Tennessee, Oklahoma soar in new Power 36 rankings for men’s college basketball

As the 2023 men’s college basketball season continues, jaw-dropping moments and must-see matchups have altered the rankings of top teams. Andy Katz returns with his Power 36 rankings and previews, entering Week 6 of college basketball.

Power 36:

1. Arizona (1): The Wildcats destroyed Wisconsin and looked every bit the part of a title contender.
2. Kansas (2): The Jayhawks took down their rival Missouri and are back on track.
3. UConn (3): The Huskies used their second gear to excel past North Carolina in New York.
4. Purdue (4): The Boilermakers had a strong bounce-back week by beating Iowa at home and Alabama in Toronto.
5. Baylor (5): The Bears are getting no love nationally. This is a legit title contender as well.
6. Houston (6): The Big 12 is loaded with the Cougars as a threat as well.
7. Clemson (8): The Tigers are looking like the team to beat in the ACC after wins over South Carolina at home and TCU in Toronto.
8. Marquette (10): The Golden Eagles are primed to be UConn’s top challenger in the Big East.
9. Oklahoma (20): Yes, the Sooners are playing like a top-10 team right now. They are undefeated after a strong week, pounding Providence at home and beating Arkansas in Tulsa.
10. North Carolina (7): No shame in losing to UConn in the Garden.
11. Creighton (13): The loss to Colorado State in Kansas City seems to be more of an outlier than the norm.
12. Tennessee (33): The Vols looked like the team that beat Wisconsin earlier in the season. The hangover of a struggling trip to Honolulu seems to be gone. They ran past Illinois to reset their season.
13. Illinois (16): The Illini beat FAU in New York City but then ended the week with a late second-half drop at Tennessee. Overall, a solid 2-1 three-game road sweep that started with a win at Rutgers.
14. Colorado State (12): The Rams lost their first game of the season to Saint Mary’s, but it came with a depleted roster due to injuries.
15. FAU (9): The Owls lost to Illinois at MSG. The effort and the scoring were there, but the defense needs to tighten going forward.
16. Texas (11): The Longhorns have played a tough slate and the two losses are to two of the best teams in the country UConn in NYC and at Marquette.
17. James Madison (17): The undefeated Dukes opened the Sun Belt with a road win at Old Dominion.
18. Kentucky (25): The Wildcats got the win over Penn by finding another level in the second half in Philadelphia.
19. Gonzaga (15): The Zags had a late-game loss at Washington. They will get the toughest test since the Maui Invitational opener against Purdue when they play UConn on Friday in Seattle.
20. Ole Miss (23): Chris Beard has the Rebels rolling and still undefeated after a win at UCF on Sunday.
21. Virginia (22): The Cavs have won four in a row and are back to where they belong — a real contender in the ACC.
22. Duke (30): The Blue Devils are not healthy, but managed to run away from Charlotte.
23. Auburn (32): The Tigers crushed Indiana and are starting to click offensively, which is bad news for the rest of the SEC.
24. Northwestern (24): The Wildcats are now winning the games they are supposed to win in building their resume.
25. Arkansas (21): The Hogs lost to undefeated Oklahoma in Tulsa. Nothing wrong with that this season. Arkansas is going to be entertaining all season.
26. BYU (19): The Cougars suffered their first loss of the season, falling to arch-rival Utah in Salt Lake City.
27. Ohio State (18): The Buckeyes blew an 18-point lead at Penn State, but still have the pieces to be a top-five Big Ten team.
28. Wisconsin (14): Nobody was beating Arizona Saturday in McKale. The Badgers had a good win earlier in the week by beating Michigan State in East Lansing but seemed lost in Tucson.
29. Memphis (29): The Tigers are quietly cruising along and had a resume-building win Sunday at Texas A&M.
30. Colorado (NR): The Buffs are back after a dominating performance over Miami in Brooklyn.
31. New Mexico (NR): The Lobos have won eight in a row since losing at Saint Mary’s, the latest being over Santa Clara in Nevada.
32. Iowa State (NR): The Cyclones have bounced back after a disappointing tournament in Orlando. The Cyclones put 90 on rival Iowa.
33. South Carolina (26): The Gamecocks have one loss at Clemson and rebounded with a strong win at East Carolina.
34. Saint Joseph’s (NR): The Hawks knocked off previous unbeaten Princeton, are 8-2 and look like an A-10 favorite heading into the New Year.
35. Grand Canyon (NR): Tremendous week for the Lopes with a win over San Diego State and a road win at Liberty.
36. Drake (NR): The Bulldogs are off to a 9-1 start, with a win over previously unbeaten Nevada, and 2-0 in the Valley.

Dropped out: Miami (27), San Diego State (28), TCU (31), Cincinnati (34), Nevada (35), Princeton (36).

🚨 NEW #Power36 from @TheAndyKatz 👇

1. Arizona
2. Kansas
3. UConn
4. Purdue
5. Baylor
6. Houston
7. Clemson
8. Marquette
9. Oklahoma
10. North Carolina

📰: https://t.co/4nA4Fpm7XU pic.twitter.com/0p9ONHViqy

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) December 11, 2023

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Top 10 Games to Watch:

1. Arizona vs. Purdue, Saturday: This looked to be 1 vs 2 a few weeks ago before the Boilermakers lost at Northwestern. But it doesn’t matter. These are probably the two best teams in the country, and this could be a title-game preview. Arizona has the athleticism and depth of big men to fluster Zach Edey, but this game could be decided between Braden Smith and Caleb Love.
2. Kansas at Indiana, Saturday: The Hoosiers have the frontcourt to compete with Kansas, but the guard play will be tested. This would be a season-changing win for the Hoosiers, who desperately need a marquee win.
3. UConn vs. Gonzaga, Friday, Seattle: The Huskies drilled the Zags in the Elite Eight last season. The Zags aren’t as strong a team and lack a go-to player. UConn may be just as talented.
4. North Carolina vs. Kentucky, Saturday, Atlanta: This game rarely disappoints. Both teams are trending in the right direction and this will give a good barometer of where they stand before they head into their respective conference seasons.
5. Baylor vs. Michigan State, Saturday, Detroit: This is the Spartans’ last chance for a quality non-conference win. Baylor has been rolling. The pressure is on the Spartans.
6. Texas A&M vs. Houston, Saturday: Both backcourts are elite. This will be an intense, defensive game. The Cougars are undervalued nationally.
7. Clemson at Memphis, Saturday: Credit Brad Brownell. Clemson continues to look like the team to beat in the ACC. Memphis is going to be with FAU as the best teams in the AAC.
8. Alabama at Creighton, Saturday: The Tide pushed Purdue to the final minutes in Toronto. This will be another big-time challenge, especially inside against Ryan Kalkbrenner. Expect this game to be in the 90s.
9. Ohio State vs. UCLA, Atlanta: The Bruins have zero quality wins. Zero. This would qualify. Ohio State should be a top five Big Ten team.
10. USC at Auburn, Sunday: Auburn is finally clicking again. The Tigers had their best offensive performance in a win over Indiana. Expect a high-scoring affair against the Trojans.

BEWARE: Nobody’s safe after an upset-filled weekend in men’s basketball

Team of the Week:

Oklahoma: Porter Moser has his best team since he came to Norman in 2021. The Sooners are 9-0 after a sweep of Providence at home and Arkansas in Tulsa. Javian McCollum had himself a week with 20 points against the Hogs and 19 against the Friars.

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🏆 Weekly Awards from @TheAndyKatz 👇

Team of the Week: Oklahoma
Player of the Week: Zach Edey pic.twitter.com/oaaYD9IHcA

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) December 11, 2023

Player of the Week:

Zach Edey, Purdue: The reigning national player of the year and the favorite to win the honor again was dominant in wins over Iowa at home and Alabama in Toronto. Edey scored 35 points and grabbed 7 boards in the win over the Tide and had 25 points, 12 boards and three blocks in the win over the Hawkeyes.