I think this week is a good time to clarify what the goal for this ranking is. Each week, we are ranking the 25 BEST teams in College Basketball. If a game were played on a neutral court tomorrow, I would take #1 over #2, #2 over #3, and so on. This is in direct contrast to the AP Top-25, where I genuinely don’t know what the goal is. This week, they have Miami (Ohio) ranked 25th. While they are still unbeaten, and a great story at this point in the season, they’re objectively not one of the best 25 teams in college basketball. They have only one win against a team that ranks in the top-100 in KenPom. To be the best, you have to beat the best.
Top 25 College Basketball Rankings
1. Arizona
That’s right, we have a new number one in town. The Wildcats are starting to show the versatility and ability to win in different ways that I had previously thought they didn’t have. Orlando has turned into a tough place to play in the Big 12, and Arizona made it look like no problem with an 84-77 victory. Tommy Lloyd has to be in consideration for the best coach in the sport who has never reached a Final Four.
2. Michigan
The Wolverines haven’t quite looked like a buzzsaw in recent weeks, at least not to the degree that they did earlier in the season.They are still ranked #1 on KenPom, and still have the best frontcourt in the nation, but they’re starting to show some cracks in the armor. Rebounding, which has been one of their strengths to this point in the season, is starting to regress. Which is inexcusable with a frontcourt of Aday Mara and Yaxel Lendeborg.
3. Houston
I have turned a complete 180 on this Houston team from two weeks ago. I now think they are a genuine contender to win a national championship. And a big reason why has been the continued growth and development of big-time freshmen Kingston Flemings and Chris Cenac. They will only continue to get better. Watch out for Houston.
4. Purdue
The Boilermakers have been as steady as any team in the country this season, spending every day of the season ranking between 1st and 7th on KenPom, and still only having one blemish on the season as a whole. If they keep things up, they have a great chance to get Matt Painter to his second Final Four.
5. Duke
Road trips in the ACC are hard – just ask North Carolina, who lost back to back games in their California road trip to Cal and Stanford. Duke just had the same trip, but beat both opponents by a combined 45 points. Cameron Boozer is going to be a difficult matchup for anyone.
