College Basketball Power Rankings: Ranking the Top Teams After Feast Week

College Basketball Power Rankings: Ranking the Top Teams After Feast Week

We've just wrapped up a thrilling feast week, chalk full of non-conference tournaments around the country. The Maui Invitational and the Battle 4 Atlantis were incredible, and we can't forget about the Player's Era Festival and the Vegas Showdown with Duke and Kansas in action.

After the dust settled, we still have a handful of undefeated teams littered throughout the Top 25. The AP Poll was just released this afternoon, and there is a lot of shakeup. These CBB power rankings are a mix of the Top 25 poll and analytical metrics from KenPom and others, to try and bridge the gap between close losses and the true value of a team's talent.

For example, Houston is now 4-3 after a couple close losses in Feast Week against ranked teams, and have plummeted from the Top 5 all the way down to No. 16. We all know that the Cougars are much better than that, and display metrics of being of the best two or three teams in the nation. So while we will take into account their losses, we won't be dropping them quite as far in these power rankings. Let's see where they land, along with the best of the rest in this Top 10 rankings as we enter the rest of December non-conference play.

College Basketball Power Rankings - December 2nd

1. Auburn Tigers (7-0)

The Auburn Tigers are boasting a spotless record through the first month of the season, and they are going to take over the top spot in these rankings, despite the Kansas Jayhawks still sitting at the No. 1 spot in the AP Poll. Auburn has beaten four ranked opponents in their seven games, and they've looked good doing it. They've won in a variety of ways, with the offense saving the day in a major second-half comeback against Top-5 Iowa State in Maui. After surviving that upset bid, they ran the table in the rest of the Invitational, and it doesn't look like anyone can last with the Tigers at both ends of the floor for a full forty minutes. They have the top-rated offense by all advanced metrics, and the defense is still top-10, led by veteran Johni Broome down low.

2. Tennessee Volunteers (7-0)

The Tennessee Volunteers are also going to jump over the Jayhawks here, although they haven't had quite as hard of a schedule. The Vols have dismantled everyone in their path, including a much-improved Louisville team and a ranked Baylor squad. No one has come close to challenging them yet, with every win coming by 15+ points. They have the second-best defense in the nation, and it shows every time they are on the court. They'll be tested more in the coming weeks, but no one has stacked up yet as they continue to dominate.

3. Kansas Jayhawks (7-0)

The Kansas Jayhawks will finally arrive here in the third spot, and there may be some confusion as to why they aren't No. 1. They began the season atop the list, and have never wavered from No. 1 in the AP Poll. Don't get me wrong, the Jayhawks haven't done anything to deserve getting bumped down, but they haven't done anything exceptional either. They very nearly collapsed down the stretch against both Duke and UNC after building early leads, and outside of that haven't played anyone tough. All of their metrics have them in the 7-10 range on offense and defense, not quite dominant enough to maintain the top spot in a power ranking. Duke probably should have beaten them, and although the Jayhawks have stacked veteran talent, they should be excelling much more than they are.

4. Gonzaga Bulldogs (7-1)

The Gonzaga Bulldogs are the second-best offense in the country, just a touch behind the Auburn Tigers. That's always been their identity under Mark Few, and it looks like it's working again. They have two ranked wins over Baylor and San Diego State, and their only blemish came in their Feast Week Tournament with a second-half collapse against the West Virginia Mountaineers. They blew a double-digit lead down the stretch, and came up short in overtime.

5. Iowa State Cyclones (5-1)

Iowa State is going to round out the Top 5 after a strong start to the season. They really should be undefeated, if Auburn hadn't staged a herculean comeback in the Maui Invitational to steal the win away. The Cyclones led by 20 points before a ferocious charge from Auburn, and they just couldn't hold them off. Outside of that, this team has been great, and are much improved on offense. They've typically been known for being a defensive stalwart in the Midwest, but they are bringing some firepower now to match it, and that could be dangerous for the Big 12.

Will the Cyclones compete for a Big 12 title? Check out the latest odds

6. Marquette Golden Eagles (8-0)

The Marquette Golden Eagles have passed every test presented to them so far, and they've moved into the Top 5 of the AP Poll. We are sitting them just outside at No. 6, only because of the quality of opponent so far. Their only ranked win is against Purdue, who they did blow out at home. Marquette lost a lot of stars after last year, but they seem to be doing just fine so far without them. They will have a massive test against Iowa State on Wednesday night, which will be a tell of which squad is deserving of the higher spot. Iowa State has looked stronger as the more well-rounded squad, but they will settle that on the court.

7. Kentucky Wildcats (7-0)

The Kentucky Wildcats are ranked No. 4 in the AP Poll after arriving to December without a loss, a big sign of success for new head coach Mark Pope. The Wildcats are thrilled to have landed their alum and former BYU coach to take over for John Calipari, and it's been a great match so far. They would be higher on this list at 7-0, but they haven't really been tested outside of Duke. It was a great late-game finish for them, but every other game has been a blowout against a sub-100 team. The Wildcats will get the next big test when they head to play Gonzaga on Saturday.

8. Duke Blue Devils (5-2)

The Duke Blue Devils have looked great for the most part this year. They are led by five-star freshmen Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel, who are carrying the load for this squad. They've been about as good as advertised so far, only coming up short against No. 1 Kansas and No. 4 Kentucky. Both of those games were winnable in the final minute, but the Blue Devils couldn't get the shot they wanted. The late-game situations with young freshmen has been basically the only knock on this team, who is currently rated as the best defense in the country by all major rankings. The sky is the limit for Duke if this trend persists.

9. Alabama Crimson Tide (6-2)

The Alabama Crimson Tide are sitting just ahead of Houston here after edging them out in overtime last week. The Tide have an exceptionally strong offense (3rd) just behind Auburn and Gonzaga, but their defense is where the issues lie. It has been a theme for Nate Oats, who likes to play at lightning speed. Their defense is outside the top-25 in efficiency, and they were outplayed by Purdue and Oregon so far. Whenever the Tide offense has an off-night and can't match the scoring from the opponent, they will succumb to defeat.

10. Houston Cougars (4-3)

You may be wondering why Houston isn't getting docked outside the Top 10 despite several shortcomings in their Player's Era Festival appearance. The Cougars are now 4-3 after losing to both San Diego State and Alabama over Thanksgiving weekend. They previously lost a close one to Auburn earlier in November. However, the Cougars are consistently rating as one of the most efficient teams in the nation, carried by their third-best defense. They are still top-10 in offense as well, but need their veteran players to step up in clutch situations. Both of their losses to Bama and SDSU came in OT, as they just weren't able to match the clutch buckets. LJ Cryer and Emanual Sharp lead this team once again, and the Cougars will be just fine in conference play with the experience and coaching. Now would be the best time to buy low on the Cougars.

Can the Houston Cougars regroup and make a run at the National Championship after a poor start? Check out their latest odds here

Just Outside the Top 10

11. Purdue Boilermakers (7-1)

12. Wisconsin Badgers (8-0)

13. Oregon Ducks (8-0)

14. Florida Gators (8-0)

15. Cincinnati Bearcats (8-0)

Can one of these undefeated squads move into the Top 10 this week? See their upcoming matchup odds here

Biggest Losers

UConn Huskies (5-3)

The UConn Huskies are in shambles after Feast Week. They lost all three of their games at the Maui Invitational, despite being the most-favored team coming in. The first two games were last-second losses against Memphis and Colorado, but the wheels came off at the end when getting blown out by the Dayton Flyers. The team seemed ready to pack their bags and head home, and coach Dan Hurley was swarmed in controversy for his sideline meltdowns. The Huskies regrouped on Saturday with a 50-point victory over Maryland Eastern Shore, but the damage was already done. And unlike Houston, they don't have any similar metrics that would place them at the top of any mathematical ratings. Their defense is ranked well-outside the Top 50, and they have a lot of work to do if they want to even be in the conversation for another title.

North Carolina Tar Heels (4-3)

The North Carolina Tar Heels are another team that is not pleased after returning home from their Feast Week tournament. They also almost went winless at the Maui Invitational, with the only victory coming in miracle comeback against the Dayton Flyers. They were down 20+ before putting up nearly 60 points in the second half to win by a basket. The Tar Heels have a high-flying offense, but they have started slow in several of their games, and were forced to turn on the jets in the second half to try and save the game. They also have played atrocious defense, ranking even lower than UConn. Both of these teams have a lot to figure out before conference play starts if they are going to deliver on their preseason top 10 rankings.