CBB: Sweet Sixteen Rankings Vol. 6
1. Virginia Cavaliers (25-2, +0, 98 Pts): The Cavaliers have won back-to-back games since they were upset last Saturday against Virginia Tech. Despite that loss, Virginia was still able to collect the No. 1 spot in college basketball. Led by coach Tony Bennett, the Cavaliers have been consistently dominating on the defensive end. With the top defense in the country, they are winning games with not only a great defense, but a balanced offense. Kyle Guy has been the Cavaliers' leading scorer this season, but the balanced offense has created scoring opportunities for the other starters and role players. Ty Jerome and Devon Hall have played a key role in Bennett’s offense, helping spread the floor and create space. Virginia finishes the regular season against Pittsburgh, Louisville, and Notre Dame. The Cavs are looking to finish out strong before the conference tournament, and have already clinched at least a share of the ACC regular season title.
2. Michigan State Spartans (27-3, +0, 97 Pts): Michigan State has only one game remaining in their condensed season because the Big Ten Tournament has been moved up one week in order for it to be played at Madison Square Garden in New York City. With that said, the Spartans have already had their Senior Night, which was an 81-61 blowout over Illinois. It could also be the last game Miles Bridges plays in front of his home crowd before heading to the NBA. He had 19 points, five rebounds, and three assists. Joshua Langford added 16 points on 75 percent shooting from three-point range. The Spartans will finish the year on the road against Wisconsin, and if they're able to win, Michigan State will be crowned Big Ten regular season champions and won't allow anyone else to share it with them. Tom Izzo's crew has won 11 straight games and will be looking to add a couple of Big Ten titles to their great season.
3. Villanova Wildcats (25-3, +1, 93 Pts): Villanova is coming off of a 31-point blowout against DePaul, who is the worst team in the Big East. The Wildcats have lost all three of their games this season to unranked opponents, but are 4-0 against ranked opponents. Jay Wright has created an outstanding offensive team, with six players averaging double digits in points per game. Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges have become a powerful dynamic duo this season. With Brunson averaging 19.2 points per game and Bridges putting up 17.1 points per game, they have been unguardable for opposing teams. Donte Divincenzo and freshman Omari Spellman have played big roles in the offense. With only Creighton, Seton Hall, and Georgetown left, the Wildcats hope to avoid any upsets going into the Big East Tournament. Villanova is 8-2 in their last 10 NCAA Tournament games and will hope to continue that dominance next month.
4. Xavier Musketeers (25-4, -1, 88 Pts): With only two games left on their schedule, Xavier looks like they are going to share the Big East regular season title with the Wildcats. But if Villanova wins the rest of the their games, then Xavier won't get the top seed in the Big East Tournament since Villanova has beaten them in both of their matchups. But it seems that Villanova has a tougher schedule down the stretch of the season, so the Musketeers could still squeak out a title. Even if they don’t win the regular season title, Xavier has a great opportunity to win the conference tournament and if they do, they will be able to be a No. 1 seed in the Big Dance, after being a No. 11 seed last year and reaching the Elite Eight. Xavier is coming off of a 89-77 win on the road against Georgetown, after trailing by two at halftime. They won't play against until the last day of February against Providence. Then the last game of the season is versus DePaul on the road.
5. Duke Blue Devils (23-5, +4, 84 Pts): With three games left on their schedule and the hardest game being against their rival and No. 10 North Carolina, Duke is trying to make a push to stay second in the ACC. They don’t really have a chance to win the ACC regular season, given a three-game separation between the Blue Devils and the Cavaliers, but if they finish off strong they can for sure be able to win the ACC Tournament, led by their All-American freshman Marvin Bagley III and Grayson Allen. They will probably be a two or three seed in the NCAA Tournament and should be able to make a deep run given their extreme talent. The Blue Devils will be favored in all three of their remaining games, against Syracuse, Virginia Tech, and North Carolina. Only the match against the Hokies is away from home. Duke is third in the nation in scoring with 87.2 points per game and is eighth in assists with 17.8 per game.
Sweet Sixteen Rankings:
6. Gonzaga Bulldogs (26-4, +2, 74 Pts)
7. Wichita State Shockers (22-5, +7, 72 Pts)
8. Kansas Jayhawks (22-6, +4, 72 Pts)
9. Auburn Tigers (24-4, -3, 66 Pts)
10. Purdue Boilermakers (25-5, +0, 66 Pts)
11. Cincinnati Bearcats (24-4, -4, 59 Pts)
12. North Carolina (21-7, -1, 59 Pts)
13. Texas Tech Red Raiders (22-6, -8, 54 Pts)
14. Arizona Wildcats (22-6, -1, 53 Pts)
15. Ohio State Buckeyes (24-7, +0, 44 Pts)
16. Michigan Wolverines (23-7, +1, 41 Pts)
Elite Eight Players:
1. Trae Young (Oklahoma) - 95 Pts.
2. Marvin Bagley Jr. (Duke) - 94 Pts.
3. DeAndre Ayton (Arizona) - 91 Pts.
4. Jalen Brunson (Villanova) - 87 Pts.
5. Miles Bridges (Michigan State) - 86 Pts.
6. Mo Bamba (Texas) - 67 Pts.
7. Devonte' Graham (Kansas) - 56 Pts.
8. Keenan Evans (Texas Tech) - 55 Pts.
Charles Post:
Michigan @ Maryland
Syracuse @ Duke
Kansas @ Texas Tech
Wichita State @ SMU
Villanova @ Creighton
Georgia Tech @ Clemson
Iowa State @ West Virginia
Gonzaga @ BYU
Auburn @ Florida
Arizona @ Oregon
February 17 Record: 6-4.
Overall Record: 11-9.
Chinedum Wejinya:
Michigan @ Maryland
Syracuse @ Duke
Kansas @ Texas Tech
Wichita State @ SMU
Villanova @ Creighton
Georgia Tech @ Clemson
Iowa State @ West Virginia
Gonzaga @ BYU
Auburn @ Florida
Arizona @ Oregon
February 17 Record: 5-5.
Overall Record: 9-11.
Max Heningburg:
Michigan @ Maryland
Syracuse @ Duke
Kansas @ Texas Tech
Wichita State @ SMU
Villanova @ Creighton
Georgia Tech @ Clemson
Iowa State @ West Virginia
Gonzaga @ BYU
Auburn @ Florida
Arizona @ Oregon
February 17 Record: 7-3.
Overall Record: 12-8.
Final Four Picks (November 7, 2017):
Final Four Picks (February 10, 2018):
Photo Credit: 247 Sports.