Gonzaga got all 61 first-place votes in this week’s AP men’s college basketball poll, and barring a shocking loss in the West Coast Conference, the Bulldogs should enter March Madness holding that same ranking. Arizona is now #2 in the nation for the first time in four seasons, while Auburn slid to #3. Purdue and Kansas finish out the top five. Gonzaga is winning conference games by an average of 27 points, which would match the 2019 campaign for the biggest victory margin in conference play in the NCAA. Gonzaga occupies four of the top five positions on that list over the last 25 years, with Duke’s 1999 squad the only outlier. Former Gonzaga assistant Tommy Lloyd has led the Arizona Wildcats to a 2 ½ – game lead over USC with two weeks remaining in the Pac-12 regular season. The Wildcats had been picked to finish in a tie for fourth in the conference. Let’s take a look at the updated poll and some College Basketbal betting opportunities for the early week.
Top 25 Analysis & Betting Opportunities
| Rank | Team | Record |
| 1 | Gonzaga | 23-2 |
| 2 | Arizona | 24-2 |
| 3 | Auburn | 24-3 |
| 4 | Purdue | 24-4 |
| 5 | Kansas | 22-4 |
| 6 | Kentucky | 22-5 |
| 7 | Duke | 23-4 |
| 8 | Villanova | 21-6 |
| 9 | Texas Tech | 21-6 |
| 10 | Baylor | 22-5 |
| 11 | Providence | 22-3 |
| 12 | UCLA | 19-5 |
| 13 | Wisconsin | 21-5 |
| 14 | Houston | 22-4 |
| 15 | Illinois | 19-7 |
| 16 | USC | 22-4 |
| 17 | Tennessee | 19-7 |
| 18 | Arkansas | 21-6 |
| 19 | Murray State | 23-2 |
| 20 | Texas | 19-8 |
| 21 | Connecticut | 19-7 |
| 22 | Ohio State | 16-7 |
| 23 | St. Mary’s (CA) | 22-6 |
| 24 | Alabama | 17-10 |
| 25 | Iowa | 18-8 |
Wednesday, February 23
Xavier at #11 Providence (7:00 pm ET, CBS Sports)
Xavier has dropped four out of five, with a home win over then-#24 Connecticut as the only bright spot among losses to Depaul and St. John’s at home, and Seton Hall and Connecticut on the road. That loss at Connecticut came on Saturday. Adam Kunkel put up 15 points, and Zach Freemantle put up 11 points and 10 boards. However, the raucous atmosphere motivated Connecticut to roll over Xavier in the first half, going into the locker room up 17. Xavier came out of halftime and snatched 10 turnovers, drawing within six, but then Connecticut put on the gas again, and Xavier had no answer.
The Musketeers next travel to Providence to take on the Friars, who saw an eight-game winning streak come to an end at home against then-#10 Villanova, but they bounced back with a 1-point overtime win at Butler on Sunday that saw the Friars roar back from a 19-point deficit in the second half. Jared Bynum knocked down two clutch free throws with 38 seconds remaining in overtime, and then the Friars got a big stop on defense to win a game that they led for 1:42 of the last 22 minutes. Providence missed 20 of their first 24 shots from the floor but was still able to win.
Final Score Prediction: Providence 77, Xavier 70
#13 Wisconsin at Minnesota (9:00 pm ET, Big Ten Network)
Since losing at home to Rutgers, the Wisconsin Badgers have won at Indiana by five and routed Michigan by 14 at home, a game that ended in a brawl that saw Michigan head coach Juwan Howard suspended for five games. In the Badgers’ win, Johnny Davis put up 25 points to help turn a close game into an easy win. Over the last 18:30 of regulation, Wisconsin outscored the Wolverines, 44-25. Davis had a 9-0 run of his own, with a pair of blocks, over 2:12 to stake Wisconsin to a 15-point lead. Steven Crowl (11 points), Brad Davison (10), Chucky Hepburn (10) and Tyler Wahl (10) also hit double figures.
A trip to Minnesota comes next for the Badgers. The Golden Gophers had dropped two in a row and seven out of eight before routing Northwestern at home, 77-60, on Saturday. Luke Loewe put up 24 for Minnesota, and Jamison Battle added 21 points and 14 boards. Loewe was 9 of 13 from the floor, knocking down six three-balls, and he dealt out seven assists. E.J. Stephens (15) and Sean Sutherlin (11) also made it into double figures. An 11-0 run gave Minnesota an early 19-8 lead, and they led by 16 at halftime. Can Minnesota shut down a contender in similar fashion?
Final Score Prediction: Wisconsin 72, Minnesota 64
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