After another exhilarating week of college basketball action, CBS Sports’ Gary Parrish updated his Top 25 and 1 rankings. He had no shortage of results to consider, with four AP Top 25 teams falling on Saturday alone.
The SEC continued to dominate Parrish’s rankings, with nine teams total on his list. However, the Big Ten was also well-represented, with six programs in Parrish’s Top 25 and 1.
With conference play just around the corner, the season will only get wilder. Let’s dive into Parrish’s latest college basketball rankings.
Previous Ranking: 1
Tennessee retained its No. 1 spot in Parrish’s rankings, thanks to a buzzer beater win over Illinois on Saturday. Jordan Gainey was the hero for the Volunteers, hitting a game-winning layup as time expired.
The bucket gave him a career-high 23 points and extended the Volunteers’ season-opening win streak to 10 victories. It was a reassuring win for the Volunteers, who played poorly throughout the game, only shooting 32.3% from the field.
Previous Ranking: 2
On Saturday, Auburn defeated Ohio State in blowout 91-53 fashion. In the win, big man Johni Broome continued to look like a frontrunner for the Naismith Player of the Year Award, racking up 21 points, 20 rebounds and six assists.
He is the first Auburn player to have a 20-20 game since Kelvin Ardister in 1989. Alas, Broome was far from the only standout for Auburn. In total, four Tigers scored double figures against Ohio State.
Previous Ranking: 3
Iowa State has looked formidable thus far this season, and this past week was no exception. On Sunday, the Cyclones handily defeated a subpar Omaha squad after downing Iowa 89-80 only two days earlier.
In the win over Iowa, Curtis Jones led the way off the bench, scoring a game-high 23 points. It was a comeback win for the Cyclones, who trailed Iowa by 13 points at one point in the showdown.
Previous Ranking: 5
Mark Pope continued his unforgettable debut campaign at Kentucky with a win over arch-nemesis Louisville. The Wildcats hit on all cylinders in the triumph, shooting 32-55 (58.2%) from the field and 11-21 (52.4%) from beyond the arc.
Fifth-year senior point guard Lamont Butler was particularly fantastic for Kentucky, erupting for a career-high 33 points while shooting 10-10 from the floor, including six 3-pointers.
Previous Ranking: 6
Duke improved one spot in Parrish’s rankings this week after a comfortable 72-46 win over Incarnate Word on Tuesday. That’s four straight for the Blue Devils, who kicked off the month with a stunning victory over Auburn.
Standout freshman Cooper Flagg has continued to live up to expectations, averaging 15.9 points, 9.0 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game while shooting 42.9% from the field. If Flagg can clean up his 22.2% 3-point percentage, the Blue Devils will be a force to be reckoned with in March.
Previous Ranking: 7
For Parrish’s fourth SEC team in his rankings, he rolled with the Crimson Tide. In fairness, Alabama has one of the best résumés in college basketball, boasting three victories over ranked opponents.
Most recently, Alabama downed Creighton 83-75 on Saturday. All-American guard Mark Sears stole the show against the Bluejays, notching 27 points on 4-7 shooting from downtown.
Previous Ranking: 10
The Jayhawks fallen a bit since the beginning of the year but they’re still a legitimate contender for the national title. Following back-to-back losses last week, Kansas bounced back with a 75-60 win over NC State.
Hunter Dickinson and Zeke Mayo gave the Wolfpack headaches all game, combining for 47 points, 17 rebounds and nine assists. With the win, Kansas 8-2 on the season while maintaining its perfect record at home.
Previous Ranking: 16
Florida made a massive leap in Parrish’s rankings this week after securing dominant wins over Virginia and Arizona State. In their 83-66 triumph over the Sun Devils, the Gators were relentless on the glass, snagging twice as many offensive rebounds as ASU.
With the win, Florida improved to 10-0 for the first time since the 2005-06 season under head coach Billy Donovan. That team went 17-0 before losing, and eventually went on to win the national championship.
Previous Ranking: 4
Marquette emerged victorious over Wisconsin last Saturday but fell victim to a hangover from its win, losing 71-63 to Dayton this weekend. It was an ugly performance for the Golden Eagles, who shot 40.7% from the field while committing 13 turnovers.
Despite the loss, Marquette is capable of beating anyone in March thanks to Kam Jones. The standout senior has been a force to be reckoned with this season, averaging 20.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game.
Previous Ranking: 11
Michigan State is on a three-game win streak, most recently dominating Nebraska 89-52. In the win, the Spartans had three players score double figures but none amounted more than Jaden Adkins, who finished the game with 18 points.
The Spartans have a head start on the competition with a 2-0 start to conference play. Alas, they’ll have lots to prove moving forward, with the Big Ten as competitive as ever this season.
11. Ole Miss (+1)
12. UCLA (+1)
13. Oregon (+1)
14. Texas A&M (Previously unranked)
15. Purdue (-6)
16. Maryland (-1)
17. Mississippi State
18. North Carolina (+1)
19. Dayton (+1)
20. Illinois (-2)
21. Memphis (Previously unranked)
22. UConn (Previously unranked)
23. Gonzaga (-15)
24. San Diego State (-3)
25. Houston (-3)
26. Oklahoma (-3)
