Team of the Week: New Mexico (22-4)
The Lobos had one of their best weeks in the program’s recent history. They beat San Diego State by 10 on the road, never letting the Aztecs within reach. Then they came back on after trailing UNLV by one at the half and crush the Runnin’ Rebels for a 20-point win at The Pit. The Lobos now hold a two-game lead in the Mountain West standings, something that seemed unfathomable after dropping two of their first three conference games. They will be heavily favored in all four remaining conference games. Now that they won’t see UNLV or San Diego State until the conference tournament, New Mexico is in the driver’s seat to win the Mountain West. But head coach Steve Alford knows he has built a team good enough to play their way into the Sweet 16 and beyond.
Other Teams that Impressed:
Murray State (26-1): So much for a letdown after last week’s loss to Tennessee State. The Racers won both of their games this past week including a 14 point beatdown of St. Mary’s on Bracketbuster Saturday. Early bracket projections have the Racers seeded as high as a four seed and as low as a six seed. No matter where they end up on Selection Sunday, Murray State is a team to be feared in March.
Michigan (20-7): The Wolverines have a real shot at winning the Big Ten after knocking off rival Ohio State on Saturday. For a team that lost star guard Darius Morris to the NBA, John Beilein has turned in his best coaching job since coming to Ann Arbor. Trey Burke looks like America’s best freshman point guard, Tim Hardaway is still a threat to drop 20 points in any given night. Michigan won’t scare you on paper, but they just find ways to win.
Wichita State (24-4): The Shockers were in cruise control most of the season until a win over Creighton sparked a hot streak that’s resulted in their climb to the 19th spot in this week’s rankings. Wichita had the toughest road test on Bracketbuster Weekend not named Murray State. They responded in a big way by steamrolling Davidson.
Player of the Week: Drew Gordon, New Mexico
Gordon has transformed into a dominant player for New Mexico.
It’s easy to say that New Mexico wouldn’t have knocked off two top-25 teams without Gordon’s immense production in the post. Gordon posted 17 points and 17 rebounds against San Diego State in a ten-point victory. If that wasn’t enough, he dominated UNLV scoring 27 points and grabbing 20 boards. When Gordon transferred to New Mexico from UCLA, he was constantly hurt. Now he has improved his body and his game into a double-double threat every time he takes the floor.
Honorable Mention:
Jack Cooley, Notre Dame: Cooley is a major reason why Notre Dame has been successful this year despite the absence of Tim Abromaitis. He combined to score 40 points and grab 31 rebounds in wins over Big East rivals Rutgers and Villanova.
Draymond Green, Michigan State: If the Spartans are going to make a run to New Orleans, Green will be the one to carry them there. With Tom Izzo breaking in Keith Appling as their point guard, Green is the straw that stirs the drink for the Spartan offense. His performance this week is a prime example of that. Green scored 40 points, snagged 20 rebounds, and added 12 assists in wins over Wisconsin and Purdue.
John Jenkins, Vanderbilt: Jenkins had a huge week for the Commodores dropping a combined 54 ponts incuding 10-12 from beyond the arc in wins over Ole Miss and Georgia.
Top 25
| Rank | Team | Record | Prev. Week |
| 1 | Kentucky | 26-1 | 1 |
| 2 | Syracuse | 27-1 | 2 |
| 3 | Missouri | 25-2 | 3 |
| 4 | Kansas | 22-5 | 4 |
| 5 | Duke | 23-4 | 5 |
| 6 | North Carolina | 23-4 | 7 |
| 7 | Michigan State | 22-5 | 8 |
| 8 | Ohio State | 22-5 | 6 |
| 9 | Georgetown | 20-5 | 11 |
| 10 | Marquette | 22-5 | 13 |
| 11 | Florida | 21-6 | 12 |
| 12 | Murray State | 26-1 | 14 |
| 13 | Baylor | 22-5 | 9 |
| 14 | Michigan | 20-7 | 19 |
| 15 | Florida State | 19-7 | 23 |
| 16 | Wisconsin | 20-7 | 16 |
| 17 | Notre Dame | 19-8 | 25 |
| 18 | Louisville | 21-6 | 18 |
| 19 | Wichita State | 24-4 | NR |
| 20 | New Mexico | 22-4 | NR |
| 21 | UNLV | 22-6 | 10 |
| 22 | St. Mary’s | 23-5 | 17 |
| 23 | Temple | 21-5 | NR |
| 24 | San Diego State | 20-6 | 15 |
| 25 | Indiana | 20-7 | 20 |
Next Up: Virginia, Creighton, Gonzaga, BYU, California
Dropped Out: 21 Gonzaga, 22 Mississippi State, 24 Virginia
What to Watch For this Week:
Monday
UConn vs. Villanova – 7:00 PM EST on ESPN
13 Baylor vs. Texas- 9:00 PM EST on ESPN
Tuesday
Kansas State vs. 3 Missouri- 7:00 PM EST on ESPN2
1 Kentucky vs. Mississippi State- 9:00 PM EST on ESPN
Wednesday
West Virginia vs. 17 Notre Dame- 7:00 PM EST on ESPNU
South Florida vs. 2 Syracuse- 7:00 PM EST on ESPN3/TWC
Thursday
5 Duke vs. 15 Florida State- 7:00 PM EST on ESPN
BYU vs. Gonzaga- 11:00 PM EST on ESPN2
Saturday
Vanderbilt vs. 1 Kentucky- 12:00 PM EST on CBS
3 Missouri vs. 4 Kansas- 4:00 PM EST on CBS
Mississippi State vs. Alabama- 6:00 PM EST on ESPN
2 Syracuse vs. Connecticut- 9:00 PM EST on ESPN
Sunday
16 Wisconsin vs. 8 Ohio State- 4:00 PM EST on CBS
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