The USA TODAY Coaches Poll Top 25 has been updated following a hair-raising fifth week for the 2024-2025 men’s college basketball season.
A couple of shocking losses from some of the top teams in the nation, including Kansas and Auburn, meant a shake-up for the Coaches Poll. No singular team has emerged as dominant at the moment, and the unpredictability of college basketball might be reaching a new high week after week.
With that in mind, the sport’s brightest coaching minds put their brains together to come up with some rankings after Week 5. Check out the Top 25 below, and see if your team made the cut following the second week of a new campaign.
Tennessee continues to climbs the board by remaining unbeaten in a week where those above them fell for the first time this season. The strength of schedule is not great for the Volunteers, but they have demolished everyone in front of them.
This week is when any qualms about Tennessee’s schedule might be put to rest. They’re facing some tough competition, with a game against Miami on Tuesday, and a clash with Illinois on Saturday to follow.
Despite a road loss against Duke this week, Auburn likely still has the best all-around resume in the country. However, it is difficult to make the case for a team fresh off a loss to move into the top spot in the Top 25.
The Tigers’ next game will come against Ohio State, as part of Holiday Hoopsgiving. That game will take place in Atlanta at the State Farm Arena, so it should be an awesome afternoon this coming Saturday.
Iowa State picked up a big win against Marquette during the week, promising to move them back up the board after watching others fall. The Cyclones can now make a case among the best resumes in the Big 12 to this point in the non-conference schedule.
An emotional week is ahead for Iowa State. Their rivalry game with Iowa takes place on Thursday, and that’ll be no small victory if they’re able to win. Then, a little reprieve against Omaha is slated for Sunday afternoon.
Despite suffering a midweek loss against Iowa State, Marquette did not allow the result to linger. The Golden Eagles bounced back with a Top 25 win over Wisconsin to limit the damage done to their ranking.
With only one loss on the season, Marquette will be hoping to keep the good times rolling. Their next game will come against Dayton on the road on Saturday night.
Kentucky had a difficult start to the week, dropping a game against Clemson in the SEC/ACC Challenge. But the Wildcats bounced back with a big win against Gonzaga which kept them among the top teams in the country with only one loss so far.
This week is another big one for the one-loss Wildcats. First, Colgate comes to town on Wednesday for a bit of a tune up, and then a big showdown with Louisville is slated for Saturday evening in Lexington.
Duke was able to use its homecourt advantage to fend off Auburn, proving they can win tight games against the best teams in college basketball. In an ACC which struggled, the Blue Devils remain an undoubted bright spot.
They’ll be hoping to keep the good times rolling against Incarnate Ward on Tuesday. That’s the Blue Devis’ only showdown this week, so it could be a less stressful couple of days for the program.
Florida continued their undefeated start to the season last week. The Gators were able to get a huge win over Virginia to start December with a bang, defeating the Cavaliers by 18 during the SEC/ACC Men’s Challenge.
A tough contest is on the docket this week. Florida will welcome Arizona State to the Southeast, as the Sun Devils will take on the Gators at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta this coming Saturday afternoon.
Alabama exited the week with a win over North Carolina added to the resume. While the results for the Crimson Tide have remained up and down in big games, the schedule provides them no shortage of opportunities.
Next up for Alabama is a showdown with Creighton. That game will come on Saturday night in Tuscaloosa, so Nate Oats and company have a shot to add another impressive win to their total.
Gonzaga suffered a loss to Kentucky in its only game of the week, a hit to their non-conference resume after leading early and taking it to overtime. However, the Bulldogs remain in the most important stretch of their season when it comes to stacking up big wins.
There’s no time for Mark Few and company to lick their wounds. A clash with the Connecticut Huskies at Madison Square Garden is on the docket for this coming Saturday, which will be a massive feather in their cap if the Bulldogs can get a win.
Kansas suffered its first defeated of the season on the road against Creighton, knocking them off the No. 1 spot in the Coaches Poll Top 25 for the first time this season. The Jayhawks followed it up with a loss against Missouri, which promised to drop them further down the board.
The opportunity to bounce-back won’t come until Saturday afternoon for Kansas. They’ll welcome the NC State Wolfpack to Lawrence, as the Jayhawks hope to stop the bleeding.
11. Purdue (-4)
12. Oregon (-2)
13. Houston (+5)
14. Michigan (+9)
15. Ole Miss (+5)
16. Clemson (NR)
17. Oklahoma (+4)
18. Texas A&M (+6)
19. Michigan State (+6)
20. Connecticut (NR)
21. UCLA (NR)
22. Wisconsin (-11)
23. Cincinnati (-9)
24. San Diego State (NR)
25. Baylor (-9)
Schools Dropped Out: No. 15 Memphis; No. 17 Illinois; No. 19 Pittsburgh; No. 22 North Carolina
Others Receiving Votes: Mississippi State 93; Illinois 67; St. John’s 51; Pittsburgh 50; Arizona State 44; Memphis 37; Maryland 36; Drake 35; Utah State 32; Saint Mary’s 28; Penn State 26; Creighton 20; Georgia 18; Missouri 14; West Virginia 11; Arkansas 10; UC Irvine 5; Texas 5; Dayton 4; Texas Tech 2; North Carolina 2; Loyola Chicago 2; LSU 1
As you can tell, this is where college basketball’s top coaches landed this week on their rankings. Check back next week to find out if your team made a move up the ladder in the USA TODAY Coaches Top 25 Poll, which is bound to fluctuate throughout the season.
On3’s James Fletcher III contributed to this article.
