University basketball rankings: Kansas and Gonzaga in battle for No. 1

Thanksgiving week is over and it has brought many changes to the world of university basketball. The No. 1 Duke fell to Gonzaga on the island of Maui, but the Bulldogs are not the only ones who can claim first place. Meanwhile, many other tournaments have created a lot of movement in our top 25, including the return of Villanova.

Our power rankings of week 3 are below, but first, some notable performances – for better or for worse – from the top 25 of last week …

Five on the rise

The five most impressive team performances of the last week:

Kansas: The Jayhawks won the NIT Tip-Off title by showing their depth to survive a talented Tennessee team in overtime, two nights after standing up to Marquette. They now have two CVs in the top 10, both on neutral ground. Kansas and Gonzaga were very hard to get first place, but all of KU's work gives him an edge – for now.

Gonzaga: The Bulldogs made waves by winning the Maui Invitational title and their big win over Duke, No.1, overshadowed the fact that they were a few rebounds from the loss to Illinois two nights ago earlier in the quarterfinals. The most impressive aspect of the Zags week, however, is that they did it without Killian Tillie, their top scorer who was their best shooter last season. Tillie remains absent while recovering from a stress fracture in her ankle.

Michigan State: The Spartans took the lead in their first try since defeating Champions Classic in Kansas, beating UCLA by 20, then coming back from a huge first hole to defeat Texas and claim the Las Vegas Invitational title . It was a beautiful response from a veteran team and a strong two-day performance from Joshua Langford, who scored 29 points against the Longhorns and made 5 out of 6 from outside the team. 39; arc.

Virginia: Unlike last year, Battle 4 Atlantis stayed true to the script this time around. After a too tight victory against Dayton in the semifinals for comfort, the Cavaliers imposed the Wisconsin attack in the final and scored 20 points and nine rebounds for De & Andre Hunter. Tony Bennett's Pack-Line Defense once again looks like one of the best in college basketball.

Villanova: The Wildcats continued their bad week with a strong performance to win the Invo contest. After easily taking care of Canisius and Oklahoma State, they defeated the Florida State in the final in a tough physical battle. In particular, Villanova scored just three points against the Seminoles, but instead found another way to win by attacking the FSU off the dribble.

GEARY: The biggest winners and losers of the week of the party

Not their best job

Three teams from the top 25 of last week who had a difficult or poor week:

North CarolinaThe Tar Heels were the favorites, even though they were close, to win the Las Vegas Invitational, but they did not even qualify for the championship game after falling to Texas during Thanksgiving. The offensive looks strong and rookie Coby White is a star in the making, but defense issues can not be ignored at the moment.

Nebraska: The Cornhuskers looked like a shell of the most awaited team after losing 18 points to Texas Tech. The offensive was missing, yielding only 52 points and 0.79 per possession. His three persistent shooting points persist after an effort of 5 against 23 perimeter.

UCLA: The Bruins came out of our top 25 after a 0-2 record in Las Vegas. The losses suffered by the states of Michigan and North Carolina do not suggest under any circumstances that it is time to act, but UCLA had a sad part against it that could not feel all too well on the way back to Westwood.

Major mid-major

(The mid-major team outside the top 25 still deserves praise for his week)

LipsThe Bisons have already won three victories on the road this season. Last Tuesday, they won their first victory against a top 25 team by eliminating the TCU No. 18 by nine points. According to kenpom.com, Lipscomb has brought back the eighth highest percentage of minutes of continuity in the country, and benefits from the start.

Top 25 power rankings

Last week (2): beat Marquette, beat Tennessee
following: against Stanford

Last week (3): beat Illinois, beat Arizona, beat the Duke
following: State of North Dakota, Creighton

Last week (1): beat the state of San Diego, beat Auburn, lost against Gonzaga
following: against Indiana, against Stetson

Last week (5): Beat Middle Tennessee, Beat Dayton, Beat Wisconsin
followingMaryland

Last week (6): beat Cal Baptiste, beat Tulsa, beat UMass
following: at Loyola-Chicago, at USC

Last week (4): beat Louisville, lost in Kansas
following: Eastern Kentucky vs. Texas A & M Corpus Christi

Last week (7): beat Xavier, lost against Duke, beat Arizona
following: Saint Pierre

Last week (9): beat Chattanooga
following: vs North Carolina vs Purdue

Last week (13): beat UCLA, beat Texas
following: in Louisville, Rutgers

Last week (10): Beat Winthrop, Beat the State of Tennessee
following: Monmouth vs. UNC Greensboro

Last week (12): beat Missouri, beat Lehigh
following: at Marquette

Last week (16): beat St. Francis (PA)
following: at Penn State, vs Central Connecticut

Last week (8): lost against Texas, beat UCLA
following: in Michigan

Last week (20): beat the state of Alabama
following: vs Pittsburgh vs Wisconsin

Last week (19): beat Dartmouth, beat Marist
following: Belfast Classic in Ireland

Last week (23): beat Robert Morris
following: in Florida State, Michigan

Last week (11): beat Canisius, beat UAB, beat LSU, lost to Villanova
following: vs Purdue

Last week (NR): beat North Carolina, lost to Michigan State
following: vs Radford

Last week (NR): beat USC, beat Nebraska, beat northern Colorado
following: vs. Dartmouth vs. Marist

Last week (NR): beat Samford, beat Cleveland State
following: vs. Syracuse, vs. Minnesota

Last week (NR): Beat the State of Mississippi, Beat the State of Utah
following: Nebraska Omaha, Texas Southern

Last week (24): beat UNC Asheville
following: vs. Carolina of the West

Last week (NR): Beat Canisius, Beat the State of Oklahoma, Beat the State of Florida
following: to the room

Last week (25): beat UT Arlington, beat UC Davis
following: at Duke's, vs. Northwestern

Last week (14): lost against Arizona State, beats Saint Mary's
following: vs. Alcorn State, in Dayton

Abandoned: Clemson, UCLA, LSU, Nebraska, Wisconsin

Next man

Three teams on the top 25 fringe:

Wisconsin: While the Badgers brought back all their kernel from last season, their loss to Virginia by Battle 4 Atlantis was a reminder of where they could improve. Ethan Happ did his thing, but no one else could defend himself against a difficult defense.

Maryland: The Terps beat a good Marshall team at his own game and accumulated 104 points in a 37-point loss. They must now face a major challenge in Virginia on Wednesday. (Has anyone reacted?)

Clemson: The Tigers suffered their first loss of the season in the Cayman Islands Classic final against Creighton. It was a game that would have earned Clemson's attention on paper, but Marcquise Reed failed to score three goals despite a 27-point effort.