The 2024-25 college basketball season is upon us, and from a fight on a plane to buzzer-beater upsets, there’s already an overwhelming amount of action to catch up on.
We’ll track the top 16 teams, players of the week, top prospects and the nation’s most exciting plays each week, so stay up to date with our college basketball coverage all season long!
Here’s the first of many comprehensive lists in the exciting world of college hoops!
- UConn (2-0)
After back-to-back national championships and Dan Hurley opting to return to Storrs after an offseason of bottomless money bags being thrown his way, UConn debuts at the top of our rankings with a reloaded roster of star players and prospects.
The Huskies more than earned the top spot with their work in recent years and it will take a lot to knock them off the mantle this season.
- Kansas (2-0)
It was a disappointing end to a promising season for the Jayhawks a year ago, and Bill Self knew he had a bit of pressure to right the ship this offseason. Through an outstanding performance in the transfer portal and the return of three stars in Dajuan Harris, Hunter Dickinson and KJ Adams he’s off to a great start with a win over North Carolina to show for it.
- Duke (2-0)
If anyone can end UConn’s impressive run on talent alone, look no further than the Blue Devils. Deservedly so, Cooper Flagg gets a lot of the hype, but Jon Scheyer’s group is loaded with plenty of other stars who can take over and anyone who watches Duke this season will learn soon enough.
- Auburn (2-0)
In a “neutral-site” game against the University of Houston in the city of Houston, hence the sarcasm, Auburn overcame mid-week drama to come up with the most impressive win of the first week of the season. Highly-touted prospect Tahaad Pettiford, a projected 2026 first-round pick, took over late with 21 points (15 in the second half) to spark the victory.
- Alabama (2-0)
It might be a new season, but Alabama is still putting up a ridiculous amount of 3-point attempts (and points) to stay true to its identity. Mark Sears promises to be one of the top players in college basketball and is off to a solid start with 19.5 points per game for the Tide.
- Gonzaga (2-0)
The Zags seemed to get a lot of their anger out from a 2021 National Championship loss to Baylor in a rematch in Spokane on the season’s opening night. Mark Few’s squad dismantled the Bears 101-63 despite an absurd poster by VJ Edgecombe on Few’s son in the final minutes. We’ll talk more about that play a little later.
- North Carolina (1-1)
North Carolina’s lack of success against the Jayhawks (0-5 since 2008) continued on Friday night but a dramatic second-half comeback in a hostile environment showed that the Tar Heels can hang with anyone, anywhere. RJ Davis is back and poised to be an All-American once again with a core of developed teammates and talented transfers to build on last season’s crash out in the Sweet 16 to Alabama.
- Houston (1-1)
Despite the loss, Houston should be encouraged by its defensive effort against a talented Auburn team that likely won’t be held to 74 points very often this season. The Cougars will be a force to be reckoned with once again in the NCAA Tournament.
- Indiana (2-0)
Perhaps nobody had a better time in the transfer portal than Mike Woodson. The Hoosiers have a lot of hype and a lot of hope in his fourth season and an elite frontcourt is a big reason why. Look out for Indiana in the Big Ten this season.
- Iowa State (1-0)
It’s difficult not to be a big fan of Iowa State with what T.J. Otzelberger has done in Ames, but a top five preseason ranking is a bit too high. Still, the Cyclones will be one of the top teams in a loaded Big 12 and it starts with a tenacious defensive mindset that can frustrate anyone in college hoops.
- Arizona (2-0)
Arizona’s season will heat up in a hurry with a trip to Madison and a date with Duke as its next two games on the schedule. So far, so good for the Wildcats though who beat the brakes off Canisius and Old Dominion.
- Tennessee (2-0)
The Vols got off to a great start with two comfortable wins, including a high-major road win over Louisville by 22 points. It’ll be the typical defensive identity that carries them and after back-to-back seasons reaching the second weekend, confidence should be through the roof in Knoxville.
- Rutgers (1-0)
It’s a new age in Piscataway. Two elite prospects are bringing the spotlight to the basketball program, but question marks just about everywhere else should not be overlooked. Even if the team results don’t reflect it right away, the Scarlet Knights will be a treat to watch all season long.
- Baylor (1-1)
Even though a 38-point loss to Gonzaga was a complete disaster, things could’ve got even worse with No. 16 Arkansas awaiting them on Saturday. The Bears responded with a bounceback win and still belong among the nation’s best for challenging themselves early on.
- Marquette (2-0)
Shaka Smart lost two absolute studs in Tyler Kolek and Oso Ighodaro who will be difficult to replace, but he managed to return a solid core headlined by Kam Jones who showed out in the team’s first two games. The Golden Eagles will be a player in a struggling Big East once again.
- Kentucky (2-0)
The start to the Mark Pope era in Lexington couldn’t have gone much better as the new-look Wildcats looked fast and fresh in their two opening wins. They’ll get their first real test of the season in the Champions Classic against Duke, but after consecutive 100-point games to begin the year, there’s plenty of reason for confidence even without John Calipari and his five-star talent.
Next 5: Ohio State, UCF, New Mexico, Nevada, Texas
Players of the Week:
Ryan Kalkbrenner, No. 15 Creighton Blue Jays
How does 49 points in the season opener sound? Kalkbrenner did just that to begin his fifth season with the Blue Jays on 20-22 shooting including a pair of 3-pointers to show his development in that area. He’s 3-3 in the young season from beyond the arc and any consistency from beyond the arc will do wonders for his draft stock.
Mackenzie Mgbako, No. 17 Indiana Hoosiers
The Hoosiers brought in an excellent class of transfers, but it was a returning sophomore who stole the show this week. Mgbako looked unstoppable with 31 points, nine rebounds and 4-5 3-PT shooting to lead Indiana to an 80-61 win over SIUE. There are three stars in the Indiana frontcourt who can take over at any given time; it just happened to be the 6’9 sophomore this week.
Tre Johnson, No. 19 Texas Longhorns
It wasn’t all bad for Texas in its loss to Ohio State in Las Vegas on Monday. Five-star freshman Tre Johnson went ballistic with 29 points, five rebounds and four assists on 5-10 shooting from both inside and outside the 3-point line. He backed it up with 28 more points on better efficiency against Houston Christian on Friday. Expect his projected lottery status to be shored up even more after a big debut.
Will Riley, Illinois Fighting Illini
There was a major roster shakeup in Champaigne this offseason and five-star freshman Will Riley is one of the new faces that fans are excited about. He wasted no time rewarding that excitement with 31 points in his debut in just 25 minutes off the bench. The 6’8 freshman from Ontario is a ridiculous 8-11 from beyond the arc to begin his career and a prospect to watch moving forward.
Tahaad Pettiford, No. 11 Auburn Tigers
The true freshman went from fouling out in 19 minutes without scoring in his debut against Vermont to breaking out as a star against the best defense in college basketball. Pettiford was sensational on Saturday night and the Tigers don’t pull out a win over No. 4 Houston without his 21 points and five triples off the bench.
Play of the Week
I think Joe Few might be wishing that his dad didn’t put him into the game in Monday’s massacre against Baylor after what V.J. Edgecombe did to him in the final minutes. This outrageous poster dunk, which can be seen below from all angles, shows exactly why the Baylor freshman has an athleticism grade of nine on our site and why he’s currently slotted as a top three pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
Check it out!
Video Credit: BaylorAthletics YouTube
