We're a month away from the mania of March Madness, but things are already heating up on the hardwood as teams jockey for quality wins and the highest seeds in their respective conference tournaments.
In the thick of league play, we're beginning to see some separation. The contenders appear to be distancing themselves from the pretenders. They are the fervent few, who are truly capable of cutting down the nets at the Final Four in San Antonio.
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There's more parity now than ever in college basketball, but there still seems to be only a little more than a handful of teams that could legitimately vie for a national title, and they might not be exactly who you think they are.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL POWER RANKINGS
All stats are of Feb. 1, 2018
25. USC (17-6, 8-2)
The Trojans have quietly won six in a row and currently sit at second in the Pac-12. They lead the league in assists and assists-to-turnover ratio and are second in 3-point field-goal percentage heading into a three-game stretch, during which they'll face UCLA (Saturday), Arizona State (Feb. 8) and Arizona (Feb. 10), all on the road.
24. Providence (14-8, 5-4)
The Friars, who've lost their last two by an average of 22 points per game, are in danger of dropping to .500 in the Big East with a third-straight road defeat at Marquette Saturday. It could be soul-searching time for coach Ed Cooley's guys before they face Georgetown next Tuesday.
23. Kentucky (17-5, 6-3)
The Wildcats earned their first signature win of the season with a victory against West Virginia on the road in the Big 12/SEC Challenge this past Saturday. After back-to-back losses, the Wildcats have won three in a row heading into a road trip to Mizzou (Saturday) and a clash with Tennessee at home Tuesday.
22. Florida (15-7, 6-3)
The Gators are having an on again, off again relationship with success, following a win at Kentucky with a loss against South Carolina, and a victory against Baylor with a double-digit defeat on the road against Georgia. They'll try to ward off Alabama in Gainesville Saturday. The Gators entertain LSU next Wednesday.
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21. Kansas State (16-6, 5-4)
The WiIdcats couldn't keep up with Kansas' offensive firepower in a 14-point loss Monday, but they've still won four of their last five. It'll be show-and-prove time with road games against West Virginia Saturday and Kansas next Wednesday.
20. Michigan (18-6, 7-4)
If there's such a thing as a quality loss, the Wolverines 88-84 defeat at Purdue last week would be one. They bounced back with a double-digit win against Northwestern in their last outing and could reach the 20-win plateau for the third-straight season under coach John Beilein with victories against Minnesota Saturday and Northwestern Tuesday.
19. Clemson (18-4, 7-3)
Clemson has won a pair of close ones, beating Georgia Tech by two this past Sunday and North Carolina by four two nights later. The Tigers' schedule grants them a couple gifts with games against Wake Forest (Saturday) and Pitt (Feb. 8) before they travel to Florida State on Valentine's Day and host Duke (Feb. 18). Still, it's hard to put confidence in them long term without injured senior Donte Grantham for the rest of the season.
18. Ohio State (19-5, 10-1)
First-year coach Chris Holtmann has the Buckeyes rolling. Led by Big Ten Player of the Year candidate Keita Bates-Diop, the league's leading scorer and third-leading rebounder, they've won eight of their last nine and are second in the conference standings.
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17. North Carolina (16-7, 5-5)
Three straight losses to unranked opponents is bad enough, but the Tar Heels are reeling. With freshman Jalek Felton suspended and Seventh Woods still injured, even more burden will be placed on the shoulders of starting point guard Joel Berry as North Carolina prepares to take on Pitt Saturday.
16. West Virginia (16-6, 5-4)
The Mountaineers are in a tailspin, having lost five of their last six. They don't seem to be finding their way either, coming off a 16-point loss at Iowa State Wednesday, their worst loss of the slump. Things won't get any easier in Kansas State (Saturday) and Oklahoma (Monday) coming up.
15. Tennessee (16-5, 6-3)
Coach Rick Barnes' Volunteers have limited opponents to 57.7 points per game in four consecutive victories. Tennessee has won seven of its last eight. It hosts Ole Miss Saturday before getting it on with Kentucky in Rupp Arena next Tuesday.
14. Gonzaga (19-4, 9-1)
San Francisco trailed Gonzaga by just three at the half last Satuday, but the Bulldogs pulled away late to log a nine-point win. Now No. 3 in the country in scoring, they should easily dispatch San Diego (Thursday), BYU (Saturday) and Pacific (Feb. 8) before a blockbuster rematch with St. Mary's (Feb. 10).
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13. St. Mary's (21-2, 10-0)
Leading the West Coast Conference in field-goal and 3-point field goal percentage as well as defensive rebounding, the Gaels carry a 16-game winning streak into Thursday's contest against San Francisco. They face San Diego Saturday.
12. Auburn (20-2, 8-1)
The Tigers have averaged 86 points per game in four consecutive wins since suffering their lone SEC defeat against Alabama (Jan. 17). Auburn hosts Vanderbilt Saturday and Texas A&M next Wednesday.
11. Xavier (20-3, 8-2)
The Musketeers' five-point win against St. John's Wednesday was likely closer than they wanted, but with five-straight wins they're filling out their NCAA tournament resume nicely. They'll face Georgetown at home Saturday and visit Butler Tuesday.
10. Cincinnati (20-2, 9-0)
The Bearcats are the class of the American and it's not even close. They're at least two games ahead of Wichita State, Houston, SMU and UCF, all of which has lost multiple league games. Cincinnati's balanced scoring attack includes four players (Jacob Evans, Gary Clark, Kyle Washington and Jarron Cumberland) who average double-figures in points per game, making the Bearcats a tough out every time they step on the floor. UConn (Saturday) and UCF (Tuesday) are up next for Cincinnati.
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9. Texas Tech (18-4, 7-3)
If it weren't for Oklahoma freshman Trae Young, Red Raiders guard Keenan Evans might be the Big 12 Player of the Year. The 6-3 senior is second in the league in scoring. He averaged 31.6 points in Texas Tech's last three games, wins against Texas, South Carolina and Oklahoma State. The Red Raiders travel to TCU Saturday and host Iowa State next Wednesday.
8. Oklahoma (16-5, 6-3)
Trae Young, who leads the nation in scoring and assists, has made the Sooners the highest-scoring offensive unit in America. OU has notched six wins against ranked teams. It will face shot-blocking sensation Mohammed Bamba and a Texas defense ranked No. 2 in the Big 12 Saturday before welcoming West Virginia to Norman Monday.
7. Kansas (18-4, 7-2)
The Jayhawks have lived by the 3-pointer, taking and making more than any other team in the Big 12. With three of the league's top 15 shooters from deep in Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk, Devonte' Graham and Malik Newman, Kansas has gunned its way to the top spot in the league and likely no lower than a No. 2 seed in the tournament if it keeps it up. Kansas plays Oklahoma State Saturday and TCU Tuesday in Lawrence.
6. Michigan State (21-3, 9-2)
Sophomore Miles Bridges has looked every bit a potential lottery pick as of late. During the Spartans' current five-game winning streak, the 6-7, 225-pounder is averaging 22.2 points and 7.2 rebounds and has been a perfect 21-21 from the free-throw line. Michigan State plays at Indiana Saturday and vs. Iowa Saturday Tuesday.
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5. Arizona (19-4, 9-1)
There's one reason the Wildcats have won seven in a row — talent. Allonzo Trier leads the Pac 12 in scoring. Deandre Ayton leads it in rebounding and Parker Jackson-Cartwright is fifth in assists. They travel to Washington Saturday.
4. Purdue (22-2, 11-0)
It's 18 wins in a row and counting for the Boilermakers, but they can prove a lot to doubters, if there still are any, by handling back-to-back challenges against Ohio State (Feb. 7) and Michigan State (Feb. 10). But first they must handle business at Rutgers Saturday.
3. Villanova (20-1, 7-1)
A four-game homestand couldn't have come at a better time for the Wildcats as they adjust to life without injured guard Phil Booth. First, they have Creighton Thursday and Seton Hall Sunday. Next week, it's St. John's (Feb. 7) and Butler (Feb. 10).
2. Duke (18-3, 6-3)
A two-point loss to what may go down as one of the greatest defensive teams in the history of college basketball — Virginia —isn't going to spoil us on the Blue Devils. They could easily run the table the rest of the regular season, beginning with trips to St. John's (Saturday) and rival North Carolina (Thursday).
1.Virginia (20-1, 9-0)
The Cavaliers have given up more than 65 points just once all season. So, there's that.