College Basketball Winners & Losers (12/8)
Winners:
Duke
The Blue Devils won their third straight over a ranked opponent on Saturday. This was their most impressive, as they defeated previously unbeaten Michigan State on the road.
Duke’s is ranked 90th in SOS (93rd in non-conference), which may surprise you. That’s because they have played games against Western Carolina, Army, Niagara, and Howard. The games against Niagara and Howard were “favors” by the Blue Devils, as those squads are coached by former Blue Devils (Greg Paulus and Kenny Blakeney). Meanwhile, Army has a connection through Mike Krzyzewski.
I don’t think Duke cares that those games suppress their schedule strength. They have several impressive wins and still have a game with Texas Tech at Madison Square Garden during Holiday Week.
While Cameron Boozer rightfully gets all the hype (he leads the Blue Devils in points, rebounds, and assists per game), Duke has a well-balanced attack. In their win over Florida, Isaiah Evans hit a big three-pointer. Against Michigan State, it was Caleb Foster.
Iowa State
The Cyclones’ 4-0 start included wins over FDU, Grambling, Mississippi State (off to a 4-4 start), and Stonehill. Many, including myself, wondered about how good they are.
They have answered that question.
The “forgotten” 3-0 team from the Players Era Classic (because there were five 2-0 teams, they ended up in the fifth-place game due to the point differential tiebreaker) followed up that impressive run with a 23-point road victory over Purdue.
The KenPom ranks them second behind Michigan, and their average margin of victory is over 30. Every game other than their 1-point win over St. John’s has been a blowout.
Two seniors (Tamin Lipsey, Joshua Jefferson) and a junior (Milan Momcilovic) are averaging 18+ points per game.
All this said, their schedule again eases up after their in-state rivalry game against Iowa. Win that game, and they have a great chance to enter 2026 at 13-0.
The ACC
After an abysmal 2-14 record in the ACC/SEC Challenge last year, the ACC gained five wins in 2025, losing the challenge by a 9-7 margin.
However, just looking at the record is a mistake. The ACC won both marquee matchups, as Duke defeated Florida while North Carolina beat Kentucky. Additionally, the conference pulled off the biggest upset when Syracuse defeated Tennessee.
It wasn’t all roses. Louisville’s loss to Arkansas was an upset, while Boston College fell apart late and ultimately lost to LSU in overtime. Additionally, North Carolina State continued its free fall with a 10-point loss to Auburn.
Losers:
Tennessee
When the Volunteers defeated Houston in the Players Era Festival, they improved to 7-0. They have since lost three straight to Kansas, Syracuse, and Illinois, with a key game against Louisville up next. Their defense is still highly rated (12th), but the Volunteers are reliant on their defense to win. In other words, they need to be better than 12th. They finished third last season.
Indiana
It isn’t that Indiana avoided traditionally good teams. However, Marquette and Kansas State don’t appear to be up to their usual standards. Hence, their schedule looked extremely weak entering last week. They didn’t help ease those concerns as they lost games to Minnesota and Louisville.
Mid-Majors
If you like to see mid-majors earn at-large bids, you may want to fast-forward through this season.
It hasn’t been a good start for the teams America loves to watch during the first weekend, as few of those squads have earned a Quadrant 1 win. With non-conference play nearing its end, those opportunities will dry up.
One mid-major who is impressing early is Yale, a Top 30 NET squad with a Quadrant 1 victory over fellow mid-major Akron on a neutral court. Their only setback came from a Quadrant 3 loss to Rhode Island.
Additionally, frequent NCAA Tournament participant St. Mary’s is 3-0 in Quadrant 2.
While all Quadrant 1 wins count, these teams are struggling against power schools. Even teams from the Mountain West are struggling against big-name schools. I will note that the big boys don’t schedule these teams very often.
This adds up to another year where nearly all mid-majors will need to win their conference tournaments to get a bid. As of now, the NCAA Tournament bubble appears to be soft, as the SEC is likely not as strong as it was last season. That could open up a slot or two, but I wouldn’t count on it.