The only thing that makes sense in college basketball right now is that nothing makes sense. Half of the AP Top 25 lost at least one game this week, which is an average week for this season’s standards and tells you all you need to know about the chaos that is the 2024-25 season. See how our power rankings were shaken up with just three weeks remaining in the regular season!
1. Duke (22-3)
Jon Scheyer’s group cruised this week when welcoming two west coast teams to Cameron Indoor Stadium as the stars around Cooper Flagg continue their ascensions into their respective roles. A few tight battles wouldn’t hurt, but the Blue Devils won’t complain about the utter dominance they’re experiencing right now.
2. Auburn (23-2)
One of the most anticipated games in SEC basketball history didn’t disappoint as Auburn held off a late rally from its in-state rival to tighten its grip on a regular season conference title. All signs point toward the Tigers receiving the No. 1 overall seed in next month’s NCAA Tournament as well.
3. Alabama (20-3)
Alabama showed a lot of heart to get back into Saturday’s showdown with Auburn, but it proved not to be enough against arguably the nation’s top team. There’s no time to dwell on it however as all six remaining games for the Crimson Tide come against ranked opponents, including three against top five teams.
4. Florida (22-3)
Even with nicks and bruises almost everywhere on the roster, the Gators just keep winning and reaped the rewards on Saturday as the NCAA Tournament committee placed them among the four top seeds in the bracket. It’s well deserved but will be difficult to maintain with a difficult final stretch looming.
5. Houston (21-4)
The Cougars are in prime position to capture a second straight Big 12 regular season championship since joining the power conference after travelling to Tucson and taking down No. 13 Arizona on Saturday. This is a team that deserves more respect in general, but also in bracketology as well after being placed on the three-seed line in the weekend reveal.
6. Texas A&M (20-5)
The Aggies seem to be excluded from the top tier of SEC teams in national discussions, and it’s hard to understand why. They’re third in the league despite a minor injury to Wade Taylor IV in the middle of the year that could’ve cost them close battles against Alabama and Kentucky. This team is for real and a legitimate contender for an SEC title and a Final Four appearance.
7. Tennessee (21-5)
A 13-point halftime deficit at home against Vanderbilt, fresh off a second defeat this season to Kentucky, provided quite the gut check for Rick Barnes and the Volunteers. They passed it thanks to a 50-point second-half performance led by Zakai Zeigler and Chaz Lanier. A difficult trip to College Station is next up and should be a good one.
8. Iowa State (20-5)
The Cyclones have bounced back well to a three-game losing streak and are now winners of three in a row heading into their toughest stretch of the year to close the regular season. A Big 12 regular season championship might be out of the picture, but a strong close could be a big confidence boost toward loftier goals in Ames.
9. St. John’s (22-4)
Despite a loss to Villanova in the middle of the week, the Red Storm are still in firm control of the Big East after defeating Creighton on Sunday. It was another big win for Rick Pitino’s group that is now a perfect 16-0 at home and closing in on a regular season conference title in the legendary coach’s second season.
10. Texas Tech (20-4)
Grant McCasland is doing an excellent job in year two in Lubbock and has the Red Raiders back in the national spotlight as a result. He might not have the same talent as that special 2019 squad that reached the Final Four, but this team has the same kind of potential thanks to a top-10 offense and a top-35 defense in the nation.
11. Wisconsin (20-5)
The extra rest proved fruitful for the Badgers before a trip to Mackey Arena as Greg Gard’s unit went in and stunned the Boilermakers after an outrageous shooting performance after halftime. Wisconsin scored 58 points in the final 20 minutes and exited West Lafayette with a statement win that places them back in the Big Ten title race with three weeks to go.
12. Memphis (21-5)
Memphis had been playing with its food in recent weeks and it finally caught up to them Sunday with an upset loss to Wichita State. Still, this team is comfortably in the tournament and will be a dangerous mid-seed in March.
13. Michigan State (20-5)
Tom Izzo now stands alone with the most wins by a coach in Big Ten history (354), passing Bobby Knight. It came in Champaign against an uber-talented Illinois squad and at the perfect time following a home loss to Indiana on Tuesday. Now the Spartans turn their attention to a brutal stretch of five ranked contests in the final six games of the regular season.
14. Marquette (19-6)
It was an easy week for the Golden Eagles with just one game, at home against DePaul, on the schedule. The Blue Demons didn’t make it easy, but Marquette snapped a three-game losing streak and will look to ride that momentum into a defining final stretch of the season that could push them onto the top-four seed line in the NCAA Tournament.
15. Purdue (19-7)
They’ve faced one of the most difficult schedules in the nation, but I’m not sure what the infatuation is with the Boilermakers among bracketologists and national analysts. An 0-2 week dropped them to third in the Big Ten and handed Matt Painter his seventh loss of the season with a handful of difficult games still left on the schedule. This feels like a four-seed at best and not one with the makeup to go on a deep run in March.
16. Michigan (19-5)
The success of the Wolverines in tight contests over the last few weeks continues to be remarkable. They’ve now won six in a row and all have come by four points or fewer against stiff Big Ten competition. Regardless, it has them atop the conference standings, which is always a positive for a league still seeking its first national title since 2000.
Next 5: Missouri, Kentucky, Arizona, Mississippi State, Clemson
Players of the Week:
JT Toppin, No. 12 Texas Tech Red Raiders
A guy that flies under the radar in a loaded draft class is Texas Tech’s JT Toppin. The sophomore forward is one of the best non-freshman prospects in the class and made that abundantly clear this week. He helped the Red Raiders defeat Arizona State in 2OT with 41 points (on 17-22 shooting!) and 15 rebounds and followed it up with a 32-point double-double in just 26 minutes against Oklahoma State.
Liam McNeeley, UConn Huskies
The week ended on a sour note, but that doesn’t take away from McNeeley’s star performance to knock off No. 24 Creighton on the road on Tuesday. The freshman poured in 38 points on 55/50/90 splits against the Blue Jays and added 10 rebounds just for good measure, solidifying his status as a top-half lottery pick.
Tre Johnson, Texas Longhorns
The Longhorns desperately needed a win this week against a top-ranked team and who better than their star freshman to come through when they needed it most. While not efficient, Johnson was outstanding attacking the basket against Kentucky and finished with 32 points and nine rebounds in an upset win that puts his team back on the right side of the bubble.
Thomas Haugh, No. 3 Florida Gators
Many advanced metrics boast Haugh as one of the top “glue guys” in the country with impact that far outweighs his statistical production. The stats matched the impact this week as the New Oxford, PA native nearly notched a triple-double against Mississippi State with 16 points, nine rebounds and eight assists off the bench, not to mention two steals and two blocks.
The impressive showing, as well as an injury to typical starter Alex Condon, paved the way for his first start of the season on Saturday, which he capitalized on with a season-high 20 points against South Carolina.
John Tonje, No. 16 Wisconsin Badgers
Since being shut out against USC in mid-January, few guards in the country are playing better than John Tonje. The Missouri transfer has reached 22 or more points in six of the seven games since, including 32 at Mackey Arena over the weekend to shock the hosting Boilermakers. The star Badger is making quite the case for Big Ten Player of the Year as well.
Play of the Week
Hunter Sallis is having a terrific year for Wake Forest and is a big reason why the Demon Deacons are anywhere near the bubble. He’s found a home in Winston-Salem after a disappointing start to his five-star career in Spokane and is a potential first-round pick this summer because of it. Plays like this always help…
Video Credit: ACC Digital Network YouTube
