By: George Ahearn

As we bend the corner approaching conference tournament season, the AP rankings become more and more interesting to analyze. Who’s moving up, who’s moving down, who’s jumping who; all becomes important after weeks of relatively arbitrary rankings.

This week provides us with multiple, varying discussions as we try and shape our mental image of who will thrive in March. At the end of the day, that’s the season-long question we are all trying to answer. 

While the AP poll is often not a reliable tool in measuring a team’s validity, it becomes important when the question of seeding arises, as these rankings are a basis for determining a team’s resume. 

Now, let’s get into the discussions of the AP’s opinions of this year’s top teams.

Texas enters Top 5 under Interim Head Coach Terry

Texas is back in the AP top-five for the first time since Week 5, yet their team looks significantly different since the Longhorns sat at No. 2 in the nation. The firing of head coach Chris Beard presumed to be a wretch in the Longhorns season, and a team with substantial experience would have to work diligently to overcome this roadblock. With the help of coach Terry, that is exactly what they have done.

This past week, Texas has played No. 11 Baylor and traveled to No. 7 Kansas State for a highly anticipated road matchup. The Longhorns came away victorious in both matchups, bringing them up from No. 9 to No. 5. Texas is in the midst of one of the most brutal four-game stretches any team in the nation will face this season, as they traveled to No. 4 Tennessee prior to their wins against Baylor and K-State, and finish this stretch tonight with a matchup against Kansas in Allen Fieldhouse.

Regardless of tonight’s outcome, Rodney Terry and this experienced team should be given their flowers for strongly overcoming their adversity, and will be a tough out for any team in March. 

Jerome Tang’s squad has come back to Earth

Kansas State was predicted by many to finish last in the Big 12. However, in head coach Jerome Tang’s first year, he has the Wildcats playing like a top team in the nation. A large part of their unsuspected success is due to the unprecedented comeback of forward Keyontae Johnson, who averages 18 points per game and is a candidate for this year’s All-American teams.

While the success for the Wildcats has been tremendous, they finally came back to Earth this past week in which they fell on the road to Kansas and surrendered a 14-point comeback to Texas at home.

While these losses are obviously not ideal, Kansas State is still in a remarkable position given their preseason expectations, and will have the opportunity to bounce back at TCU on Tuesday. The Wildcats still sit at No. 12 in this week’s poll.

Marquette enters Top-10 for first time under Shaka

Head coach Shaka Smart came to Marquette with aspirations of returning to the Final Four, and this year’s team might provide him with his best opportunity ever. Marquette enters the top-ten for the first time in Smart’s two-year tenure, and the Golden Eagles have won five straight.

Although they’ve gotten hot, Marquette was the beneficiary of other top teams losing and falling out of the top-ten, as the only two games Marquette played last week were home games against (10-12) Villanova and (11-13) Butler.

The Golden Eagles have a tough contest upcoming at No. 21 UConn that will decide if Marquette is truly a top-ten; regardless, the buzz is real in Milwaukee, and head coach Shaka Smart will try and lead his team past the first weekend for the first time since 2012.

Saint Mary’s jumps the ‘Zags… Barely

Saint Mary’s pulled off a thrilling comeback overtime victory against conference rival Gonzaga on Saturday, catapulting them to No. 15 in this week’s poll – one ahead of the ‘Zags at No. 16. The ‘Zags are touted as the “big dog” of the WCC, and anytime someone within the conference beats them, the rest celebrate.

However, this year’s Saint Mary’s team might be this year’s “big dog” of the conference. Saint Mary’s is ranked above Gonzaga for the first time since 2017, and long-time head coach Randy Bennett has one of his most lethal squads ever.

Gonzaga has looked vulnerable at times this year, unlike any previous Drew Timme-led ‘Zags squad, and the race for the WCC will be intense. Watch for the Gaels and the ‘Zags matchup in Spokane later this season to decide the regular season winner. 

NC State joins the party for the first time this season

Kevin Keatts has finally returned NC State to significant relevance since he took over the head coaching job in 2017. The Wolfpack – led by outstanding guard Terquavion Smith – are playing like on the best teams in the ACC, and have serious tournament aspirations more than just making the tournament.

NC State is on a four-game win streak, and this past week took care of business against FSU and Georgia Tech. They lead the ACC in ppg at 79.6 and have amassed an impressive 19-5 record.

They’ll face their most difficult test of the season this Tuesday when they travel to Charlottesville to face the No. 8 ranked Virginia Cavaliers, as a win here could see them fly up in the rankings. 

Creighton and Rutgers rejoin the ranks

Both squads have newfound momentum and are riding winning streaks that have brought them back into the AP top-25. Creighton has won six straight – including a dominant 84-67 win over No. 13 Xavier. The Blue Jays have one of the more stacked squads in the nation, yet their early season struggles caused them to be overlooked.

However, head coach Greg McDermott has the Blue Jays back on track, and they have rekindled that juice that they came into the season with. 

Rutgers won both of their games over the previous week – including a home-thumping over Minnesota and a gritty win over the ever-fierce Michigan State.

The Scarlet Knights are one of the nation’s more interesting teams, as they don’t have a clear “star” but continuously demonstrate their ability to win games. They have a massive upcoming game against the Hoosiers in Assembly Hall, and they’ll have an opportunity to build more momentum as we approach March.