NCAA Basketball Top 25 for 12/15
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.
Seven teams remain unbeaten, as Oklahoma State suffered its first loss last week (Oklahoma). Miami (OH) remains the final mid-major with this distinction.
After dropping five teams from my Top 25 last week, this week was mundane. Only one team fell out, and the teams at the top mostly maintained their positions.
Top 25:
1. Michigan (10-0) (1) – Maryland was on a mission Saturday night, but Michigan’s defense went into shutdown mode in the second half. Their tempo is fast, they pile up the points, and their defense is spectacular. Oh, and that Gonzaga team they beat by 40? They are now ranked second in the KenPom.
2. Duke (10-0) (2) – The Blue Devils took the entire week off. They will play Lipscomb and Texas Tech this week before another long break.
3. Arizona (9-0) (4) – I look for reasons to move a team up, even if the teams above them did nothing wrong. The Wildcats have back-to-back wins over Auburn and Alabama by a combined 50 points. That qualifies.
4. Iowa State (11-0) (3) – Iowa slowed the Cyclones to a crawl, but they were still able to grind out a 4-point win.
5. Purdue (10-1) (5) – Don’t underrate the country’s best offense based on a singular blowout loss. That said, their defense needs to tighten up (23rd in the country).
6. UConn (10-1) (6) – Some of the wins are close, but they are still wins. Their defense is shining as they enter Big East play this week.
7. Gonzaga (10-1) (7) – The Bulldogs have placed that Michigan loss in the rearview mirror. St. Mary’s, Santa Clara, and San Francisco are quality teams, but it isn’t difficult imagining Gonzaga winning out from here. It’s a tall task in any conference, but they’ve done it before.
8. Houston (10-1) (8) – Their schedule has lightened considerably since losing to Tennessee. They’ll get a test this week against Arkansas.
9. Louisville (9-1) (9) – Their top-notch offense continues to carry them. Their 1/6 home date against Duke is already circled on every ACC fan’s calendar.
10. Vanderbilt (10-0) (10) – The knock continues to be their schedule. The Commodores’ upcoming matchup at Wake Forest should provide valuable insight into their true potential. The Demon Deacons lost to Michigan and Texas Tech by a point.
11. BYU (9-1) (11) – An exciting win over Clemson further emphasized the point that the scary thing about BYU is how improved they are defensively. The offense will always be there.
12. Michigan State (9-1) (12) – Conference road games can be a challenge, as Penn State gave the Spartans all they could handle. Their inconsistent offense needs to show more life.
13. North Carolina (9-1) (15) – Even with wins over Kansas and Kentucky, the KenPom remains bearish. With Duke and Louisville not on the schedule for quite some time, it’ll be intriguing to see how many wins they can stack up before then.
14. Alabama (7-3) (14) – How do you evaluate this team? They have played an insane schedule, beating St. John’s and Illinois while losing to Purdue, Gonzaga, and Arizona. Despite being crushed by Arizona, I will leave them at 14. The remainder of their non-conference slate looks manageable, though Yale could pose a challenge.
15. St. John’s (6-3) (18) – One of the nation’s unluckiest teams, they have seemingly found their footing. The big issue is that they lack a defining non-conference win. Kentucky is their last chance to earn one.
16. Nebraska (11-0) (24) – The Cornhuskers are off to a 2-0 Big Ten start, with a dominant home win over Wisconsin and a thrilling road win over Illinois. The computers are starting to like them, as their offense and defense rank in the Top 30.
17. Illinois (8-3) (13) – High-quality wins (Tennessee and Texas Tech), a few tough losses (Alabama and Nebraska), and only one game where they weren’t competitive (UConn). The Big Ten is tough, but they should be in the middle of the race.
18. Tennessee (7-3) (17) – The Volunteers, on a 3-game losing streak, took the week off. Will the rest help them against Louisville?
19. Arkansas (8-2) (20) – The Razorbacks have defeated Louisville and Texas Tech in recent games. Can they do the same against Houston?
20. Texas Tech (7-3) (16) – Credit: They have played a tough schedule. Problem: Wake Forest is their most significant win. Can they bring their “A” game against Duke?
21. Kansas (8-3) (21) – Send Melvin Council Jr. some pizza, as his nine 3-pointers were needed in a 1-point thriller over North Carolina State.
22. Virginia (9-1) (23) – Their non-conference is lacking, as their best wins are over Northwestern, Texas, and Dayton. In some seasons, that would be very impressive. Still, their offensive efficiency is notable, and they deserve a ranking.
23. Georgia (9-1) (25) – Cincinnati held the nation’s 2nd-best scoring offense (only Kent State averages more points) to only 84 points, but scored a pedestrian 65. How good are the Bulldogs? One thing is for certain: They aren’t boring.
24. Auburn (8-3) (22) – Time to play Purdue in the Indy Classic. Their defense has to improve if they want to compete at the top of the SEC.
25. USC (10-1) (NR) – The Trojans barely sneak back into my Top 25.
Dropped Out:
Florida (6-4) (19) – The Gators remain a strong team, losing by small margins. They have played a tough schedule, and their luck ranking is 356th. The problem is that they are struggling to convert their toughest opponents into wins.
Just Missed:
Seton Hall (10-1) – It should shock nobody that Shaheen Holloway’s squad is one of the nation’s toughest defensively. The offense and schedule leave something to be desired, and they’ll have to prove their worth entirely in Big East play.
Iowa (9-2) – Losing by four on the road to Iowa State enhances their profile. Their style is as old school as it gets, and they will lull teams to sleep in Big Ten play.
Kentucky (7-4) – A nice win over Indiana gets them back on the map. Can they follow that up against St. John’s?