NCAA Basketball Top 25 for 12/29
FYI: All ratings, including SOS, Offensive Efficiency, and Defensive Efficiency, are courtesy of the KenPom.
None of the unbeaten squads lost this week. Miami (OH) remains the last mid-major with that distinction. The MAC is too difficult for a team to go unbeaten. We have two potential unbeaten matchups, though Michigan doesn’t play Nebraska until January 27th, while Iowa State plays Arizona on March 2nd. In other words, neither is happening.
Top 25:
1. Michigan (11-0) (1) – McNeese won an NCAA Tournament game in 2025 and defeated the Wolverines the year before. That said, this is a tall task.
2. Arizona (12-0) (2) – Michigan’s metrics are slightly better, though the Wildcats are mauling opponents. Their closest game since a 71-67 win over UConn is a 21-point win over Alabama.
3. Iowa State (12-0) (3) – The Cyclones are one of the most interesting squads as we go into 2026.
4. Purdue (11-1) (4) – If you think the Boilermakers are the favorites to cut down the nets in March, I don’t argue with you.
5. Duke (11-1) (5) – The Blue Devils decided not to play a “bridge” game against a mid-major entering ACC play.
6. UConn (12-1) (6) – Who is challenging this team in the Big East?
7. Gonzaga (13-1) (7) – The only question is if they enter postseason play with a 30-1 record. It’s not impossible. Saint Mary’s and Santa Clara are the two squads that could prevent that.
8. Houston (11-1) (8) – The Big 12 will be crazy competitive.
9. Vanderbilt (12-0) (9) – A lot of talk about their offense, but they are a Top 20 squad defensively as well.
10. BYU (12-1) (10) – The Cougars’ only loss is to UConn by two in Boston.
11. Michigan State (11-1) (11) – The defense is locked in. Can the offense improve?
12. North Carolina (12-1) (12) – They have those wins over Kansas and Kentucky, but there are questions about those squads as well.
13. Louisville (10-2) (13) – Are they a challenger for the ACC title? They play Duke twice in January.
14. Tennessee (9-3) (14) – It looks like the Volunteers have put their 3-game losing streak in the rearview mirror.
15. Alabama (9-3) (15) – The non-conference schedule was brutal (and they have a game with Yale, one of the best mid-majors, on Monday).
16. Nebraska (12-0) (16) – Is this the year they win their first-ever NCAA Tournament game?
17. Illinois (9-3) (17) – Missouri offered zero resistance, as Illinois held the Tigers to 48 points.
18. Texas Tech (10-3) (18) – That win over Duke salvaged their non-conference slate.
19. Kansas (10-3) (19) – The Jayhawks are offensively challenged but own the 7th-best defense.
20. Virginia (11-1) (20) – I don’t consider them a major threat to win the ACC title, but an NCAA Tournament berth is well within reach.
21. Georgia (11-1) (21) – One of the most frantic squads in the country, it will be interesting to see how they perform within the SEC.
22. Kentucky (9-4) (22) – No team needed “good competition” wins more than the Wildcats. They got them with wins over Indiana and, especially, St. John’s.
23. Arkansas (9-3) (23) – Their non-conference was a mixed bag with wins over Louisville and Texas Tech and losses to Michigan State, Duke, and Houston. They should be in the mix in the SEC race.
24. USC (12-1) (24) – The computers hate them, and it’s easy to see why. The good thing is we will find out in a hurry about how good they are. Their first two games after the holiday break are road contests against Michigan and Michigan State.
25. Iowa (10-2) (NR) – The Hawkeyes are going to frustrate Big Ten squads all season.
Dropped Out:
Seton Hall (11-2) (25) – Villanova handled the Pirates, who are having trouble generating offense.
Just Missed:
Florida (8-4) – KenPom currently ranks them 11th. They will re-enter the Top 25 in due time.
Utah State (10-1) – They appear to be the class of the Mountain West, though expect things to be as tight as ever.
Baylor (9-2) – The Bears will welcome a player who was chosen in the NBA draft to their roster. How will that impact their chances? Without him, they are a top-10 offense but a mediocre defense.