We’re moving toward the second half of conference play in the 2020-21 men’s basketball schedule, and we’re seeing some disparities emerge in terms of the number of games that teams have played, as cancellations and postponements due to COVID-19 spread and contact tracing are wreaking havoc. Villanova had to wait until the third week of 2021 to play their first game of the calendar year. It appears to be Gonzaga, Baylor and everyone else right now, although Iowa’s offense has them looking like a possible Final Four team as well. Houston is rising in the rankings but has benefited from some soft opposition in the American Athletic Conference to this point, as well as a fairly easy non-conference slate.
Let’s take a look at the latest Top 25 poll as well as college basketball betting thoughts about some of the top contenders.
NCAA News: Updated Men’s Basketball Rankings
| Rank | Team | Record | Previous Rank |
| 1 | Gonzaga | 14-0 | 1 |
| 2 | Baylor | 12-0 | 2 |
| 3 | Villanova | 8-1 | 3 |
| 4 | Iowa | 12-2 | 5 |
| 5 | Texas | 11-2 | 4 |
| 6 | Tennessee | 10-1 | 10 |
| 7 | Michigan | 11-1 | 7 |
| 8 | Houston | 11-1 | 11 |
| 9 | Kansas | 10-3 | 6 |
| 10 | Wisconsin | 11-3 | 9 |
| 11 | Creighton | 10-3 | 8 |
| 12 | Texas Tech | 11-4 | 15 |
| 13 | Virginia | 9-2 | 18 |
| 14 | West Virginia | 9-4 | 13 |
| 15 | Ohio State | 11-3 | 21 |
| 16 | Virginia Tech | 11-2 | 20 |
| 17 | Minnesota | 11-4 | 23 |
| 18 | Alabama | 11-3 | — |
| 19 | Missouri | 8-2 | 17 |
| 20 | Clemson | 9-2 | 12 |
| 21 | Oregon | 9-2 | 22 |
| 22 | Illinois | 9-5 | 14 |
| 23 | Connecticut | 7-1 | 25 |
| 24 | UCLA | 11-2 | — |
| 25 | Saint Louis | 7-1 | 24 |
Gonzaga has an elite offense which has few rivals in the nation, and once that ball starts moving around, opponents have had a difficult time stopping it. The Bulldogs were tested by St. Mary’s on Saturday, as they only put up 73 points in a 14-point win. The fact that the Bulldogs were able to lock down the Gaels defensively on a rare night of offensive struggles shows the versatility of this team. I still take a dim view of Gonzaga’s chances once they reach the Big Dance, because two months of play against West Coast Conference opposition (even including St. Mary’s and BYU) is not nearly the sort of elite preparation that teams in such gauntlets as the ACC or the Big Ten have to face, week in and week out, ahead of the national tournament.
Baylor has beaten all comers so far, with their most impressive wins coming against Illinois and Kansas. However, COVID-19 cases in the Bears’ roster led to cancellation of their non-conference matchup with Gonzaga and have kept them from having to face Texas or West Virginia yet, due to postponements. Their last two games have impressed, though, as they went to Texas Tech and won by eight and then beat Kansas by the same margin at home. It will be interesting to see how they fare against the other ranked competition in the conference.
Villanova hadn’t played since a December 23 win at Marquette when they took the floor against Seton Hall at home on Tuesday. They fought off a game Pirates team, 76-74, after an extended time in medical isolation. Collin Gillespie led the Wildcats with 22 points, and Cole Swider sank the winning free throw with 1.9 seconds left. They hadn’t even been able to practice during that break, except for January 3, and then they went back to the practice court late last week. To pick up that win showed a lot of character — and showed that the rust was minimal.
Texas lost at home to Texas Tech last Wednesday but bounced back nicely with a 15-point home win over Kansas State on Saturday. They have a bit of a break now, though, as their games against Iowa State and TCU have both been postponed due to COVID-19 spread. Their next scheduled game right now would be on January 26 against Oklahoma. The Longhorns still have yet to play Baylor and have rematches against Texas Tech, West Virginia and Kansas left on the schedule, so there’s plenty of intrigue left in the Big 12.
College Basketball Betting Odds
Love betting NCAA basketball? | Xbet Sportsbook offers up to date college basketball lines
