College basketball rankings – Top 25: Duke, Kansas, Michigan State heating up

New college basketball rankings see Gonzaga hang on to the No. 1 spot but Duke, Kansas and Michigan State are heating up as conference play begins.

Conference play is upon us. The college basketball season is heating up while the football season is winding down and before we know it, March Madness will be here.

There were a few ranked matchups during the week and even some upsets. Gonzaga even faced a potential upset twice, almost becoming the latest No. 1 team to falter. The Bulldogs struggled with Portland before beating Pepperdine by just five.

Two top-five teams lost in Week 9 and five top-10 teams did as well as we will see plenty of shakeups in the upcoming Top 25 rankings.

College basketball rankings entering Week 10

25. Wichita State Shockers (13-1)

Wichita State played an SEC team in Week 9 before getting back to strictly focusing on conference play. The Shockers handled Ole Miss by 20 points and took care of East Carolina, but I don’t think they’ll get much respect from AP voters, especially with Arizona piecing together a 28-point win over a top rival.

24. Arizona Wildcats (11-3)

The preseason hype surrounding Arizona hasn’t lived up to the hype just yet, but Wildcats fans have to be more than pleased with a 75-47 win over rival Arizona State. Sean Miller’s team can still win the Pac-12 and have more than enough talent to do so, but it’s time for some consistency.

23. Texas Tech Red Raiders (10-3)

If you were ready to write off Texas Tech after losing some key players from last year’s national runner-up, you probably look silly right now. The Red Raiders may not be on that same level, but Chris Beard has his guys playing at a high level and they just beat Oklahoma State by 35 points.

22. Colorado Buffaloes (13-2)

The Colorado Buffaloes’ resume continues to improve and after being unranked before Week 9, they will likely shoot into the 15-20 range after a nine-point win over Oregon. They play Oregon State on Sunday night but barring a major meltdown, the Buffaloes will improve to 13-2.

21. Dayton Flyers (13-2)

Dayton had a rare three-game week and handled it quite well. This team is showing no signs of slowing down, beating North Florida by 18, dismantling La Salle by 26 and then ending the weekend with a 13-point road win over Saint Joe’s. The Flyers are going to be that one mid-major that flirts with the top-10 all season.

20. Penn State Nittany Lions (12-2)

It’s hard to believe we’re talking about Penn State as one of the best basketball teams in the Big Ten, but Pat Chambers and the Nittany Lions have been impressive this year. The Nittany Lions took care of No. 23 Iowa at home in Week 9 and have made a statement in conference play.

19. West Virginia Mountaineers (11-2)

West Virginia had a chance to really sky-rocket in the rankings just one week after a win over Ohio State but the Mountaineers couldn’t pull off the upset over Kansas on the road. They still have plenty of talent and will make a run at the Big 12 title, but the Mountaineers need to get some confidence back next week. Not a bad drop coming.

18. Virginia Cavaliers (11-2)

Do you hear that? It’s the collective sound of yawns from across America after watching Virginia play. Are the Cavaliers good? Yes, and they’re defending national champs, but scoring continues to be an issue. Luckily, their defense was good enough to hold rival Virginia Tech to just 39 points in a 26-point win in their only Week 9 contest.

17. Kentucky Wildcats (10-3)

Kentucky has been one of those teams people have been hesitant to rank too highly or drop completely out because of their inconsistent play. One moment the Wildcats look like world-beaters and the next they lose to Evansville. This team handled Missouri in Week 9 and could be back on track.

16. Villanova Wildcats (10-3)

Before this week, Villanova was riding high with a five-game winning streak and a win over No. 1 Kansas in the process. The week started with a solid win over Xavier but then it hit the road to take on Marquette and lost by 11. This team is Final Four-caliber, but a loss at Marquette was not expected and shows the Big East will be tough.

15. Michigan Wolverines (10-4)

The only game of the week for the Wolverines was a road battle against in-state rival Michigan State without Isaiah Livers who has been out with a groin injury. The Wolverines hung around, but Michigan State’s Cassius Winston was just too much.

14. Maryland Terrapins (12-2)

Like many teams this week at the start of conference play, Maryland only saw one opponent and handled Indiana at home. This shouldn’t be taken lightly, though, as the Hoosiers have been solid this season while the Terps have been struggling. This is a step in the right direction for Mark Turgeon.

13. Memphis Tigers (12-2)

Life without James Wiseman is going to be difficult, but Penny Hardaway and the Tigers shouldn’t have too much of a problem with the AAC. The Tigers beast Tulane to start the week but then Georgia came to town and stole a win. What do we make of this team?

12. San Diego State Aztecs (15-0)

Seth Davis said he believes San Diego State could run the table during the regular season and head into the NCAA Tournament as a No. 1 seed. With how they handled a solid Utah State team on the road, I believe him.

11. Louisville Cardinals (11-3)

Louisville started the season 9-0, but the Cardinals have lost three of their last five games to drop to 11-3, capped off by a home loss to No. 18 Florida State. The top of the ACC is going to be hotly contested this season. I don’t think we’ve seen the best of Louisville just yet, either, but the Cardinals should remain in the top 10-15 range.

10. Florida State Seminoles (13-2)

Expect a decent climb in the rankings coming Florida State’s way after beating a Georgia Tech team that just handled North Carolina in Chapel Hill by double figures and then going on the road to topple No. 7 Louisville 78-65. The Seminoles are going to be major players in the ACC title race.

9. Ohio State Buckeyes (11-3)

The Buckeyes had just one game in Week 9 and it seemed like it would be an easy win with an average Wisconsin team coming to town, but the Badgers gave Ohio State all it could handle. This team will be just fine, but there’s a little concern at the moment with three losses in the last five games.

8. Michigan State Spartans (12-3)

Michigan State picked up one of its best wins of the season with an 18-point blowout of Michigan at home. The Spartans were dominant from start to finish and Cassius Winston had a legendary game with a career-high 32 points and nine assists.

7. Butler Bulldogs (14-1)

Yes, the post-Brad Stevens era is going just fine at Butler. The Bulldogs’ only loss this season was a one-point defeat at Baylor which looks better as the weeks go on because the Bears are looking like a top-five team. Butler has won five straight since that loss.

6. Oregon Ducks (12-3)

Oregon lost to a solid Colorado team on the road to start the week but finished with a five-point road win over a decent Utah team. If this stretch is any indication of what’s to come, Payton Pritchard and the Ducks may have a tough time in conference play. The Ducks are still the best team in the Pac-12 but a title is not a given.

5. Auburn Tigers (13-0)

Bruce Pearl has done a heck of a job with the Auburn Tigers. He has turned a predominantly heavy football school into one that also cares about basketball because of newfound national relevancy — Charles Barkley is one proud alum. As one of the only remaining unbeaten teams in college basketball, the Tigers are still looking for a signature win as they have just two wins against power conference foes and the second came in Week 9 against Mississippi State.

4. Baylor Bears (11-1)

Like the football squad, fans might be hesitant to jump on the Baylor bandwagon just yet because, well, the Bears have yet to play a true road game. They’ve beaten Villanova, Arizona and Butler, but the Bears have not gone away from Waco for a true road game — and their only loss was to Washington at a neutral site. The Bears handled Jackson State and Texas and will jump from No. 6 to No. 4 because of losses by Ohio State and Oregon.

3. Kansas Jayhawks (11-2)

Many believe Kansas is the best team in the country right now, but it’s truly difficult to tell. With conference play finally upon us, we’ll get a better grasp of reality as the Jayhawks will travel to face some of the tougher teams in the Big 12. In Week 9, though, they were home against No. 16 West Virginia which was fresh off a win against Ohio State and the Mountaineers put up a fight, but Kansas was too much, winning by seven. Another solid win on the resume for Bill Self.

2. Duke Blue Devils (13-1)

Remember when people said this year’s Duke team wasn’t going to be nearly as good or as talented as last year’s led by Zion Williamson? Yeah, well those people were wrong. Duke has gotten off to a 13-1 start and just demolished Boston College and Miami in ACC action by 39 points and 33 points, respectively. Vernon Carey might be the best freshman in the country and the Blue Devils are scary yet again, but this time with less star power.

1. Gonzaga Bulldogs (16-1)

Three games, three wins. That’s going to be the theme of Gonzaga moving forward because, well, the remaining schedule is nothing but a cakewalk. The Bulldogs had no problem with Detroit but had a tougher time at Portland on Thursday night, but turned a halftime deficit into a 13-point triumph. The Bulldogs then beat Pepperdine by five — are the Bulldogs looking beatable? Gonzaga may not lose another game this season with their schedule, so the No. 1 bad luck streak may be over.

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