MY COLLEGE BASKETBALL TOP 25 POWER RANKINGS
| Rank | Team | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Villanova (14-0) | The defending champs had an interesting week, they struggled with DePaul in their Big East opener, and I considered dropping them from the #1 spot, but after knocking off then-undefeated Creighton on the road, the Wildcats proved that they deserve this #1 spot. |
| 2 | Baylor (13-0) | From a pure resume perspective, the Bears are probably the best in the country, with wins over Oregon, Michigan State, Louisville, Xavier, and Oklahoma, paired with no losses, the Bears are another DePaul game away from taking over the #1 spot. |
| 3 | Kentucky (11-2) | The Wildcats might have two losses, but they have also played one of the toughest schedules in the country. Ranking the Wildcats this highly might be a little naïve, but by pure eye test, the Wildcats could compete with anybody |
| 4 | West Virginia (12-1) | The Mountaineers haven’t played a very tough schedule, but the two tough games they had were damn tough. This Friday West Virginia went on the road and beat Oklahoma State, and earlier in 2016 they beat Virginia on the road, a win that looks even better this week. |
| 5 | Kansas (12-1) | After a loss to Indiana to open the season, the Jayhawks have won twelve games in a row, including a win over Duke, and a road win over TCU to start conference play this past week. |
| 6 | UCLA (14-1) | UCLA is arguably the best shooting team in the nation, and despite the loss to Oregon the Bruins only fall barely out of the top five. |
| 7 | Gonzaga (14-0) | The Bulldogs have three great wins this year in Arizona, Florida, and Iowa State. |
| 8 | Duke (12-2) | The Blue Devils got tripped up by Virginia Tech, and Coach K is leaving after Wednesday, but this is still one of the most talented teams in the country. |
| 9 | Virginia (11-2) | The Cavaliers lost to Florida State on a buzzer beater on New Year’s Eve, but that should be overshadowed by their throttling of Louisville on the road on Wednesday, so the Cavaliers move up. |
| 10 | Louisville (12-2) | Louisville picked up a big win over Indiana on Saturday, but the previously mentioned loss to Virginia drops them behind the Cavaliers |
| 11 | North Carolina (11-3) | The loss to Georgia Tech would drop the Tar Heels a little further, but the head to head over Wisconsin saves them. |
| 12 | Florida State (14-1) | The fifth straight ACC team! The road win over Virginia really helped their case, but back to back games vs Duke and UNC on Jan 10th and 14th will let us see what the ‘Noles are made out of |
| 13 | Creighton (13-1) | This is a team that nearly lost to Oral Roberts at home, but the head to head over Wisconsin keeps the Bluejays ranked above the Badgers |
| 14 | Wisconsin (12-2) | The Badgers are still searching for a signature win, and road games against Indiana and Purdue this week will give them a chance. |
| 15 | Xavier (12-2) | Xavier has won five in a row, but a murderer’s row is up ahead for the Musketeers, with Villanova, Butler, and Creighton in three of their next four. |
| 16 | Purdue (12-2) | I like Purdue, but they need more than a win over Notre Dame and a close loss to Villanova to get into the Top 15, a game vs Wisconsin on Sunday gives them a chance. |
| 17 | Florida (10-3) | The Gators have came within ten points of three top-12 teams, but they need a big win to move any higher. |
| 18 | Butler (12-2) | The head-to-head over Arizona is big for Butler, and a win over Villanova on Wednesday would shoot them up the rankings. |
| 19 | Arizona (13-2) | Arizona has four wins vs Kenpom top 100 teams, and that earns them a spot in the top 20 |
| 20 | Cincinnati (12-2) | Cincinnati owns one of the best defenses in the country, and with games vs Houston and SMU in the next two weeks, the Bearcats will have a chance to prove it. |
| 21 | Oregon (13-2) | Oregon owns one of the best wins in the country as the only team to beat UCLA. |
| 22 | Virginia Tech (12-1) | The Hokies have flown under the radar, but after the win vs Duke, they take their deserving place in the spotlight. |
| 23 | Indiana (10-4) | The Hoosiers don’t deserve to be in this top 25 based on their losses, but with two wins vs Kenpom top 10 teams, they sneak in. |
| 24 | Saint Mary’s (12-1) | The loss to UT-Arlington isn’t a good one, but with six straight wins, the Gaels are back into the top 25. |
| 25 | Notre Dame (12-2) | It was tough, but the Fighting Irish got a big road win vs Pitt in ACC Play. |
Next Up: #26 Iowa State, #27 Wichita State, #28 Clemson