Top 25:
1. Arizona (8-0) (1) – It wasn’t a busy week, but it was a productive one as the Wildcats mauled Wisconsin by 25. The crazy end to their non-conference schedule has three more games: Purdue, Alabama, and Florida Atlantic.
2. Purdue (9-1) (2) – Purdue is pouring it on offensively, including a 92-point effort against Alabama. Coming up next is a big game against Arizona – it is one of those games that the committee could look at when determining the #1 overall seed, etc.
3. Kansas (9-1) (3) – Their offensive efficiency is concerning for a top-tier school, but only Marquette has registered a win over the Jayhawks. A tricky road game against Indiana awaits.
4. Houston (10-0) (4) – One of two Division I schools with double-digit wins (Purdue-Fort Wayne is the other), the Cougars’ defense remains elite even if the competition hasn’t been. Texas A&M isn having an up-and-down start, but they should provide some competition for Houston.
5. UConn (9-1) (5) – The Huskies added North Carolina to their list of non-conference conquests (including Texas and Indiana). Every win has been by double-digits – can they keep that up against Gonzaga this week?
6. Marquette (8-2) (6) – The Golden Eagles, who own the 15th-best non-conference schedule in the country, avenged their loss to Wisconsin by destroying Texas. They own wins over Illinois, Kansas, and Texas this season – their final non-conference game will bring down the strength (St. Thomas), but they have earned their stripes.
7. Creighton (8-1) (9) – There is a certain top-heaviness to the Big East, and it should be fun watching them battle for the league title. The Blue Jays haven’t flashed great schedule strength, but they are on the cusp of being a top ten school in both offense (11th) and defense (8th).
8. Baylor (9-0) (11) – The Bears finally enter my Top 10. Will they be 11-0 following their games against Michigan State and Duke?
9. North Carolina (7-2) (7) – Their 7-game gauntlet is going as well as it reasonably can for the Tar Heels, as they are 3-2. The final two games are against Kentucky and unbeaten Oklahoma.
10. Florida Atlantic (7-2) (10) – The Owls only played one game this week, a competitive loss to Illinois. As their non-conference gets closer to conclusion, the Owls’ resume includes a strong win over Texas A&M, a decent win over Virginia Tech, a good loss to Illinois, and a bad loss to Bryant. They have one more big test: Arizona.
11. Tennessee (6-3) (NR) – I am always willing to admit a mistake: Unranking Tennessee last week was stupid. While they did own a three-game losing streak, those losses were to Purdue (4 points), Kansas (9), and North Carolina (8). They made up for that somewhat with a win over Illinois. The rest of their non-conference isn’t nearly as difficult.
12. Gonzaga (7-2) (8) – Life hasn’t been so easy for the Bulldogs, who lost a non-conference game to in-state rival Washington. They have played only one game against a ranked opponent, a loss to Purdue by ten. A huge game looms against UConn.
13. Illinois (7-2) (16) – A mixed-bag week for the Fighting Illini, who took care of Florida Atlantic before losing to Tennessee. The KenPom continues to like them, as they are in the top 25 both offensively (24th) and defensively (14th).
14. BYU (8-1) (14) – Their run to an undefeated non-conference slate came to an abrupt end in a 4-point loss to Utah (road).
15. Clemson (9-0) (24) – A decent non-conference schedule (55th) that features a solid win on Alabama’s home court. In a battle of unbeaten squads this week, they knocked off TCU. The Tigers have a path to enter 2024 undefeated, but a roadblock is coming up next (a true road game against Memphis).
16. Colorado State (9-1) (12) – The Rams take a loss to St. Mary’s, a team that is hoping to right their ship after uneven early-season results. The rest of the month should offer little resistance before a big conference opener against New Mexico (9-1).
17. Kentucky (7-2) (18) – A predictable rebound win over Penn after their loss UNC Wilmington. Now let’s see what happens in their game against North Carolina this week.
18. Virginia (8-1) (20) – Their biggest feather is a win over Texas A&M while they are still licking their wounds after that bad loss to Wisconsin. On 12/19, they travel to Memphis for what promises to be a tricky contest.
19. Texas (7-2) (13) – The Longhorns aren’t instilling a lot of confidence. They were destroyed by Marquette this past week to add to their 10-point loss to UConn earlier this season. Essentially, they are winning the games they should win but have yet to pull off an impressive victory. I don’t think LSU provides that opportunity, but they better avoid a loss.
20. Oklahoma (9-0) (NR) – It is time to rank the Sooners, who own wins over USC and Arkansas. Intrigued to see what they do against North Carolina (12/20).
21. Colorado (7-2) (NR) – The Buffaloes outscored Miami, 53-27, in the second half in one of the most dominating performances you will find this season. Things ease up the rest of the year before they start the new year with a conference game against Arizona.
22. Duke (6-3) (21) – Charlotte provided little resistance. Hofstra may be a tougher contest leading into their game against Baylor. The Blue Devils have their share of critics thus far in 2023 – a win over the Bears (12/20) will shut those concerns down a tad.
23. James Madison (9-0) (23) – They started off conference play with a 15-point win over Old Dominion. If they want at-large consideration in March, the Dukes will need a gaudy record. Using the KenPom, the only other Sun Belt school in the top 100 is Appalachian State (7-2 with a win over Auburn).
24. Wisconsin (7-3) (17) – The Badgers own three impressive double-digit wins (Virginia, Marquette, Michigan State). However, they lost by 25 to Arizona, showing the world they are not in that class. They should win their final two games in 2023.
25. Memphis (7-2) (NR) – The Tigers own wins over Texas A&M and Arkansas, with losses to Villanova (16 points) and Ole Miss (3). Ole Miss is still undefeated (their overall resume just isn’t yet worthy of my Top 25). Tough games with Clemson and Virginia await.
Dropped Out:
Miami (7-2) (15) – The loss to Colorado was alarming, as is their #55 ranking in the KenPom (likely due to a bad defensive ranking).
Texas A&M (7-3) (19) – The Aggies are 2-3 after a 5-0 start. Regardless, they play Houston on Saturday – win that game, and their free-fall in my rankings will turn into a surge upward.
Ohio State (8-2) (22) – The Buckeyes were cruising along until a weird loss to Penn State, though at least it was a road game.
San Diego State (8-2) (25) – I give them credit for playing Grand Canyon on the road, but they did end up losing the game. The Aztecs followed that up with an uninspiring 1-point win over UC Irvine.
Just Missed:
Northwestern (7-1) – That win over Purdue keeps them just on the cusp of entering the Top 25.
Mississippi (9-0) – The win over Memphis is impressive, but they are currently ranked 90th in the KenPom without any metric favoring an argument that they deserve a top 25 spot. Why do I list them at all? Undefeated teams from power conferences should always earn attention for as long as they stay unbeaten.
New Mexico (9-1) – The Mountain West promises to be competitive once again. The head-to-head matchups will weed out the NCAA Tournament contenders from the pretenders. For now, New Mexico should be firmly in the contenders column.