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Purdue is back on top in the latest Power 36 rankings for men's college basketball – NCAA.com
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Week six of the 2023-24 DI men’s college basketball season saw major changes at the top with strong teams like Arizona, Baylor, North Carolina and Clemson all losing.
Andy. Katz delivers his fresh Power 36, and a preview for the week ahead.
Dropped out: Gonzaga (19), Northwestern (24), Iowa State (32)
Under consideration: Florida, San Diego State, Alabama, Mississippi State, Villanova, Providence, Butler, Syracuse, Nevada, Utah State, Indiana State.
DOWN GOES No. 1: Recap Purdue’s win over Arizona and more from a wild weekend in college basketball
The best games to watch for 🍿@TheAndyKatz ranks the top 🔟 matchups to watch this week 📊 pic.twitter.com/2yAZBih6td
1. Baylor vs. Duke, Wednesday, NYC, Madison Square Garden: Duke relishes a de-facto home game at the Garden. And they could use a high-level win. The Bears are coming off a disastrous performance against Michigan State in Detroit. The guards could neutralize each other, opening up the possibility for a Kyle Filipowski big night.
2. North Carolina vs. Oklahoma, Wednesday, Charlotte: The Tar Heels lost a wild game to Kentucky in Atlanta and now take on the undefeated Sooners.
3. Virginia at Memphis, Tuesday: The Tigers continue to play a Gonzaga-like non-conference slate. Penny Hardaway clearly knew FAU and maybe SMU would be the only potential quad-one American games this season. If the Tigers can knock off Virginia then they will continue to build toward a top-four seed line resume. This would be a significant road win for the Cavaliers.
4. Villanova at Creighton, Wednesday: The Wildcats are back to looking like a top-three Big East team after the win over UCLA last week. Creighton survived a late push from Alabama. This should be a high-flying affair.
5. Alabama vs. Arizona, Wednesday, Phoenix: The Tide continue a brutal non-conference schedule. Arizona is coming off the loss to Purdue in Indianapolis. Both teams aren’t shying away from anyone. Love the potential of the Mark Sears-Caleb Love matchup.
6. FAU vs. Arizona, Saturday, Las Vegas: The Wildcats will be heading into Christmas as one of the most tested teams in the country if not the next to Purdue. FAU could dramatically increase its profile with a neutral win over the Wildcats.
7. Marquette at Providence, Tuesday: High-level Big East opener for both schools. This is the state homecoming game again for Tyler Kolek. The Friars need to start piling up some Big East resume wins at home to go with the non-conference win over Wisconsin.
8. Illinois vs. Missouri, Thursday, St. Louis: This rivalry game never disappoints. The Illini are flying high while Mizzou limps into the game after losing to Seton Hall Sunday in Kansas City.
9. Florida vs. Michigan, Tuesday, Charlotte: Both schools desperately need another quality win. This would qualify on a neutral court.
10. Mississippi State vs. Rutgers, Saturday, Newark: The Scarlet Knights are playing their best basketball of the season and that’s why a win over the SEC’s Bulldogs would be significant.
UConn: The Huskies continued their gauntlet non-conference slate with a road win in Seattle over Gonzaga, 76-63. Donovan Clingan scored 21 points and showed well as one of the elite post players in the country. The Huskies enter Big East play at 10-1 and the team to beat (slightly over Marquette) in the league race. UConn is also on a path to be a No. 1 seed. The Huskies have answered every challenge and nearly took down Kansas in Lawrence in their only blemish (hardly a wart) this season. The chance for a repeat champ for the first time since Florida 2006-07 is real.
🏆 Weekly Awards from @TheAndyKatz 👇
Team of the Week: UConn
Player of the Week: Wesley Cardet Jr. pic.twitter.com/fLIIegrpzt
Wesley Cardet Jr., Chicago State: Cardet had himself a week. He scored 30 points as the Cougars stunned then No. 25 Northwestern. The Cougars were 0-64 against the Big Ten prior to this win. The 6-6 junior guard was sensational from the jump. Cardet hit a 3 and a dunk to give the Cougars a 62-61 lead with just over five minutes left. But Cardet wasn’t a one-hit wonder last week. He converted the game-winning layup to finish with 28 points in a 63-62 win at Valparaiso. The Cougars had won three of four heading into a game against UT Rio Grande on Monday. Cardet started his career at Samford after being ranked No. 60 coming out of West Oaks Academy in Orlando.