The top ten was shaken up once again over the weekend, as the Baylor Bears now take the top seed in the country. We’re still a few weeks out from Conference Championship tourneys, but here are the best teams in the country in mid-February.
1. Baylor
The best team in the league keeps rolling, as Baylor is now riding a 21-game win streak after defeating Texas 52-45 on Monday night. The Bears are a perfect 11-0 in conference play and have not lost on the road this season (8-0). They do have a few tougher games coming up, as they’ll host No. 14 West Virginia on Saturday (2/15) and what could be a ‘game of the season’ against No. 3 Kansas (2/22).
2. Gonzaga
If it weren’t for Baylor’s magical season, Gonzaga would be showing off that No. 1 overall spot. The Bulldogs are also undefeated in conference play and are 9-0 when they have to travel. Forward Killian Tillie is back, and his presence is extremely important to this inevitable run over the next two months. Oh yeah, Gonzaga beat a 20-5 St. Mary’s team by 30 points last weekend.
3. Kansas
The Big 12 Conference is stacked up top with Baylor and the Kansas Jayhawks. Kansas is looking more and more like a No. 1 seed, and a Big 12 Championship title may decide who takes the overall top seed in this year’s March Madness tournament.
4. San Diego State
San Diego State is undefeated. They are 13-0 in conference play and 24-0 overall. The Aztecs have beaten opponents by double-digits in 19 out of their 24 games. Obviously, the strength of schedule and conference come into play here or else they’d be No. 1, but this juggernaut will get their chance to show who they are on a national stage in the coming weeks.
5. Louisville
The Cardinals are riding a 10-game winning streak and have one more conference win than Duke after Monday night. Louisville looks and is playing like the team to beat in the ACC. We’ll see if they hold on to that spot over the coming weeks, but they make a very strong case for a #2 seed in March.
6. Dayton
Dayton is perfect so far in conference play, with their only two losses coming from No. 3 Kansas and No. 16 Colorado early in the season. To prove they’re the real deal, they’ll need to be victorious against Rhode Island (second in Atlantic 10) on Tuesday night.
7. Duke
The Blue Devils are coming off of three enormous (potentially season-saving) wins in the past week. Victories over Boston College, North Carolina, and No. 8 Florida State (Monday night) have propelled Duke to 21-3 and second behind Louisville in the ACC.
8. Florida State
Florida State will most likely drop due to their most recent loss to Duke on Monday night, but they still hold the No. 3 spot in the ACC with a 20-4 record (10-3 conference).
9. Maryland
The Terps sit atop the Big Ten Conference that’s taken a step down this season. Maryland has earned a spot in the top ten, as they’ve won six in a row and remain perfect at home this season. They have an unranked schedule the rest of the way and should lock up the No. 1 seed in the Big Ten tourney.
10. Seton Hall
After a commanding win on the road against No. 15 Villanova, Seton Hall is starting to separate itself from the rest of the Big East. They currently have a 3-game lead in conference play, but their schedule will be a rocky one over the next few weeks. Games on the horizon include facing No. 23 Creighton twice, No. 19 Butler, No. 18 Marquette, and No. 15 Villanova once more BEFORE the conference tournament in March.
