The first Saturday of the new year typically signals the start of conference play for good and the first big day of 2025 surely did not disappoint. Florida and Kentucky got the fireworks started in the morning with a 106-100 thriller and the rest of the country followed suit with impressive performances from the rest of the top-25.
The upsets will come eventually, but for now, the true contenders are starting to emerge, leaving us with likely our most accurate power rankings of the season below.
1. Tennessee (14-0)
Defense, allegedly, travels and that theory will be put to the absolute test this week for the Volunteers who travel to Gainesville to take on 13-1 Florida who just scored triple digits in a loss at Rupp Arena. However, there’s every reason for the Vols to have confidence after thrashing No. 23 Arkansas 76-52 on Saturday to tie the best start in school history.
2. Auburn (13-1)
The Tigers keep rolling, and in dominant fashion, following an outstanding game at Duke to begin December. It’s the only blemish on an otherwise outstanding resume for Bruce Pearl’s group who are probably the public’s favorite in a conference with 14-0 Tennessee, which shows how highly everyone thinks of them.
3. Iowa State (12-1)
It appears nobody told Baylor that it’d need its A-game in Hilton Coliseum as the Cyclones rolled past them 74-55 on Saturday. With one of the most dominant home-court advantages and some early results going its way, Iowa State is a clear favorite in the Big 12 right now.
4. Duke (12-2)
There might not be anyone playing better than the Blue Devils right now as a terrific freshmen class keeps hitting its stride in the middle of the season. A lack of stiff competition helps but let’s not forget the comeback win over Auburn just over a month ago. It’s been smooth sailing since, but that will be the bulk of the ACC schedule, if not all of it.
5. Alabama (12-2)
It doesn’t matter who it is; beating a previously 13-0 team by 28 points is impressive regardless. It’s simply what the Crimson Tide can do on any given night, especially when Mark Sears is creating for others like he did on Saturday night against the Sooners with 10 assists.
6. Marquette (13-2)
The Golden Eagles are quietly surging back toward the top five with a perfect start to Big East play and several wins over elite Big Ten opponents. Shaka Smart’s ability to reload despite losing Tyler Kolek and Oso Ighodaro is one of the more impressive, yet least talked about, coaching jobs in America this year.
7. Kentucky (12-2)
Mark Pope became the first Kentucky coach since Adolph Rupp to win his first three games against AP Top-10 opponents with a win over Florida and did so despite watching his defense give up 100 points. The Wildcats are fast and fun with nobody more exciting to watch than Koby Brea when he’s shooting it like he did Saturday (23 points on 7/9 3PT).
8. Florida (13-1)
I’m sure Florida fans can get over losing their first game on the road in January against a top-10 opponent. It’s still been quite the start for the Gators who will welcome the No. 1 team in the country on Tuesday with a quick opportunity to right the wrongs from the weekend.
9. Houston (10-3)
Don’t look now, but Houston is starting to look like the perennial one-seed we’re used to seeing in March. The Cougars held Oklahoma State and BYU to an average of just 51 points to kick off conference play and are now second in defensive rating according to KenPom.
10. Illinois (12-2)
If you didn’t stay up until midnight to watch a Big Ten game on the west coast (which still sounds ridiculous to me), you missed one of the most impressive wins of the season by Illinois. The Illini dismantled No. 9 Oregon 109-77 and proved to be one of the contenders in the conference this season.
11. UConn (12-3)
Even without Liam McNeeley, Dan Hurley would’ve had a hard time explaining a home loss to Providence on Sunday afternoon. Fortunately for him, the Huskies regrouped and scored 60 points in the second half to rally for a 3-point win and extend their winning streak to eight games since Maui.
12. Oregon (12-2)
Bad (32-point home loss to Illinois) almost became worse (nearly another home loss to Maryland) this week. Still, the overall resume for the Ducks is still one of the most impressive in the nation and the turnaround Dana Altman is leading deserves recognition. A road trip to true Big Ten country will put that turnaround to the challenge this week.
13. Texas A&M (12-2)
The SEC has plenty of teams to be excited about and it seems like the Aggies don’t get nearly enough credit in that upper echelon. Perhaps a 20-point win over Texas to kick off conference play will change that with Oklahoma, Alabama and Kentucky next up on the schedule.
14. Mississippi State (13-1)
The SEC has plenty of teams to be excited about and it seems like the Bulldogs don’t get nearly enough credit in that upper echelon. Perhaps a 35-point win over South Carolina to kick off conference play will change that with Vanderbilt, Kentucky and Auburn next up on the schedule. (Yes, this is intentionally nearly identical to everything said about Texas A&M. That’s how similar these two teams are.)
15. Oklahoma (13-1)
As was said with Florida, every Oklahoma fan should be quite fine with the first loss of the season coming in January to a team like Alabama on the road. There’s no time to dwell on it either with a fierce Texas A&M team coming to make matters worse on Wednesday.
16. Michigan State (12-2)
The Spartans look strong, as evidenced by another crucial road victory over Ohio State on Friday. Less dependance on the shotmaking of ball-dominant guards has transformed this team and made them even more of a contender despite the loss of some really talented individual players like AJ Hoggard and Tyson Walker.
Next 5: Purdue, Maryland, Memphis, West Virginia, Utah State
Players of the Week:
Cooper Flagg, No. 4 Duke Blue Devils
The turnaround for the Blue Devils has been spearheaded by none other than the projected top overall pick in the upcoming NBA Draft. Flagg arguably played his two best games in a Duke uniform this week, propelling his team to a pair of dominant wins over Virginia Tech and SMU with 24 points in each contest.
Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey, Rutgers Scarlet Knights
It was arguably an even more impressive week for the two players sitting just below Flagg on our latest mock draft. First, Harper notched the first triple-double since 1983 for the Scarlet Knights as Bailey added 24 points and eight rebounds. Without his partner-in-crime the following game against Indiana, Bailey exploded for a career-high 39 points and perhaps even more importantly, showcased an efficient 3-point shot on 4-8 shooting from beyond the arc.
Chaz Lanier, No. 1 Tennessee Volunteers
Tennessee always needed a go-to scorer to emerge this offseason with the departure of Dalton Knecht to the NBA. Enter Chaz Lanier. All the North Florida senior has done is increase his scoring average with the Volunteers at over 20 points per game, including a 29-point effort in the SEC opener against Arkansas. His emergence has him knocking on the door of the lottery in the 2025 NBA Draft.
Danny Wolf, Michigan Wolverines
Michigan has started two seven-footers together all season and while Vlad Goldin is more well known nationally, Danny Wolf introduced himself against USC. The Yale transfer displayed a complete arsenal of skills, stuffing the stat sheet with 21 points, 13 rebounds, seven assists and six blocks. Plus, a pair of 3-pointers. The junior is at least worth monitoring this summer with his size and modern play style.
Play of the Week
It’s been a season to forget so far for North Carolina, and even in the middle of it, they have stars providing unforgettable plays to entertain the fans. The latest came from {Player: Elliot Cadeau] who provided a potentially game-saving four-point play to knock off Notre Dame and cool Hubert Davis’ seat a little while longer. Check out the sensational game-winning play here and enjoy your week college hoops fans!
Video Credit: Sports Will Last YouTube
