Fansided

College basketball rankings: Week 5 AP Top 25 predictions – Michigan in Top 5?

By Connor Muldowney

ANN ARBOR, MI - DECEMBER 1: Ignas Brazdeikis #13 of the Michigan Wolverines celebrates with the fans during the game against the Purdue Boilermakers at Crisler Center on December 1, 2018 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Michigan defeated Purdue 87-56. (Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images)
ANN ARBOR, MI - DECEMBER 1: Ignas Brazdeikis #13 of the Michigan Wolverines celebrates with the fans during the game against the Purdue Boilermakers at Crisler Center on December 1, 2018 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Michigan defeated Purdue 87-56. (Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 6
Next
TEMPE, AZ – DECEMBER 01: Arizona State Sun Devils guard Luguentz Dort (0) looks on during the college basketball game between the Texas Southern Tigers and the Arizona State Sun Devils on December 1, 2018 at Wells Fargo Arena in Tempe, Arizona. (Photo by Kevin Abele/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
TEMPE, AZ – DECEMBER 01: Arizona State Sun Devils guard Luguentz Dort (0) looks on during the college basketball game between the Texas Southern Tigers and the Arizona State Sun Devils on December 1, 2018 at Wells Fargo Arena in Tempe, Arizona. (Photo by Kevin Abele/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

One year removed from one of the most talented teams in recent school history, Houston will be back in the rankings after taking down No. 18 Oregon, 65-61. The win over the Ducks handed them their second loss of the week and the Cougars should take their spot in the rankings. Corey Davis Jr., an integral piece of the Cougars’ puzzle last year, has been on fire this season and you’d be hard-pressed to find a scarier American Athletic Conference team.

Ohio State head coach Chris Holtmann has done an incredible job turning this program around in just a year and he’s not done yet. However, the Buckeyes weren’t able to take care of business against Syracuse at home in the annual Big Ten/ACC Challenge, losing by 10, so they’ll drop quite a bit. Not having a true go-to scorer could be the difference between this year’s team and last as at least they had Keita Bates-Diop to turn to when things were looking grim on offense.

Syracuse rose all the way to No. 15 a couple of weeks ago, but the Orange lost back-to-back games to Connecticut and Oregon to drop out. They’ll get back into the rankings with a road upset victory over Ohio State, and they’ll actually jump the Buckeyes. Tyus Battle is averaging over 19 points per game while shooting 50 percent from the field and 41 percent from 3-point range this season while the defense has been stingy yet again.

Though Clemson wasn’t ranked in the AP Top 25 but rather the Coaches Poll, a road win over those Tigers still isn’t easy but the Cornhuskers pulled one out in Week 4 for the Big Ten/ACC Challenge. Nebraska also beat Illinois by 15 in Lincoln to start conference play on a high note and James Palmer Jr. is playing as well as anyone in college basketball. This team will wreak some havoc in the Big Ten this year.

I get it, Arizona State hasn’t seen the light of day in the AP Top 25 this season because, well, the Sun Devils have been lightly tested, but they did beat No. 15 Mississippi State last week, earning the most votes outside of any unranked team. You can’t knock a team for taking care of everyone they’re supposed to. Arizona State beat Omaha and Texas Southern last week to improve to 7-0. Freshman Luguentz Dort is one of the most exciting players in the country.