![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/hoopshq-divider-logo-transparent.png\"){kind=spacer}
<\/p>\nAside from a loaded Saturday (please don\u2019t ask how I did on my picks), it was a relatively quiet week in college hoops. We did, however, see a loss taken by my No. 1 team, so that will naturally produce a change at the top. Plus, I had plenty of other movements in the various metric ratings to consider. When you\u2019re an AP Top 25 voter, every week of the college basketball season is the most wonderful time of the year.<\/p>\n
Things will be especially quiet this week as the sport shuts down for Christmas. In the meantime, I\u2019ve got another ranking to stuff your stocking. As always, I relied on three main metrics: KenPom (a predictive metric which includes data from last season), BartTorvik (filtered to include only this year\u2019s games) and BartTorvik\u2019s Wins Above Bubble. Each team\u2019s rank in those metrics are listed in order. The number in parentheses reflects last week\u2019s rank on my ballot.<\/p>\n
Here, once again, is the (correct) order of the top 25 teams in men\u2019s college basketball, as filed to the Associated Press on Sunday evening.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/HoopsHQ-favicon-Arizon_Wildcats.png\")
<\/p>\n
\n1. Arizona (2) 2-2-1\n<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n1. Arizona (2) 2-2-1\n<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1920px-Michigan_Wolverines_logo.svg_.png\"){kind=logo}
<\/p>\n
\n2. Michigan (3) 1-1-2\n<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n2. Michigan (3) 1-1-2\n<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1766507185_746_HoopsHQ-favicon-UConn-huskies.png\")
<\/p>\n
\n3. UConn (4) 7-4-3\n<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n3. UConn (4) 7-4-3\n<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1766507185_514_HoopsHQ-favicon-IowaState_Cyclones.png\")
<\/p>\n
\n4. Iowa State (5) 3-5-4\n<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n4. Iowa State (5) 3-5-4\n<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/HoopsHQ-favicon-Duke_BlueDevils.png\")
<\/p>\n
\n5. Duke (1) 6-8-6\n<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n5. Duke (1) 6-8-6\n<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/HoopsHQ-favicon-gonzaga-bulldogs.png\")
<\/p>\n
\n6. Gonzaga (6) 4-3-5\n<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n6. Gonzaga (6) 4-3-5\n<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/HoopsHQ-favicon-Purdue_Boilermakers.png\")
<\/p>\n
\n7. Purdue (7) 5-9-9\n<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Purdue_Boilermakers_logo.svg_.png\"){kind=logo}
<\/p>\n
\n7. Purdue (7) 5-9-9\n<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1766507187_718_HoopsHQ-favicon-MichiganState_Trojans.png\")
<\/p>\n
\n8. Michigan State (8) 12-10-7\n<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n8. Michigan State (8) 12-10-7\n<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/HoopsHQ-favicon-Houston_Cougars.png\")
<\/p>\n
\n9. Houston (9) 8-7-13\n<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n9. Houston (9) 8-7-13\n<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/HoopsHQ-favicon-BYU_Cougars.png\")
<\/p>\n
\n10. BYU (10) 9-18-11\n<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n10. BYU (10) 9-18-11\n<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/HoopsHQ-favicon-alabama-crimson-sec.png\")
<\/p>\n
\n11. Alabama (12) 16-13-16\n<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n11. Alabama (12) 16-13-16\n<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/HoopsHQ-favicon-Kansas_Jayhawks.png\")
<\/p>\n
\n12. Kansas (13) 17-15-14\n<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n12. Kansas (13) 17-15-14\n<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Nebraska_Cornhuskers_logo.svg_.png\"){kind=logo}
<\/p>\n
\n13. Nebraska (14) 21-19-8\n<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n13. Nebraska (14) 21-19-8\n<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/HoopsHQ-favicon-Illinois_Fighting.png\")
<\/p>\n
\n14. Illinois (15) 11-16-21\n<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n14. Illinois (15) 11-16-21\n<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1766507190_622_HoopsHQ-favicon-North_Carolina_Tar_Heels.png\")
<\/p>\n
\n15. North Carolina (16) 22-25-12\n<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1766507191_721_HoopsHQ-favicon-North_Carolina_Tar_Heels.png\")
<\/p>\n
\n15. North Carolina (16) 22-25-12\n<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1766507191_269_HoopsHQ-favicon-Louisville_Cardinals.png\")
<\/p>\n
\n16. Louisville (11) 14-12-18\n<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1766507191_219_HoopsHQ-favicon-Louisville_Cardinals.png\")
<\/p>\n
\n16. Louisville (11) 14-12-18\n<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1766507191_925_Tennessee_Volunteers_logo.svg_.png\"){kind=logo}
<\/p>\n
\n17. Tennessee (17) 15-14-36\n<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n17. Tennessee (17) 15-14-36\n<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/HoopsHQ-favicon-florida-gators.png\")
<\/p>\n
\n18. Florida (20) 13-22-48\n<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n18. Florida (20) 13-22-48\n<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1766507192_497_HoopsHQ-favicon-kentucky-wildcats.png\")
<\/p>\n
\n19. Kentucky (NR) 18-28-50\n<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n19. Kentucky (NR) 18-28-50\n<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1766507192_213_HoopsHQ-favicon-TexasTech.png\")
<\/p>\n
\n20. Texas Tech (NR) 24-34-17\n<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n20. Texas Tech (NR) 24-34-17\n<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1766507193_563_HoopsHQ-favicon-vanderbilt.png\")
<\/p>\n
\n21. Vanderbilt (22) 10-6-10\n<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n21. Vanderbilt (22) 10-6-10\n<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/HoopsHQ-favicon-arkansas-razorbacks.png\")
<\/p>\n
\n22. Arkansas (21) 26-26-26\n<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n22. Arkansas (21) 26-26-26\n<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/HoopsHQ-favicon-georgia-bulldogs.png\")
<\/p>\n
\n23. Georgia (24) 23-24-37\n<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Georgia_Athletics_logo.png\"){kind=logo}
<\/p>\n
\n23. Georgia (24) 23-24-37\n<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/HoopsHQ-favicon-st.johns-red-storm.png\")
<\/p>\n
\n24. St. John\u2019s (19) 20-20-64\n<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n24. St. John\u2019s (19) 20-20-64\n<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/HoopsHQ-favicon-Virginia_Cavaliers_.png\")
<\/p>\n
\n25. Virginia (25) 25-23-22\n<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n25. Virginia (25) 25-23-22\n<\/p>\n
DROPPED OUT: Auburn (18), Clemson (23)<\/p>\n
ALMOST FAMOUS: Iowa (19-11-29), Seton Hall (43-35-19), Indiana (27-17-63), Villanova (28-37-35), Utah State (29-27-20), Baylor (32-45-39), UCLA (31-36-52), Saint Mary\u2019s (34-30-32), Saint Louis (35-21-34), LSU (36-29-30), USC (39-38-15)<\/p>\n
Notes on the Votes<\/p>\n
\u2022 Clearly Duke had to drop from No. 1 following its loss to Madison Square Garden. I had to factor in that the Red Raiders had not exactly been lighting the world on fire (they had yet to beat a top-30 KenPom team and to drilled by Purdue by 30 points), and that Texas Tech was playing shorthanded. Plus, the Blue Devils blew a 17-point second-half lead. There are worse crimes than losing to a good team by one point, so as usual I leaned on the metrics. Those rankings might dictate that Duke should be ranked behind Gonzaga, but given that the Zags lost to Michigan by 30 points on a neutral court, I decided to install the Blue Devils one spot ahead. Duke has 11 days to stew on that loss before it hosts Georgia Tech to tip off ACC season.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Houston solidified its standing as a top-10 team by beating Arkansas, 94-85, in Newark. The Cougars have quietly played kind of a meh schedule, though they did play in the Players Era Festival, where they suffered their only loss of the season to Tennessee. So Saturday\u2019s game was something of a benchmark and they cleared it with ease. This is yet another elite defensive team coached by Kelvin Sampson, and it appears the offense is starting to catch up. (Though that No. 348 ranking on KenPom in offensive free throw rate needs to be corrected.) The Cougars\u2019 Big 12 schedule is backloaded, so you can expect them to rack up wins and climb the polls over the next four weeks.<\/p>\n
\u2022 BYU is another highly-ranked team that has played a low-key weak schedule. The Cougars\u2019 are a two-point loss at UConn away from being undefeated, but their best win the season opener over Villanova in Las Vegas. They, too, open Big 12 play against the bottom-tier teams. Their next big teest is Jan. 26 at home against Arizona, followed by a trip to Allen Fieldhouse on Jan. 31.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Speaking of Kansas, I continue to be more bullish on the Jayhawks than many others \u2014\u00a0assuming, that is, that at some point Darryn Peterson will be back, healthy, and effective. Without him in the lineup, Bill Self has put together a championship-level defense. The offense has lagged, but that won\u2019t be the case if Peterson is playing. Their metrics justify where I ranked them, but they\u2019ve got room to grow if and when he returns.<\/p>\n
\u2022 I\u2019ve been generous towards North Carolina in anticipation that Seth Trimble would be back. He returned for Saturday\u2019s game against Ohio State, and the Heels needed every one of his 17 points to squeak out a 71-70 win. That No. 12 Wins Above Bubble rank is a strong tell that North Carolina is very much in position to challenge Duke and Louisville for ACC supremacy.<\/p>\n
\u2022 And let\u2019s give a hearty welcome back to Kentucky, which earned its place by knocking off St. John\u2019s in Atlanta. We\u2019ve been saying for a while that this team wasn\u2019t good enough to beat good teams at less than full strength. Well, the Wildcats are finally healthy, and on Saturday they gave a glimpse of what\u2019s possible. It\u2019s too early to tell whether the 78-66 comeback win happened because Kentucky was so good or St. John\u2019s was so mediocre, but we\u2019ll know a lot more about these Wildcats when they open up SEC play Jan. 3 at Alabama.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Texas Tech had remained at No. 19 in the AP poll, but I haven\u2019t ranked the Red Raiders in a couple of weeks. That obviously needed to change after their stirring win over the Blue Devils. This team would be much improved if 6-foot-11 sophomore forward Luke Bamgboye gets healthy, but he is out with a lower body injury and it\u2019s not yet clear when he\u2019s coming back.<\/p>\n
\u2022 I know I\u2019m going to regret this, but despite Vanderbilt\u2019s sky-high metrics, and despite the Commodores\u2019 total domination of Wake Forest on Sunday, I still have a hard time ranking them higher given that they still don\u2019t have a win over a top-30 KenPom team. They\u2019ll try for one on Jan. 7 when they host Alabama in Nashville. I wouldn\u2019t be surprised if they win a bunch of games and vault into my top 10, but they have to earn that first.<\/p>\n
\u2022 It seems every year I have a revolving-door team, and this season it\u2019s Auburn. The in-again, out-again Tigers are out again following their 88-60 loss to Purdue in Indianapolis. That was their third loss by 19 or more points. I\u2019ll be interested to see how they fare Jan. 3 at Georgia.<\/p>\n
\u2022\u00a0Clemson didn\u2019t lose, but its 33-33-49 metrics profile can no longer be dismissed. KenPom has the Tigers favored in their first 12 ACC games. If they play to the numbers, they\u2019ll have a number next to their name real soon.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2022 As for my Almost Famous group, I came real close to ranking Iowa, but its No. 29 Wins Above Bubble ranking was just low enough to keep the Hawkeyes off. A win at home over UCLA on Jan. 3 wouldn\u2019t definitely make me rank Iowa, but it would help.<\/p>\n
\u2022 I really wanted to rank Seton Hall, and the No. 19 Wins Above Bubble ranking shows the Pirates are definitely worth considering. They are one two-point loss to USC in Maui away from being undefeated. On the other hand, their best win was against N.C. State on a neutral court. The Big East is not going to afford many big-win opportunities, but if the Pirates keep stringing together victories, they will force me to rank \u2019em. I\u2019ll be very interested to see how they fare against Villanova at home on Tuesday night given that the Wildcats are 9-2 and just knocked off Wisconsin in Milwaukee on Friday night.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\t\t\tMeet your guide<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t![\"Seth](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Seth-Davis-Business-Card-Photo.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\tSeth Davis<\/p>\n
Seth Davis, Hoops HQ’s Editor-in-Chief, is an award-winning college basketball writer and broadcaster. Since 2004, Seth has been a host of CBS Sports and Turner Sports’s March Madness NCAA basketball tournament. A writer at Sports Illustrated\u00a0for 22 years and at\u00a0The Athletic\u00a0for six, he is the author of nine books, including the\u00a0New York Times\u00a0best sellers\u00a0Wooden: A Coach\u2019s Life and When March Went Mad: The Game Transformed Basketball.<\/p>\n