NCAA Basketball Top 25 for 12/8
For more on the week in College Basketball, here’s my Winners & Losers post for this week.
FYI: All ratings, including SOS, Offensive Efficiency, and Defensive Efficiency, are courtesy of the KenPom.
Eight teams remain unbeaten. Among mid-majors, only Miami (OH) owns that distinction (8-0). As you might suspect, their non-conference schedule is the worst in the country (365th). Given the lack of competition, they may be the last unbeaten standing.
Top 25:
1. Michigan (8-0) (1) – If one was worried about “court rest” after their long layoff, they could have saved themselves the anxiety. The Wolverines are averaging 94.6 points per game, but it is their defense that makes the computers smile.
2. Duke (10-0) (3) – Defeating three ranked teams in a row is a solid case to be #1.
3. Iowa State (9-0) (8) – Purdue has the nation’s top-rated offense. The Cyclones held them to 58 points on Purdue’s home court. Nuts.
4. Arizona (8-0) (4) – The Wildcats are in the top ten in offense and defense. They dominated Auburn, improving to 2-0 against top SEC teams (having already beaten Florida) with Alabama still looming.
5. Purdue (8-1) (2) – The Iowa State game was a humbling experience. The Boilermakers are one of the nation’s most experienced squads, so they should recover.
6. UConn (8-1) (6) – East Texas A&M is one of the newcomers to Division I this year. The Lions played the Huskies tough for a half before getting blown out in the second half. UConn has won four straight since the Arizona loss.
7. Gonzaga (9-1) (10) – How do you bounce back from a 40-point loss to Michigan? By defeating Kentucky by 35, of course.
8. Houston (8-1) (7) – Notre Dame was outmanned, but played the Cougars tough. Their offensive efficiency must improve.
9. Louisville (8-1) (5) – The opposite of Houston, as their offense is elite, but the defense needs to pick up the pace.
10. Vanderbilt (9-0) (12) – The final SEC unbeaten, the Commodores average 96.8 points per game and are second to Purdue in efficiency. Like Louisville, the defense needs some improvement.
11. BYU (7-1) (14) – How far can freshman phenom AJ Dybantsa take them? The good news for Cougars’ fans is that he isn’t the only good player in town. This team is dangerous, especially if they can maintain their top 20 defense.
12. Michigan State (8-1) (9) – The Spartans used their trademark defense to play Duke to the wire. Falling three spots is more of an elevation of other teams than a demotion for them.
13. Illinois (7-2) (16) – The Fighting Illini played four top schools in non-conference play and pulled off a split. They finally get a taste of Big Ten play this week (Ohio State).
14. Alabama (7-2) (13) – Why do I love college basketball? As mid-December approaches, we still have exciting non-conference matchups ahead, including Alabama vs. Arizona.
15. North Carolina (8-1) (22) – The Tar Heels aren’t doing anything exceptionally well, but they have a few nice wins over Kansas and Kentucky. Freshman forward Caleb Wilson is averaging a double-double.
16. Texas Tech (7-2) (NR) – The Red Raiders have played a top 50 non-conference slate with games against Arkansas and Duke still coming. The knock on them is that they haven’t defeated a ranked team. Still, not ranking them last week was a tad unfair.
17. Tennessee (7-3) (11) – Unlike Texas Tech, Tennessee does have a high-quality win (Houston). For what it’s worth, they are one of the nation’s unluckiest teams.
18. St. John’s (5-3) (24) – The Red Storm are still finding their way. Their win over Ole Miss was uninspiring, and ranked teams have given them trouble. Their resume is enhanced by a tough schedule and, like Tennessee, having some bad luck on their side.
19. Florida (5-3) (15) – On one hand, they are having trouble getting their season going. On the other hand, their losses are incredibly close.
20. Arkansas (7-2) (NR) – Earned a big-time confidence booster with the win over Louisville. Will the momentum carry over against Texas Tech?
21. Kansas (7-3) (17) – Strong defensively, not-so-good offensively, and a top ten non-conference schedule. Struggling to compile wins against their best competition.
22. Auburn (7-3) (18) – The Tigers define the SEC. A conference filled with strong teams, but not nearly at the level of their historic campaign last year.
23. Virginia (8-1) (NR) – Are the Cavaliers back? No. The competition has been light, and they lost to Butler on a neutral court. Their offense has been strong, ranking among the top 20 nationally in three-point shooting. They will not play a currently ranked team until January 13th.
24. Nebraska (9-0) (NR) – The good news: The Cornhuskers own the nation’s longest winning streak (13). The not-so-good news: The competition hasn’t been great. Honestly, that is no fault of their own. They have wins over Kansas State, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Creighton. Those teams simply aren’t performing at their usual high standards.
25. Georgia (8-1) (NR) – While efficiency isn’t their thing, the Bulldogs lead the nation in scoring (99.9). They play fast and perhaps a bit out of control, but it is entertaining. What’s missing? Good competition. That isn’t changing until the new year.
Dropped Out:
Indiana (7-2) (19) – Terrible loss to Minnesota followed by a loss to Louisville (their first game against a ranked team).
Iowa (8-1) (20) – I remain bullish on the Hawkeyes as a potential tournament team, but Michigan State humbled them.
Kentucky (5-4) (21) – They were competitive against North Carolina, but their other three losses haven’t been impressive.
USC (8-1) (23) – Three Big Ten schools fall out. The winners of the Maui lost to Washington at home, which is enough to drop them.
Utah State (8-1) (25) – A 13-point road loss to South Florida knocks out my lone Mountain West representative.
Just Missed:
Oklahoma State (9-0) – The uptempo Cowboys beat Northwestern on the road, which is a decent win. You can group them with Nebraska and Georgia—teams off to hot starts against relatively weak competition.
Saint Mary’s (9-1) – Their lone loss was in the Battle 4 Atlantis championship against Vanderbilt. If the size of that loss weren’t so large, they would be ranked.
Seton Hall (9-1) – I am not sure what to make of the Pirates, but they have solid defensive numbers. Their only loss was a 2-point defeat against USC in the Maui semi-finals.