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College basketball rankings: Week 7 AP Top 25 predictions

By Connor Muldowney

CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA - DECEMBER 15: Cameron Johnson #13 of the North Carolina Tar Heels celebrates with teammates after making a three-point shot against the Gonzaga Bulldogs during the second half of their game at the Dean Smith Center on December 15, 2018 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. North Carolina won 103-90. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA - DECEMBER 15: Cameron Johnson #13 of the North Carolina Tar Heels celebrates with teammates after making a three-point shot against the Gonzaga Bulldogs during the second half of their game at the Dean Smith Center on December 15, 2018 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. North Carolina won 103-90. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /
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INDIANAPOLIS, IN – DECEMBER 15: Indiana Hoosiers guard Rob Phinisee (10) and teammates celebrate the game winning three pointer during the Crossroads Classic basketball game between the Butler Bulldogs and Indiana Hoosiers on December 15, 2018, at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN. (Photo by Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – DECEMBER 15: Indiana Hoosiers guard Rob Phinisee (10) and teammates celebrate the game winning three pointer during the Crossroads Classic basketball game between the Butler Bulldogs and Indiana Hoosiers on December 15, 2018, at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN. (Photo by Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Kansas State was one of three teams receiving 118 points in the AP Top 25 at the final spot. Fortunately, there will no longer be three teams tied for No. 25 as the Wildcats will take sole possession of that spot thanks to a Syracuse loss and Villanova dropping out of the rankings. Bruce Weber’s Wildcats beat Georgia State 71-59 in their only game of Week 6.

Indiana was oh so close to dropping out of the AP Top 25 after sneaking back into it last week, but the Hoosiers took down Butler at the buzzer in a thrilling Saturday afternoon matchup. Romeo Langford continues to impress as a true freshman but Rob Phinisee was that hero with the buzzer-beating 3-pointer to down the Bulldogs. Indiana is young, but this team is growing before our eyes.

It’s been a nice season thus far for Houston, trying to forget about how last season ended with a buzzer-beating loss to Michigan which stopped them short of a Sweet 16 matchup with Texas A&M. The Cougars are now 10-0 after beating Saint Louis to end the week, but the most impressive victory was against LSU. The Tigers began the season ranked, but have since dropped out and that won’t change after Houston’s win.

The Furman Paladins — no, that is not a typo, are absolutely thrashing competition this season, and that has included Villanova in the first few weeks of the season. The Paladins are not exactly a household name in the college basketball world, but they are quickly becoming everyone’s favorite cinderella. They beat Charleston Southern by eight before smacking UNC Wilmington by 43 to end the week. This team may just be for real.

It’s not exactly a huge in-state rivalry, but Iowa took down Northern Iowa in dominant fashion to improve to 8-2 and put two tough Big Ten defeats against Wisconsin and Michigan State behind them. The Hawkeyes were put down by Wisconsin at home and then thrashed by the Spartans on the road, but bounced back with a win in their only contest of Week 6 against Northern Iowa.