Top 25
1. Purdue (11-1) (1) – After a tough schedule that included wins over Gonzaga, Tennessee, Marquette, Alabama, and Arizona, the Boilermakers finally received a break in a 100-57 drubbing of Jacksonville. No team is more deserving of the top spot heading into 2024.
2. Kansas (11-1) (2) – The computers don’t love the Jayhawks (16th in the KenPom; 15th in the NET), but they still own three Quadrant 1 wins. Admittedly, they have their share of close wins against teams they should crush on paper.
3. Houston (12-0) (3) – The Cougars sit at the top of the computer rankings, and for good reason. My ding comes from a relatively mediocre schedule, though they are 4-0 in Quad 1 games.
4. Florida Atlantic (10-2) (8) – There is no other way to describe their non-conference slate as anything but a success – even with that weird loss to Bryant. After a game against Florida-Gulf Coast, the Owls begin conference play. Memphis will be their main competition on paper, but we will see how it shakes out.
5. Tennessee (9-3) (7) – The computers love the Vols, given that they have eight games in Quad 1/Quad 2 and only four games in Quad 3/Quad 4. They will play Norfolk State before starting their conference slate against Ole Miss.
6. UConn (11-2) (4) – While the Huskies continue their dominance against non-conference foes, Seton Hall proved to be a tough opponent. They did rebound with an impressive win over St. John’s, however.
7. Arizona (9-2) (5) – So, they had a stretch of games where they played Michigan State, Wisconsin, Purdue, Alabama, and Florida Atlantic. In those five games, the Wildcats went 3-2. The rest of their schedule will be all in-conference foes.
8. Marquette (10-3) (6) – The Golden Knights struggled mightily at Providence (72-57), but bounced back by slaughtering Georgetown. Before the calendar starts to 2024, a tough matchup with Creighton awaits.
9. BYU (11-1) (9) – I am simply going to point to their 1/9 game at Baylor. They may not win that game, but we must see just how “real” the Cougars are.
10. Illinois (9-2) (12) – Their non-conference is essentially a win over Florida Atlantic and losses to Tennessee and Marquette. They have a huge game with Purdue coming up (1/5), assuming they can beat 2023 NCAA Tournament Bracket Buster FDU and Northwestern leading into it.
11. Kentucky (9-2) (13) – Maybe the Wildcats should apply to play in the ACC, given their 3-0 record against the conference this year (Miami, North Carolina, Louisville). They have regained some trust after that loss to UNC Wilmington.
12. Baylor (10-2) (10) – Those losses to Michigan State and Duke will raise some eyebrows, as their schedule was far from strong heading into those games. I might be over-ranking them, but there is still a lot to like here – especially on the offensive side of the ball.
13. Colorado State (11-1) (14) – The Rams only have one Quad 1 game (a win over Creighton) but are also 3-1 against Quad 2 opponents. While I have identified them as the best in the Mountain West, there is a lot of season to go and the league promises to be one of the most fun leagues to follow this season.
14. North Carolina (8-3) (15) – Oklahoma is no longer unbeaten thanks to the Tar Heels, who finished 4-3 in their gauntlet of seven games (OK, including Florida State on the list is dubious).
15. Duke (8-3) (21) – Their 110th-ranked schedule included a win over Michigan State but little else until they took care of business against Baylor at Madison Square Garden. They play Queens next, a team that just lost to Clemson by 30.
16. Creighton (9-3) (11) – A tough loss to Villanova to start off their conference slate – they will try to right their ship at Marquette on 12/30.
17. Clemson (10-1) (17) – The Tigers keep their ranking, as their only game last week was a non-conference tilt against Queens. Radford (10-4, 5-game winning streak) awaits. The Highlanders lost to James Madison by only three earlier this season.
18. Oklahoma (10-1) (16) – North Carolina put an end to the Sooners’ undefeated dreams. I have never ranked Oklahoma too high due to their 275th ranked schedule, but their defense ranks in the top ten in the nation (by defensive efficiency).
19. Memphis (10-2) (20) – Vanderbilt (4-8) played the Tigers very well, losing by only two. While that isn’t impressive, Memphis has won five in a row with three wins over strong competition (Texas A&M, Clemson, Virginia). They own a 7-2 record against Quad 1/Quad 2 competition.
20. Colorado (9-2) (22) – Colorado has won four straight games by a combined 101 points, though only one of those games was high quality (Miami).
21. Gonzaga (9-3) (23) – When was the last time Gonzaga was as low as 45th in the NET? An 0-3 record in Quad 1 games will do that to you. Their upcoming game against San Diego State may not be a Quadrant 1 game, but it would be a nice feather to add to their cap.
22. James Madison (12-0) (24) – The Dukes are doing what they need to do – win, win, win. If they want any shot at an at-large berth (if they don’t win the conference tournament), they will need a gaudy record for the committee to look at.
23. Ole Miss (12-0) (NR) – The Rebels have zero Quad 1 games, but it is time to recognize their undefeated record. The tests will come soon enough, starting with a 1/6 game against Tennessee.
24. Texas (9-2) (19) – I can excuse a team like James Madison having trouble finding opponents. The Longhorns have the nation’s 318th-ranked non-conference schedule and that is not acceptable.
25. Wisconsin (9-3) (25) – The Badgers didn’t fall into the same trap as Northwestern, as they were able to take care of business against Chicago State. The rest of their schedule is in-conference games only.
Dropped Out:
Virginia (9-2) (18) – A 23-point loss to Memphis is enough to knock that out of the Top 25. Their defense is, at times, great. Their offense is, most of the time, not good at all.
Just Missed:
New Mexico (11-1), Nevada (12-1), Utah State (12-1) – A trio of 1-loss Mountain West squads. According to the NET, they are ranked 34th, 36th, and 40th, respectively.
Princeton (11-1) – Ranked 24th in the NET, the Tigers have a resume issue as they are only 0-1 in Quadrant 1. They need Rutgers to improve to turn that win into a Quad 1 conquest.
Providence (11-2) – The Friars are stacking wins, including conquests of Wisconsin and Marquette.