School basketball rankings: Duke takes over No. 1; St. John’s enters prime 5

NCAA Event tickets are getting punched within the mid-major leagues. Energy convention match brackets are being set. Stars are being born throughout America and turning into family names. 

March is in full swing and the following week goes to be wonderful. Why? Since you actually by no means know what to anticipate. On Saturday, we noticed SIU Edwardsville — higher referred to as SIUE — declare its first NCAA Event berth behind star guard Ray’Sean Taylor going for 20 factors, seven rebounds and 4 assists in a 69-48 win over Southeast Missouri State within the Ohio Valley Conference Championship Sport. Whereas the Cougars, who joined Division I in 2008, have been making historical past on Saturday, Auburn and Alabama performed the sport of the yr up to now.

Who wouldn’t join two extra rounds between the Tigers and Tide with one other potential showdown within the SEC Event, in addition to some level within the NCAA Event? The Tigers tied the sport at 91 on a second alternative and a triple by Johni Broome, sending The Jungle right into a frenzy and leaving Alabama coach Nate Oats to attract up a play with 14 seconds left for the win. Mark Sears bought a step on the most effective defensive guards in America, Denver Jones, and the All-American made essentially the most of it with a free-throw line runner on the buzzer. 

Whereas Sears solely scored 9 factors on 3-for-9 capturing from the ground, it’s a testomony to the Tide’s offense that they nonetheless shot 52%. What modified on this rematch for Alabama to get revenge from the house loss it suffered three weeks prior?

Alabama was the extra bodily group in key moments, with Grant Nelson delivering 23 factors and eight rebounds, whereas Cliff Omoruyi confirmed why he was such a fantastic switch portal add from Rutgers, delivering 15 factors and eight rebounds. With Labaron Philon supplying 15 factors within the win, it masked a few of what was lacking. The opposite non-negotiable towards Auburn is that you need to provide some resistance to its 3-point capturing. The Tigers’ backcourt was capable of finding a rhythm at occasions, and Tahaad Pettiford was excellent with 19 factors and 6 assists off the bench, however coach Bruce Pearl’s beginning backcourt completed with 4-for-13 capturing from 3-point territory. Broome had 34 factors, eight rebounds, 5 blocks, three assists and three steals within the loss, which speaks to Alabama’s skill to take punches and counter. 

[Related: Mike DeCourcy’s latest NCAA Tournament projections]

Listed here are six different issues that stood out from the weekend: 

Zuby Ejiofor hit a buzzer-beater for St. John’s in this system’s highway opener at Providence, a 16-point comeback victory that basically modified the course of the Crimson Storm’s season on the time. After a livid scramble in extra time on Saturday, the junior huge man cashed in once more on the buzzer to offer the Johnnies an 86-84 win over Twentieth-ranked Marquette. 

The truth that the Johnnies matched a single-season file for regular-season wins with 27 and matched final yr’s UConn nationwide championship group with a conference-record 18 league wins in a season is unimaginable. RJ Luis, who I consider will likely be Big East Participant of the 12 months, had 28 factors and 10 rebounds, whereas Kadary Richmond was to not be outdone. The Brooklyn native had this system’s first triple-double (10 factors, 12 rebounds, 11 assists) since Metta Sandiford-Artest (previously Ron Artest) did so in 1999. Coach Rick Pitino was on “The Tonight Present” on Thursday and accomplished a daily season that’s nearly as good as any this system has had on Saturday. He’s the king of the world at this second and ought to be on the prime of the nationwide coach of the yr voting. 

How about Mark Pope and Kentucky? The Wildcats matched a college basketball file with their eighth top-15 win of the season, spoiling Missouri’s Senior Day with a 91-83 victory. Kentucky is usually a wagon offensively, and it confirmed on Saturday when Otega Oweh scored 22 factors, Koby Brea was scorching from deep with 17 factors, and Andrew Carr had 16 factors and 12 rebounds. Carr’s management means a lot to this group and clearly a wholesome Lamont Butler retains the Wildcats organized. They may lose within the first spherical of the NCAA Event or be sitting within the Elite Eight.

BYU has gained eight in a row and is likely one of the hottest groups within the convention, powered by Richie Saunders and prime draft prospect Egor Demin. That stated, the story within the Big 12 nonetheless belongs to educate Kelvin Sampson. For Houston to go to 19-1 and steamroll to a different outright regular-season title — this one coming by 4 video games — is a tremendous testomony to Sampson. The Cougars are 34-4 in two years in Large 12 contests.

Duke accomplished a 19-1 file in ACC play to seize the No. 1 seed within the convention match, and the Blue Devils could possibly be the rationale North Carolina is stored out of the NCAA Event after pulling away within the second half to win 82-69 behind a balanced assault. Cooper Flagg? Generational. Fifteen factors, 9 rebounds, six steals, 4 blocks. Mix that with Kon Knueppel having 17 and the duo of Tyrese Proctor and Sion James combining for 32 to indicate why they’re the No. 1 group within the NET, KenPom and Torvik. Coach Jon Scheyer has a group that may win all of it in San Antonio.

Illinois is again in my prime 25 after three consecutive wins, two of which have been ranked victories over Michigan, and most lately, Purdue on Friday. The best way the Illini strung stops collectively on the Boilermakers within the 88-80 victory, closing the sport on a 13-1 run, was actually spectacular. Photographs have been falling on the offensive finish for the Illini, as Brad Underwood’s squad drilled 11 triples. With a possible top-five choose within the NBA Draft in Kasparas Jakucionis and a stable core of veteran guys who haven’t any scarcity of creating the fitting performs, there’s a purpose to consider that this group could make the second weekend of the Large Dance. Fellow freshman Will Riley tallied 22 factors within the win, whereas Tre White had 20 factors and 9 rebounds. When White, a switch from Louisville, scores greater than 11 factors in a sport, Illinois is 10-1. Jakucionis had 10 factors and 7 assists, and despite the fact that it wasn’t his finest offensive day, he nonetheless made the shot of the sport.

Lastly, bubble watch! With Duke’s win over North Carolina, the 1-11 file in Quad 1 looks like the rationale the choice committee may not embody the Tar Heels within the NCAA Event. Indiana might need punched its ticket to the Large Dance with a 66-60 win over Ohio State, giving the Hoosiers a mixed 9 wins in Quad 2. For Ohio State, its NET is 35 and its six Quad 1 wins are an actual differentiator. Boise State misplaced by 10 on Friday night time to Colorado State. The Rams have been led by Nique Clifford with a career-high 36 factors of their Mountain West Event-clinching victory over the Broncos. In the meantime, Xavier has performed all in its energy during the last month to enhance to a 12-3 file. The Musketeers bought 46 factors mixed on Saturday from Zach Freemantle and Ryan Conwell on Senior Day within the win over Windfall and clinched the No. 4 seed within the Large East Event. They may meet Marquette on Thursday afternoon within the quarterfinals. Getting a second Quad 1 victory would probably stamp Xavier’s bid. Even with a loss, barring an excessive variety of bid-stealers, the Musketeers are a top-50 metrics group with an 8-1 file vs. Quad 2 and no dangerous losses.

With that, here is my up to date prime 25: 

1. Duke (28-3)
2. Houston (27-4)
3. Auburn (27-4)
4. Florida (27-4)
5. St. John’s (27-4)
6. Alabama (24-7)
7. Michigan State (26-5)
8. Tennessee (25-6)
9. Texas Tech (24-7)
10. Clemson (26-5) 
11. Maryland (24-7)
12. Louisville (25-6)
13. BYU (23-8)
14. Iowa State (23-8)
15. Memphis (26-5)
16. Wisconsin (23-8)
17. Kentucky (21-10)
18. Saint Mary’s (27-4)
19. Texas A&M (22-9)
20. Missouri (21-10)
21. Illinois (20-11)
22. Purdue (21-10)
23. Oregon (22-8)
24. UC San Diego (28-4)
25. Drake (29-3)

John Fanta is a nationwide school basketball broadcaster and author for FOX Sports activities. He covers the game in a wide range of capacities, from calling video games on FS1 to serving as lead host on the BIG EAST Digital Community to offering commentary on The Subject of 68 Media Community. Observe him at @John_Fanta.

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