College Basketball Rankings: North Carolina plummets, Purdue soars

I am trying to be better at writing for Calhoun’s Corner, and I apologize for the lack of college basketball content. Now, we have a completely revamped top 25, with a new No. 1 team in the country. Feast Week completely changed how we viewed teams. Also, I will be doing weekly rankings for the Student Media Poll, which can be found here. Here is a look at my top 25:

  1. Purdue (6-0) (PREV: 24)

Purdue is my top team after a dominant performance in Portland at the Phil Knight Legacy. They have handled West Virginia, Gonzaga, and Duke with ease. Not to mention a five-point win over Marquette at home. Zach Edey is by far my National Player of the Year so far, but I have loved the contributions of Fletcher Loyer and Ethan Morton so far. They will be away from home for another game as they face Florida State but have their first Big Ten game on Sunday against Minnesota at Mackey Arena.

  1. Virginia (5-0) (PREV: 5)

What’s strange about this Virginia team is that they have a better-adjusted offensive efficiency than their defensive efficiency, according to KenPom. They have two key wins currently over Baylor and Illinois and have battles with Michigan and Florida State this week. 

  1. Arizona (6-0) (PREV: 14)

Oumar Ballo had a fantastic week as Tommy Lloyd’s Wildcats won the Maui Invitational, defeating Cincinnati, San Diego State, and Creighton along the way. They have made their statement as one of the top teams in college basketball. Utah and California are up next as Arizona begins the Pac-12 schedule, but only two games as their non-conference schedule will continue next week.

  1. Texas (5-0) (PREV: 4)

While Texas has yet to be challenged outside of Gonzaga, where they won 93-74, I view them as the top team in the country, with zero signs of vulnerability so far. Thursday is a big test for Chris Beard’s Longhorns, as they host Creighton in the Big East-Big 12 Battle.

  1. Houston (6-0) (PREV: 2)

Marcus Sasser is an early contender for National Player of the Year, with 17 points per game to lead the Cougars so far this season. They’re likely to be the AP No. 1 team, but I don’t see that as they only have one key win at Oregon, winning by ten. They’ll get another test at a semi-home site in Fort Worth against Saint Mary’s but host another cupcake in Norfolk State on Tuesday.

  1. UConn (8-0) (PREV: 20)

UConn has the best record in college basketball, with an impressive 8-0 record. They have beaten every opponent by double-digits and just won the Phil Knight Invitational, defeating Oregon, Alabama, and Iowa State. They have solidified themselves as a top-10 team and can continue their best start since the 2013-14 season on Thursday at Gampel Pavilion against Oklahoma State. Adama Sanogo is their top player, as he should be, but he showed he wasn’t the only player that could lead his team to victory. Aside from Jordan Hawkins, who got into foul trouble early in the Iowa State game, there’s not a single scholarship player that can’t contribute greatly. Donovan Clingan, the 7-foot-2 freshman that comes off the bench, won the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. That shows how the Huskies are the deepest team in college basketball.

  1. Creighton (6-1) (PREV: 10)

Creighton is an impressive team, and they have shown that at the Maui Invitational. They had a ten-point win over Texas Tech and edged Arkansas 90-87. They ended up losing by two in the championship game against Arizona, but they are certainly a fun team to watch on both ends of the floor. Ryan Kalkbrenner is the star of the show, but South Dakota State transfer Baylor Scheierman has been the player I’ve been most impressed with. With key players Arthur Kaluma, Ryan Nembhard, and Trey Alexander, the Bluejays are one of the best teams in the country. They will travel to Austin to take on Texas on Thursday before a rivalry battle on Sunday against Nebraska.

  1. Baylor (5-1) (PREV: 7)

Despite an 86-79 loss to Virginia, the Bears have dominated in every buy game and won by five against UCLA in Las Vegas. The road gets tougher for Baylor, as two non-conference foes await them. They will travel to Milwaukee to take on Marquette in the Big East-Big 12 Battle, then fly to Sioux Falls, South Dakota to take on Gonzaga. LJ Cryer and Adam Flagler are both 17-points-per-game scorers on this loaded squad.

  1. Arkansas (5-1) (PREV: 9)

Eric Musselman’s team is certainly one of my favorites, as they went 2-1 at the Maui Invitational, blowing out Louisville and beating San Diego State in overtime. Their only loss came to Creighton, who has been off to a fantastic start this year. There isn’t a key game for the Razorbacks this week, as they host Troy and San José State. Ricky Council IV leads the team in points (19) and assists (3.5) per game.

  1. Kansas (6-1) (PREV: 3)

Jalen Wilson, Kevin McCullar, and Gradey Dick lead the defending champions, all of them impressive to start the season. Duke, NC State, and Wisconsin are their key wins, but their lone loss comes in the Battle 4 Atlantis championship game against Tennessee, where they couldn’t compete with the Vols. They host Texas Southern tonight, but the key game this week is a home battle against Seton Hall.

  1. Alabama (6-1) (PREV: 18)

Brandon Miller and Mark Sears have led Alabama to a strong start, despite being blown out by UConn in the Phil Knight Invitational semifinal round. They beat Michigan State by 11 in the quarterfinal round, then had a four-overtime thriller against previously AP No. 1 North Carolina, where they won 103-101. They have one game until the next rankings come out, a home game against South Dakota State.

  1. Indiana (6-0) (PREV: 11)

Their signature win so far is Xavier, but the undefeated Hoosiers have not had much competition outside them. However, that all starts this week, as they host North Carolina and visit Rutgers. Star forward Trayce Jackson-Davis averages 18.8 points per game, dropping 30 points in the Xavier game. Xavier Johnson and Tamar Bates are the other top two contributors. Indiana is one of the better shooting teams in the country, especially inside the three-point line.

  1. Gonzaga (5-2) (PREV: 6)

Gonzaga, led by Drew Timme and Julian Strawther, is not the same team that we’ve seen in previous seasons. It’s hard to tell how they will perform this season, with losses to Texas and Purdue but beating Michigan State, Kentucky, and Xavier. Their next game is potentially their hardest: a neutral-site matchup against Baylor on Friday night. KenPom ranks the Zags as the top offensive team, but they need to prove they can win their biggest games in the early season, which hasn’t been the case so far.

  1. Illinois (5-1) (PREV: 16)

Illinois has been a strong team, despite a nine-point loss to Virginia in Las Vegas. UCLA is their key win, and Terrence Shannon Jr. has been phenomenal for the Fighting Illini, averaging 20.3 points per game and shooting 54.4 percent from the floor. Illinois will have Syracuse and Maryland this week, with the latter being a road game and the tougher matchup for Brad Underwood’s team.

  1. Tennessee (5-1) (PREV: 22)

Despite the early loss to Colorado, Tennessee bounced back by winning the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament. That includes a 14-point win over Kansas, the defending national champions. Santiago Vescovi leads the team in points, assists, and steals per game. The matchups get easier for Tennessee with McNeese State and Alcorn State the next two games for the Volunteers.

  1. Iowa State (5-1) (PREV: N/A)

Iowa State is a tough, physical team led by St. Bonaventure transfer Osun Osunniyi. Caleb Grill had 31 points, making seven three-pointers, as the Cyclones took down North Carolina in the semifinal round of the Phil Knight Invitational. They also beat Villanova, who is off to an awful start this year, in overtime. They head back to Ames for the next two games, an easy game against North Dakota and a Sunday matchup against the underrated St. John’s Red Storm.

  1. North Carolina (5-2) (PREV: 1)

North Carolina has lost the past two games to finish fourth place in the Phil Knight Invitational. The Tar Heels have a lot of work to do, as the defense and three-point shooting are the culprits of the poor start for the preseason No. 1 team. Even with a loaded roster including Caleb Love, Armando Bacot, and RJ Davis, Hubert Davis’s squad needs to pick up the pace. They can do that with two road games against Indiana and Virginia Tech this week.

  1. Auburn (7-0) (PREV: 13)

The Tigers are 6-0, winning the Cancun Challenge and they have two mediocre wins over Northwestern and Saint Louis. They are led by Wendell Green Jr., who leads the team in points and assists per game. They haven’t been impressive yet, especially when they won 43-42 to Northwestern in Cancun. Auburn only has one matchup this week, facing Colgate at home.

  1. Michigan State (5-2) (PREV: 12)

Michigan State is banged up with Malik Hall out for multiple weeks. They’re scary at full strength, with AJ Hoggard and Tyson Walker leading the way currently. They have wins over Kentucky, Villanova, and Oregon, but suffered losses to Gonzaga and Alabama. I still see lots of potential in the Spartans, but the loss of Malik Hall may haunt them this season. They’re on the road against Notre Dame before beginning the Big Ten schedule at home on Sunday against Northwestern.

  1. Duke (6-2) (PREV: 8)

The first eight games of Jon Scheyer’s first season as Duke’s head coach include a current-best win against Xavier before losing in the Phil Knight Legacy championship game against the red-hot Purdue Boilermakers. They also suffered a loss in the Champions Classic against Kansas. The ACC-Big Ten Challenge is where the Blue Devils can seek revenge, as they host Ohio State on Wednesday night. They also host Boston College on Saturday to begin their ACC schedule. I have been very impressed with freshman big Kyle Filipowski, who has taken the role of Duke’s best player so far.

  1. San Diego State (4-2) (PREV: 17)

San Diego State doesn’t have a standout player like they have in past years, but with wins over BYU, Stanford, and Ohio State, they’re off to a solid start. However, they lost the last two games of their trip to Maui against Arizona and Arkansas, where they forced the latter game into overtime. The Aztecs are abysmal on the offensive rebounding, but make up for it with their solid defensive efficiency, ranked 16th on KenPom. Brian Dutcher and his team have two home games this week against UC Irvine and Occidental.

  1. UCLA (5-2) (PREV: 19)

UCLA went 0-2 in Las Vegas, losing to Illinois and Baylor. They don’t have a signature win, but they begin their Pac-12 schedule Thursday night against Stanford and host Oregon on Sunday. Pepperdine and Bellarmine are not quality opponents, but the Bruins have more opportunities in December to prove they deserve to be in my top 25. Their roster is certainly capable of that status, with Jaime Jaquez, Tyger Campbell, Amari Bailey, and Jaylen Clark.

  1. Kentucky (4-2) (PREV: 15)

I’m not sold on Kentucky, as they have lost to Michigan State (in double overtime) and Gonzaga in Spokane. I’m not sure why the Wildcats are ranked fourth on KenPom, but they’re nowhere near the top 10 with no key wins. They host Bellarmine tomorrow night, but the key game is across the Atlantic Ocean in London against Michigan. Defending Wooden Award winner Oscar Tshiebwe could is back and could be key in the upcoming games on their schedule.

  1. Maryland (6-0) (PREV: 23)

Kevin Willard’s first year in College Park has begun with a 6-0 start, including a clean sweep at Mohegan Sun over Saint Louis and Miami (FL). They have four double-digit scorers per game: Donta Scott, Julian Reese, Hakim Hart, and Jahmir Young. Coming up for the Terrapins are Louisville and Illinois, with the latter team being a top-15 team in the country. If the Terps can improve their three-point shooting, they could be a major contender in a loaded Big Ten Conference.

  1. TCU (5-1) (PREV: N/A)

TCU was ranked a top-20 team in the preseason AP Poll but then suffered an awful loss to Northwestern State. They bounced back by winning the Emerald Coast Classic, defeating California and Iowa, the latter team being their best win this season so far. They have a Wednesday night battle in Fort Worth against Providence, who won the Big East regular season title last year. Mike Miles Jr. has only played four games but had a combined 38 points in the Emerald Coast Classic. Jamie Dixon and the Horned Frogs are hoping they can shake off that Northwestern State loss.

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