There are some terrific college hoops rivalries going these days.
And one of the best of those – that between the Big Ten Conference’s Michigan and Michigan State – is set to resume on Saturday in East Lansing.
The Spartans hung onto their No. 4 slot in the updated Power 16 while the Wolverines returned (at No. 16) while taking a seven-game winning streak into their conference game at No. 14 Iowa Wednesday night.
It should be among the most compelling of matchups this weekend.
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Rank (Last Week)
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Record
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Comment
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1. Arizona (1)
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18-0
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Trip to the Bay Area in week (Jan. 29 Stanford and Feb. 1 California) looking like toughest trek of Pac 12 season for Wildcats. |
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2. Syracuse (2)
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18-0
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Must avoid looking ahead to Feb. 1 (home vs. Duke) with trips to Miami and Wake Forest on tap this week. |
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3. Michigan St. (3)
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18-1
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Have held up pretty well without Adreian Payne (4-0). |
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4. Florida (7)
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15-2
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The Gators try to stretch it to 10 in a row Thursday night in Tuscaloosa. |
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5. Wichita State (5)
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19-0
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Wednesday night MVC rematch at Illinois didn’t prove to be a stumbling block. |
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6. San Diego State (10)
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16-1
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Is anyone guarding better than Steve Fisher’s Aztecs have this season? |
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7. Cincinnati (12)
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17-2
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The Bearcats take 10-game winning streak into Thursday game vs. Central Florida. |
| 8. Creighton (13) |
16-3
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There are stunning jump-shooting performances and then there is what Creighton turned in at Villanova last week. Wow . . . |
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9. Pittsburgh (14)
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17-2
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Like Syracuse, the transition to ACC has been smoother than most assumed. |
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10. Kansas (15)
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14-4
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The four defeats are by a combined margin of 17 points, three of those against teams ranked 5, 6 and 13 in these ratings. |
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11. Oklahoma State (8)
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15-3
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Three losses by a combined 10 points – most recently by a deuce at Kansas. |
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12. Wisconsin (4)
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16-2
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The Badgers lose two toughies and will attest to just how tough the Big Ten is, folks. |
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13. Villanova (6)
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16-2
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I’m sure Jay Wright will have his club’s perimeter defense quite a bit sharper when it visits Omaha on Feb. 16. |
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14. Iowa (ur)
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15-3
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The Hawkeyes are certainly playing as well as anyone in the toughest (Big Ten) conference right now. |
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15. Massachusetts (NR)
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16-1
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Welcome aboard, fellas. Minutemen make Power 16 debut. |
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16. Michigan (NR)
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13-4
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The Wolverines re-appear in the Power 16 and have managed to look like a Sweet 16 team of late even without Mitch McGary. |
THE NEXT 16 (alphabetical): California 14-4, Colorado 15-4, Connecticut 15-4, Duke 14-4, Gonzaga 16-3, Green Bay 15-3, Iowa State 14-3, Kansas State 14-5, Kentucky 14-4, Louisville 16-3, Memphis 13-4, Ohio State 15-4, Saint Louis 17-2, SMU 15-4, Texas 15-4 and Virginia 14-5.
Frank Burlison has been covering hoops for 30+ years for a variety of publications.
Follow Frank on twitter @FrankieBur. Also make sure to follow his website at www.burlisononbasketball.com. College coaching staffs interested in Burlison’s scouting service should contact him at [email protected].
