Dick Jerardi: College Basketball Wrap: Villanova continues to roll

With Memphis down a bit and some other pretty solid teams (UAB, Tulsa) in the league, it is hard to imagine the Tigers getting through Conference USA unscathed again. They needed two late Willie Kemp free throws to win at Southern Mississippi, 59-57. That is now 62 straight over C-USA opponents. Their last loss was in the 2006 C-USA Tournament to UAB.

The other side of it

 

Everybody knows the two unbeaten teams are Texas and Kentucky.

Who knew that the two winless teams are Bryant (Northeast Conference) and Alcorn State (Southwestern Athletic)? Here's hoping there are soon none of these. No program needs that.

DICK JERARDI'S TOP 15

 

1. Kentucky (16-0): Not dazzling in SEC opener, 76-68 home win over Georgia (26 turnovers). Best start since 1965-66 team went 23-0. That was the team that lost to Texas Western in the championship game.

2. Texas (15-0): Freshman Avery Bradley (29 points) shot 12-for-14 as UT overwhelmed Colorado, 103-86. UC has lost 30 straight on Big 12 road.

3. Kansas (14-1): Bruce Pearl's Tennessee team, playing without four suspended players and with great passion, showed serious heart in holding off KU down the stretch yesterday in Knoxville, 76-68.

4. Villanova (14-1): Lost almost all of a 22-point, second-half lead, but made a defensive stop at the end to hold off Marquette, 78-76. Have won 35 straight on campus.

5. Syracuse (15-1): Beat USF yesterday, 82-65, as Wes Johnson had 19 points and 13 rebounds, his seventh double-double.

6. Purdue (14-1): Got suffocated at Wisconsin, 73-66. Badgers did what they do, committing just seven turnovers and going 22 of 27 from the foul line.

7. West Virginia (12-2): Came from 20 down at the half, but could never get the lead and lost at Notre Dame, 70-68.

8. Duke (13-2): Made just six of 28 from the arc and lost at Georgia Tech, 71-67. Got overpowered inside by Tech's Gani Lawal, who shot 8-for-9 and had 21 points.

9. Georgetown (12-2): Came from 19 down early in the second half to beat UConn at the Verizon Center, 72-69. Austin Freeman had 28 of his career-best 33 in the second half.

10. Kansas State (13-2): Faded very late at Missouri to lose, 74-68. Mizzou has won 30 straight at home.

11. Cornell (13-3): Have played nine true road games and won seven of them. Nearly pulled off an epic upset at Kansas on Wednesday.

12. William & Mary (12-3): The Tribe are one of the stories of the season. Won easily at the DAC over Drexel, 73-48.

13. BYU (16-1): Shot 54.1 percent and won at UTEP, 83-77, without leading scorer Jimmer Fredette (mononucleosis).

14. Miami (15-1): Beat Wake Forest, 67-66. Dwayne Collins had 23 points and 11 rebounds. Best start in 50 years for 'Canes.

15. Michigan State (13-3): Shot 55.1 percent at Iowa and crushed poor Hawkeyes, 71-53.