College basketball has had itself a week. Not only did No. 1 Auburn and No. 2 Duke lose, but No. 5 Tennessee and No. 9 St. John's both fell on the road, No. 11 Michigan State stumbled at home and unranked UConn went into Omaha and pulled one out over Creighton for the first time under Dan Hurley.

There is no hotter team in America than Kansas State. That's why the Wildcats made a big jump in this week's Big 12 power rankings.

The Kansas State Wildcats have gotten hot at the right time and risen in the Big 12 power rankings during its six-game win streak.

Elsewhere, three SEC teams sit on the No. 1 line with the fourth, Tennessee, falling off after losing to Kentucky this week.

This article is part of the Bracket Central series, an inside look at the run-up to the men’s & women’s NCAA Tournaments, along with analysis and picks during the tournaments. We here at The Athletic’s Bubble Watch aim to be an inclusive group.

After earning a spot on Joe Lunardi’s Monday bracketology update in the next, next four out category, Jerome Tang and the Kansas State Wildcats have jumped even higher after their latest win.

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Iowa State women’s basketball coach Bill Fennelly wanted to remind his players just how close they were to the end of the season and how much was still at stake. So Fennelly grabbed a sheet of paper and wrote down the list of the Cyclones' final five opponents and included a fact about what they could accomplish with each win.

Iowa State Cyclones men's basketball will host a Cincinnati team that's brimming with more confidence after a rough start to Big 12 play.