Week one of the college basketball season brought us some good matchups, some big-time performances, and some intriguing upsets. We are now in full swing with games happening daily.
For clarity’s sake, this is not a prediction of any kind. These are the twenty-five best teams in college basketball, for me, after watching through week one. There is a long way to go, and a lot of twists and turns are sure to happen along the way.
But for this moment, as we enter week two of the college basketball season, here is On3’s updated Top 25 ranking after a full week 1.
Alabama has started the season 2-0 with convincing wins over UNC Asheville and Arkansas State. Mark Sears is averaging 19.5 points and they have ten players who averaged 14.0 minutes or more through opening week.
Kansas held on at home on Friday night to get a big win over a nationally-ranked UNC team. Preseason All-American Hunter Dickinson led the way with 20 points and 10 boards. The Jayhawks now move to 2-0 on the season with upcoming matchups against Michigan State, Duke, and Creighton, all within the next month.
Gonzaga started their season off with a 38-point drubbing of top ten-ranked Baylor. The Zags followed that up with a win over Arizona State. Gonzaga put five players in double-figures. Two games in and Gonzaga has two high major wins with eight players playing 12 or more minutes.
The Tigers probably have the biggest win of the season to this point with their Saturday night win at Houston. Johni Broome is one of college basketball’s best players, and Bruce Pearl has a host of guards ready to step up.
The defending national champions started their season with a pair of ninety-something to fifty-something wins. Led by junior forward Alex Karaban’s 18.5 points, the Huskies are putting five players in double figures as Dan Hurley is sorting through a nine-man rotation.
Duke’s 2-0 start has been led by a trio of freshmen surrounded by a veteran group. Freshman wing Kon Knueppel is leading the way in scoring at 18.5 while fellow freshman Khaman Maluach is snagging 10.0 boards a game. Duke has matchups with Kentucky, Arizona, Kansas, and Auburn within the next month.
Tommy Lloyd’s teams like to play fast, and through his 2-0 start to this season, Arizona is averaging 97.5 points. The Wildcats are playing ten players 11.0 or more minutes and 14 players have already scored this season.
Iowa State only played one game opening week, a game they won by 39 points. The Cyclones will have upcoming matchups over the next month against Auburn and Marquette. Their guards, Keshon Gilbert and Tamin Lipsey form one of the best defensive backcourts in the country.
Houston is the first one-loss team to appear on this list as they dropped a home game to top-ten-ranked Auburn on Saturday night. The Cougars return a veteran team with experience in both the back and frontcourt. With Houston, you know they’ll defend, can they establish their offensive continuity?
Tennessee went to Louisville and walked away with a 22-point victory at the KFC YUM! Center. The Volunteers will rely heavily on returning starting point guard Zakai Zeigler, they re-tooled the rest of their roster through the transfer portal.
11. Indiana (2-0)
W SIUE (80-61), W Eastern Illinois (90-55)
Next Game: South Carolina (11/16)
12. Baylor (1-1)
L Gonzaga (101-63), W Arkansas (72-67)
Next Game: Sam Houston State (11/12)
13. Florida (2-0)
W USF (98-83), W Jacksonville (81-60)
Next Game: Grambling (11/11)
14. Purdue (2-0)
W Texas A&M-CC (90-73), W Northern Kentucky (72-50)
Next Game: Yale (11/11)
15. Kentucky (2-0)
W Wright State (103-62), W Bucknell (100-72)
Next Game: Duke (11/12)
16. Marquette (2-0)
W Stony Brook (102-62), W George Mason (82-63)
Next Game: Central Michigan (11/11)
17. Cincinnati (2-0)
W Arkansas Pine-Bluff (109-54), W Morehead State (83-56)
Next Game: Nicholls (11/15)
18. Ohio State (1-0)
W Texas (80-72)
Next Game: Youngstown State (11/11)
19. Creighton (2-0)
W UT Rio Grande Valley (99-86), W Fairleigh Dickinson (96-70)
Next Game: Houston Christian (11/13)
20. St. John’s (2-0)
W Fordham (92-60), W Quinnipiac (96-73)
Next Game: Wagner (11/13)
21. UNC (1-1)
W Elon (90-76), L Kansas (92-89)
Next Game: American (11/15)
22. Xavier (2-0)
W Texas Southern (78-69), W IU Indianapolis (94-80)
Next Game: Jackson State (11/12)
23. New Mexico (2-0)
W Nicholls (91-84), W UCLA (72-64)
Next Game: Texas A&M-CC
24. Arkansas (1-1)
W Lipscomb (76-60), L Baylor (72-67)
Next Game: Troy (11/13)
25. Grand Canyon (2-0)
W Cal State Fullerton (89-79), Western Kentucky (74-72)
Next Game: Arizona State
