton on Tuesday.
But even if the Huskies suffer their first loss — or two — since Dec. 20 at some point in the coming weeks, they have clearly established themselves in an elite upper-crust that, at most, features just two more teams (Purdue and Houston).
There is ample parity in college basketball after that minuscule group, but to proclaim the national title race as wide open is a disservice to the reigning champions. The title is UConn's to lose, and whoever wants it will have to pry it from the hands of a team that is standing tall above the rest of the sport.
With that, here are the latest CBS Sports power rankings.
College basketball power rankings
| 1 |  |
| UConn extended its winning streak to 13 with an easy win at DePaul on Wednesday. The final six games for the Huskies will be far more challenging than their previous six, starting with a showdown against Marquette on Saturday. But at this point, it would take a stunning collapse for UConn not to win the Big East. Last week: 1 | |
| 2 |  |
| Purdue is 26 games into the season and ranks No. 4 nationally in 3-point percentage at 40%. Last season, it finished 291st while shooting just 32.2%. It's the simplest way to explain why this version of the Boilermakers is better equipped to make a Final Four run. Last week: 2 | |
| 3 |  |
| Houston remains unbeaten at home, and two of its three losses are by a combined five points. There was also a 13-point defeat at Kansas, but there is no shame in losing at Allen Fieldhouse. This team isn't quite at the level of UConn and Purdue offensively, but it belongs ahead of every other team in the nation right now based off its defense and overall body of work. Last week: 4 | |
| 4 |  |
| Marquette is riding an eight-game winning streak entering Saturday's showdown at UConn. If anyone is going to threaten the Huskies right now, it would be the Golden Eagles. Oso Ighodaro is playing at a borderline All-American level, averaging 15.8 points, 8.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.8 blocks over the course of the winning streak. Last week: 5 | |
| 5 |  |
| Benefitting from Hilton Magic by beating good teams at home is one thing. But going on the road and defeating quality foes like TCU, Texas and Cincinnati provides validation that the Cyclones will be a threat in March. Last week: 5 | |
| 6 |  |
| Auburn lost 81-65 at Florida on Saturday after trailing by as much as 29 in the second half. It was the clunker of the year for Bruce Pearl's club, and apparently it didn't sit well. The Tigers responded with a 101-61 beatdown of South Carolina on Wednesday. Last week: 3 | |
| 7 |  |
| Arizona's 105-99 triple-overtime win at Utah on Thursday was no masterpiece, but it carried some weight. The Wildcats entered 0-3 in one-possession games and 1-3 in Pac-12 road games. They blew a big lead but figured out how to stop the bleeding and beat a quality foe in a hostile environment. After a concerning stretch of inconsistency, the Wildcats have won five straight. Last week: 13 | |
| 8 |  |
| Illinois collapsed down the stretch in an 88-80 loss at Michigan State on Saturday. The Illini promptly responded with a 97-68 evisceration of Michigan on Tuesday. This team can score with the best of 'em but could use a bit more defense. Last week: 6 | |
| 9 |  |
| Tennessee bounced back from its worst loss of the season at Texas A&M on Saturday with its most lopsided SEC victory yet on Wednesday. The Volunteers crushed Arkansas 92-63 on the road in an all-around performance that showed how this may be the best team of coach Rick Barnes' nine-year tenure. Last week: 8 | |
| 10 |  |
| Texas Tech rebounded from a three-game losing streak by beating UCF and handing Kanas its worst loss against an unranked foe since 1950. The best part about the Red Raiders' 79-50 beatdown of the Jayhawks is that they don't have to make a return trip to Allen Fieldhouse this season. Last week: NR | |
| 11 |  |
| Kansas got smacked 79-50 at Texas Tech on Monday while playing without star wing Kevin McCullar Jr. for the second straight game. When their lean roster is 100% healthy and clicking, the Jayhawks are lethal (see wins over Tennessee, UConn and Houston). But a lack of depth and offensive firepower are problems. Last week: 7 | |
| 12 |  |
| Baylor missed a rare opportunity to win at Kansas on Saturday as a couple of potential game-tying 3-point attempts went awry in the final seconds. But the Bears rebounded with a 79-62 home win over Oklahoma on Tuesday and have won four of their last five. Last week: 12 | |
| 13 |  |
| Alabama rebounded from a loss at Auburn by putting up 109 points on LSU, including 60 in the second half. The Crimson Tide are now alone atop the SEC standings following South Carolina's loss at Auburn on Wednesday. Last week: 18 | |
| 14 |  |
| South Carolina ran into an angry Auburn team on the road on Wednesday night, and it wasn't pretty. The 101-61 defeat ended a seven-game winning streak for the Gamecocks. But second-year coach Lamont Paris has the Gamecocks destined to make just their second NCAA Tournament appearance of the past two decades. Last week: 11 | |
| 15 |  |
| Saint Mary's can match UConn for the nation's longest win streak at 13 if it beats Pepperdine on Thursday. The Gaels are unbeaten in WCC play and could finish that way for the first time in program history as four of their final five come at home, including the finale vs. Gonzaga. Last week: 16 | |
| 16 |  |
| Power rankings are prone to the whims of recency bias, and North Carolina's recent performances haven't been great. The Tar Heels have drooped three of their last five after falling at Syracuse on Tuesday. Once the clear favorite to win the ACC, UNC is now in a heated battle for the league title. Last week: 9 | |
| 17 |  |
| Duke's schedule is about to ramp up a bit after the Blue Devils posted three straight home wins against Notre Dame, Boston College and Wake Forest. Of the Blue Devils' final seven regular-season contests, only a home game with Louisville falls in the "should be an easy win" category. Last week: 17 | |
| 18 |  |
| BYU has rebounded nicely from a 2-4 start to Big 12 play by winning four of its last five to reach 6-5 in league play entering Saturday's game at Oklahoma State. The Cougars live and die with 3-pointers, which makes them a threat against anybody at anytime. Last week: NR | |
| 19 |  |
| Washington State has won eight of its last nine after sweeping the Oregon schools on a road trip last week. The Cougars have placed themselves firmly on the right side of the NCAA Tournament bubble and are still lurking as challengers to Arizona in the Pac-12 title race. Last week: NR | |
| 20 |  |
| The Gators nearly gave away their good vibes in a second-half collapse at home against LSU on Tuesday, but they survived for their sixth win in the last seven games. Included in Florida's recent run are victories at Kentucky and this past Saturday's 81-65 throttling of Auburn. Last week: NR | |
