Top 25
1. Purdue (14-1) (1) – Illinois has emerged as a top team in the Big Ten. Purdue beat them by five last week. They don’t play a currently ranked team for a while, but an in-state in-conference rivalry game at Indiana awaits on 1/16.
2. Kansas (13-1) (2) – As I keep saying, the computers are not in love. The KenPom ranks them as the 18th luckiest team in the country, and certainly held up against TCU on Saturday. They take on Oklahoma this coming weekend.
3. Houston (14-0) (3) – I was tempted to jump them over Kansas, but that is just semantics. For all the talk about their stellar defense, their offense ranks tenth in offensive efficiency. A tricky road trip against Iowa State and TCU is coming next.
4. Tennessee (11-3) (4) – The Volunteers extended their winning streak to seven by mauling the previously unbeaten Ole Miss squad by 26.
5. UConn (13-2) (5) – Road wins are precious inside conference play, and the Huskies needed all the offense they could muster to take care of Butler. Defense is where they can use some improvement. Offensively, they are as good as anyone.
6. Kentucky (11-2) (9) – It was a hard fought battle, but the Wildcats prevailed on the road against Florida. Underachieving Texas A&M is a part of their upcoming schedule.
7. North Carolina (11-3) (11) – The Tar Heels have played seven games in Quad 1 this season, tied for most in the NCAA. Only Purdue (6) and Arizona (5) have won more games in that quadrant.
8. Duke (11-3) (12) – The Blue Devils had to play the full 40 minutes to defeat Notre Dame. This week, they try to avenge their early-season loss to Georgia Tech.
9. Arizona (12-3) (13) – The Wildcats average 92.6 points per game, including recent slaughters of Colorado (97-50) and Utah (92-73). A dangerous, dangerous squad.
10. Illinois (11-3) (8) – They destroyed Northwestern before hanging tough in a 6-point road loss to Purdue. Inconsistent Michigan State and down Maryland await next.
11. Marquette (11-4) (6) – The Golden Eagles remain one of my favorites to cut down the nets. Every loss is in Quadrant 1, where they also own three victories.
12. BYU (12-2) (7) – The Cougars’ first Big 12 test did not go well, as they lost a home game to Cincinnati (another new member of the conference). It doesn’t get much easier, as a trip to Baylor awaits.
13. Baylor (12-2) (15) – The Bears have followed up their losses to Michigan State and Duke with three straight wins against not-as-good competition. Their game against BYU may show us something about both schools.
14. Memphis (13-2) (17) – On one hand, the Tigers have eight straight wins and have yet to lose a game outside of Quadrant 1. On the other, their last few wins haven’t been impressive (78-75 over Tulsa and 62-59 over SMU).
15. Oklahoma (13-1) (18) – A nice win over computer darling Iowa State last week. This week? Two road games (TCU, Kansas) that will tell us more about the Sooners, who didn’t play a tough non-conference slate.
16. San Diego State (13-2) (19) – I don’t know what more they need to do to get the AP writers to put them in the Top 25. Two Quad 1 wins, zero bad losses, 14th-best non-conference schedule, etc.
17. Colorado State (13-2) (10) – This was the week of challenges for the Rams, and they ended up splitting the two games (win over New Mexico/loss to Utah State).
18. Wisconsin (11-3) (24) – The Badgers are the lone unbeaten squad (3-0) in the Big Ten. A tricky road game against Ohio State comes next.
19. Utah State (14-1) (NR) – Their win over Colorado State improved their Quad 1 record to 2-0. As expected, the Mountain West has started strong.
20. Creighton (11-4) (25) – The Blue Jays needed that win over Providence. They need to start stacking wins after a tough stretch that saw them go 1-3 with a loss to UNLV mixed in.
21. Florida Atlantic (11-4) (14) – Life as the hunted instead of the hunter can be a rough one. Their win over Arizona will forever be their biggest conquest. They cannot lose many games to teams like Charlotte (7-7) and expect to maintain a Sweet 16 seed in the Big Dance.
22. Cincinnati (12-2) (NR) – The Bearcats started their stretch of five ranked games in six games played with a win over BYU. Texas, Baylor, Oklahoma, and Kansas are a part of this crazy stretch.
23. Clemson (11-3) (16) – An 0-2 week (losses to Miami and North Carolina) drops the Tigers, who are entering the easier part of their conference slate. It is time to pile up the wins.
24. South Carolina (13-1) (NR) – The Gamecocks essentially take the place of Ole Miss as ranked teams who still have something to prove. Their game at Alabama this week can make things clearer.
25. Auburn (12-2) (NR) – Arkansas isn’t playing up to expectations, but Auburn beating them by 32 in a home game is eye-popping for both squads.
Dropped Out:
Colorado (11-4) (20) – Their trip through Arizona (Arizona State, Arizona) did not go well.
James Madison (14-1) (21) – They had trouble at Louisiana before losing to Southern Miss. Their margins aren’t wide, so they have to avoid losing too many in-conference games if they want any at-large consideration.
Ole Miss (13-1) (22) – I didn’t expect them to beat Tennessee on the road. I did need them to keep it close for me to keep ranking them.
Texas (11-3) (23) – When your non-conference schedule is ranked 319th, you better play well once tougher competition enters the arena.
Just Missed:
Nevada (14-1) – Seven straight wins as they attempt to join their Mountain West counterparts in the Top 25.
Princeton (13-1) – The Tigers just keep on winning…
Seton Hall (10-5) – They are putting together a nice array of Big East victories.