College basketball rankings: West Virginia surges, Kentucky bounces back

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LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY – DECEMBER 28: Ashton Hagans #0 of the Kentucky Wildcats celebrates after 78-70 OT win against the Louisville Cardinals at Rupp Arena on December 28, 2019 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

10. Louisville

Louisville falls a little bit due to their overtime loss to rival Kentucky, but their reputation shouldn’t be damaged from the loss. Louisville played well for stretches in this game, they just weren’t able to see it through in the end, as a talented but raw Kentucky team finally showed its potential in the win. Jordan Nwora is still one of the best players in the country and my pick for the player of the year as we head to conference play.

9. Kentucky

In one of the better college basketball games to watch this season, Kentucky got the better of Louisville in one of the better rivalries in college basketball. It was definitely a bounce back game, as the Wildcats sat at 8-3 following back-to-back losses to Utah and Ohio State coming into the game. But Kentucky got it done behind 27 points from Tyrese Maxey as now they will head into conference play with all the confidence in the world.

8. Villanova

It’s been more than a week since we last saw Villanova play, but boy did they leave an impression in their upset of No. 1 Kansas. It was a fantastic game to watch, as both teams slugged each other all the way to the finish line, but the Wildcats eventually came out on top. Much like so many teams on this list, Villanova took a big hit early in the season, but is starting to catch fire heading into conference play.

7. Ohio State

Turnovers, turnovers, and more turnovers was the story for the Buckeyes in their loss to West Virginia yesterday. It wasn’t a pretty game at all for really either team, but the suffocating defense of West Virginia proved to be the deciding factor in the game. Ohio State’s wins are definitely carrying the day so far, as victories over Villanova, Cincinnati, and Kentucky are all very impressive.

6. Baylor

Since the loss in the second game of the season to Washington, the Bears have been on a tear, winning eight straight. Their last win came over Tennessee Martin on December 18th, but they will end their nearly two week hiatus with a contest today against Jackson State. Baylor has yet to lose in December and barring a catastrophe today, the Bears will carry a perfect record through the entire month.