Team of the Week: Syracuse (23-1)
The Orange played only one game last week, but their 95-70 blowout of St. John’s at Madison Square Garden is enough to earn this week’s honors. Say what you want about the depth on Jim Boeheim’s bench, but Syracuse won’t cut down the nets in New Orleans without Fab Melo’s presence in the 2-3 zone.
Fab Melo is the anchor of Syracuse's zone
Melo only played 21 minutes against the Johnnies but scored 14 points dominating on both sides of the court. Syracuse has a big week ahead of them with home games against rivals Georgetown and Connecticut.
Other Teams that Impressed:
Iowa State (17-6): The Cyclones are well on their way to earning an at large bid to the Dance for the first time since 2005. Wins over Kansas State and Oklahoma have cemented them as the fourth best team in the Big 12.
Florida (17-5): Wins over South Carolina and Vanderbilt set up Tuesday night match-up against top ranked Kentucky. Gators Have established themselves as top SEC challenger to Big Blue. Should be an excellent showdown.
Arizona (16-8): After a slow start to the season, Arizona is gradually climbing out of an early hole. The Wildcats won two road games at Cal and Stanford last week, putting them in fourth place in the PAC 12. They will be favored in both home games this week against Colorado and Utah so look for Sean Miller’s bunch to be a contender for the conference title. Someone has to win the PAC 12 right?
Player of the Week: Anthony Davis, Kentucky
Davis is the best player the SEC has seen in decades.
I can’t say enough about the freshman. He’s blocks shots, plays great defense without fouling, and is efficient on offense. His combined stat line last week vs. Tennessee and South Carolina provide an excellent example: 40 points on 15 of 17 shots, 10 of 12 from the charity stripe, 16 rebounds, 1 turnover.
Davis is easily the most dominant player the SEC has had in years. John Calipari has coached some talented players over the years, but two stick out in my mind. We all know about Derrick Rose and his success in the NBA, but many forget how great Marcus Camby was at UMass in the early 90’s. Davis has a lot of Camby’s game in him and certainly will be an incredible defensive force in the NBA. If Davis can continue to develop his offensive game, the sky is the limit.
Honorable Mention:
Tyler Zeller, North Carolina: Zeller has 18 points and 18 rebounds in a win against Wake Forest. He has a tremendous skill set in the post, and is one of the nation’s best bigs in transition. He has to be Roy Williams’ go-to guy in crunch time if the Tar Heels want to make the trip to New Orleans.
Daryl Bryant, West Virginia: While Kevin Jones rightfully is gaining all the national attention from his stellar season, Bryant is the unsung hero on a solid Mountaineer team. He scored 32 points in a win over Providence including two big shots late in the game.
Damian Lillard, Weber State: Easily America’s best player that you’ve never heard of. Lillard scored 75 points in two games last week resulting in two wins. I’ve given a lot of love to Creighton’s Doug McDermott this season, but that’s no reason to forget about Lillard who leads the nation in scoring (25.5 PPG). More importantly, Lillard is leading his team to first place in the Big Sky Conference.
Top 25
| Rank | Team | Record | Prev. Week |
| 1 | Kentucky | 23-1 | 1 |
| 2 | Syracuse | 23-1 | 3 |
| 3 | Ohio State | 20-3 | 2 |
| 4 | North Carolina | 20-3 | 4 |
| 5 | Missouri | 21-2 | 9 |
| 6 | Baylor | 21-2 | 5 |
| 7 | Murray State | 23-0 | 8 |
| 8 | Florida | 19-4 | 10 |
| 9 | Kansas | 18-5 | 6 |
| 10 | Duke | 19-4 | 7 |
| 11 | Georgetown | 18-4 | 14 |
| 12 | St. Mary’s | 22-2 | 18 |
| 13 | Michigan State | 18-5 | 11 |
| 14 | San Diego State | 20-3 | 16 |
| 15 | UNLV | 21-4 | 12 |
| 16 | Crieghton | 21-3 | 13 |
| 17 | Mississippi State | 18-5 | 23 |
| 18 | Marquette | 19-5 | 15 |
| 19 | Harvard | 20-2 | 19 |
| 20 | Virginia | 18-4 | 17 |
| 21 | Louisville | 18-5 | 21 |
| 22 | Florida State | 16-6 | 22 |
| 23 | Wisconsin | 18-6 | 20 |
| 24 | Michigan | 17-7 | NR |
| 25 | Indiana | 18-6 | 24 |
Next Up: Gonzaga, New Mexico, Iowa State, Vanderbilt, UConn
Dropped Out: 25 UConn
What to Watch For this Week:
Monday
UConn vs. 21 Louisville – 7:00 PM EST on ESPN
5 Missouri vs. Oklahoma- 7:00 PM EST on ESPNU
Tuesday
8 Florida vs. 1 Kentucky- 7:00 PM EST on ESPN
Purdue vs. 3 Ohio State- 9:00 PM EST on ESPN
Wednesday
9 Kansas vs. 6 Baylor- 7:00 PM EST on ESPN2
11 Georgetown vs. 2 Syracuse- 7:00 PM EST on ESPN
10 Duke vs. 5 North Carolina- 9:00 PM EST on ESPNU
Thursday
Illinois vs. 25 Indiana- 8:00 PM EST on Big Ten Network
12 St. Mary’s vs. Gonzaga- 11:00 PM EST on ESPN2
Saturday
UConn vs. 2 Syracuse- 1:00 PM EST on CBS
6 Baylor vs. 5 Missouri- 1:30 PM EST on ESPN3
14 San Diego State vs. 15 UNLV- 4:00 PM EST
13 Michigan State vs. 3 Ohio State- 6:00 PM EST on ESPN
1 Kentucky vs. Vanderbilt- 9:00 PM EST on ESPN
Sunday
Illinois vs. 24 Michigan- 1:00 PM EST on CBS
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