Men’s college basketball is down to just eight remaining undefeated teams. The carnage of Feast Week and early interconference challenges over the last two weeks have left very few unblemished records around the sport, with just three high-major programs left standing. All three hail from the SEC, yet another measure of that league’s early dominance.
With the number of upsets early this season, the chances of a team making a serious run at an undefeated season seem slim to none. But which team can keep a zero in its loss column longest? Here’s a look at the last eight standing, how they’ve gotten here and when that first loss might come.
Tennessee lost one of the best players in the country in Dalton Knecht to the NBA and three other starters to either graduation or the portal. And yet here the Vols sit, No. 1 in the AP poll and NET Rankings with the season more than a month old. For a second straight offseason, Rick Barnes and his staff aced the transfer portal, and Tennessee looks like a national title contender because of it.
The biggest addition was North Florida Ospreys transfer Chaz Lanier, who has been closer to replicating Knecht’s monster production than anyone could’ve hoped for. He’s averaging nearly 19 points per game and has scored 25-plus in three straight high-major games. Lanier is maybe the most dynamic shooter in the country at 48% on more than eight attempts per game, and he has taken to the much higher level of competition quickly. He may not have the same juice as Knecht off the bounce, but Lanier has been one of the best players in the SEC and has a case for the most impactful transfer in the country.
Barnes also hit the portal to revamp the frontcourt and got two perfect fits in Igor Miličić Jr. (Charlotte 49ers) and Felix Okpara (Ohio State Buckeyes). Miličić is an elite connector, capable of spacing the floor, handling the ball some, battling on the glass and moving his feet defensively. Okpara is the ideal lob target offensively to play with point guard Zakai Zeigler, and on the other end is an above-average rim protector.
Potential Stumbling Blocks: The Vols largely haven’t even been tested yet, beating the Syracuse Orange by 26, the Louisville Cardinals and Virginia Cavaliers by 22 each and Baylor Bears by 15 after leading by 27 at the half. That could change this week on the road at the Illinois Fighting Illini on Saturday in what should be a supercharged atmosphere in Champaign, Ill. The Illini have the offensive talent to keep up with Lanier and the Vols, but we’ll see if they can get enough stops to pull the upset. If not there, consecutive road games in early January at the Florida Gators and Texas Longhorns could get them, and at the latest, a road trip to an Auburn Tigers team that may well be the best team in the country Jan. 25 seems like the last stand.
Predicted First Loss: Jan. 7 at Florida
The schedule hasn’t been overly taxing yet, but the Gators appear to have taken another step forward this season. They’ve beaten the three high-major teams they’ve played fairly resoundingly. Most importantly, the Gators look much improved on the defensive end after that became a clear Achilles’ heel a year ago.
Walter Clayton Jr. is having an All-American-caliber season in his second year with the program. He has taken well to playing more as a traditional point guard, all while remaining one of the most efficient scoring guards in the country. He also has ballhandling help in the form of FAU transfer Alijah Martin, who is averaging more points with the Gators than he did over the last two years as one of the stars for the Owls. Plus, Australian big man Alex Condon has put together the breakout year many expected, averaging 13 points and seven boards per game and upping his efficiency in the process.
Florida combines the elite guard play of Clayton and Martin with high-level size up front led by Condon. That helps them dominate the rim and control the rebounding battle, all while taking care of the ball at a high level. That’s a strong recipe, and one that should translate to higher-level competition in the loaded SEC.
Potential Stumbling Blocks: Two of the Gators’ tougher nonconference tests come over the next 10 days, with a showdown with an impressive Arizona State Sun Devils team in Atlanta this weekend before taking on the North Carolina Tar Heels in Charlotte on Dec. 17. They open SEC play with a road trip to the Kentucky’s Rupp Arena, followed by a home game against Tennessee and a trip to the Arkansas Razorbacks. Getting through that stretch unblemished feels hard to believe.
Projected First Loss: Jan. 4 at Kentucky
Picked 15th out of 16 teams in the SEC in the preseason, the Sooners being one of the last eight unbeatens standing would’ve been a shock two months ago. But after winning the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament during Thanksgiving week, here Porter Moser’s team is, 9–0 for the second straight season and hoping to end a brutal run of NCAA tournament bubble luck by further solidifying its standing over the next few months.
The big difference-maker for Moser’s team is electric 18-year-old freshman guard Jeremiah Fears, who decommitted from Illinois to go to college a year early. Reclassifying guards have a shaky track record as freshmen, but Fears has lit it up thus far, averaging 16.7 points and 4.7 assists. He’s not a great shooter, but staying in front of him is nearly impossible and despite his slender frame, Fears is, well, fearless attacking to the rim. The Sooners surround him with tons of three-point shooting, and big wing athletes like Jalon Moore and Glenn Taylor Jr. have boosted OU’s defense early on. I’d guess this team settles closer to midpack in the SEC than in the upper echelon, but stacking wins early gives the Sooners plenty of hope to finally hear their name called on Selection Sunday.
Potential Stumbling Blocks: Rivalry games are never easy, so facing the Oklahoma State Cowboys in Oklahoma City this weekend could be a bump in the road. After that, the Sooners go to Charlotte to take on a surging Michigan Wolverines team and open SEC play on the road at the Alabama Crimson Tide. Last season, OU lost its first game against UNC in Charlotte as part of the Jumpman Invitational, and it wouldn’t be a shock if its undefeated season ends in similar fashion this time around.
Projected First Loss: Dec. 18 vs. Michigan
The Aggies made a shrewd hire in former Youngstown State Penguins coach Jerrod Calhoun to replace Danny Sprinkle this offseason, and you couldn’t have scripted a much better start to Calhoun’s tenure in Logan. Utah State already owns wins over the Iowa Hawkeyes and top mid-majors like the St. Bonaventure Bonnies and North Texas Mean Green, and seems well-positioned to contend for an at-large bid come March if it can finish in the upper echelon of the always-competitive Mountain West. Calhoun couldn’t retain star big Great Osobor from the Sprinkle era, but keeping Ian Martinez and Mason Falslev on the wings has been huge. Plus, Calhoun brought an unconventional zone defense that has largely baffled opponents, giving up under 65 points per game this season.
Potential Stumbling Blocks: You’d think the Aggies will beat the South Florida Bulls and UC San Diego Tritons at home in their next two games, though both could at least cause some problems. After that though, things get tricky to close out 2024 with road trips to the Saint Mary’s Gaels, San Diego State Aztecs and Nevada Wolf Pack.
Projected First Loss: Dec. 28 at San Diego State
The program has been consistently excellent for a while, but Russell Turner might have his best team yet. UCI is knocking on the door of the top 50 nationally on KenPom thanks to one of the best defenses in the nation, holding eight of nine opponents under 70 points and four under 60. This is an old team with four senior starters, all of whom have spent their entire careers in Irvine. That rare continuity is paying off in a big way, and this group has a chance to post a gaudy win-loss total when all is said and done.
Potential Stumbling Blocks: A five-game road trip looms starting Saturday at the Oregon State Beavers, the best team left on UCI’s schedule according to KenPom. The rest of the trip is more manageable, though road tests at the Belmont Bruins and California Baptist Lancers might not be easy. If the Anteaters can sweep that five-game swing, circle Jan. 11 at UC San Diego and Jan. 23 at the UC Riverside Highlanders as possible first losses.
Projected First Loss: Jan. 11 at UC San Diego
Drake hired Division II star coach Ben McCollum from Northwest Missouri State in the offseason, and he has kept the program humming at the same rate it was under Darian DeVries. McCollum’s most important recruits were the four pieces who followed from Northwest Missouri, headlined by star guard Bennett Stirtz and sharpshooting wing Mitch Mascari. Stirtz looks like a clear Missouri Valley Player of the Year candidate after shredding the Miami Hurricanes and Vanderbilt Commodores’ defenses in the Charleston Classic. Meanwhile, Wyoming Cowboys transfer forward Cam Manyawu has been incredibly productive. Drake plays a deliberate pace but executes its sets offensively at a very high level, all while being very stout on the defensive end.
Potential Stumbling Blocks: The Bulldogs go for a third win this season over high-major competition next week against the Kansas State Wildcats on a neutral court in Kansas City. Win that, and the at-large NCAA tournament talk can begin in earnest. After that, circle an early MVC road trip to the Bradley Braves as a huge one for early control of that conference race.
Projected First Loss: Dec. 17 vs. Kansas State
The Ramblers won a share of the A-10 regular season a year ago and have continued that momentum into 2024–25 with eight straight wins, including a road win at the defending Ivy League champion Princeton Tigers. This is an athletic, balanced group with five players averaging between 8.1 and 12.1 points per game. Sophomore big man Miles Rubin is one of the best rim protectors in the country, while junior guard Jayden Dawson has taken big steps forward from a year ago on both ends. If you like dunks, this team is for you: The Ramblers generate more of their offense from slams than any mid-major in the country and rank in the top 10 nationally in that category.
Potential Stumbling Blocks: Unfortunately, Dawson suffered an ankle injury Saturday against South Florida and is unlikely to suit up in Loyola’s toughest test yet this Sunday against a very good San Francisco Dons team. His absence would loom large. Steal that game, and the Ramblers’ next big tests come in Hawaii at the Diamond Head Classic during Christmas week.
Projected First Loss: Dec. 15 vs. San Francisco
After two rebuilding seasons to open his tenure, Archie Miller has Rhody rolling in Year 3. A soft early schedule has helped matters, but beating in-state rival Providence over the weekend was a nice statement win and sets up URI to have a real shot at being the last undefeated team in the country. URI has been much improved from a year ago on the defensive end, thanks in no small part to the addition of 7-footer Javonte Brown as a rim protector. Meanwhile, point guard Sebastian Thomas has starred, averaging nearly 17 points and over seven assists per game after returning to the Rams this offseason. Thomas began his career at URI, then transferred to Albany after a rough sophomore season before bouncing back earlier this year.
Potential Stumbling Blocks: Rhode Island’s fairly soft schedule continues well into the new year thanks to a fairly manageable start to A-10 play. A neutral-court game vs. the Temple Owls on Dec. 21 could be tricky, as could a home matchup with the George Mason Patriots on Jan. 4, but Rhode Island is favored based on KenPom in its next seven games before a Jan. 15 road tilt at Loyola Chicago. A 16–0 start is at least on the table.
Projected First Loss: Jan. 4 vs. George Mason
