Johni Broome 's injury makes Auburn's spot more tenuous, but the Tigers beat Mississippi State by 22 even without him. Duke is barely breaking a sweat while blowing out inferior ACC competition. And then there's Iowa State, which has only a two-point loss to Auburn blemishing its résumé and just dispatched Kansas by 17.

Cooper Flagg could be the first freshman to win the Naismith Award since 2019 when fellow Duke player Zion Williamson won the award. The list of freshmen winners is small, with Kentucky’s Anthony Davis (2012) and Texas' Kevin Durant (2007) also winning the award.

Ohio State remains undefeated as we hit the midseason point, but can its successes continue later in the season?