NCAAB Power Rankings: Baylor continues to quietly roll

The Baylor Bears have won 17 of their 18 games this season, and very few people seem to be discussing them. They sit atop our Power Rankings for the second week in a row, as the top three teams are starting to separate themselves from the rest of the field. Let’s break down who the 10 best teams are as of this week!

1. Baylor (17-1)

Florida led Baylor 14-7 in Gainesville with 15:08 left in the first half. The Bears responded with a 33-15 run over the rest of the half, and then blew the game open by going on an 11-2 run early in the second half. The Gators cut the lead briefly to nine in the final minutes, but it was never close after the break. The Bears should be easily favored in their next five outings.

This week: at Iowa State, TCU

2. Gonzaga (21-1)

The Bulldogs’ loss to Michigan no longer looks like a "good" win with the Wolverines in free-fall, so it’s vital they continue to dominate their conference opposition. Another blowout win was on the cards this past weekend, as they rolled Pacific 92-59. Killian Tillie looks to be fully back as he scored 22 points, grabbed eight boards, and rejected four shots. Gonzaga will only play at home once in their next five games, so they enter a key stretch of their schedule.

This week: at Santa Clara, at San Francisco

3. San Diego State (21-0)

It wasn’t a pretty win for the Aztecs on Sunday, but undefeated is still undefeated. They were able to escape Las Vegas with a four-point win over UNLV, as they failed to score a point for more than four minutes during one stretch in the second half. The positive sign was that they also held UNLV scoreless over that same stretch, and another minute and a half beyond that. Their next test will be a tough one, as they visit a New Mexico team that has not lost at The Pit since last February.

This week: at New Mexico, Utah State

4. Kansas (17-3)

They Jayhawks did not get into any fistfights this week, but they did have to hold off a scrappy Volunteer team over the weekend, winning by six in their Big 12/SEC Challenge matchup. They followed that up with a 15-point win on the road at Oklahoma State on Monday night, despite the short turnaround in games. Christian Braun stepped in for the suspended David McCormack against the Cowboys, and the freshman scored 16 points in his first career start.

This week: Texas Tech, Texas

5. Louisville (17-3)

David Johnson has been a huge boost to this Cardinals team, as he has provided twelve points per game off the bench in Louisville’s last four wins. He got help against Clemson, though, as fellow freshman scored fourteen points off the bench as the Cards beat the Tigers by 18. PG Darius Perry also dropped a career-high 19 points in his best game of the season. Louisville will be favored in both of their road tilts this week, and won’t face another ranked team until Florida State in late February.

This week: at Boston College, at NC State

6. Seton Hall (15-4)

The Pirates had the weekend off, and have not played since their nine-point win over Providence last Wednesday night. Myles Powell’s run of four straight 20-point games came to an end, as he was held to just 14 points. The story of the game, though, was Romaro Gill blocking eight shots on the night, giving him fourteen over the last two games. His 3.4 blocks per game rank fifth in the nation.

This week: DePaul, Xavier

7. Florida State (17-3)

The Seminoles hit a speed bump Tuesday night in Charlottesville, as Virginia ended their 10-game win streak with a 61-56 defeat that was tied with a minute to go. Florida State was outrebounded 36-23, and they were unable to capitalize on the 17 turnovers by the Cavaliers, as they shot less than 39% from the floor in losing to a team they barely survived earlier this month. They still look to be one of the two best teams in the ACC, although another loss to an inferior team could cost them a shot at a top seed come March.

This week: at Virginia Tech, North Carolina

8. Dayton (18-2)

Obi Toppin continues to be the talk of central Ohio, as he scored 24 points, grabbed 12 boards, and blocked four shots in the Flyers' 87-79 win at Richmond on Saturday that was supposed to be tougher than it was, and wasn’t as close as the score indicates. One of the most efficient offensive teams in college basketball showed their defensive chops in this one, holding the Spiders under 40% shooting.

This week: at Duquesne, Fordham

9. Villanova (17-3)

The Wildcats went to St. John's on Tuesday night and came away with an easy 20-point victory, led by Collin Gillespie’s 17-point, 13-rebound performance. Despite missing starting forward Jermaine Samuels, Villanova had five players reach double-figures in the game, as they rebounded from a narrow four-point win at Providence earlier in the week.

This week: Creighton

10. Oregon (17-4)

The Ducks return to our rankings this week, on the back of a double-OT victory over USC, and a dominant win over UCLA. The Ducks have won six of their last seven, and Payton Pritchard is averaging 23.2 points and 5.4 assists per game in their last five outings. It was Chris Duarte who stole the show, though, as he scored 30 points against the Trojans, and followed it up with 24 points against the Bruins, going 7-13 from downtown and 13-17 from the line in the two wins.

This week: at California, at Stanford

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