A lot of new revelations at the start of conference play. This season is shaping up to be a crazy year. Who knows what will happen? Here's how the rankings look right now.
#1 - Tennessee: The Vols are the only Power-Five school left unbeaten. That might change this week when they go to Florida and Texas.
#2 - Auburn: Many still feel that Auburn is the best team in the country. Many have always felt that about the Maui Invitational champions. Auburn is still number one in the NET rankings.
#3 - Iowa State: The Cyclones have only lost to Marquette this season. They are a senior-led team that could make lots of noise in March.
#4 - Alabama: The Crimson Tide ended the Oklahoma Sooners' perfect record. This team badly wants to return to the Final Four this year. They go to Texas A&M on Saturday.
#5 - Duke: Cooper Flagg and company are dominating the ACC. They will be a major contender if they stay consistent.
#6 - Oklahoma: The undefeated streak ended on the road against Alabama. Not a problem. The problem is that Texas A&M is in town on Wednesday. That will be a good game.
#7 - Kentucky: The Wildcats ended Florida's undefeated run. That's a great win to get back on track. They're on the road against Georgia and Mississippi State this week.
#8 - Texas A&M: The Aggies have won eight in a row but will be tested when they go to Oklahoma this week. They have not won on the road this year.
#9 - Florida: A loss at Rupp Arena is nothing to worry about. Florida is still one of the top ten teams in the country. However, their week can't be any more challenging. They host number one Tennessee and then go to Arkansas.
#10 - Kansas: The Jayhawks are lucky to remain in the top ten. They lost at home to West Virginia...an unranked team walked into Kansas and won. I get that West Virginia also beat Gonzaga this year, but nobody just walks into Kansas and wins without being ranked. Worse yet, Kansas must go to Cincinnati this week and then Iowa State next week.
#11 - Marquette: The Golden Eagles are in pretty good shape in the Big East. The major problem is the loss of Kam Jones. That will likely kill them down the road.
#12 - Connecticut: They are back in the national title conversation and remain in contention for the title in the Big East. That's all they have to do right now.
#13 - Illinois: What a week for the Illini. They walked into a top-ten-ranked opponent's building this week and won by over thirty points...THIRTY POINTS!!! After dismantling Oregon, they won another Big Ten road game out west. Brad Underwood has the Illini playing their best basketball of the season. They are the Big Ten's best program and have been all decade. They host a very good Penn State team on Wednesday.
#14 - Houston: The Cougars are off to a great start in the Big 12. They are probably the favorite to win the league.
#15 - Mississippi State: They keep winning. That's all you can say. They host Kentucky on Saturday.
#16 - Michigan State: They are still undefeated in Big Ten conference play. Given how competitive that league is every year, the Spartans are doing good. They play at Northwestern on Sunday.
#17 - Oregon: They got the biggest beating an AP top ten team has ever gotten on their home floor. Then, they almost got beat again by a team that had just lost a game to a team at the bottom of the Big Ten. Oregon has some stuff to figure out, and they'll have to do it on the road against Ohio State and Penn State. They have hit their rough patch for the season. Welcome to the Big Ten Oregon!
#18 - Baylor: They lost on the road to Iowa State. There's no shame in that. However, Baylor has not won on the road yet this year. That could be a problem. They play Cincinnati at home on Tuesday.
#19 - Purdue: Recovery is key. After a rough patch, they've won three in a row. The Boilermakers are back in Big Ten title contention.
#20 - Arkansas: Quit dropping Arkansas over losing on the road to the number one team in the country. That's nothing! They're still a top-twenty team. They host Ole Miss and Florida this week, which are opportunities to prove everyone wrong.
#21 - Cincinnati: Two ugly losses for Cincinnati this week. They need to bounce back, but they go on the road to Baylor and host Kansas this week. It will be painful for Cincinnati fans to watch.
#22 - Memphis: They have had their highs and lows this year, but the Tigers look solid. They are the favorites to win the American.
#23 - UCLA: They are getting a load of that brutal Big Ten flavor this week. Losing at Nebraska is nothing out of the ordinary, though. They'll bounce back. However, they are hosting Michigan and will go to Maryland this week. Not the best odds for the Bruins.
#24 - Mississippi: Chris Beard and the Rebels are playing solid. They go to Arkansas on Wednesday for another thrilling SEC matchup.
#25 - Utah State: The clear favorites in the Mountain West conference. They've only lost one basketball game all year. They don't have to play San Diego State on the road anymore. They won that game. Utah State can cruise to the Mountain West title.
#26 - West Virginia: Name a more significant regular season win in college basketball today than beating Kansas on the road. I can't think of one. What a week for West Virginia. They deserve to be ranked this week.
#27 - Nebraska: They got a win against UCLA. That's just what Fred Hoiberg's club needed to get back in the NCAA tournament conversation. Their reward is a meeting with Purdue at Mackie Arena this week. That's the Big Ten for you.
#28 - Missouri: They lost to Auburn on the road. I can't drop them after that. There is nothing wrong with Missouri right now. The SEC is just loaded this year. Missouri will bounce back next week.
#29 - Michigan: They won their first three Big Ten games. Now, they play at UCLA on Tuesday. We'll see how long that lasts.
#30 - Gonzaga: Despite the losses they've suffered, they do have a solid resume. Don't expect a deep run in March, though.
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