Week 5 Power Rankings

This week was thrilling as we saw multiple Top-25 teams go down, the AP number one team went down against Tennessee. With all these upsets and a new week upon us, here is my latest Power Rankings. 

1.Kansas: I was fully prepared to drop Kansas out of their top spot, assuming Gonzaga beat Tennessee, however, the Bulldogs won that game, so they stay at one. The Jayhawks have been dreadful of late but they are 8-0 with wins over three of my Top-25 teams in Tennessee, Marquette and Michigan State

2.Michigan: Michigan struggled for the first time this week as they barley held off Northwestern for a road win, while they let South Carolina score 78 against them. These results are not the same results we have seen from earlier in the season when they were blowing out good teams. 

3.Virginia: Virginia had a tough game against in-state rival VCU but they held them off in the end, this team should enter into conference play undefeated. 

4.Tennessee: The Volunteers had the win of the week as they beat Gonzaga 76-73 in Phoenix. Admiral Schofield had the game of his life, scoring 30, including the game-winning three pointer. This team is a legitimate National title contender, who should be the favorites to win the SEC. 

5.Gonzaga: The Bulldogs suffered a tough loss against Tennessee, as they fell 76-73. This loss isn’t a bad one at all and the Bulldogs still are good enough to win the National Championship. 

6.Nevada: The Wolf Pack struggled to shoot against Arizona State, however, they still beat the Top-20 ranked Sun Devils 72-66, despite a bad shooting night. They will be heavy favorites in every other game they play this season and they could enter into the NCAA Tournament undefeated. 

7.Duke: The Blue Devils beat Hartford and Yale this week pretty handily, they will be off this week for finals. 

8.Auburn: The Tigers beat UNC Asheville and Dayton this week, they’ll play at UAB this week. 

9.Texas Tech: The Red Raiders are rolling through a pretty easy schedule right now, they’ll play Abiline Christian the week. 

10.Michigan State: The Spartans had a good week as they beat Iowa 90-68 at home, they then went on the road and beat Florida 63-59, this warrants their reemergence into the Top-25. 

11.Florida State: The Seminoles beat a Uconn 79-71 in the Never Forget Tribute Classic, they’ve started this season 8-1 without arguably their best player in Phil Cofer, which is impressive. 

12.Virginia Tech: The Hokies went 2-0 this week, this week the will have a test as they will play Washington in Atlantic City. 

13.Wisconsin: The Badgers suffered a tough loss at Marquette, falling 74-69, they’ll get a break this week, as they will play two buy games. 

14.St. John’s: The Red Storm moved to 9-0 on the season by beating Mount St. Mary’s and Princeton this week.

15.North Carolina: The Tar Heels got back on track Wednesday by beating UNC Wilmington 97-69. 

16.Arizona State: The Sun Devils gave a good fight on Friday night but ultimately they fell 72-66, they have a couple of more good games this week so they will have a good chance to pick up a couple more wins. 

17.Marquette: The Golden Eagles picked up a good win this weekend by beating in-state rival Wisconsin 74-69, this team looks like they have the pieces in place to contend for a Big East title. 

18.Buffalo: The Bulls went on the road and beat St. Bonaventure, they will play Southern Illinois this Saturday, before they face their toughest stretch of the season when they play on the road at Syracuse and Marquette. 

19.Ohio State: The Buckeyes moved to 2-0 in conference play by beating Illinois 77-67 in Chicago

20.Villanova: Villanova continues to rule the big five, this week they beat Temple and St. Joseph’s at home, they’ll play Penn in the Palestra, before playing at Kansas next Saturday in a Final Four rematch. 

21.Indiana: The Hoosiers started the week by beating Penn State on the road 64-62, they then played a good Louisville team and won 68-67

22.Houston: The Cougars have built off their momentum from last season, starting 8-0, this week they picked up a much needed road victory Oklahoma State

23.North Carolina State: The Wolfpack haven’t played the greatest non-conference schedule but they are 8-1, this week they’ll look to improve on that as they play at Penn State. 

24.Missisippi State: The Bulldogs beat Clemson 82-71 in the Never Forget Tribute Classic, next up they’ll play Cincinnati at home. 

25.Furman: The Paladins won two games on the road this week, they’ll get a couple of home games, before their big matchup at LSU on December 21st. 

Just Missed Out: Oklahoma, Cincinnati, Kentucky, TCU, Louisville

Week 4 Power Rankings

This past week saw the ACC/ Big Ten Challenge, which saw multiple great games that made impacts on the rankings. We also had the first real Saturday of games which meant we got even more results. Following all this action, there’s a lot of adjustments that needed to be made to my Power Rankings. 

1.Kansas: Kansas looked like they were going to fall against Stanford, however, Lagerald Vick came to the rescue, dropping 27 points, which included a game-tying three. They’ll play two home games against some pretty good mid-majors in Wofford and New Mexico State this week. 

2.Gonzaga: Gonzaga picked up a big win at Creighton this weekend, which is another solid win. They are in the midst of a tough stretch that includes games against Tennessee and at North Carolina. 

3.Michigan: Michigan picked up two more wins against ranked opponents as they beat North Carolina and Purdue at home. Their defense has been stifling this season led by assistant coach Luke Yaklich.

4.Virginia: Virginia picked up a big road win at Maryland this week, they struggled on the defensive end in that game but were able to make enough shots to win. kihei Clark has been a game-changer for Virginia as he plays tough defense while providing another ball-handler for the Cavaliers.  

5.Duke: Duke bounced back from their loss to Gonzaga in the Maui Invitational title game by blowing out Indiana and Stetson at home. 

6.Nevada: The Wolf Pack faced their toughest road test of the season when they went to USC and won handily. They’ll play Arizona State this Saturday and if they win that game the undefeated talk should begin. 

7.Tennessee: Tennessee rebounded from their loss against Kansas by beating two easy opponents this week. They’ll play Gonzaga this week in Arizona, which will give them a chance at a signature win. 

8.Auburn: The Tigers beat St. Peter’s 99-49 this week, the backcourt duo of Jared Harper and Bryce Brown has been sensational, while the Tigers are looking to integrate Austin Wiley and Danjel Purifoy into their lineup.

9.Texas Tech: Chris Beard, Jarrett Culver, and the Red Raiders are one of two undefeated teams in the Big 12 and they look poised to be the top challenger to Kansas in the Big 12.

10.Wisconsin: The Badgers picked up wins over good a good NC State team, then won at Iowa. Ethan Happ has been great, D’Mitrik Trice has provided the outside shooting and Brad Davison does all the little stuff that leads to winning.

11.Kentucky: Kentucky beat a decent UNC Greensboro team, however, they continue to play no High-level programs. That changes this week when they play Seton Hall in New York.

12.Michigan State: The Spartans lost at Louisville this week which was a solid win, they’ll now play at Iowa and at Florida this week.

13.Florida State: The Seminoles struggled but won against Purdue this week, they have multiple players that can hurt opponents on any night.

14.Arizona State: The Sun Devils remain undefeated, this week they will play Nevada in Los Angeles.

15.Virginia Tech: The Hokies took a bad loss at Penn State in the ACC/ Big Ten Challenge, they still are without Landers Nolley, which is an issue, as he provides some scoring off the bench.

16.Kansas State: The Wildcats lost their first game of the season at Marquette this weekend, Markus Howard in the process went off for 45 points. They are still a good team, however, they may not be the main challenger to Kansas atop the Big 12 like we all thought.

17.North Carolina: The Tar Heels played well for about 10 minutes before Michigan settled in and then ran North Carolina out of the gym. Nassir Little is still not starting, which is an issue.

18.St. John’s: The Red Storm struggled for 30 minutes against Georgia Tech but then Shamorie Ponds took over and led the Red Storm to a win.

19.Texas: The Longhorns lost to Redford on Friday, which is not a good loss, however, this is still a good team with an already quality resume.

20.Ohio State: The Buckeyes took their first loss of the season against Syracuse this week, however, they responded by beating Minnesota by 20.

21.Villanova: Villanova once again struggled against La Salle but they won, they are in the midst of their big five games, next up will be games against Temple and St. Joeseph’s.

22.Marquette: The Golden Eagles beat a good Kansas State team at home behind 45 points from Markus Howard, if he plays like that, they have a chance to beat anyone.

23.Buffalo: The Bulls beat San Francisco to win the Belfast Classic, they have about two weeks until they will play a big game at Syracuse.

24.Radford: Radford has now beaten Notre Dame and Texas both on the road, this team looks like they should not only win the Big South but they do have an outside chance to get an at-large bid.

25.Louisville: The Cardinals had as good as a week as anyone has had as they beat Michigan State, then followed that up with a win at Seton Hall on Saturday.

Just Missed Out: Furman, NC State, Iowa, Nebraska, Arizona

Late November Player of the Year Rankings

We are about a month into the College Basketball season, so there is an idea of what the Player of the year race looks like, so I decided to make my first edition of my Player of the year rankings.

1.Carsen Edwards – Purdue

My preseason Player of the year Carsen Edwards has been nothing short of fantastic thus far this year, he is averaging 25.3 points per game and 4.2 assists per game thus far this year. His leadership and talent have led the Boilermakers to a 5-1 start and a ranking of 19 in the AP Poll. He will likely need to continue to play this well, while Purdue will have to remain ranked if he is going to win the National Player of the year, however, if the season ended today he would be the easy choice to win the award.

2.Zion Williamson – Duke

While RJ Barrett is the Blue Devils leading scorer, I think the choice for the best player on the Blue Devils goes to Zion Williamson. Williamson is averaging 21.3 points per game and 9 rebounds per game, which is an impressive stat sheet itself. Williamson plays with a tremendous amount of energy, while he makes flashy dunks that inspire the Blue Devils team. His energy, skills, and flashiness I think makes him the best player on Duke and makes him a legitimate National Player of the year candidate.

3.Grant Williams – Tennessee

Grant Williams won the SEC Player of the year award last year, yet he now has gotten even better this year. Williams is averaging 21.6 points and 8.4 rebounds per game, which is very impressive. Williams is an efficient scorer, scoring on the inside and occasionally knocking down shots from deep. Williams also has shown the ability to get his teammates involved, as he is averaging 4.2 assists per game thus far. All these attributes, along with his improvement in his game makes him a legitimate National Player of the year candidate.

4.Ethan Happ – Wisconsin

After struggling last year, Wisconsin is back in the mix as a Top-25 team and they are a legitimate Big Ten contender and this has a lot to do with the play of Ethan Happ. Happ is averaging 18 points and 12 rebounds per game, which is impressive itself, then add in the fact he’s averaging 5.3 assists per game. This Wisconsin team plays with four good shooters and Happ, which leads to decisions for opponents on defense. You can either double Happ and you give up an open three because Happ can find the open man or you can leave him one on one and let him stuff the stat sheet, either way, it will likely lead to points for Wisconsin.

5.Rui Hachimura – Gonzaga

Following Gonzaga’s win over Duke, Rui Hachimura called himself the best player in the country, while he’s not number one on my player of the year rankings, he’s been great this year. Hachimura is averaging 21.9 points per game, while he is shooting 60 percent from the field. Hachimura is a great interior scorer, however, his midrange game is spectacular, while he now shoots threes. This offensive game makes him an impossible guard for opposing defenses.

6.De’Andre Hunter – Virginia

Most people thought De’Andre Hunter would make a sophomore jump, however, I’m not sure many thought he would be this good. Hunter is averaging 16.8 points and 6.3 rebounds per game, which may not seem like a lot but it actually is because of the slow pace Virginia plays at. Hunter also has been great on defense, as he can guard all five positions effectively. All these attributes make him a legitimate All-American candidate, while it helps the Cavaliers to be as good as they are.

7.Luguentz Dort – Arizona State

Arizona State has once again gotten off to a hot start to the season and this is in large part due to the play of freshman star Luguentz Dort. Dort is averaging 23 points per game, which is the most points per game of any freshman. Dort is also pulling down 7.8 rebounds per game, which is impressive given that he plays a lot as a two guard. Without Dort this Arizona State team would probably be an afterthought in the Pac-12, however, with him in the lineup the Sun Devils are rightfully a Top-25 team and at this point in the season maybe the favorites to win the Pac-12.

8.Caleb Martin – Nevada

Nevada is ranked in the Top-5 for the first time in program history and a lot of that has to do with the play of both Martin twins, although more specifically Caleb. Caleb Martin is averaging 21 points per game, which is impressive. While he hasn’t been the most efficient shooter, he still is knocking down 38 percent from behind the arc, which is where the majority of his shots come from. His length, combined with his ball-handling ability is what makes him great, alongside his great shot-making ability. He should repeat at Mountain West Player of the year and will push for an All-American team, while Nevada should be ranked in the Top-10 all season long.

9.RJ Barrett – Duke

RJ Barrett is the Blue Devils leading scorer, while many would argue he is their best player (although I would argue Zion Williamson is). Barrett is a prolific scorer while being a good ball-handler and a good rebounder, all of which has been on display this season. Barrett has been heavily criticized for being inefficient, for good reason as he is only shooting 42 percent from the field and 33 percent from three. One notable stat is that going into last nights game he missed one less shot than Zion Williamson has taken on the season. His inefficiency could be improved but he’s still a good player who will be an All-American candidate.

10.Kerwin Roach – Texas

Texas is looking great this year and a big reason why is the great play of Kerwin Roach. Roach is averaging 18.6 points and 4.6 assists per game, which are pretty good statistics. The key for him though has been stepping up when it’s needed most, he hit a game-tying shot against Arkansas in a win, while he dropped 32 points against North Carolina in a shocking win over the Tar Heels. His ability to step up big for his team is one of the main reasons the Longhorns are a Top-20 team in the sport, while they look to be a contender for a second place finish in the Big 12.

Just Missed Out: Jarrett Culver, Lagerald Vick, Dedric Lawson, Jared Harper, Nickeil Alexander-Walker

Week 3 Power Rankings

This week was Feast Week and during that, we saw some pretty awesome game results, headlined by two AP Top-5 matchups. With Gonzaga beating Duke, and Kansas beating Tennessee. Feast week was also filled with a lot of surprising results, as plenty of teams either won big games or suffered losses that surprised people. I will be trying to make sense of all of this with my latest Power Rankings.

1.Kansas: The Jayhawks take back the number one spot and for good reason, they now own two wins over Top-10 teams. The frontcourt duo of Dedric Lawson and Udoka Azubuike is the best in the sport, while Lagerald Vick is stepping into the Devonte’ Graham leadership role, and Devon Dotson has been fantastic. Many people will state that Gonzaga should be the number one team in the country, however, to me it is an obvious choice as Kansas possesses the best resume in the sport and was a pretty consensus preseason number one team.

2.Gonzaga: Gonzaga picked up the win of the season by beating Duke to win the Maui Invitational. Rui Hachimura called himself the best player in the country following their win over Duke and it was justified as he made big play after big play. Brandon Clarke provided some athleticism to help contain Duke, while Zach Norvell Jr. continues to make big shots. This Gonzaga team might have the best win in the country, however, they don’t have the best resume, which is why they are at number two in my power rankings.

3.Virginia: Virginia won the Battle 4 Atlantis, which was expected, as they entered into the event as the best team. De’Andre Hunter has not only lived up to the preseason but he has exceeded them so far for the Cavaliers. Kyle Guy and Ty Jerome are maybe the best two guard duo in the country, as both can make big shots. Kihei Clark is a legitimate starting caliper guard, while Braxton Key, Mamadi Diakite, and Jack Salt are good pieces on the wing. This team should continue to roll through non-conference play, and they will likely enter into conference play undefeated.

4.Duke: While some were talking about whether or not this Duke team could beat the Cleveland Cavaliers, this team then spent Wednesday losing to a WCC team (yes Gonzaga is in the WCC). Those talks are crazy because even though Zion Williamson, RJ Barrett, and Cam Reddish could be the three best players on the court, Tristian Thompson would tear apart Marques Bolden and any bench players for the Cavaliers would be better than the other Duke role players. As for their place in College Basketball, they will probably be a Top-5 team throughout the season and they could still win ACC titles and a National Championship, they just won’t go 40-0.

5.Nevada: This Wolf Pack team continues to roll, recently winning the Las Vegas Classic. They really haven’t played anyone, however, they are blowing teams out in dominating fashion. Caleb Martin and Jordan Caroline are playing great, while the new transfers are starting to fit in for this team. If this team can get through a somewhat tough December without a loss, they could potentially go undefeated in the regular season.

6.Michigan: Michigan took the week off this past week, they should continue to play at a high level when returning this week to play North Carolina at home.

7.Tennessee: Tennessee took their first loss of the season but it took overtime for Kansas to do it. Grant Williams has gotten much better, he now can shoot threes, he’s a great rebounder, passer, and interior scorer as well. Admiral Schofield is a legitimate second scorer for the Volunteers, while Jordan Bowden, Jordan Bone, and Lamonte Turner are still the great backcourt trio for Tennessee. This team not only should be the favorite to win the SEC at this point of the season but they could legitimately make a Final Four.

8.Virginia Tech: Virginia Tech has continued to look good this season, Ahmed Hill is a legitimate third scorer alongside Justin Robinson and Nickeil Alexander-Walker. The only notable thing to keep in mind is that they are playing a man down because the NCAA won’t clear Landers Nolley because of ACT cheating concerns that have no proof behind them.

9.Michigan State: The Spartans looked good this week when winning the Continental Tire Las Vegas Invitational. Josh Langford has made the step to become the leading man on the offensive end. Cassius Winston is still a great playmaking point guard, while other players are good around those two.

10.Kansas State: Kansas State continues to roll through an easy schedule, they will play at Marquette next month, which will give them a rare opportunity for a quadrant one win.

11.Auburn: The Tigers predictably finished third in the Maui Invitational, they beat solid Xavier and Arizona teams but they look overwhelmed playing against Duke. This team still will have a chance to win the SEC and they could make a Final Four, they just aren’t an elite team though.

12.Texas: Texas is back! The Longhorns looked great against North Carolina while winning that game. They also had a chance to win against Michigan State, however, they let that game slip away from them. Kerwin Roach is a stud, he has become a great player for the Longhorns. The Longhorns also have a good couple of young players that look poised to be solid in the future. This Texas team should be able to get a decent seed this year and Shaka Smart looks like he will be able to get off the warm seat.

13.North Carolina: The Tar Heels had a rough first 60 minutes in Las Vegas as they lost to Texas, then trailed against UCLA at the half. They then turned it on in the second half of that game, winning handily. Coby White looks like the best player on the Tar Heels, which is saying a lot considering how good Luke Maye is. Nassir Little is still not starting, which is puzzling to me. This team should be fine going forward but they took a necessary hit in the rankings.

14.Texas Tech: Chris Beard is an excellent coach and it showed this week when the Red Raiders won the CBE Hall of Fame Classic. They beat both USC and Nebraska in somewhat dominating fashion. Jarrett Culver has made the necessary leap for the Red Raiders, while the Red Raiders have a lot of other players who are tough-minded and can make plays. This Red Raiders team may not be as good as last years team but they still are a force to be reckoned with in the Big 12.

15.Wisconsin: The Badgers finished second in the Battle 4 Atlantis, as they lost to Virginia in the title game. Ethan Happ continues to be a dominating player inside, while the players around him fit nicely. This team may not be a top tier team in the sports but I wouldn’t count them out of a Big Ten title or something like that.

16.Kentucky: The Wildcats have won a few games in a row but they still aren’t playing at the level most expect them to play at. PJ Washington is probably Kentucky’s best player, while other players can make plays. This team just isn’t that good right now, which is a concern.

17.Ohio State: The Buckeyes are undefeated with road wins at Creighton and Cincinnati, both of which look even better today than they did at the time. Their schedule picks up this week, which will give us a better opportunity to evaluate how good they really are.

18.Arizona State: The Sun Devils won the MGM Resorts Main Event, which was done when they beat Mississippi State and Utah State. Luguentz Dort is right now one of the best freshmen in the sport, he’s averaging 23 points per game. This team could flame out once again but right now they look really good.

19.Florida State: The Seminoles picked up another quality win by beating LSU in the AdvoCare Invitational but they then lost to Villanova in the title game. The Seminoles have a lot of different playmakers but they don’t have a go-to guy. Without that, they could continue to struggle against good teams, although they still should overwhelm most teams.

20.Iowa: Iowa continues to be here in large part due to the fact they had an awesome week, beating Oregon and Uconn last week. They play Pittsburgh and Wisconsin this week, if they are undefeated after that, this team could be a legitimate Top-25 team.

21.Purdue: The Boilermakers didn’t play anyone good this week, so nothing to see with them. Carsen Edwards is averaging 25 points per game on the season, which is very impressive. This week they’ll have opportunities to pick up big wins playing on the road at Florida State and Michigan.

22.St. John’s: The Red Storm won the Legends Classic in large part due to the fact they have a legend in Shamorie Ponds. Ponds had 35 in the Red Storm’s win over VCU, which included a game-winning shot before the buzzer sounded. This team has major frontcourt issues but their weak schedule should allow them the ability to coast in non-conference play.

23.Villanova: The Wildcats rebounded big time this week by beating Florida State to win the AdvoCare Invitational. Phil Booth and Eric Paschall have been good, however, the key for the Wildcats seems to be the play of Collin Gillespie and Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree, who stepped up big for them in their win over Florida State.

24.Buffalo: The Bulls are continuing to roll through non-conference play, in a couple of weeks they will have opportunities to beat Marquette and Syracuse on the road, which could move them into realistic at-large bid range.

25.NC State: The Wolfpack haven’t played anyone good yet, so being undefeated isn’t shocking. We’ll have a better understanding of this team after they play Wisconsin.

Just Missed Out: Creighton, Furman, Indiana, Marquette, Arkansas

Week 2 Power Rankings

This past week saw multiple great performances, headlined by the Big Ten’s dominance, the fall of Villanova, and other great games from the week. Here are my updated Power Rankings heading into another week of College Basketball.

1.Duke: The Blue Devils continue to impress, they look like the best team in the country. They will be tested this week in the loaded Maui Invitational but they will have a good chance to win the event.

2.Kansas: The Jayhawks didn’t look great against Vermont and Louisiana-Lafayette but they still got wins. They’ll likely get a matchup against Tennessee, which will test them.

3.Virginia: The Cavaliers continue to roll on through an easy schedule, thankfully they will play good teams in the Battle 4 Atlantis this week.

4.Nevada: The Wolf Pack continue to roll through easy teams, no reason to move them up or down.

5.Auburn: The Tigers continue to look good, they’ll likely play Duke in the Maui Invitational this week, if they win that event they could make an argument for being ranked number one.

6.Michigan: The Wolverines had the week of the season, as they beat Villanova on the road by 27 and then won the Naismith Hall of Fame Tip-off title.

7.North Carolina: The Tar Heels finally played a home game, they won those games by beating Stanford and Tennessee Tech pretty dominantly.

8.Gonzaga: The Bulldogs continue to rack up a lot of a lot of points while playing a really fun brand of basketball. They will play in the Maui Invitational this week, which will be fun to watch.

9.Virginia Tech: The Hokies picked up a quality win against Purdue to win the Charleston Classic. They have an elite backcourt duo in Justin Robinson and Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who both played great in that event.

10.Tennessee: The Volunteers beat Georgia Tech at home this week, next up is the NIT Season Tip-off, which will likely give them an opportunity against Kansas.

11.Florida State: The Seminoles continue to roll on, they will play in the AdvoCare Invitational, which will give them a couple of good opportunities to pick up quality wins.

12.Kansas State: Kansas State is one win away from winning the US Virgin Islands Paradise Jam, they’ll play ex-Big 12 foe Missouri in the title game tonight.

13.NC State: The Wolfpack are rolling through an easy non-conference schedule, they’ll get another week where they play easy opponents before the ACC/ Big Ten Challenge.

14.Michigan State: The Spartans have been good since losing to Kansas on opening night. This week they’ll play UCLA and either Texas or North Carolina in the Continental Tire Las Vegas Invitational.

15.Kentucky: Kentucky has yet to look good this season, fortunately, I guess it doesn’t matter because right now they aren’t playing anyone good, so they can still win games.

16.Iowa: The Hawkeyes surprised everyone by beating Oregon in game one of the 2K Classic, then they backed it up by winning the event by beating Uconn in the title game.

17.Wisconsin: The Badgers picked up a solid win at Xavier, which is good to see for them, while Ethan Happ has been a great player thus far this year. The Badgers should probably do well this week in the Battle 4 Atlantis, which will be fun to watch.

18.LSU: The Tigers continue to fail to cover, which isn’t great but they are still undefeated. The Tigers could win a couple of games this week in the AdvoCare Invitational.

19.Nebraska: Nebraska blew out Seton Hall at home, they continue to look good. They’ll probably be the favorites to win the CBE Hall of Fame Classic this week.

20.Mississippi State: The Bulldogs are still playing well, I think they will win the MGM Resorts Main Event this week.

21.Texas: The Longhorns have played well this year, which includes a win over Arkansas. This team will be tested this week as they will play North Carolina, and either UCLA or Michigan State this week.

22.Indiana: The Hoosiers were dominant against Marquette this week but they then lost to Arkansas on the road. Those types of losses aren’t great but this team should be fine.

23.Furman: Furman now has wins over two of the four Final Four teams from last year, as they have now won at Villanova and at Loyola-Chicago. This team looks poised to be atop the SoCon standings with Wofford and UNC Greensboro this year.

24.Butler: The Bulldogs looked good against Ole Miss at home this week. Their games in the Battle 4 Atlantis will be key in terms of picking up quality wins.

25.Buffalo: The Bulls picked up a quality wins at Southern-Illinois this week, no reason to drop them because of that.

Just Missed Out: Purdue, St. John’s, Clemson, Ohio State, Florida

Week One Power Rankings

We are one week into the College Basketball season, in one week we saw a few great performances, a couple of big upsets, which leads me into the Week One Power Rankings, which should reflect both preseason success with week one game results, here’s how it came out.

1.Duke: The Blue Devils absolutely smashed Kentucky on opening night, leaving no doubt that they deserve to be the number one team. The trio of RJ Barrett, Zion Williamson, and Cam Reddish all look like the top three picks in this years NBA Draft.

2.Kansas: The Jayhawks looked like the preseason number one team in the country, I guess the only thing that is keeping them from that spot is that they didn’t run Michigan State out of the building as Duke did in their game against Kentucky.

3.Virginia: Virginia has won their two games pretty comfortably, which has allowed other players to get minutes in reserve. The Cavaliers don’t really play anyone in non-conference play so they should hold this spot for a while.

4.Nevada: The Wolf Pack struggled to find their groove early on against BYU but when Caleb Martin started hitting shots they got rolling. This team doesn’t play a great non-conference schedule, so don’t be surprised if they make a run at an undefeated regular season.

5.Gonzaga: The Bulldogs small-ball lineup has been fun to watch so far this year and it is also leading to a lot of points, 112 per game to be exact.

6.North Carolina: Give a lot of credit to Roy Williams for playing at Wofford and at Elon to start the season. The team has won both games but can anyone explain to me why Nassir Little isn’t starting?

7.Auburn: The Tigers ran a pretty good Washington team out of the gym on Friday night. This Auburn team looks pretty similar to the one that started 22-3 last season before losing Anfernee McLemore to injury.

8.Florida State: The Seminoles absolutely destroyed Florida on opening night, winning 81-60. This team isn’t full of star players but the sum is greater than each of the parts with this team.

9.Tennessee: Tennessee has not missed a beat yet this season, as they are 2-0. Grant Williams appears to have gotten better as he is 4-6 from three this season, while still averaging 22 points and 8.5 rebounds per game.

10.Kansas State: The Wildcats looked horrible on the offensive end but it didn’t matter as they still took care of Kennesaw State.

11.Villanova: The defending champs have taken care of business against Morgan State and Quinnipiac, now comes their National Championship rematch against Michigan in the Pavilion.

12.Syracuse: The Orange have been without Frank Howard but they have not missed a beat. Oshae Brissett appears to have taken a great sophomore jump, while Elijah Hughes is a great third or fourth option.

13.North Carolina State: The Wolfpack are one of the teams I have been blown away with this week. They are scoring the ball at a really high level, while their biggest issue is their frontcourt, which has seemed to been solved as Derek Funderburk looks like a great inside threat.

14.Virginia Tech: The Hokies beat Gardner-Webb by a lot, now they will play in the Charleston Classic, where they will be the tournament classics.

15.Kentucky: Kentucky looks awful thus far, first they go out and get absolutely destroyed against Kentucky in the Champions Classic. Then they are on upset alert all night against Southern Illinois. This team doesn’t really have a go-to scorer right now and they are turning the ball over at a really high rate.

16.Marquette: The Golden Eagles have magically turned from a team that plays no defense, to a team that plays great defense. If that continues this team will be pretty good, the first real test will be on Wednesday when Marquette plays at Indiana.

17.Oregon: The Ducks have thrown out some interesting lineup choices by starting Kenny Wooten, Bol Bol, and Paul White. Thus far it has worked out as the Ducks are 2-0.

18.LSU: The Tigers beat up on Southeast Louisiana, while narrowly escaping against UNC Greensboro. Naz Reid and Tremont Waters both have looked pretty good thus far this season.

19.Michigan State: The Spartans look somewhat overwhelmed against Kansas but they were able to make it a game at the end. Nick Ward looked like a monster against Florida Gulf Coast, while Josh Langford looks like a go-to scorer this year.

20.Buffalo: After shooting terribly in a win against St. Francis (PA), Buffalo went into Morgantown and beat West Virginia. CJ Massinburg went off in that game scoring a game-high 43 points.

21.Texas: The Longhorns didn’t make it look easy against Arkansas but they managed to pull out a win in part due to the late-game heroics by Kerwin Roach. This offense is very stagnant if they can fix that they’ll be a better team.

22.Indiana: The Hoosiers have started 2-0 behind two good games from Romeo Langford, while Justin Smith looks better this year as well. They play Marquette at home on Wednesday and at Arkansas, on Sunday so we’ll know by next week if this team is actually good.

23.Mississippi State: The Bulldogs came into this season with high expectations and thus far they have lived up to the hype, going 2-0. Quinndary Weatherspoon thus far is averaging 21.5 points per game, which is very impressive.

24.Michigan: The Wolverines are 2-0, in those two games they only allowed a combined 81 points, which shows that they are in great shape on the defensive end. Offensively they still could improve.

25.Purdue: Carsen Edwards has everything like my preseason National Player of the year, scoring around him thus far has been there as well. If that continues this Purdue team will be very good.

Just Missed Out: Butler, Clemson, Ohio State, Nebraska

This is my full Top-50 Team Countdown,  with each team I ranked 1-50. I will provide my ranking and then a link to each of the team previews. Note that some of these team previews were written before some injuries or roster updates, the rankings would be a little different if all were done at present time.

Top-50 Team Countdown:

1.Kansas Jayhawks

Top-50 Team Countdown: #1.Kansas Jayhawks

2.Kentucky Wildcats

Top-50 Team Countdown: #2.Kentucky Wildcats

3.Virginia Cavaliers

Top-50 Team Countdown: #3.Virginia Cavaliers

4.Nevada Wolf Pack

Top-50 Team Countdown: #4.Nevada Wolf Pack

5.North Carolina Tar Heels

Top-50 Team Countdown: #5.North Carolina Tar Heels

6.Gonzaga Bulldogs

Top-50 Team Countdown: #6.Gonzaga Bulldogs

7.Duke Blue Devils

Top-50 Team Countdown: #7.Duke Blue Devils

8.Tennessee Volunteers

Top-50 Team Countdown: #8.Tennessee Volunteers

9.Kansas State Wildcats

Top-50 Team Countdown: #9.Kansas State Wildcats

10.Villanova Wildcats

Top-50 Team Countdown: #10.Villanova Wildcats

11.Auburn Tigers

Top-50 Team Countdown: #11.Auburn Tigers

12.Syracuse Orange

Top-50 Team Countdown: #12.Syracuse Orange

13.Florida State Seminoles

Top-50 Team Countdown: #13.Florida State Seminoles

14.Virginia Tech Hokies

Top-50 Team Countdown: #14.Virginia Tech Hokies

15.Oregon Ducks

Top-50 Team Countdown: #15.Oregon Ducks

16.Marquette Golden Eagles

Top-50 Team Countdown: #16.Marquette Golden Eagles

17.Texas Longhorns

Top-50 Team Countdown: #17.Texas Longhorns

18.LSU Tigers

Top-50 Team Countdown: #18.LSU Tigers

19.Michigan State Spartans

Top-50 Team Countdown: #19.Michigan State Spartans

20.Indiana Hoosiers

Top-50 Team Countdown: #20.Indiana Hoosiers

21.Western Kentucky Hilltoppers

Top-50 Team Countdown: #21.Western Kentucky Hilltoppers

22.Mississippi State Bulldogs

Top-50 Team Countdown: #22.Mississippi State Bulldogs

23.Florida Gators

Top-50 Team Countdown: #23.Florida Gators

24.Michigan Wolverines

Top-50 Team Countdown: #24.Michigan Wolverines

25.West Virginia Mountaineers

Top-50 Team Countdown: #25.West Virginia Mountaineers

26.North Carolina State Wolfpack

Top-50 Team Countdown: #26.NC State Wolfpack

27.Purdue Boilermakers

Top-50 Team Countdown: #27.Purdue Boilermakers

28.Butler Bulldogs

Top-50 Team Countdown: #28.Butler Bulldogs

29.Clemson Tigers

Top-50 Team countdown: #29.Clemson Tigers

30.UCLA Bruins

Top-50 Team Countdown: #30.UCLA Bruins

31.TCU Horned Frogs

Top-50 Team Countdown: #31.TCU Horned Frogs

32.Washington Huskies

Top-50 Team Countdown: #32.Washington Huskies

33.Texas Tech Red Raiders

Top-50 Team Countdown: #33.Texas Tech Red Raiders

34.Wisconsin Badgers

Top-50 Team Countdown: #34.Wisconsin Badgers

35.Nebraska Cornhuskers

Top-50 Team Countdown: #35.Nebraska Cornhuskers

36.Iowa State Cyclones

Top-50 Team Countdown: #36.Iowa State Cyclones

37.Providence Friars

Top-50 Team Countdown: #37.Providence Friars

38.Alabama Crimson Tide

Top-50 Team Countdown: #38.Alabama Crimson Tide

39.Memphis Tigers

Top-50 Team Countdown: #39.Memphis Tigers

40.UCF Knights

Top-50 Team Countdown: #40.UCF Knights

41.Miami Hurricanes

Top-50 Team Countdown: #41.Miami Hurricanes

42.St. John’s Red Storm

Top-50 Team Countdown: #42.St. John’s Red Storm

43.Louisville Cardinals

Top-50 Team Countdown: #43.Louisville Cardinals

44.Buffalo Bulls

Top-50 Team Countdown: #44.Buffalo Bulls

45.Arizona Wildcats

Top-50 Team Countdown: #45.Arizona Wildcats

46.South Dakota State Jackrabbits

Top-50 team Countdown: #46.South Dakota State Jackrabbits

47.Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Top-50 team countdown: #47.Notre Dame Fighting Irish

48.Xavier Musketeers

Top-50 Team Countdown: #48.Xavier Musketeers

49.Davidson Wildcats

Top-50 team Countdown: #49.Davidson Wildcats

50.Loyola-Chicago Ramblers

Top-50 team Countdown: #50.Loyola-Chicago Ramblers

1.Kansas Jayhawks

Outlook

The Jayhawks broke the record for most consecutive conference titles last season by winning their 14th Big 12 title in a row, they then made it to the Final Four for the 15th time in program history. They notably did so with a team that was one of the worst Kansas teams in the Bill Self Kansas era, which just shows how good this Kansas program has been. While last years team wasn’t a great Kansas team, this one looks poised to be potentially the best one in program history. They return Udoka Azubuike, Marcus Garrett, Mitch Lightfoot, and Lagerald Vick, who has been through the grind before. The Jayhawks will get Charlie Moore, and both KJ and Dedric Lawson eligible this season after they had to sit out last season due to transfer rules. The Jayhawks also add two Five-Star guards in Devon Dotson and Quentin Grimes, while adding Four-Star players David McCormack and Ochai Agbaji. This team has so much talent coming in and unlike most teams, they will have teams that have played big minutes for them in the past. The expectations for this team are not only to win another Big 12 title but it is to cut down the nets on the night of the National Championship and anything short of that could make this season an unsuccessful one by team expectations.

Backcourt

The Jayhawks add in two great freshmen guards in Devon Dotson and Quentin Grimes, who should pair nicely with players like Lagerald Vick, Charlie Moore, and Marcus Garrett. Grimes is the teams most talented player, he is a long and athletic guard, who has great slashing ability and can score at a high rate around the rim. Dotson is expected to come in and be the teams starting point guard on day one, he is a really quick guard, with great handles and a decent jump shot, he might take time to settle in but his skill will get him minutes. Lagerald Vick is the teams best returning three-point shooter, while he can knock down threes, he is long and athletic and he has the ability to jump out of the gym. Marcus Garrett is probably the teams best defender, he should lock players down on defense, while he’ll try to provide more on offense. California transfer Charlie Moore will step in and play minutes at the point guard position, he is a slower guard with good vision and he is a good three-point shooter. KJ Lawson will is a decent shooter and a good defender, while his versatility allows him to play both the 3 and the 4. Ochai Agbaji is a red-shirt candidate, however, if he does play he will provide some athleticism and hustle off the bench. Overall this team is so deep in the backcourt that they could overwhelm teams, the only thing to take note of is who will play minutes in crunch time.

Frontcourt

The Jayhawks might have the best frontcourt in the country as they return Udoka Azubuike, who will pair nicely along with do-everything forward Dedric Lawson. Azubuike is a gigantic player, who can score on the interior against anyone, while he is a great shot-blocker on the defensive end. Dedric Lawson is the favorite to win Big 12 Player of the year, he was a stud a Memphis nearly averaging 20 and 10 before transferring to Kansas. He should put up similar numbers this year at Kansas, which could have him on track to win National Player of the year as well. He is an effortless worker on the glass, a silky smooth scorer, he can make shots from deep, and he is a great passer. Mitch Lightfoot played somewhat out of position last year at center, this year he’ll look to become a good stretch-4, who can play good defense and hit shots from deep. David McCormack is a powerful center, who should develop a nice interior game while being a good role player coming off the bench. Silvio De Sousa was expected to be on the active roster, however, due to the ongoing FBI Investigation, it looks like he’ll be taking a redshirt year, which doesn’t hurt the team really at all. With having two great Junior big men in Udoka Azubuike and Dedric Lawson, plus good players off the bench, Kansas looks poised to not only win a Big 12 title but make a run at a National Championship.

Schedule Overview

The Jayhawks have put together what quite possibly might be the most difficult non-conference schedules in the country which will give them plenty of opportunities face tests against tough opponents. The Jayhawks kick off the season on opening night with a game against Michigan State in the Champions Classic in Indianapolis. The Jayhawks will have a couple of buy games before they head to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn over Thanksgiving weekend where they will play Marquette and either Tennessee or Louisville. The Jayhawks will play Stanford and Wofford in Allen Fieldhouse in early December, before playing New Mexico State in the Sprint Center in Kansas City on December 8th. The Jayhawks will play a Villanova at home on December 15th, which is a rematch from last seasons Final Four. Kansas will also play at Arizona State on December 22nd, before finishing their main part of their non-conference play on December 29th against Eastern Michigan. The Jayhawks will also play at Kentucky in the SEC/ Big 12 Challenge on January 26th, which could be a matchup of the top two teams in College Basketball. The Jayhawks will begin Big 12 play on January 2nd at home against Oklahoma, while wrapping up Big 12 play with a home game against Baylor on March 9th. The Big 12 Tournament runs March 13th-16th, with the NCAA Tournament beginning on March 19th.

What to expect this season

The Jayhawks will have one of the best teams in the history of their program, which means that this team should have a really good regular season record, which should get them a one seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Jayhawks will have a lot of non-conference tough matchups, however, I think they should still be able to lose one or fewer games in non-conference play. The Big 12 is always tough and always filled with a lot of tough road tests, especially since everyone tries to play their best game against Kansas but they shouldn’t end Big 12 play with a record worse than 16-2. Expect the Jayhawks to win the Big 12 Tournament this season, which could help put them over the top as the number one overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. In the NCAA Tournament, they should be able to coast to the Final Four, especially since they will likely play their second-weekend games in Kansas City. The expectation for this team is to win a National Championship, as they have a roster that is absolutely stacked with so many great players.

Projected Roster

PG: Devon Dotson

SG: Quentin Grimes

SF: Lagerald Vick

PF: Dedric Lawson

C: Udoka Azubuike

Key Reserves: Charlie Moore, Marcus Garrett, Ochai Agbaji, KJ Lawson, Mitch Lightfoot, David McCormack

2.Kentucky Wildcats

Outlook

As usual, Kentucky brought in a stacked recruiting class, however, the thing that separates this Kentucky team from other Kentucky teams is that they have a good core of experienced players. Quade Green, Nick Richards, and PJ Washington all returned for their sophomore seasons, all three should be good this season. The Wildcats also add a stacked recruiting class with Immanuel Quickley, Ashton Hagans, Keldon Johnson, Tyler Herro, and EJ Montgomery. Those players should step in right away and become key players for the Wildcats this season. The Wildcats also did an unprecedented thing by going out and adding Stanford grad transfer Reid Travis, who looks to provide some production and leadership for the Wildcats this season. With the mixture of talent and experience this team not only should be the preseason favorites to win the SEC but they look poised to make a deep NCAA Tournament run.

Backcourt

The Wildcats bring back Quade Green, who mixes well with a great recruiting class filled with multiple great guards. Green should be the starting point guard for the Wildcats, he is a good shooter and passer, which both will be key components for Kentucky. Immanuel Quickley is a fast guard, who is great with the ball in his hands and is a lockdown defender, this could help him start for the Wildcats. Keldon Johnson might be the teams best pro prospect, he is a good shooter, while being a great driver, he could start at some point as the season goes along. Ashton Hagans reclassified to the 2018 class, he could take time to adjust, however, his great ball-handling skills combined with his speed should help him get minutes this season. Tyler Herro is a three-point sharpshooter, who will get minutes because of his ability to stretch the floor, he also can score off the dribble. Jemarl Baker had to redshirt last year with a knee injury, he is a good shooter which should help him gets some minutes. Overall this team is really deep in the backcourt, this should make for some good competition for minutes this season.

Frontcourt

The Wildcats have two good experienced bigs in PJ Washington and Reid Travis, while they add EJ Montgomery and Nick Richards looks poised for a breakout season. Washington is a physically tough player, who can score at a high level inside, he should start at either the 3 or the 4. The Wildcats also brought in Stanford grad transfer Reid Travis, he has been a great player in the past, however, he will look to be a role player on a winning team. Nick Richards was not very well last season despite starting all 37 games last year, he has looked better already in exhibition games, he could start once again.  EJ Montgomery is the teams highest-ranked recruit, he can score from anywhere and he is a great athlete, he could get a lot of minutes off the bench. The Wildcats have arguably the best frontcourt in the country, as Washington and Travis will be great, while Richards and Montgomery look poised to step in and play a big role this season.

Schedule Overview

Kentucky has a non-conference schedule that includes three marquee matchups this season, which will help them get a high NET rating. The Wildcats will begin their season on November 6th playing Duke in the Champions Classic in Indianapolis. They will play seven straight home games, before playing Seton Hall in the Citi Hoops Classic on December 8th in Madison Square Garden. The Wildcats will play Utah at home on December 15th, before they will head to Chicago to play in the CBS Sports Classic against North Carolina. The Wildcats will play at Louisville on December 29th in an in-state rivalry game. The Wildcats will also have a non-conference game against Kansas on January 26th as part of the SEC/ Big 12 Challenge. The Wildcats begin SEC play on January 5th playing at Alabama, their regular season schedule wraps up on March 9th with a home game against Florida. The SEC Tournament runs March 13th-17th, with the NCAA Tournament beginning on March 19th.

What to expect this season

The Wildcats have an extremely deep roster that should help them roll through most teams they will face and it’s so extremely deep that some people are thinking that the Wildcats could bring back the platoon system. The Wildcats should probably go around 12-1 or 11-2 in non-conference play, as they will be able to beat most teams, with the exception of Kansas, Duke, or North Carolina. The Wildcats should roll through SEC play this season likely going 14-4 in SEC play, which should help them win the league outright or share the league title. This team should be playing their best basketball in March, as usual, meaning they should probably win the SEC Tournament title, while they look poised to make a deep NCAA Tournament run that could be capped off by a National Championship.

Projected Roster

PG: Quade Green

SG: Immanuel Quickley

SF: PJ Washington

PF: Reid Travis

C: Nick Richards

Key Reserves: Ashton Hagans, Tyler Herro, Keldon Johnson, Jemarl Baker, EJ Montgomery

3.Virginia Cavaliers

Outlook

The Cavaliers are coming off of a season where they won the ACC regular season title, won the ACC Tournament title, and made it into the NCAA Tournament as the top overall seed. What happened after that was something of pure pain for Virginia, as the Cavaliers became the first 1 seed to lose to a 16 seed in the NCAA Tournament as they lost 74-54 to UMBC. This result put a huge damper to what was a great season, however, it does provide some motivation for this years team that looks to not only repeat as ACC Champions but also win a National Championship. The Cavaliers return Ty Jerome and Kyle Guy, who formed one of the best backcourts in the country. De’Andre Hunter also returns this season, he missed that game against UMBC last season and many feel had he played there would have been a different result in that game. Mamadi Diakite and Jack Salt return to form a good defensive frontcourt. The Cavaliers also add forward Braxton Key, who is an Alabama transfer who was granted a waiver this year to play immediately. They arguably have the best top-six in College Basketball, which should be a key component as they look to win the ACC and make a deep NCAA Tournament run.

Backcourt

The Cavaliers have one of the best one-two punches in the sport with Ty Jerome and Kyle Guy, who should continue to bring some great outside shooting to the table. Jerome doesn’t get as much praise as Guy, however, he is a better ball-handler, he can shoot at a high level, with no Devon Hall he should take over as the full-time point guard. Kyle Guy led the Cavaliers in scoring last year and he probably will continue to do so this year. Guy is an incredible three-point shooter, who can make shots while set or on the run, which makes him very dangerous. Marco Anthony looks to get more minutes this year off the bench, while freshmen Kihei Clark, Kody Slattmann, and Francesco Badocchi will all fight for minutes this season. The Cavaliers will be fine with Guy and Jerome, however, in some games, they will need one of the younger guys to step in and play minutes while they are out.

Frontcourt

The Cavaliers return three good frontcourt players in De’Andre Hunter, Mamadi Diakite, and Jack Salt, while they add Alabama transfer Braxton Key. De’Andre Hunter is a combo forward who can play both the 3 and the 4, he is a great defender, he has guard-like skills, and he is a potential big-time scorer, he looks poised to have a breakout season, while he looks poised to become a potential lottery pick. Jack Salt is the teams center, he is a good shot-blocker, rebounder, and he can score inside. Mamadi Diakite is a four, who is long and athletic forward with a good wingspan, he should continue to be a great defender. Alabama transfer Braxton Key will likely step in as the teams sixth-man, he’s a good athlete who can make plays on offense while being a lockdown defender, he can play both the 3 and the 4. Jay Huff should play minutes in place of Jack Salt, while center Francisco Caffaro is a player who probably will red-shirt this season. The Cavaliers don’t have a great offense up front, however, with the number of lengthy forwards they have they should be able to lockdown teams on defense.

Schedule Overview

The Cavaliers have put together a non-conference schedule that will give them a few tough tests, however, they will not need to leave the East Coast, which should help them stay physically ready for ACC play. The Cavaliers will start the season with three straight home games before they will head to the Battle 4 Atlantis over the Thanksgiving week. In the Battle 4 Atlantis, they will play Middle Tennessee in the first round and they could play Butler, Wisconsin, or Florida later in the event depending upon some game results. On November 28th the Cavaliers will head on the road to play at Maryland in an ACC/ Big Ten Challenge game. The Cavaliers will also play at South Carolina on December 19th, which is the only other game they play away from Charlottesville. The Cavaliers will begin ACC play on January 5th with a home game against Florida State, their regular season will then wrap up on March 9th with a home game against Louisville. The ACC Tournament runs March 12th-16th, with the NCAA Tournament starting on March 19th.

What to expect this season

Virginia should continue to be really good on defense, as their defense will be tough for teams to attack against, however, I look for them to play quicker and better on the offensive end. The Cavaliers are always really good at the beginning of the season, which should continue this season as they look poised to enter into ACC play undefeated. The Cavaliers probably won’t go 17-1 in ACC play like last year, however, a 15-3 record is reasonable and would probably make them the outright ACC Champions. The Cavaliers will look to potentially win the ACC Tournament again, which could help them be a one seed in the NCAA Tournament. The redemption will take place in the tournament as they look poised to avoid early upsets while making it to the Final Four for the first time in Tony Bennett era. They also could win a National Championship which would surprise no one, as they have the talent to win it all.

Projected Roster

PG: Ty Jerome

SG: Kyle Guy

SF: De’Andre Hunter

PF: Mamadi Diakite

C: Jack Salt

Key Reserves: Kihei Clark, Kody Slattmann, Marco Anthony, Francesco Badocchi, Braxton Key, Jay Huff