With conference play getting under way around the nation, contenders and pretenders are starting to separate themselves.
Blue Devils move up a spot to No.14 after three wins in six days
After a long break following a 77-75 overtime loss to Utah, Duke rebounded with three victories this week, albeit against weak opponents. The Blue Devils topped 100 points in consecutive wins against Elon and Long Beach State and rode a strong performance from freshman Brandon Ingram in the team's ACC opener against Boston College. Duke continues to be held back in the polls by a lack of quality wins and a loss to a Utah team that dropped two games this week and fell out of the polls.
Victories by Kansas and Oklahoma set up titanic showdown
Ranked in the top five heading into the week, both the Jayhawks and the Sooners faced challenges from ranked opponents this weekend. Kansas took care of business in dominant fashion, riding a hot performance from beyond the arc to a 102-74 victory against then-No. 23 Baylor. The Sooners had a much tougher time dispatching conference rival Iowa State and trailed by two with five minutes to go in the contest. But Player of the Year candidate Buddy Hield proved to be the difference down the stretch and overcame a rough shooting night to help his team to an 87-83 victory.
The victories by the two teams combined with previously top-ranked Michigan State's loss on the road to Iowa allowed both to move up into the top spots of the poll—with Kansas ranked first and Oklahoma ranked second. But one team's stay atop the rankings will be short-lived as the Jayhawks and Sooners are set to face-off in one of the most highly-anticipated games of the season Monday at Allen Fieldhouse.
Big East favorite unclear after week of shake-ups
With Xavier and Butler ranked within the top 10 and Providence and Villanova sitting in the top 15 entering the week, the Big East had built a case as the top conference in the nation. But after a week that featured matchups between the four teams, it remains uncertain who the leader of the pack really is.
Both the Friars and Wildcats emerged unscathed with wins against Butler and Xavier, respectively. The Bulldogs took one step further back as they were crushed 88-69 on the road Saturday against Xavier. In this week's rankings, Providence is the highest-ranked team in the conference sitting at No. 8 with No. 10 Xavier, No. 11 Villanova and No. 18 Butler trailing behind.
Maryland, North Carolina avoid upsets behind big performances
Both the Terrapins and the Tar Heels appeared to have victories in the bag in their conference openers with home games against unranked opponents Wednesday. But both had bumps in the road on their way to victory. Leading by only six with seven minutes to go, North Carolina needed a late push to come away with an 80-69 victory against Clemson. On the other hand, the Terrapins trailed for much of the first half against Penn State and needed 39 points from freshman Diamond Stone to stave off an upset. North Carolina enters this week poll ranked sixth, while Maryland sits at No. 3
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