Five Up: February 12th

After another crazy week of college basketball, it is time to name our Five Up for the week. These are teams or players that put on strong performances in the past week, improving their stock. Let's jump into it.
Indiana: The Hoosiers remain one of the most enigmatic teams in college basketball, but they scored a huge win over Iowa on Thursday. Prior to the game, Indiana boasted an impressive 19-5 record, and trailed Iowa by one game in the Big 10. While impressive at first glance, Indiana's body of work actually had some major holes. Despite the quantity of wins, Indiana only contained two victories over teams currently in the projected field (Notre Dame, Michigan). Additionally, the Hoosiers just lost to Penn State on the road, and also had sub-100 losses to Wake Forest and UNLV. Their RPI was around 54, clearly lacking of substance. This win over Iowa gave the Hoosiers some cushion regarding their profile, and put them in a three-way tie for first place in the Big 10. The schedule for Indiana doesn't get easier, and they still struggle mightily on the road. But now the Hoosiers have some breathing room. Five players scored in double figures to lead IU to the win.
Temple: After struggling in the non-conference slate, Temple appeared as an afterthought to gain an at-large berth. I, among many others, ruled them out due to the lack of quality opportunities available in the AAC. However, after mounting a major second-half comeback to sweep Connecticut, Temple is right on the bubble. The Owls closed the game on a 21-4 run to stun Uconn, and already have wins over SMU, Tulsa, and a sweep of Cincinnati. Quenton DeCosey is playing like an all-conference guard, averaging 16.5 points and 6.1 rebounds. From here on out, the issue for Temple will be getting more quality wins. Villanova comes to town next Wednesday, and a win would put Temple solidly in the field. Unfortunately, the Owls still have to go on the road to Houston and Tulsa, two games that will be difficult to win.
Maurice Watson Jr.:The average college basketball fan might not know about the diminutive Creighton point guard, but Watson is putting Big East opponents on notice. In Tuesday's upset of Xavier in Omaha, Watson poured in 32 points, grabbed 7 rebounds, and dished out 5 assists. The point total was a career high for Watson, who sat out last year after transferring from Boston University. Watson has scored in double figures in every game since a January 12th loss at Providence, and he hasn't had a Big East game below 4 assists. Scintillating to watch due to his speed and handles, Watson is quickly rising to challenge Kris Dunn and Josh Hart for the Big East Player of the Year Award.
Duke: After dropping three straight games in January, Duke received plenty of criticism and dropped out of the AP poll for the first time since 2007. Now, the Blue Devils have won three straight including a victory over #13 Louisville, and seem to be back off their slump. Make no mistake, this Duke team still has major flaws, mainly on the defensive side where they rank 121st in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency. But the notion that they would free-fall their way to the bubble can be put to rest. Upcoming tests against Virginia, Louisville, and North Carolina should determine where the Blue Devils should be seeded come tournament time. But barring a major collapse to end the season, Duke looks to be in good shape.
Hawaii: While you were asleep, Hawaii notched a huge victory over UC Irvine to take sole possession of the Big West Conference. The Rainbow Warriors now hold an impressive 19-3 record under head coach Eran Ganot, but this was their best win to date. Even though their profile lacks quality wins, Hawaii took both Oklahoma and Texas Tech down to the wire in non-conference play. Hawaii is great defensively, ranking 28th in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency and 54th in Turnover Percentage. Led on offense by forward Stevan Jankovic and guards Aaron Valdes and Roderick Bobbitt, Hawaii is good enough on offense to pull an upset or two if they can get in the NCAA Tournament. They also got this win without guard Isaac Fleming, who is still injured. Keep an eye out for the Rainbow Warriors as we look towards March.