Sunday cemented it. There is no doubt who the best team in college basketball is right now, and there’s a somewhat significant gap between the top team in the sport and the rest of the field at this moment.
I’m talking about UConn, which dominated Marquette on Saturday 81-53 for a 14th consecutive win. The Huskies cruised to an eighth victory on this streak by double-figures, as they’ve won their games by an average of 17 points per contest since their loss to Seton Hall two months ago.
Now, the 24-2 Huskies have already been No. 1 in our weekly FOX Sports Top 25, but they weren’t the No. 1 overall seed when the NCAA Tournament selection committee issued their early reveal on Saturday. That belonged to Purdue, and it’s understandable why. The Boilermakers lead the country with a combined 15 quad 1 and 2 victories.
That gap for the top seed closed some on Sunday in shocking fashion. Ohio State, which fired Chris Holtmann on Wednesday and had lost nine of its last 11 games, stunned the Boilermakers 73-69 behind 41 combined points from Bruce Thornton and Jamison Battle. The Buckeyes are in second-to-last in the Big Ten but held Purdue to 3-of-9 from 3-point territory to earn the eyebrow-raising victory.
Would Purdue be the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament still today? It’s a toss-up. I’d put the Huskies there right now. Their only losses are at Kansas and on the road to Seton Hall, a game in which Donovan Clingan got hurt in the second half.
As for my rankings, I’m not going to just keep Purdue at No. 2. Sure, the Buckeyes had extra motivation and may have been pushed by the coaching change to prove people wrong, but a loss to a team that is well outside the NCAA Tournament conversation is something that has to have some impact on a team’s standing.
Arizona has hit its stride again with six consecutive wins behind Caleb Love and Kylan Boswell, while Houston is 22-3 overall and 9-3 in the toughest conference in college hoops, the Big 12.
Elsewhere in my top 25, Kentucky returns to the rankings this week after a mammoth road win at Auburn on Saturday. The Wildcats showed that they can defend on the big stage, holding Auburn to 31% from the field and 4-for-22 from 3-point territory in a shocking 70-59 road win. This caps off a big bounce-back week for John Calipari’s crew after they beat Ole Miss 75-63. Antonio Reeves continued his stellar year with 22 points while 6-foot-8 sophomore Adou Thiero posted his second breakout game in the last week with 14 points. Kentucky has some of the highest variance in NCAA Tournament results in the country this year. They could make the Final Four or lose in the first round and I wouldn’t be shocked.
1. UConn (24-2)
2. Arizona (20-5)
3. Houston (22-3)
4. Purdue (23-3)
5. Tennessee (19-6)
6. Iowa State (20-5)
7. Marquette (19-6)
8. Baylor (19-6)
9. North Carolina (20-6)
10. Alabama (18-7)
11. Duke (20-5)
12. Kansas (20-6)
13. Illinois (19-6)
14. Creighton (19-7)
15. Dayton (21-4)
16. Kentucky (18-7)
17. Auburn (20-6)
18. San Diego State (20-6)
19. Saint Mary’s (21-6)
20. Washington State (20-6)
21. South Carolina (21-5)
22. Colorado State (20-6)
23. TCU (18-7)
24. South Florida (18-5)
25. Michigan State (17-9)