1. Kentucky (27-0, 14-0 SEC). Last week: 1
Kentucky steamrolled Auburn last week, posting 110 points on the Tigers, to remain unbeaten. The Wildcats continue their quest for a perfect season against Mississippi State and Arkansas this week.
2. Virginia (25-1, 13-1 ACC). Last week: 2
Virginia gutted out wins against Pittsburgh and Florida State last week to stay two games up on Notre Dame in the loss column of the ACC standings.
3. Wisconsin (25-2, 13-1 Big Ten). Last week: 3
Wisconsin was not dominant last week but still beat Penn State and Minnesota to keep a three-game lead in the Big Ten. The Badgers can clinch at least a share of the Big Ten regular season title with a win Tuesday at Maryland.
4. Duke (24-3, 11-3 ACC). Last week: 5
Duke knocked off North Carolina in a double-overtime thriller and then blew out Clemson over the weekend. The Blue Devils will be favored in their next three games against Virginia Tech, Syracuse and Wake Forest.
5. Gonzaga (28-1, 16-0 WCC). Last week: 4
Gonzaga clinched another WCC title Saturday with a 70-60 win at Saint Mary’s. The Bulldogs finish the season at home against San Diego and BYU.
6. Villanova (25-2, 12-2 Big East). Last week: 6
Villanova is one win away from clinching at least a share of the Big East title. The Wildcats host Providence, one of three teams tied for second place in the conference, this week.
7. Kansas (22-5, 11-3 Big 12). Last week: 7
Kansas lost at the buzzer to West Virginia but bounced back with an 81-72 win against TCU. The Jayhawks travel to rival Kansas State on Monday night.
8. Iowa State (20-6, 10-4 Big 12). Last week: 9
Iowa State has won three straight games and is now one game behind Kansas in the Big 12 standings.
9. Arizona (24-3, 12-2 Pac-12). Last week: 10
Arizona defended its home court against USC and UCLA last week to remain at the top of the Pac-12 standings. The Wildcats have a crucial game for their conference title hopes Saturday at Utah.
10. Notre Dame (24-4, 12-3 ACC). Last week: 12
Notre Dame has taken advantage of an easy stretch, winning three straight games. The Fighting Irish are one game behind first-place Virginia in the ACC standings, and they have a somewhat favorable finish to the season: vs. Syracuse, at Louisville, vs. Clemson.
11. Utah (21-5, 11-3 Pac-12). Last week: 11
Utah’s five-game winning streak ended Sunday with a loss at Oregon. The Utes are one game behind Arizona in the Pac-12 standings, but they can get back in the conference title conversation with a loss against the Wildcats this weekend.
12. Northern Iowa (26-2, 15-1 MVC). Last week: 13
Northern Iowa has won 15 straight games and controls its own destiny for the MVC regular season title. However, the Panthers have a difficult final week of the season with games against Evansville and Wichita State.
13. Louisville (21-6, 9-5 ACC). Last week: 8
Louisville ended a two-game slide Saturday with a 55-53 win against Miami (Fla.). The Cardinals will be on the road this week against Georgia Tech and Florida State.
14. Wichita State (25-3, 15-1 MVC). Last week: 14
Wichita State blew past Southern Illinois and Evansville last week to stay tied with Northern Iowa for first place in the MVC. The regular season title will likely come down to Saturday’s matchup between the Shockers and the Panthers in Wichita.
15. Oklahoma (19-8, 10-5 Big 12). Last week: 15
Oklahoma survived in close games against Texas and Texas Tech to stay in the Big 12 title race. The Sooners have games against first-place Kansas and second-place Iowa State down the stretch.
16. Baylor (20-7, 8-6 Big 12). Last week: 17
Baylor defeated Texas Tech and Kansas State last week, moving into fifth place in the Big 12. The Bears face a pair of ranked opponents this week in Iowa State and West Virginia.
17. North Carolina (19-8, 9-5 ACC). Last week: 16
North Carolina bounced back from its loss to Duke with an easy win against Georgia Tech. Next up for the Tar Heels is a home game against NC State.
18. Arkansas (22-5, 11-3 SEC). Last week: 19
Arkansas won another close game Saturday, and the Razorbacks now have six straight victories. After hosting Texas A&M on Tuesday, Arkansas will get a shot at undefeated Kentucky this weekend.
19. SMU (22-5, 13-2 American). Last week: 20
SMU got another key win last week, erasing a halftime deficit to knock off Temple. The Mustangs hit the road this week to face Memphis and Connecticut.
20. West Virginia (21-6, 9-5 Big 12). Last week: 25
West Virginia picked up a pair of key wins last week, defeating Kansas and Oklahoma State.
21. Butler (19-8, 9-5 Big East). Last week: 18
Butler has dropped two of its last three games, and the lone win in that stretch came by two points against Creighton, which sits in last place in the Big East. The Bulldogs have a favorable week with games against Marquette and DePaul.
22. Georgetown (18-8, 10-5 Big East). Last week: Unranked
Georgetown is on a three-game winning streak after beating St. John’s and DePaul last week at home. The Hoyas face the Johnnies again this week in New York City.
23. Maryland (22-5, 10-4 Big Ten). Last week: 23
Maryland held off Nebraska on Thursday and now takes a three-game winning streak into a home game against Wisconsin.
24. VCU (21-6, 11-3 A10). Last week: Unranked
VCU is starting to look better despite the loss of Briante Weber. The Rams have won three games in a row and control their own destiny for the No. 1 seed in the Atlantic 10 Tournament.
25. Providence (19-8, 9-5 Big East). Last week: Unranked
Providence is very much in the running for the No. 2 seed at the Big East Tournament thanks to wins last week against Seton Hall and DePaul. The Friars can get another resume-building win Tuesday at Villanova.
