|  | | Dwyane Wade squares off with Reece Gaines on Saturday. |
Marquette has been in the top 25 all year. But Sunday's victory over Wake Forest and a showdown with No. 2 Louisville on Saturday has the Golden Eagles in position to not only rise in the rankings but grab the nation's attention. But instead of looking back or forward, Marquette must deal with DePaul on Tuesday.
Story
Monday
Oklahoma at Texas (ESPN, 9 ET): This is the first of five brutal games for the Sooners. They play all of the top teams in the conference (although we're including Texas Tech, not Colorado in that group). Texas' defense has been soft of late and needs to toughen up against the Sooners.
Tuesday
Georgia at Kentucky (ESPN, 9 ET): The Bulldogs could be toast in the SEC East race with another loss after dropping three games behind the Wildcats. Kentucky is one of the two hottest teams in the country and its defense should give Georgia fits.
Wednesday
Maryland at Florida State: The Terps can't lose three straight games in the ACC, can they? Not if the Seminoles fall flat at home the way they have on the road. But the Seminoles still have a shot to pull off the rare feat of beating Duke and Maryland at home in the same season.
Thursday
Duke at Wake Forest (ESPN2, 7 ET): The Demon Deacons have a chance to create some space between themselves and the Blue Devils. This will be a true test of the mental makeup of the Duke freshmen.
Saturday
Louisville at Marquette (ABC, 3:30 ET): This is one of the three best games of the week. The Eagles are primed to give the Cards their first C-USA loss of the season. This game also pits the two Conference USA favorites for player of the year in Reece Gaines (Louisville) and Dwyane Wade (Marquette).
Sunday
Wake Forest at Maryland: The Demon Deacons should know if they could win the ACC after playing Duke earlier in the week. Maryland can't afford to get swept by the Demon Deacons and still win the ACC.
More games to watch
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Player of the Week
 David West F, Xavier
How could we pick anyone else? West was absolutely sensational last week. He scored a career-high 47 points -- the greatest single performance in Atlantic 10 history -- in a critical 85-77 West Division showdown victory over Dayton. West also grabbed 18 boards. He made 15 of 26 shots, one 3-pointer and was 16 of 19 from the free-throw line. West began the week with 13 points and 13 boards in a win over George Washington. West, who is averaging 20 points and 12 boards a game, has moved himself back into serious consideration for national player of the year honors.
Past players of the week
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Supporting Cast
RON SLAY, Tennessee: Slay scored 33 points in the win  over Georgia. Slay is making a strong case to be the SEC player of the year. Tennessee is a contender again and that's good enough to make him one of the favorites. Slay had 21 points in a non-conference win over UMass, too.
SHAWN REDHAGE, Arizona State: He scored 29 points and grabbed  eight boards off the bench in a must-win for the Sun Devils at Washington. Redhage was 11 of 18 at the free-throw line. The win gave the Sun Devils a sweep on the road at the Washington schools and kept them on track for an NCAA bid.
RUBEN DOUGLAS, New Mexico: Douglas has been on a tear of late  and few have noticed outside of the Mountain West. Douglas scored 32 points in a win over Air Force. He lit up Utah earlier in the week with 32 points as well. While the Lobos struggle to win, Douglas has a great shot to win the national scoring title.
RICK RICKERT, Minnesota: Rickert hasn't been as consistent this  season, but he's still the most prolific scorer on the Gophers. He came up huge against Big Ten-leading Purdue with 26 points by making 11 of 19 shots. Rickert is still one of the toughest matchups for opposing teams because of his lanky build and deep shot. |
Team of Week
Kentucky
The Wildcats continue to roll through the SEC. Kentucky absolutely blitzed Florida and then calmly dispatched of Ole Miss in Oxford. The Wildcats are undefeated in the deepest conference in the country and no one in Lexington would be surprised at this point if UK ran the table in the SEC. Kentucky's defense is that good right now. The Wildcats are playing selfless basketball and it's paying off with a team that has no apparent chemistry issues. Kentucky is looking like Final Four material in early-February.
Past teams of the week
Freshmen Watch
 PAUL DAVIS
Michigan State
Spartans coach Tom Izzo has been waiting for a breakout game from Davis. He got one Saturday. He scored 21 points and grabbed nine boards in the win at Indiana. Davis was scoring from all of the court and showing just how versatile he can be.
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 JARRETT JACK
Georgia Tech
All the talk in Atlanta and beyond has been about Chris Bosh. But Jack finally made the Yellow Jackets focus on him. He scored 20 points and dished out eight assists in the win over Maryland Sunday. Jack essentially outplayed veteran point guard Steve Blake.
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 CARMELO ANTHONY
Syracuse
Anthony was sensational in the road win at West Virginia. He scored 29 points and grabbed 12 boards. He played all 40 minutes. Anthony had been a bit off of late but returned to being a dominant player -- even on the road.
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 DAVID NOEL
North Carolina
The former recruited football player scored 19 points and grabbed seven rebounds in the loss to Duke. He also made three 3s. Noel was also critical in the win over Florida State. He came up with a steal and free throw with 5.6 seconds left for the one-point win. Noel finished with 11.
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On Our Radar
 Todd Peterson, Northern Illinois: He led the Huskies with 17 points and seven boards in an impressive win at Kent State. But the 6-6 guard is no fluke. He scored 14 points and grabbed nine boards in a win at Buffalo. NIU is one of the hottest mid-majors and a real threat to win the MAC tournament.
 Bryant Matthews, Virginia Tech: We know, you're going to say that a Big East team shouldn't be in this group. But there's no way that anyone on the Hokies' roster is a household name. Matthews scored 22 points and grabbed nine boards in a stunning win at St. John's. He scored 13 in a rout over Connecticut earlier in the week.
 David Bailey, Loyola of Chicago: He scored the game-winning basket at the buzzer to beat Wright State Saturday. Bailey averaged 21 points, 5.5 assists, five rebounds in games against Youngstown and Wright State last week.
 Andy Osborn, Loyola Marymount: He was 4 of 5 on 3s, 6 of 9 overall, for a game-high 17 points in a shocking 80-74 victory over Gonzaga on Saturday. The victory snapped Gonzaga's 16-game win streak over LMU, the Bulldogs' 19-game WCC regular-season streak and 22 overall against WCC teams (including the conference tourney).
Good Wins
Colorado 93, Texas 80: The Buffaloes should get a lot of mileage out of beating the Longhorns to go along with their win over the Jayhawks. Colorado has two bankable wins that could get it into the NCAA Tournament if the Buffaloes can find a way to win a few Big 12 road games.
Tennessee 78, Georgia 72: The Vols had been flirting with being a serious player in the SEC. They are now. This win leaps the Vols into contention for a bid out of the SEC, and makes the Vols a serious player in the upcoming SEC tournament. It also helped the case of Ron Slay for SEC player of the year.
Marquette 68, Wake Forest 61: The Eagles needed another statement game out of the conference like their season-opening win over Villanova in New York. This win should generate more buzz about this team over the final month of the season. Marquette's confidence should be high going into the showdown against Louisville on Saturday. |
Bad Loss
Indiana 61, Northwestern 74: This is the worst loss the Hoosiers have had under Mike Davis. Indiana might not recover this season from this loss if it doesn't get better leadership. The loss itself isn't as bad as what the 13-point margin could do to the morale of this squad.
Alabama 70, Arkansas 81: The Razorbacks are the worst team in the SEC. They shouldn't easily beat the team that was supposed to be the best team in the SEC. Arkansas crushed the Tide without any problems. This loss could end up being the one that keeps the Tide out of the Dance.
St. John's 54, Virginia Tech 71: If the Red Storm had any visions of being in the NCAAs, this loss probably ended them. The Hokies came into the Garden and dismantled the Red Storm with relative ease. St. John's must win the Big East tournament if it wants to get into the Dance. |
Caught Our Eye
 Inside the Top 25: Mississippi State had essentially dropped off the national radar for a spell as they got back to their staple -- defense. The Bulldogs squeaked out a win over Ole Miss on the road before losing at Georgia by only four two weeks ago. This past week, the Bulldogs easily beat Vanderbilt and Arkansas at home. Mississippi State (15-5, 5-4) does have a tough stretch ahead with Ole Miss, at Auburn and at Kentucky over the next two weeks. But the Bulldogs are starting to look like an SEC West title contender again.
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 Outside the Top 25: Wisconsin got trounced by Purdue earlier in the week and then rebounded with a convincing win at Northwestern a few days after the Wildcats beat Indiana. Wisconsin did tie for the league title last season with three other teams and it shouldn't come as a shock if the Badgers pull off another surprise finish. Wisconsin has the best schedule of any of the Big Ten contenders. The Badgers (16-5, 6-3) get Michigan State, Indiana, Michigan and Illinois all at home and has to go to Penn State (winnable) and to Iowa and Minnesota, neither of which are out of reach. |
 VIRGINIA: Just when we were about to give up on the Cavs they go and win two -- at Maryland and then N.C. State at home -- last week.
 MIAMI: So much for the good vibes generated by Darius Rice's 43 points against Connecticut. The Hurricanes blew a chance to beat Villanova in overtime. Miami could miss the Big East tournament if it can't get ahead of Providence and Virginia Tech.
SETON HALL: Sweeping Georgetown and beating Notre Dame makes the Pirates a tougher get on the road. Seton Hall could end up being a pest in the Big East tourney.
GEORGETOWN: Another tight game, another blown loss. The Hoyas are in a serious tailspin and not likely to re-emerge.
WEBER STATE: The Wildcats remain undefeated in the Big Sky. They just have to hold off Eastern Washington to get back to the Dance.
 LSU: Remember the Tigers? They beat Arizona on Dec. 21. They have only two wins in the league and are a game behind Arkansas in the SEC West cellar.
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS: The win over Southwest Missouri State allowed the Salukis to stay tied with Creighton atop the MVC.
BYU: The win over Wyoming on the road could end up being a difference-maker for the Cougars making the NCAAs.
HAWAII: The Rainbow Warriors continue to struggle on the road and dropped to .500 in the conference at 6-6.
UCLA: The Bruins won a game, on the road and that is worth recognizing. Beating Georgetown should do wonders for the Bruins' confidence -- at Arizona.
Andy Katz is a senior writer at ESPN.com. His Weekly Watch, a look back at the week and a preview of the week ahead, runs every Monday.
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