By By Jared Rosenbloom
Jared’s Power 101. Duke (9-0): The Blue Devils had a strong week, starting off with a 72-59 rout over the University of Pennsylvania. J.J. Redick went 4-for-9 from behind the arc and freshman Josh McRoberts added seven boards to lead the way. Coach K’s squad truly separated themselves from the rest of the pack when they blew out No. 2 Texas at the Meadowlands. Redick continued to impress the world, scoring a career-high 41 points in the 97-66 victory.
2. UConn (7-0): UConn took revenge on the UMass Minuteman, who upset the Huskies last year. Forward Josh Boone proved to be no match for the undersized Minutemen, as he poured in 13 to go along with 10 boards and a couple of blocks in the 78-60 win.
3. Villanova (6-0): In the first of two games this week, the Wildcats were matched up against the feisty Bucknell Bison, who had already upset Kansas in the NCAA tournament last year and Syracuse earlier this season. Villanova seemed to be well prepared for the Bison, as the four guard tandem of Lowry, Foye, Nardi and Ray combined for 72 of the 79 points in the 19-point victory.
4. Louisville (5-0): Louisville leader Taquan Dean put up 30 on Richmond, as the Cardinals squeaked by with a 53-45 win. In its next game, Louisville seemed to be back to form as Dean led the way with 22 points, eight rebounds and seven assists.
5. Illinois (10-0): The Fighting Illini jumped two spots after an impressive three-win week. Freshman Jamar Smith finally had the breakout game that Bruce Weber was waiting for, scoring a career-high 23 points in a 79-45 win over Arkansas Little Rock. The competition only got harder for Illinois as it played host to Big East upstart Georgetown.
6. Florida (9-0): The Gators continued to surprise with their unconscious play through the first nine games of the season. In the first of two games, Coach Donovan led his team into Providence, where he formerly played and coached. Donovan left his alma mater with a smile on his face, as Taurean Green’s 18 points put the Gators over the edge to an 87-77 victory.
7. Texas (8-1): To say the Longhorns had a disappointing week is an understatement. To start off the week, Texas hosted interstate rival Rice. Texas started off the game with a 23-4 run and never looked back, as LaMarcus Aldridge and Brad Buckman compiled double-doubles in the 85-58 win.
8. Memphis (7-1): In their only game of the week, Memphis looked strong. Darius Washington Jr. led the team with 20 points and forward Rodney Carney added 17 off the bench in a 97-89 win over Providence.
9. Michigan State (7-2): Michigan State looked very impressive in the Jimmy V Classic, as it played a former member of the top 10, Boston College. Maurice Ager had 22 points and Paul Davis ripped down 7 boards in the 77-70 victory over the Eagles.
10. Gonzaga (6-2): Gonzaga bounced back from a tough loss to Washington to beat Washington State, 67-53. In the win, Adam Morrison and JP Batista combined for 48 points. Gonzaga strut its stuff on national television as it hosted Coach Eddie Sutton’s Oklahoma State Cowboys.