NCAA Men's Basketball Power Rankings: Tennessee stays at No. 1

A couple of months ago, hoopheads around the country circled Saturday on their calendars. Or added an alert to their phone, or some other modern-day reminder. It looked to be one of the best days of nonconference basketball in some time, with matchups between two ranked teams all over the schedule.

And though the slate has lost some of its luster because of a few early results, it's still going to shake up the Power Rankings as we inch toward full-fledged conference play. These four teams could see the biggest change next week:

UConnand Gonzaga: The best game of the day takes place in New York City. Gonzaga still has a game against UCLAafter Christmas, but this is one of its last chances at a marquee win this season. UConn has responded well after its three-game losing streak in Maui, but a win here would be massive entering conference play.

Illinois: The Illini have been on the verge of a statement win throughout the early season, falling short against Alabamaand then losing in overtime to Northwestern. What better way to announce your arrival onto the national stage than by beating No. 1 Tennessee-- and playing the game on your home court?

UCLA: The Bruins are in the midst of a three-week gauntlet. They won at Oregonlast weekend, and now face Arizonain Phoenix this weekend, and still have North Carolinaand Gonzaga on the schedule for December. If the Bruins beat their former Pac-12 rival in a pseudo-road game, they'll be a factor moving forward.

1. Tennessee Volunteers (9-0)

Previous ranking:1