Last week saw week seven of the college basketball season slowed down to almost a screeching hault as we close in on the holidays. Even with the slower pace, there was some movement among the top-25 with programs like UCLA, Purdue, Michigan, and Memphis losing this week and falling out of the rankings entirely.
This is how I see the twenty-five best teams in college basketball, after watching through the first seven weeks of games. There is a long way to go in this college basketball season, and if these first few weeks are any indication, a lot of twists and turns are sure to happen along the way.
But for this moment, as we are in the middle of December, here is On3’s updated Top 25 ranking after week 8.
1. Auburn (11-1)
Previously: No. 2
Last Week: W Georgia State (100-59), W No. 19 Purdue (87-69)
Leading Scorer: C Johni Broome, 18.5
Leading Rebounder: C Johni Broome, 11.5
Next Up: Monmouth (12/30)
2. Tennessee (11-0)
Previously: No. 1
Last Week: W Western Carolina (84-36)
Leading Scorer: G Chaz Lanier, 18.9
Leading Rebounder: F Igor Milicic, 7.7
Next Up: Middle Tennessee State (12/23)
3. Iowa State (10-1)
Previously: No. 3
Last Week: W Morgan State (99-72)
Leading Scorer: G Keshon Gilbert, 16.4
Leading Rebounder: F Joshua Jefferson, 8.0
Next Up: at Colorado (12/30)
4. Florida (12-0)
Previously: No. 5
Last Week: W at North Carolina (90-84), W North Florida (99-45)
Leading Scorer: G Walter Clayton, 17.6
Leading Rebounder: C Alex Condon, 7.6
Next Up: Stetson (12/29)
5. Kansas (9-2)
Previously: No. 6
Last Week: W Brown (87-53)
Leading Scorer: C Hunter Dickinson, 15.6
Leading Rebounder: C Hunter Dickinson, 10.0
Next Up: No. 19 West Virginia (12/31)
6. Duke (10-2)
Previously: No. 7
Last Week: W George Mason (69-47), W at Georgia Tech (82-56)
Leading Scorer: F Cooper Flagg, 16.3
Leading Rebounder: F Cooper Flagg, 8.6
Next Up: Virginia Tech (12/31)
7. Oregon (11-1)
Previously: No. 8
Last Week: W at Stanford (76-61)
Leading Scorer: C Nate Bittle, 13.8
Leading Rebounder: C Nate Bittle, 8.6
Next Up: Weber State (12/29)
8. Alabama (10-2)
Previously: No. 9
Last Week: W at North Dakota (97-90), W Kent State 81-54
Leading Scorer: G Mark Sears, 18.0
Leading Rebounder: F Grant Nelson, 8.2
Next Up: South Dakota State (12/29)
9. Oklahoma (12-0)
Previously: No. 10
Last Week: W No. 24 Michigan (87-86), W Central Arkansas (89-66)
Leading Scorer: G Jeremiah Fears, 17.9
Leading Rebounder: F Sam Godwin, 7.1
Next Up: Prairie View (12/29)
10. Kentucky (10-2)
Previously: No. 4
Last Week: L Ohio State (85-65)
Leading Scorer: G Otega Oweh, 16.2
Leading Rebounder: C Amari Williams, 9.0
Next Up: Brown (12/31)
College basketball week 8 rankings: teams 11-25
11. Texas A&M (10-2)
Previously: No. 11
Last Week: W Houston Christian (77-45)
Next Up: Abilene Christian (12/28)
12. Marquette (11-2)
Previously: No. 13
Last Week: W Butler (80-70), W at Xavier (72-70)
Next Up: at Providence (12/31)
13. Ole Miss (11-1)
Previously: No. 14
Last Week: W Southern (74-61), W Queens (80-62)
Next Up: Memphis (12/28)
14. Cincinnati (10-1)
Previously: No. 16
Last Week: W at No. 15 Dayton (66-59), W Grambling (84-49)
Next Up: Kansas State (12/30)
15. Mississippi State (11-1)
Previously: No. 17
Last Week: W Central Michigan (83-59), W at No. 20 Memphis (79-66)
Next Up: Bethune Cookman (12/30)
16. UConn (9-3)
Previously: No. 18
Last Week: W Xavier (94-89), W at Butler (78-74)
Next Up: at DePaul (1/1)
17. Gonzaga (9-3)
Previously: No. 23
Last Week: Nicholls (102-72), W Bucknell (86-65)
Next Up: UCLA (12/28)
18. Houston (8-3)
Previously: No. 25
Last Week: W Toledo (78-49), W Texas A&M CC (87-51)
Next Up: Oklahoma State (12/30)
19. West Virginia (9-2)
Previously: No. 22
Last Week: W Mercyhurst (67-47)
Next Up: at No. 5 Kansas
20. Drake (11-0)
Previously: No. 21
Last Week: W at Kansas State (73-70), W Green Bay (72-62)
Next Up: Belmont (12/29)
21. Michigan State (9-2)
Previously: NR
Last Week: W Oakland (77-58), W FAU (86-69)
Next Up: Western Michigan (12/30)
22. Georgia (11-1)
Previously: NR
Last Week: W Buffalo (100-49), W Charleston Southern (81-65)
Next Up: SC State (12/29)
23. San Diego State (8-2)
Previously: NR
Last Week: W at Cal (71-60)
Next Up: Utah State (12/28)
24. Dayton (10-2)
Previously: No. 15
Last Week: W UNLV (66-65), L Cincinnati (66-59)
Next Up: LaSalle (12/31)
25. St John’s (10-2)
Previously: NR
Last Week: W DePaul (89-61), W at Providence (72-70)
Next Up: Delaware (12/28)
Dropped Out: UCLA, Memphis, Purdue, Michigan