It took until the second week of January, but there are no undefeated teams remaining. That means we’ve got a new top team in our rankings, who also happens to boast the player of the week who provided the play of the week.
There’s a lot to catch up on, so if you missed a game or 100 this week, we’ve got you covered with all you need to know near the midway point of the college basketball regular season!
1. Duke (14-2)
It’s hard to argue that anyone is playing better right now than the Duke Blue Devils. They have the luxury of weaker competition in the ACC, but with the best player in the country and an outstanding supporting cast, Jon Scheyer’s group is the team to beat in college basketball as things stand.
2. Auburn (15-1)
Even with Tennessee finally losing, the Tigers still sit in second due to Duke’s scorching hot play and a head-to-head matchup in favor of the Blue Devils. The attention will turn to Johni Broome’s health moving forward as Auburn tries to handle a loaded SEC schedule without their NPOY candidate.
3. Iowa State (14-1)
It hasn’t come without a few scares, but the Cyclones keep on winning with their latest victory coming in a thrilling overtime contest at Texas Tech. They’ll host Kansas on Wednesday in what should be a Top-10 matchup at Hilton Coliseum and one of the games of the week in college hoops.
4. Alabama (14-2)
Any week with two road wins in the SEC this year needs to be commended, especially when one is a Top-10 win over Texas A&M. Mark Sears is starting to find his rhythm leading the offense, which makes the Crimson Tide all the more dangerous. Two more ranked matchups await, so there’s no time for Nate Oats’ team to relax and enjoy an impressive week.
5. Florida (15-1)
What a response from the Gators after scoring triple-digits and still losing on the road to Kentucky last week. They put that loss behind them quickly, thrashing No. 1 Tennessee by 30 and going on the road to defeat a talented Arkansas squad. I wasn’t convinced before, but it’s impossible to deny now that Florida is a legit contender in the SEC and beyond.
6. Tennessee (15-1)
Speaking of Tennessee, the Vols take quite a tumble for the manner in which they lost their first game of the year. They made just 12 field goals for the entire game with the second-best individual field goal percentage being just 33 percent from Zakai Zeigler.
7. Marquette (14-2)
The Golden Eagles are the last undefeated team standing in the Big East and should keep that rolling into February with a favorable upcoming schedule. Shaka Smart deserves a ton of credit for what he’s done in Milwaukee during his career, especially this season.
8. Houston (12-3)
That’s eight wins in a row for Houston who has dismantled its Big 12 competition to begin the year. The Cougars are playing as well as they have all year and look more and more like a dangerous contender as the weeks go on.
9. Michigan State (14-2)
Michigan State’s on an even longer winning streak of nine games with just two neutral site losses to Kansas and Marquette on the resume. The quality of wins doesn’t move the needle, but it’s hard to look at the entire body of work and have the Spartans any lower than ninth in the nation’s power rankings.
10. Oregon (15-2)
Conference realignment now has Oregon playing conference games in the middle of Pennsylvania on a Monday night, and to the Ducks credit, they held on to defeat Penn State and remain toward the top of the Big Ten standings.
11. Texas A&M (13-3)
A valiant comeback attempt came up just short for the Aggies and snapped a nine-game winning streak, but it also came without star guard Wade Taylor. Getting him back is the priority, and fast, as a trip to Lexington is next up on a brutal SEC schedule.
12. Kentucky (13-3)
The Wildcats followed up a frustrating loss to Georgia with continued dominance against Mississippi State, who have now dropped 19 straight regular season games to the Wildcats. Mark Pope’s group now gets to return home for two marquee matchups against the aforementioned Aggies and Alabama.
13. Kansas (12-3)
After losing three of its last five, Kansas decided to buckle down defensively, and the results are staggering. The Jayhawks held UCF to 48 points, Arizona State to 55 and Cincinnati to 40, leading to a three-game winning streak and a date with one of the best teams in the country in Iowa State to try to extend that streak.
14. UConn (13-4)
Another long winning streak was snapped this week as Villanova picked up a much-needed win in a tremendous Big East battle. The Huskies bounced back with a win over Georgetown, but this simply doesn’t look nearly the same as the back-to-back national championship squads that dominated college basketball.
15. Illinois (12-4)
After pummeling Penn State in the middle of the week, Illinois looked horrific in a 10-point home loss to 10-6 USC. Look for the Fighting Illini to bounce back fast, although it won’t be easy with two trips to two historic venues in Assembly Hall and the Breslin Center.
16. Mississippi State (14-2)
The Bulldogs’ struggles against Kentucky continued, snapping an eight-game winning streak, so it’ll be important to get back on track fast. It doesn’t get much more difficult to do so than trips to Auburn and Tennessee with another top-5 team in Alabama waiting in the next five games. If Chris Jans’ guys can win just three of those five, I’m sure the third-year coach will be thrilled.
Next 5: Purdue, Gonzaga, Michigan, Memphis, Ole Miss
Players of the Week:
Cooper Flagg, No. 4 Duke Blue Devils
It’s becoming a weekly occurrence at this point, but Cooper Flagg is our player of the week once again and he’s never been more deserving than this. The freshman phenom put together one of the best individual performances in recent memory with 42 points, six rebounds and seven assists to lead the Blue Devils past Notre Dame. The projected No. 1 overall pick is only getting better and it’s a scary sight for the rest of the country.
Ian Jackson, North Carolina Tar Heels
The turnaround in Chapel Hill can be credited to one person and that’s Ian Jackson. The freshman forced his way into the starting lineup and has been better than advertised since the move. He reached 21 or more points for the fifth time in his last six games on Saturday as he only continues to rise in our 2025 Mock Draft.
Vlad Goldin, No. 24 Michigan Wolverines
Different week, different Michigan seven-footer getting recognition. Goldin, who followed coach Dusty May from FAU, enjoyed his best game as a Wolverine with 36 points in a dominant win over UCLA on Tuesday. This team is legit, and Goldin’s success is a big reason why.
Zhuric Phelps, No. 10 Texas A&M Aggies
Phelps didn’t find a shot he didn’t like against Alabama, but his performance on the road against Oklahoma was beyond impressive. The SMU transfer poured in 34 points on 6-10 shooting from beyond the arc to give the Aggies a massively important road win over the Sooners without his star partner in the backcourt.
Desmond Claude, USC Trojans
There might not have been anyone expecting USC to knock off Illinois on Saturday morning except Desmond Claude. The junior guard was terrific with Xavier and the change of scenery hasn’t changed his production. A 31-point effort against the Fighting Illini raised his scoring average to 15.9 points per game, which is easily the best for the Trojans.
Play of the Week
Cooper Flagg wasn’t just the player of the week. He also provided the indisputable play of the week in a blowout win over Pittsburgh. The freshman jumped a passing lane, dribbled around a man with just two bounces past half court and soared for a poster dunk over Guillermo Diaz Graham. See for yourself what the projected top pick in the draft is capable of.
Video Credit: ACC Digital Network
