College Basketball Power Rankings: Tennessee Claims Top Spot Amid Undefeated Start

College Basketball Power Rankings: Tennessee Claims Top Spot Amid Undefeated Start

The college basketball slate was jam-packed with Top-25 matchups last week, with the best of the best going at it. Almost every top team took on a formidable opponent, and we got to see them in their first major tests since the Feast Week tournaments.

The SEC dominated in the SEC vs. ACC Challenge, which helped to shake up these top rankings. The AP Poll was just released this afternoon, and there are some movers among the top teams. These college basketball power rankings are a mix of the Top 25 poll and analytical metrics from KenPom and others, as we try to bridge the gap between close losses and the true value of a team's talent.

College Basketball Power Rankings - December 9th

1. Tennessee Volunteers (8-0) (+1)

So far, Tennessee has blown out Baylor, Virginia, Louisville, and Syracuse, all by 15+ points. In fact, none of their eight games have come down to less than 15 points. While those teams aren't having their greatest years, they are still impressive wins nonetheless, and the Vols played their own way throughout. They will be tested against Miami and Illinois this week, and all eyes will be on them to see if a team can even get within single digits. The Vols have a top-10 offense and top-3 defense, while also flexing the best 2-point efficiency in the country and the second-best offensive rebounding rate. They play a very fundamental game, and no one has been able to throw them off it yet.

2. Auburn Tigers (8-1) (-1)

The Auburn Tigers will drop one spot off the top after coming up short against the Duke Blue Devils last week. They had to drop a game eventually after a red-hot start, and they went down to the wire against Duke, making it close late in the second half. Losing at Cameron Indoor to this Duke squad is one of the best losses anyone could have on their resume, and it won't hurt the Tigers one bit. They'll take on Ohio State this week, and we can also look ahead to a matchup with the No. 11 Purdue Boilermakers the week after that, where they can continue to build on their already impressive resume.

3. Iowa State Cyclones (7-1) (+2)

Iowa State powers their way to the third spot in the college basketball power rankings after delivering yet another strong week. They outplayed the top-10 Marquette Golden Eagles last week from start to finish, and then added a 30-point non-conference blowout against Jackson State. This team is fundamentally sound, boasting the best turnover ratio in the country. They don't give it away, and they steal it from the opposition at an uncanny rate. Yesterday, it was 24-7 in favor of the Cyclones. That is a winning recipe that can be applied against all competition. They will be tested again vs. Iowa this week, followed by a reprieve ahead of conference play.

4. Duke Blue Devils (7-2) (+4)

Duke is going to be one of the biggest movers this week, because they proved that they can step up and win the big ones after taking down our previous top team in the Auburn Tigers. Duke has two losses to Kansas and Kentucky that we discussed as a failure to find the clutch basket, but they rose to the occasion against a stacked Auburn team and handed them their first loss at Cameron Indoor last week. Duke has the best defense in the country so far, and they just put it on display again with a second-half comeback against a revamped Louisville team. The Blue Devils will stay on the rise as their young stars get even more comfortable.

5. Kentucky Wildcats (8-1) (+2)

Kentucky bumps up two spots here after their thrilling comeback against the Gonzaga Bulldogs. They were down 16 at halftime, and could have packed up shop. They had already lost their undefeated record against Clemson earlier in the week, and would have fallen out of the top 10 if they had given up. Instead, they dug deep and forced overtime against the one of the best offenses in the country, and emerging victorious in Seattle with a one-point victory. That grit and determination far outshines the close loss to an impressive Clemson team, and moves the Wildcats up further in the ranks.

Will the Wildcats compete for a SEC title? Check out the latest odds

6. Marquette Golden Eagles (9-1) (-)

Marquette is going to sit still here at the six spot following their 1-1 split this week. The Golden Eagles came up short against Iowa State in an 11-point road loss, but redeemed themselves with a beatdown of Wisconsin at home. Iowa State is their only loss on the year and it's a good one to have. The double-digit wins over Wisconsin and Purdue are impressive, and the Golden Eagles have been forcing a lot of turnovers while protecting the ball, an important trait for a top-10 team.

7. Gonzaga Bulldogs (7-2) (-2)

The Gonzaga Bulldogs lost a heartbreaker on Saturday night to the Kentucky Wildcats, who are now ahead of them on this list. As mentioned, they blew a massive halftime lead down the stretch and succumbed in overtime. They will have a huge test against the UConn Huskies on Saturday night as they try to climb back up in the rankings. We know how powerful this offense is, they just have to avoid blowing halftime leads that contributed to their only two losses.

8. Alabama Crimson Tide (5-2) (+1)

The Alabama Crimson Tide will bump up one spot here from No. 9 last week. They blew away UNC last week in the SEC vs. ACC challenge, part of the resounding victory for the SEC. But the Tar Heels are looking worse and worse each week, now falling out of the Top 25. Alabama also lost their best shooter for the season, with Latrell Wrightsell Jr. going down with an Achilles last week. That will impact them down the road, but they still have a lot of talent to work with on this roster.

9. Houston Cougars (5-3) (+1)

I'm keeping Houston in the power rankings once again, even though they won't be ranked in the top-10 of the AP Poll. That's okay, because we know how good this team is on metrics, and they belong among the top group in the nation. They won't be able to prove it for a while, as the conference schedule doesn't start up until January, but they will keep playing their technically-sound game in the meantime. The Cougars only had one game this week, a 25+ beatdown of Butler. They have some very weak non-conference opponents to close out 2024, so look for a few more blowouts as they build their confidence back up.

10. Florida Gators (9-0) (+)

The Florida Gators are continuing to roll, clocking in as one of the few remaining undefeated teams. They haven't played a ton of strong competition yet, but blew Virginia, Wichita State, and Wake Forest out of the water by 15+ each in their last three games. They have some solid tests coming up against Arizona State and UNC in their next two, so look for the Gators to try and prove that they belong with more big wins.

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. Kansas Jayhawks (7-2)

12. St. John's Red Storm (7-2)

13. Purdue Boilermakers (8-2)

14. UConn Huskies (8-3)

15. Oregon Ducks (9-1)

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

Biggest Losers

Kansas Jayhawks (7-2)

The Kansas Jayhawks are getting knocked out of the Top 10 after a very weak set of road games. The Jayhawks were blown away by Creighton and Mizzou this week, trailing for the entire game in both, often by double digits. We had them at No. 3 instead of No. 1 in the power rankings last week despite them sitting untouched as the number one team previously. There are some questionable areas of their game, including not getting to the free throw line and struggling with turnovers. They had 22 against the Tigers yesterday, more than double their opponent. Bill Self has some cleaning up to do with his veteran team.

Wisconsin Badgers (8-2)

The Wisconsin Badgers toasted away their perfect 8-0 start by dropping games to both Michigan and Marquette this week. Of course, they are formidable opponents, but the hot start may be fizzling out as the Badgers slowly come back to earth. They didn't look like a top 10 team after knocking on the door of the power rankings last week. The Badgers have another big test against Top-15 Illinois this week that will determine their trajectory in the conference.