College Basketball Rankings: Projected top 10 after Wichita State falls to Oklahoma

Another week, another top 10 loss, but who moves up following Wichita State’s slip up?

Although the college basketball season is barely a month in, it already feels like March. With four top 25 teams going down on Saturday, there’s sure to be a big overhaul in the rankings. But with Trae Young leading an unranked Oklahoma team into Charles Koch Arena and upsetting Wichita State, what does this mean for the next potential top 10? Let’s take a look.

1. Villanova – Jay Wright’s Wildcats have been the most consistent team in the country to this point, so them moving from No. 1 isn’t happening anytime soon. Even though they got a scare against La Salle last Sunday, it’s been relatively smooth sailing. Jalen Brunson personifies this Villanova team better than anyone else. Shooting a ridiculous 62.9 percent from the floor and well over 50 percent from 3, his consistency is what keeps the Villanova offense running like a well-oiled machine. They appear to be playing at midseason form as they enter Big East play, and it’s going to take a near-perfect all-around effort to beat this team.

2. Michigan State – Tom Izzo may have his best team to date, and that covers a lot of ground. Led by sophomore leader Miles Bridges’ presence inside and standout freshman Jaren Jackson’s timing and jumping ability, the Spartans lead the nation in blocks per game (8.3) as well as field goal percentage against (33.1 percent). While Duke does have an argument to be at No. 2, Michigan State has very clearly been the better team since the November 14 loss to the Blue Devils. In fact, since that loss, they’ve destroyed both North Carolina and Notre Dame, holding a very good Carolina offense to just 24.6 percent from the field as well as forcing 16 turnovers, and they’ve only given up more than 70 points just once. If defenses wins championships, watch out for Sparty this March.

3. Duke – Boasting the nation’s best offense, Duke has a group of four starting freshmen and Grayson Allen clicking on all cylinders. They lead the nation in total assists while scoring a ridiculous 93.3 points per game. However, the problem with this Duke team is defense. Inside, teams are struggling to score due to the presence of Marvin Bagley III, but it’s the three ball that’s keeping very apparent lesser caliber opponents in the game against the Blue Devils. For example, Boston College won the game against Duke at the 3-point arc, knocking down 15 3s at a 57.7 percent clip. Their perimeter defense is going to have to improve for them to reassert themselves as the best team in the nation.

4. Kentucky – The Wildcats appear to have found an identity. Just take a look at their last game against Virginia Tech. In the first half, Kentucky shot 13 3s and struggled to defend, leading to a 47-41 deficit at halftime. However, in the second half, Kentucky shot just nine 3-pointers, worked the ball inside, and most importantly, controlled the boards, leading to a big win over a game Hokies team. If they can execute more effectively in their half-court sets which will limit the number of forced 3s they shoot and allow them to control the glass and tempo, Calipari could be on his way to another season to remember in Lexington.

5. Arizona State – If its win over Xavier didn’t prove that this team was legit, then Arizona State’s upset win at Kansas certainly did. The unbeaten Sun Devils are capable of scoring at will. Tra Holder and Shannon Evans II are one of the better backcourt pairings out there, scoring efficiently and playing extremely well in big games. The senior guard Holder had 40 points against Xavier and 29 at Kansas, establishing Arizona State as the team to beat in a currently slacking Pac-12.

6. Miami – The only reason Miami is this high is because of its overall talent and a win over Minnesota. I say that because team is weird. They clearly have all the pieces to succeed, but they get caught playing down to the level of their opponents. Eventually this will bite them, but for now, the undefeated Canes sit at six.

7. North Carolina – Carolina is in dire need of a big win right now, and the reigning champs will get its chance to show what they’re made of Sunday when they visit 20th-ranked Tennessee. Their embarrassment of a loss against Michigan State is currently their lone blemish, but they’ve now won four in a row, including a win over a very underrated albeit underperforming Davidson team. Luke Maye has been a major bright spot for the Tar Heels while Joel Berry II has improved his points per game since last year. However, they’ve been the only two real consistent pieces for Roy Williams. They must get more production out of Pinson and get freshman Sterling Manley more minutes to have any shot in March, let alone to win the ACC.

8. Texas A&M – Texas A&M’s frontcourt is dominating everyone right now. The Aggies have a duo of centers who are black holes for rebounds. Tyler Davis and Robert Williams are the very definition of glass cleaners. Davis is averaging 8.0 boards per game while Williams leads the team with 10.4. It should also be noted that junior forward DJ Hogg is playing very good basketball right now, and he could be what makes A&M legitimate competition against Kentucky in the SEC.

9. Xavier – January 10 is a big day for Xavier. It will be their first crack at Villanova, and I think they can win that game as long as Trevon Bluiett continues to play at the level he’s currently on and they continue to shoot as team as well as they have. Xavier is currently second in the nation in field goal percentage, shooting a ridiculous 54.6 percent from the field. If they can shoot that well against Villanova, then we may have an upset on our hands. It’s also worth noting that Xavier has given up more than 80 points just once, and that was in their loss to Arizona State. Efficiency on offense and defense make this team a quiet bracket buster come March, because it seems like no one talks about the Musketeers as much as they should.

Next: Rebounding is driving Michigan State’s offensive improvement

10. West Virginia – The final spot in the top 10 came down to West Virginia and Virginia, and with the Mountaineers picking up a crucial out of conference win against Virginia, they ultimately took the tenth slot. It’s a whole lot of the same for Bob Huggins’ squad. Defense, defense, and more defense. Through 11 games, they’ve allowed 70 points or more just three times. At this point, everyone should know what Jevon Carter is capable of. He’s their leading scorer and team leader, and he’s going to want to close out his senior year with a bang, but with their schedule ahead, West Virginia has their work cut out for them. Just conference play alone will be difficult, but if they can limit their losses within the Big 12 to two or three, this could be a top-five team towards the end of the season.