College Basketball Rankings: Projected Top 25 for Week 13

2 of 6

MORGANTOWN, WV – JANUARY 27: Nick Richards #4 of the Kentucky Wildcats reacts after scoring against the West Virginia Mountaineers at the WVU Coliseum on January 27, 2018 in Morgantown, West Virginia. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) /

After starting the season 12-0, Arizona State has lost 5-of-9 games and the Sun Devils sit in the bottom half of the Pac-12 standings with a 4-5 record. That’s not exactly what you’d expect from a team that was ranked No. 2 not too long ago. The Sun Devils haven’t won two straight games since conference play began and things won’t get much easier for them with two away games in Week 13. There’s a good chance they’ll hang on to a spot in the Top 25.

Florida jumped into the rankings thanks to a win over a struggling Kentucky team in Week 11 and the Gators responded to getting back into the Top 25 with a loss against South Carolina at home. The SEC-Big 12 Challenge featured a matchup with Baylor in Gainesville and the Gators were able to come away with a 21-point win. They will just barely hold on to a spot in the rankings, just like Arizona State at No. 25.

For the first time this year, we are going to see Kansas State in the AP Top 25. The Wildcats have been making a strong impression over the past couple of weeks, winning four straight games after losing at Kansas. They’ve beaten No. 4 Oklahoma, No. 24 TCU, Baylor and Georgia over that span and will get enough votes to be in the Week 13 rankings. We will find out how good the Wildcats really are with matchups against No. 5 Kansas and at No. 7 West Virginia in Week 13.

Following a loss to Virginia, Clemson needed a nice comeback win to stay in the rankings. If the Tigers were to lose at Georgia Tech on Sunday evening, there’s a good chance they would be dropped from the rankings for Week 13. The Tigers closed out the week after being embarrassed, scoring just 36 points, in a loss to Virginia just a few days before with a two-point win over the Yellow Jackets.

Kentucky was bounced from the AP Top 25 for the first time since 2014 in Week 12 after losing to Florida and South Carolina. The Wildcats bounced back in Week 12 with wins over Mississippi State at home and at West Virginia. The Wildcats won the SEC-Big 12 Challenge contest against the No. 7 team country on the road and showed that it’s maturing quickly.