Power Rankings: The state of Wisconsin had a fantastic week

• Jeff Borzello, ESPN

  • Staff WriterNov 21, 2024, 09:30 AM ET Close Basketball recruiting expert.
  • Signed up with ESPN in 2014.
  • Graduate of University of Delaware.It was an excellent

week for the Badger State, as Marquette and Wisconsin notched substantial wins and skyrocketed up the Power Rankings.Marquette was incredibly

remarkable in its 18-point triumph over Purdue– a game that followed a roadway win at Maryland on Friday. The Golden Eagles have a lot of continuity from last season, beginning 5 juniors or senior citizens, and they have Kam Jones, who is playing perhaps the best basketball of anybody in the country through 2 weeks. They’re a genuine top-10 team in the country and should be right with UConn at the top of the Big East standings.Meanwhile, Wisconsin had the surprise result of the week, scoring 103 points and removing Arizona on Friday night. The Badgers then needed to scrape by UT Rio Grande Valley– however for a group picked 12th in the preseason Big 10 media poll, a 5-0 start with a top-10 win is enough to get a spot in the Power Rankings.Looking somewhat ahead, the annual competition game in between these 2 groups comes on Dec. 7 at Marquette.Previous editions: Preseason leading 25|Week 1 play 1:49 UNC Wilmington Seahawks vs. Kansas Jayhawks: Game Emphasizes UNC Wilmington Seahawks vs. Kansas Jayhawks: Game highlights. Previous ranking: 1 Expense Self’s mix of returning players and star newbies is

still looking for its rhythm. However one thing the Jayhawks will look to improve upon in upcoming heavyweight games versus Duke in Las Vegas (Tuesday)and at Creighton(Dec. 4 )is their outside shooting. The additions of Rylan Griffen, Zeke Mayo and AJ Storr were expected to help Kansas’perimeter shotmaking, but the team has shot listed below 30 %from 3 in three of its 5 games.Next 7 days: vs. Duke at Vegas Face-off(Nov. 26) Previous ranking: 3 Editor’s Picks 2

Related Ryan Nembhard’s start to the season appears to get a little bit more absurd with each contest. 5 games in, he’s now amounted to 47 helps and just 6 turnovers. He’s shooting almost 44%from 3-point variety and balancing 12.2 points per game. Nembhard was the very best guard on the flooring versus Jeremy

Roach and Baylor in the season opener, and must get a couple more difficult tests next week in the Bahamas. Matchups against Myles Rice and Indiana and Caleb Love and Arizona are possibilities.Next seven days: Fight 4 Atlantis in the Bahamas (vs. West Virginia on Nov. 27 ) Previous ranking: 2 Johni Broome is playing like probably the very best big man– and one of the premier players– in college basketball through two-plus weeks. His efficiency against Houston

(20 points, 9 rebounds, 5 blocks)got lost in the Tahaad Pettiford hype, but he also went for

30 points, 17 rebounds and 3 blocks in a blowout win over North Alabama. Broome is shooting nearly 79%from 2 on more than 10 attempts per game.Next 7 days: Maui Invitational in Hawaii(vs. Iowa State on Nov. 25) Previous ranking: 5 It will get real for the Huskies. After battering on four cupcakes to start the season– and ending up being simply the third reigning champ to win each of its first four games by 30 points, according to ESPN Research– UConn heads to Hawai’i for the Maui Invitational. The

Huskies have Memphis in the opener, before dealing with the winner of Colorado vs. Michigan State and then either

Auburn, Iowa State or North Carolina in the title game.Next seven days: Maui Invitational in Hawai’i (vs. Memphis on Nov. 25) play 1:59 IUPUI Jaguars vs. Iowa State Cyclones: Video Game Emphasizes IUPUI Jaguars vs. Iowa State Cyclones: Video Game Highlights Previous ranking: 6

Iowa State’s upcoming showdown versus Auburn on Monday assures to be among the best games of the week– and a matchup more matched for a Feast Week title game than an opening-round affair. A number of early keys for the

Cyclones: They need to decrease Auburn and Johni Broome around the rim to dominate. Broome has been dominant, and Auburn leads the nation in 2-point shooting. Second, Iowa State must make shots from the perimeter.

The Cyclones made 10 threes against Kansas City but went 12-for-46 in their other 2 games.Next 7 days: Maui Invitational in Hawai’i(vs. Auburn on Nov. 25) Previous ranking: 7 Milos Uzan isn’t Jamal Shead– and Houston didn’t expect him to be an exact replica of one of the country’s best point player of the past few seasons. But Uzan has been extremely effective while filling Shead’s shoes at point of the Cougars’attack. He has 19 helps to 5 turnovers through 3 games, while also making a pair of threes in 2 of 3 contests. A matchup against Mark Sears and the Crimson

Tide awaits next week.Next 7 days: vs. Hofstra (Nov. 22)

, Players Period Festival in Las Vegas (vs. Alabama on Nov. 26) Previous ranking: 15 The headliner for Marquette this season has been Kam Jones– and trust me, we’ll compose plenty about Kam Jones in the coming weeks and months– but the emergence of Stevie Mitchell over the past 3 games as a bona fide complementary scorer is fantastic news for Shaka Smart. Mitchell had 21 points in the win over Purdue, after opting for 18

points against Maryland and 17 versus Central Michigan. Prior to this three-game stretch, he had scored 17 or more points simply two times in 103 games.Next 7 days: vs. Georgia in the Bahamas(Nov. 23), vs. Stonehill(Nov. 27) Previous ranking: 14 What altered for Purdue in between its win against Alabama over the weekend and its loss to Marquette on Tuesday night? Simply put, it was the Boilermakers ‘offense. Against the Tide, they had the ability to run it with relative ease, getting to their areas without much resistance. That’s not how it works against Marquette, nevertheless. The Golden Eagles ‘aggressive defense took Purdue out of rhythm and forced another person besides Braden Smith to initiate offense. And right now, Purdue doesn’t have a constant 2nd playmaker.Next 7 days: vs. Marshall (Nov. 23) Previous ranking: 4 Alabama bounced back from its loss at Purdue with an extensive 100-87 win over Illinois on Wednesday. Freshman guard Labaron Philon has been a discovery for the Crimson Tide; he was one of the intense spots versus the Boilermakers with 18 points and 4 assists and then had 16 points, 7 rebounds and 9 assists versus Illinois. He helped Alabama conquer a scoreless effort from All-American Mark Sears– the first time he’s been held scoreless since Nov. 27, 2020. It was the third game of his college career, he was at Ohio, and he was dealing with, coincidentally, Illinois.Next 7 days: Players Age Celebration in Las Vegas(vs. Houston on Nov. 26, vs. Rutgers on Nov. 27) Previous ranking: 8 Leading stories of the week from Get special access to thousands of premium articles a year from top writers. – All-underrated transfer website group is … “- What we missed out on in our NHL forecasts”- Predicting how MLS Cup playoffs end up” More ESPN+material”Dayton transfer Koby Brea was considered the best 3-point shooter in the website when he went into in the spring, however he’s shooting the ball at an unprecedented clip through 4 games: He’s 15-for-19 from behind the arc after making all three of his triples against Lipscomb on Tuesday. That continues his scorching kind from last season, when he shot 49.8 %from 3. Mark Pope keeping him in the very same 6th guy role he had at Dayton has shown to be a sound decision.Next 7 days: vs. Jackson State(Nov. 22 ), vs. Western Kentucky(Nov. 26 ) Previous ranking: 11 Something to monitor in Duke’s next 2 games is whether freshman Isaiah Evans will have carved out a bigger role after his shotmaking against Wofford over the weekend. Evans was a five-star recruit however played sparingly in the opening two games versus Maine and Army before not getting off the bench against Kentucky. Versus Wofford, he played 12 minutes and made 4 3s– significant, offered Duke’s lack of consistency
in the half court versus the

Wildcats at the Champions Classic.Next 7 days: at Arizona (Nov. 22), vs. Kansas in Las Vegas( Nov. 26 ) play 2:09 Milicic Jr. discusses taking advantage of quality chances Igor Milicic Jr. speaks about his adaptability as he credits his teammates for getting him excellent appearances following his 23-point efficiency in the win over Austin Peay.

Previous ranking: 10

Igor Milicic Jr. wasn’t the most promoted transfer of Tennessee’s incoming group– much of the reason for the intrigue surrounding the former Charlotte huge guy was his ability to step outdoors and make threes at a constant rate. Yet, in the Volunteers’past two games, Milicic Jr. has actually totaled 41 points, 19 rebounds and 9 assists, making an impact with his performance around the basket and his passing ability. He and Felix Okpara have been a formidable interior duo.Next seven days: Baha Mar Champion in the Bahamas( vs. Virginia on Nov. 21), vs. UT Martin(Nov. 27) Previous ranking: 12

Hubert Davis was adamant all offseason that this year’s variation of Elliot Cadeau

would be”indistinguishable “compared to the 2023-24 Cadeau. Up until now, Davis has been spot on. Through three games, Cadeau is averaging 15.7 points and 7.7 helps, with just 6 turnovers

. He’s likewise making 40 %of his 3-point attempts, a significant improvement on last season’s 18.9%

. Next seven days: at Hawai’i (Nov. 23), Maui Invitational in Hawai’i (vs. Dayton on Nov. 25) Previous ranking: 13 Ryan Kalkbrenner has been a star, Jamiya Neal and Jackson McAndrew have actually been enjoyable surprises, but we’re still waiting for the breakout offending performance from Pop Isaacs. An all-conference entertainer at Texas Tech, Isaacs was one of the very best offending players in the Big 12. But he’s hit double figures in simply one of

3 games this season

, shooting 40% from 2 and 29.4 %from 3. His performance history is too strong for this to be anything more than him still adjusting to his brand-new program, so more productive days are ahead.Next seven days: vs. Nebraska(Nov. 22 ), Players Age Celebration in Las Vegas(vs. San Diego State on Nov. 26, vs. Texas A&M on Nov. 27)

play 1:56 Tarleton Texans vs. Baylor Bears: Video Game Highlights Tarleton Texans vs. Baylor Bears: Game highlights. Previous ranking: 16 Robert Wright III has quietly been one of the most constant freshmen in the Huge

12 this season, in spite of coming off the bench in all 4 games. He’s hit double figures in all 4, making a pair of 3s last time out versus Tarleton State while also dishing 23 assists to just 7 turnovers. Wright is accustomed to being a table-setter for more ballyhooed teammates; he played alongside Cooper Flagg, Liam McNeeley, Asa Newell and Derik Queen at Montverde Academy.Next seven days: Baha Mar Championship in the Bahamas (vs. St. John’s on Nov. 21 ), vs. New Orleans(Nov. 27) Previous ranking: 22 A fast glance at KenPom’s early Player of the Year standings exposes mainly the names one would anticipate: Johni Broome, Cooper Flagg, Hunter Dickinson, Kam Jones. However

right behind them is one that caught my eye: St. John’s wing RJ

Luis Jr. While inbound transfers Kadary Richmond and Deivon Smith got most of the preseason buzz, it’s been Luis sticking out through four games. He’s averaging 17.5 points, 7.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists.Next seven days: Baha Mar Champion in the Bahamas(vs. Baylor on Nov. 21), vs. Georgia in the Bahamas (Nov. 24 ) Previous ranking: 19 It’s early, so let’s review this after they go to the Bahamas and deal with stiffer competitors, however the Hoosiers are indeed shooting the ball much better than last season by a large margin. Last season, they made 32.4%of their outside shots; they’ve shot better than that in each of their first 3 games of 2024-25. Mackenzie Mgbako’s

ongoing enhancement and the arrival of Myles Rice have buoyed the numbers. That said, they’re still in the bottom 30 nationally in 3-point rate and have actually made just 20 threes this season. Like I said, let’s review in a week.Next 7 days: vs. UNC Greensboro(Nov. 21 ), Fight 4 Atlantis in the Bahamas (vs. Louisville on Nov. 27) Previous ranking: 17 One of the eye-opening statistics of the week comes courtesy of EvanMiya.com: Simas Lukosius has the very best per-possession analytical output of anybody in college basketball this season. As Miyakawa explains, Lukosius is installing 17.8 points and 4.8 assists, while shooting nearly 70 %from 3 on nearly six efforts per game.Here are the most excellent individual stat-lines so far this season in CBB, based on Box BPR at https://t.co/cegyfz96ax.The leading 2 are outrageous:-Simas Lukosius(17.8 PTS/ 4.8 AST/ 70% 3PT with 4 made 3s a game)

-Kam Jones (22.6 PTS/ 6

AST/ 5.6 REB/ 46 %3PT) pic.twitter.com/7I9m5f4PgS!.?.!— Evan Miyakawa (@EvanMiya )November 20, 2024 Next seven days: at Georgia Tech( Nov. 23), vs. Alabama State(Nov. 27) Previous ranking: Unranked On a crowded Friday night of hoops last week, the very best efficiency came from a not likely source: Missouri transfer John Tonje, who balanced 2.6 points in 9.8 minutes last season for the Tigers. The 6-foot-5 senior led his brand-new Badgers team to a 15-point win over then-No. 9 Arizona, finishing with 41 points on just 14 field-goal efforts. He became the fifth Huge 10 player with 40 points vs. a top-10 challenger in the past 25 seasons.Next 7 days: Greenbrier Tip-Off in West Virginia(vs. UCF on Nov. 22) Previous ranking: 18 In theory, John Calipari’s roster-building method of signing simply nine players and surrounding them with guys who will primarily be used in practice makes some sense. You can’t keep 13 players pleased. But we’re already seeing downsides. With Jonas Aidoo and Trevon Brazile out for Arkansas’ game versus Pacific on Monday, Calipari utilized simply seven players and essentially had no huge guy depth. It’s a risky technique, specifically as soon as SEC play begins.Next seven days: vs. Little Rock(Nov. 22), vs. Maryland-Eastern Coast (Nov. 25 ) Previous ranking: 9 Arizona

frantically needs Caleb Love to return to form for its home game against

Duke on Friday as well as next week’s trip to the Bahamas. The previous North Carolina transfer opened the project with 17 points and six assists in simply 21 minutes against Canisius however followed that with just 10 points against Old Rule and 6 points on 2-for-13 shooting against Wisconsin before fouling out. The most significant shot of Love’s profession came versus Duke in 2022, so maybe he’ll have some additional motivation.Next seven days: vs. Duke (Nov. 22), Battle 4 Atlantis in the Bahamas(vs. Davidson on Nov. 27) play 0:20 Alijah Martin displays the variety on trey Alijah Martin shows off the range on trey. Previous ranking: 20 It’s just reasonable to highlight Alijah Martin’s better production after explaining last week his

requirement for consistency. Martin totaled 31 points, 14 rebounds and 6 helps in wins over Florida State and Florida A&M this past week, and while his boundary shot still isn’t falling, he’s making an effect at both ends of the flooring. It’s also worth keeping in mind that Urban Klavzar, the Slovenia local who was cleared just recently, was tossed right into the mix. Klavzar played 15 minutes against FAMU on Tuesday.Next seven days: vs. Southern Illinois( Nov. 22) Previous ranking:

23

Tech will get its very first test this week in Brooklyn, New York City, at the Legends Classic. The Red Raiders open with Saint Joseph’s and its gifted backcourt duo of Xzayvier Brown and Erik Reynolds II, and after that might potentially face an old Huge 12 foe in the title game in Texas. The return to health of Elijah Hawkins has been crucial for Grant McCasland. After missing out on the first 2 games of the season with a lower body injury, he has totaled 15 assists and 7 takes in the previous two games.Next seven days: Legends Classic in Brooklyn(vs. Saint Joseph’s on Nov. 21) Previous ranking: 24 Ole Miss had, without a doubt, its finest offensive game of the season against, by

far, its toughest opposition. The Rebels scored

almost 1.33 points per belongings against Colorado State over the weekend, turning the ball over just four times and shooting better than 47%from 3-point range. It was also a breakout efficiency for UNC Greensboro transfer Mikeal Brown-Jones, who balanced nearly 19 points a game last season in the SoCon.

He had 14 points versus Colorado State after amounting to 6 points in the Rebels’first three games.Next seven days: vs. Oral Roberts( Nov. 21) Previous ranking: 25 After missing out on the first two games of the season, predicted No. 2 pick Ace Bailey made his college launching against Monmouth to the tune of 17 points and six rebounds. Bailey was even better versus Merrimack on Wednesday, ending up with 23 points and 10 rebounds, making a set of 3-pointers and producing several highlight-reel minutes. After the game, Merrimack coach Joe Gallo said Bailey is”as great of a player as

I’ve ever coached versus.”Next seven days: at Kennesaw State(11/24), Players Era Festival in Las Vegas(vs. Notre Dame on 11/27 )Left: Ohio State Buckeyes(No. 21)