Tyler Kolek

Shaka Smart prepared his team by showing them film of last year's second-round loss to Michigan State. There would be no repeat.

We don’t have many rules of thumb —what with only four total thumbs between us — for picking an NCAA Tournament bracket. But there’s one we believe in wholeheartedly: Don’t overthink it. To that end, there’s something simple to keep in mind (yet again) when choosing your Final Four and national champion. After Connecticut won it all last year, 18 of the last 21 champs ranked among the top six at KenPom.com before the NCAA Tournament. (Tell us again why Ken Pomeroy isn’t just selecting the field every year?) So, yeah, the top six would be a useful place to start if you were, say,...

Eric Koreen talks to draft expert Sam Vecenie about how the Raptors should approach the 2024 NBA Draft.

'The plan is absolutely for him to play next week and he’s really made good progress,' coach Shaka Smart said.

Houston hangs onto the top spot, Florida checks in and High Point is the mid-major spotlight team in the final power rankings of the season.

A slightly diluted UConn-Marquette matchup and a Big East bubble showdown are also on tap in the final week of the regular season.

Kolek is the reigning Big East Player of the Year and has averaged 15.0 points, 7.6 assists and 4.7 rebounds per game for No. 5 Marquette.

Gonzaga and Boise State also crack the final rankings before March truly goes mad.

Kansas at Baylor and Marquette at Creighton are some of the other top games as the regular-season finish line approaches.

Thanks to backloaded schedules, some of the top games between contenders are still to come as the regular-season winds down.

Purdue's loss at Ohio State leaves no doubt who is No. 1. Plus: Kyle Smith and his former coaching disciple debut in the Top 25.

With a little more than a month before Selection Sunday, a pecking order has emerged. UConn and Purdue are on the first tier; then what?

Purdue and UConn have established themselves as the best two teams in the country, and it all revolves around their centers.

Mountain West and Big 12 battles, plus what amounts to a must-win for Michigan State also highlight the next seven days in college hoops.

UConn maintains its grip on the top spot, while a surging WCC power debuts.

The Big 12, SEC, Big East and Big Ten dominate this week's power rankings — and gifs.

Auburn-Alabama, Kansas-Iowa State and Michigan State-Wisconsin are among the games to watch between now and Jan. 30.

Duke's Kyle Filipowski, a pair of Kansas stars and Tennessee's volume scorer are among others who receive midseason honors.