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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) /
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IOWA CITY, IA – NOVEMBER 30: Wisconsin Badgers forward Ethan Happ (22) pleads his case to an official after picking up his fifth foul during a Big Ten Conference college basketball game between the Wisconsin Badgers and the Iowa Hawkeyes on November 30, 2018, in Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Iowa City, IA. (Photo by Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
IOWA CITY, IA – NOVEMBER 30: Wisconsin Badgers forward Ethan Happ (22) pleads his case to an official after picking up his fifth foul during a Big Ten Conference college basketball game between the Wisconsin Badgers and the Iowa Hawkeyes on November 30, 2018, in Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Iowa City, IA. (Photo by Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

CJ Massinburg is playing some elite basketball right now and he helped the Bulls hold on against San Francisco to end Week 4 with an 85-81 win. Buffalo took down Milwaukee on the road earlier in the week and the Bulls are now 7-0 on the season. If there’s any mid-major not named Nevada or Gonzaga who could contend for a national title and make the Final Four, it’s looking like it’ll be Buffalo.

Is North Carolina overrated? It’s too early to tell, but the Tar Heels will suffer a slight drop in this week’s rankings after a 17-point road loss against red-hot Michigan in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge. Luke Maye isn’t quite looking like the national player of the year candidate everyone expected while Coby White is leading the team. The Tar Heels look far from a national title contender right now and ACC play is approaching.

For the second straight season, Texas Tech started the season unranked and has skyrocketed in the rankings, likely into the top-15 this week thanks to lackluster play from about seven teams ahead of them. The Red Raiders will see a nice bump in this week’s poll after beating Memphis on the road and it looks like Kansas may have a tougher time in the Big 12 than expected.

Wisconsin had a huge week and it all started with a Brad Davison charge-filled win over NC State in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge. The Badgers then kicked off conference play with a tough road contest against undefeated No. 14 Iowa, beating the Hawkeyes 72-66. D’Mitrick Trice and the Badgers have gone from missing out on an NCAA Tournament to serious Big Ten contenders in just a year’s time.

Louisville and Michigan State have had some epic battles over the years and this season was the first without Rick Pitino as head coach. Chris Mack still managed to lead the Cardinals past the Spartans in Louisville, but the Spartans bounced back to beat Big Ten foe Rutgers, also on the road, by 11. Cassius Winston is looking like an All-American point guard and Nick Ward is playing well, too. Not a terrible week without the team’s best defender (Matt McQuaid).