Alabama is the new No. 1 in latest Power 37 rankings

Five things that caught my eye this past week:

1. Indiana is still Indiana, but it’s not the job it once was during the 1980s. The Hoosiers are going to hire their seventh coach since Bob Knight was fired in 2000 after Mike Woodson and the school announced he wouldn’t return for his fifth season. I often wonder if Kelvin Sampson was still the coach what would the Hoosiers look like today. The recruiting violations dealing with communication that cost Sampson the job are a non-event in today’s NCAA. If those rules weren’t in place then Sampson may still be in Bloomington and the Hoosiers in multiple Final Fours. But that’s not the case.

So, how does Indiana get back to a coach who is known for how he coaches, can acquire some elite-level talent, while also developing players but most importantly who all fit? Injuries were a factor in Indiana going sideways the last two seasons. Not having a true point guard to backfill when Jalen Hood-Schifino left two seasons ago didn’t help. The pressures at Indiana are real. The expectations are high and they should be at traditional hoop power.

I’m not going to speculate on which head coach should leave his current school for Indiana. There is a time and place for that in a month. But know this: Indiana AD Scott Dolson needs to go with his gut, as he did with football coach Curt Cignetti. Cignetti won at James Madison. He is incredibly confident in himself. Winning is winning. There is no need to “win the press conference,’’ or appease some donor.

The next Indiana coach will need to construct a roster that works, not just an all-star team. The school will be able to compete financially in the portal, but not every transfer should be created equal. This hire will be one of the most intriguing to chart, because of its importance not just to Indiana but to the sport. The Big Ten and college basketball can always benefit from a relevant Indiana Hoosiers team. 

2. In an era where age 70 and older coaches are deciding to step away, there are two that are thriving and show no signs of slowing down: Rick Pitino (72) and Tom Izzo (70). And the game is enriched by their passion and energy that comes through in every possession and game. 

3. Keep an eye on UAB. The preseason American favorites stumbled mightily out of the gate, losing to Vermont, at High Point, to Longwood, Illinois State, Middle Tennessee State, and Arkansas State all before Christmas. The Blazers were 5-6 and seemed floundering. But UAB has gone 10-2 since then and Yaxel Lendeborg is living up to his preseason hype. Lendeborg, a preseason all-American is averaging 17 and 10 and scored 28 in a road win at Tulsa and 17 in a critical win over North Texas. UAB did lose at Memphis by 23, but the Blazers get another shot at home against the Tigers on March 2 and on a neutral court the Blazers could pose a threat to win the AAC tournament.  

4. San Diego has won five in a row, including beating UC Irvine 85-67 to tie the Big West standings at 10-2. The Tritons and Anteaters have split the season series, meaning some other team could decide the top seed in the conference tournament. The shame is that both schools could win a game in the NCAA Tournament if history holds and the league gets only one bid. If it’s the Tritons that do then the name Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones could be a household name come March. The 6-6 senior guard is averaging 20 points, 3.2 assists and shooting 57 percent. 

5. Shout out to TCU’s Jamie Dixon who won his 500th game last week. Dixon has quietly had a stellar career as a head coach at Pitt and his alma mater TCU as well as a long-time assistant to Ben Howland and Riley Wallace. 

RANKINGS: AP Top 25 Poll | NET Rankings

The March Madness Power 37

1. Alabama (3, 20-3): The Tide, which won at Arkansas, were my preseason No. 1 and can make a claim to the top spot after losses by Auburn and Duke. 
2. Florida (15, 20-3): The Gators pulled off the best win of the season, by winning at Auburn. 
3. Duke (2, 20-3): The Blue Devils lost their first game in the ACC, a thriller at Clemson.
4. Auburn (1, 21-2): The Tigers may not lose their No. 1 ranking for long if they can knock off the Tide this week. 
5. Purdue (4, 19-5): The Boilers beat USC and now have two clear first-team all-Big Ten players in Braden Smith and Trey Kaufman-Renn. 
6. Tennessee (5, 20-4): The Vols had a tremendous week, beating Missouri and crushing Oklahoma in Norman. 
7. St. John’s (6, 21-3): The Red Storm swept the week by knocking off Marquette and then winning at UConn and are now the team to beat in the Big East. 
8. Houston (8, 19-4): The Cougars got back to winning a pair of games after the stunning loss to Texas Tech. 
9. Arizona (13, 17-6): The Wildcats have won six in a row and are now tied for first in the Big 12. 
10. Texas Tech (10, 18-5): Grant McCasland has done a masterful job with the Red Raiders, putting them in position to challenge for a top-three Big 12 finish. 
11. Memphis (11, 20-4): The Tigers have won seven in a row in the American and a game ahead of UAB and two in front of North Texas. 
12. Michigan State (11, 19-4): The Spartans got home after the LA trip, beat Oregon and got Tom Izzo the Bob Knight-tying all-time Big Ten win. 
13. Iowa State (7, 18-5): The Cyclones got healthy and looked like themselves in a win over TCU. 
14. Maryland (12, 18-6): The Terps bounced back from a buzzer-beating road win at Ohio State to beat Rutgers at home. 
15. UCLA (24, 18-6): The Bruins are rolling, winners of seven in a row but are now heading back to the Midwest for games against Illinois and Indiana. 
16. Wisconsin (16, 19-5): The Badgers continue to rise to the challenge, winning at Iowa for their third-straight win. 
17. New Mexico (17, 20-4): The Lobos took down Colorado State and then won at Air Force and are 12-1 heading into round two against Utah State. 
18. Creighton (18, 18-6): The Bluejays have won nine in a row, are healthy and look like the team predicted in the preseason. 
19. Texas A&M (20, 18-5): The Aggies won a thriller at Mizzou to keep pace with Florida in the SEC. 
20. Clemson (23, 19-5): No one should question the Tigers’ ability to be a potential deep NCAA Tournament team again. This team has the chops to do it again. 
21. Michigan (33, 18-5): The Wolverines took care of Oregon and Indiana on the road. 
22. Kansas (28, 16-7): The Jayhawks did lose to Kansas State but that was after beating Iowa State to start the week. 
23. Louisville (27, 18-6): Pat Kelsey continues to be a strong candidate for national coach of the year as the Cardinals are in a tie for second in the ACC. 
24. UConn (21, 16-7): The Huskies ran into the best team in the Big East and a showdown with Creighton in Omaha awaits. 
25. Nebraska (NR, 16-8): The Huskers are one of the hottest teams few are discussing. Nebraska has won four in a row and climbing in the Big Ten.
26. Illinois (26, 16-8): The Illini finally looked like the Illini in winning at Minnesota.
27. Missouri (14, 17-6): The Tigers lost two close games in the rugged SEC at Tennessee and to Texas A&M.
28. Ole Miss (29, 18-6): The Rebels have won three in a row, including beating Kentucky. 
29. Vanderbilt (31, 17-6): The Commodores picked up a W over Texas but the SEC is unforgiving. Vanderbilt has Auburn and road games at Tennessee and Kentucky next. 
30. Kentucky (19, 16-7): The Wildcats got a much-needed win over South Carolina to stop a two-game slide.
31. Mississippi State (32, 17-6): The Bulldogs won at Georgia and the reward is to get Florida and a road game at their rival Ole Miss. 
32. Marquette (22, 18-6): The Golden Eagles are taking their turn in a mini-slide against the best in the Big East.
33. Saint Mary’s (25, 21-4): The Gaels lost their first game in the WCC to surging, second-place San Francisco. 
34. Utah State (35, 21-3): The Aggies have won two in a row and will try to get the season-split with the Lobos. 
35. Kansas State (NR, 12-11): The Wildcats have a hill to climb still for a bid, but have now won five in a row, including wins at Iowa State and over Kansas. 
36. Drake (NR, 22-2): The Bulldogs, who have won 10 in a row and are going to be a tough out, are making a case to get in as an at-large. 
37. George Mason (36, 19-5): The Patriots are in the pole position in the A-10, winners of nine in a row and a game ahead of VCU. 

Dropped out: Oklahoma (30), BYU (34), Cleveland State (37)

A look back at Saturday: No. 1 Auburn and No. 2 Duke lose Saturday, shaking up the men’s basketball landscape

March Madness National Team of the Week

Florida: The Gators took down Vanderbilt by 11 and then went to Auburn — without Alijah Martin — and won by nine. Walter Clayton Jr. didn’t play against Vanderbilt but returned to score 19 in the win over Auburn. The depth of the Gators was on full display this week. They dealt with adversity and passed each obstacle. The Gators are two games back of Auburn and Alabama but should be considered just as much of a threat to win the SEC and compete for a top two-line seed. 

March Madness National Player of the Week

R.J. Luis, Jr., St. John’s: The Red Storm knocked off Marquette and then UConn to assume full control of the Big East. And Luis was the difference maker. The one-time UMass transfer has made a massive jump in the second season playing for Rick Pitino. Luis scored 17 in the win over the Golden Eagles and then 21 at UConn, including a jumper with 11 seconds left to give the Red Storm a four-point lead and two free throws with two seconds left for the final margin. 

RED STORM: Magic is brewing at St. John’s with Rick Pitino at the helm

March Madness top 10 games of the week

Auburn at Alabama, Saturday: This could determine the SEC champ, let alone they could be in contention for the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. 

Houston at Arizona, Saturday: This is a showdown atop the Big 12, and maybe not the one predicted months ago. 

Tennessee at Kentucky, Tuesday:  The Wildcats are a game behind the Vols in the loss column in the SEC, two down in the win column. 

Purdue at Michigan, Tuesday: The Boilermakers are up a game in the win column, but Purdue, Michigan and Michigan State all tied atop with two losses. 

UCLA at Illinois, Tuesday: UCLA is tied with Wisconsin and holds a head-to-head edge for the final double-bye spot. Illinois would like to get in that picture. 

Creighton at St. John’s, Sunday: The Red Storm have lost one game, thus far, in the Big East — by one point at Creighton.

Utah State at New Mexico, Sunday: The Lobos won in Logan two weeks ago.  A win by the Lobos and the Aggies probably won’t be able to catch UNM. 

Auburn at Vanderbilt, Tuesday: The Commodores have already paid for court storming against Kentucky and Tennessee. Could it happen again against Auburn?

Florida at Mississippi State, Tuesday: The Gators are coming off a win at Auburn and now head to Starkville for another major SEC showdown. 

Maryland at Nebraska, Thursday: The Huskers are on fire of late, winning four in a row. Brice Williams is having an all-Big Ten season. So are Julian Reese and Derik Queen. Two games separate Maryland from Nebraska. 

Bradley at Drake, Sunday: Drake already won at Bradley and is two games up on the Braves and Northern Iowa. Get the sweep and the Missouri Valley race could be over.