NCAAB Power Rankings: Baylor holds onto the top spot

It's been another interesting week in college basketball, albeit for some reasons that aren’t as enjoyable as others. Between high-profile programs losing, the spotlight on poor officiating, and the massive brawl in Lawrence on Tuesday night, there are storylines galore.

The Baylor Bears are quietly putting together one of the best résumés in the game by getting things done while chaos ensues elsewhere. Let’s jump into this week’s power rankings and see where everyone sits as we enter the last full week of January.

1. Baylor (16-1)

Another week, another two wins for the Bears. They showed they can fight through adversity by overturning a nine-point deficit to Oklahoma State on the road to win by seven, then held off a second-half rally by the Oklahoma on Monday at home in a four-point victory.

Tristan Clark showed signs of life, with 14 points in the two wins, nearly a third of what he had scored on the entire season previously (42 points). Jared Butler’s four points against Oklahoma ended a three-game stretch where he had scored 17 points or more. He will need to rebound against a surging Florida team in this weekend’s SEC/Big 12 Challenge.

This week: at Florida

2. Gonzaga (20-1)

The Bulldogs also held serve this week, and they have already opened up a nice lead in the WCC standings. They destroyed Santa Clara by 50 points, before a 23-point dismantling BYU, a team many expected to give Gonzaga a tough game. Killian Tillie broke out of a three-game slump, with 22 points against BYU.

This week: vs. Pacific

3. San Diego State (20-0)

The Aztecs continued to chug along as the final unbeaten team in college hoops, with another pair of double-digit home wins over Nevada and Wyoming. They will hit the road for three of their next four games, including a trip to New Mexico next week that might be their biggest roadblock in Mountain West play this year. Their nine road wins are the second-most in the nation, and Malachi Flynn has now scored fourteen points or more in nine straight games.

This week: at UNLV

4. Florida State (16-2)

The Seminoles have established themselves as the favorite to win the ACC, although they're coming off a week that featured two tight wins. Virginia led the Noles late before Florida State put the Cavaliers away in the final two minutes, then FSU needed overtime to beat Miami on the road—a game the Hurricanes led by nine in the second half. Devin Vassell’s 23 points and 11 rebounds were critical in the win, and he is beginning to become the key to this team’s success.

This week: vs. Notre Dame

5. Kansas (15-3)

Tuesday night’s brawl against Kansas State led to the suspensions of four Kansas players, so we'll see how Jayhawks react.

This week: vs. Tennessee

6. Louisville (16-3)

The Cardinals are back in the rankings after convincing win at Duke, in which they jumped out to a 25-10 lead in the first half. Freshman David Johnson had a breakout game with 19 points, as Jordan Nwora yet again faded against top competition (3-for-12 shooting). Louisville is one of a few top teams that do not have a questionable loss. All three losses came to ranked teams (at the time).

This week: vs. Clemson

7. Seton Hall (15-4)

The Pirates made a statement last week, when they traveled to Butler and recovered from a 10-point halftime deficit to win. Myles Powell scored 19 points after the break, and Seton Hall got the Bulldogs into foul trouble (Aaron Thompson who fouled out with more than six minutes to go). The Pirates almost fell to St. John's on the road to follow up and secured a win over Providence on Wednesday.

8. Dayton (17-2)

The Flyers are on an eight-game win streak, which includes an overtime win at Saint Louis on a buzzer-beating three-pointer from Jalen Crutcher.

The 21 point performance from Crutcher was his fourth 20-point game of the year, and second straight, as he has stepped up to be an outside compliment to Obi Toppin.

This week: at Richmond

9. Michigan State (14-4)

Michigan State rebounded from a head-scratching defeat at Purdue by manhandling Wisconsin. The scary part of that performance was that Cassius Winston scored just six of the Spartans' 67 points, and they didn’t need any more than that.

This week: at Indiana, at Minnesota

10. Villanova (15-3)

The Wildcats handed Butler its third-straight loss Tuesday night, a 15-point victory that gives them a much-needed quality win. All three of their losses this season have come on the road, and they seem to be returning to their early-season offensive form. Villanova has topped 75 points in three of its last four games.

This week: at Providence

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It's a loaded week of basketball! Check out all the matchups at BetAmerica!