NCAA Basketball Top 25 for 1/12
FYI: All ratings, including SOS, Offensive Efficiency, and Defensive Efficiency, are courtesy of the KenPom.
Top 25:
1. Arizona (16-0) (2) – The Wildcats are the only team in college basketball that boasts a top-five offense and defense.
2. Iowa State (16-0) (3) – The Cyclones remain the most overshadowed team in college basketball. First, they went undefeated in the Players Era Invitational, but didn’t get to play in the title game. Second, they are in the same conference as Arizona.
3. Michigan (14-1) (1) – Back-to-back close games. The coin flip has gone the Wolverines’ way three times this season (Wake Forest, TCU, Penn State), but Wisconsin’s insane second-half shooting was enough on Saturday.
4. Purdue (15-1) (4) – Their defense is ranked 20th, which is potentially problematic. However, their experience and top-ranked offense keep them in the National Championship conversation.
5. UConn (16-1) (5) – Providence took them to overtime, and DePaul played them within 12, which is an accomplishment for them. Seton Hall’s defense is no joke and will test the Huskies next.
6. Duke (15-1) (6) – Four of their last five games have been within single digits, though three of those games were against ranked opponents.
7. Vanderbilt (16-0) (7) – I considered jumping them over a few teams this week, but those teams aren’t doing anything to warrant a fall.
8. BYU (15-1) (8) – The Cougars are no longer only about the offense.
9. Gonzaga (17-1) (9) – Santa Clara is likely the third-best team in the WCC, and the Bulldogs beat them by 12.
10. Houston (15-1) (10) – No team in college basketball grinds out wins quite like the Cougars, who handled Texas Tech by four.
11. Nebraska (16-0) (11) – While Indiana Football attempts to win its first National Championship, Nebraska basketball will try to win its first-ever NCAA Tournament game. Which universe are we living in?
12. Illinois (13-3) (13) – A strong offense and good defense place them in the KenPom Top Ten.
13. Michigan State (14-2) (14) – Two losses were close ones to Duke and Nebraska.
14. Texas Tech (12-4) (15) – There exists no shame in losing to Houston by four on the road.
15. Louisville (12-4) (16) – Injuries are playing a role in their downturn (they are 3-3 without star freshman Mikel Brown Jr.). My bullish outlook may be foolhardy, but I am keeping them ranked highly for now.
16. North Carolina (14-2) (20) – The battle between metrics (33rd in the KenPom) and on-court success continues. I am trying to thread the needle.
17. Florida (11-5) (NR) – Two dominant wins over ranked opponents last week. They have some neutral court conquests, but have yet to win a true road game.
18. Alabama (11-5) (12) – I sound like a broken record: Elite offense, incredible strength of schedule, horrible defense.
19. Virginia (14-2) (23) – The one criticism remains: The lack of an elite-level win.
20. Utah State (14-1) (24) – They’ve done what they needed to do: Crush the Mountain West bottom feeders. A legitimate test against Nevada (12-4; 78th in the KenPom) awaits.
21. Georgia (14-2) (19) – SEC schools are challenging their high-octane offense. Efficiency is not their thing.
22. Tennessee (11-5) (18) – The Volunteers weren’t competitive against Florida. Their defense is good, but not elite enough to make up for an underperforming offense.
23. Saint Mary’s (16-2) (25) – Winners of seven in a row, their season will ultimately come down to the two games against Gonzaga.
24. Arkansas (12-4) (17) – Their crashing resume is mostly due to a weak defense.
25. Seton Hall (14-2) (NR) – The Pirates own four true road wins, and their 56-54 win over Creighton defines how this team wishes to play. Can their pressure defense provide a challenge to UConn?
Dropped Out:
Iowa (12-4) (21) – Both losses last week (Minnesota, Illinois) were close. Their style lends to closely played contests, which sometimes don’t go your way.
Kansas (11-5) (22) – There’s something “missing” here. It’s been a ho-hum season with only one notable win (Tennessee).
Just Missed:
St. Louis (15-1) – Two teams are coasting in the Atlantic 10 Conference – the Billikens and George Mason (16-1). St. Louis has the better metrics.
Villanova (13-3) – The loss to underperforming Creighton (10-7, 4-2) keeps the Wildcats on the outside looking in.
Miami (FL) (14-2) – Miami (OH) may be offended by this, given their 17-0 record. As for the Hurricanes, while the football team goes for a National Championship, the basketball team has won nine straight.