College basketball power rankings: Purdue, Duke move up; Michigan, Villanova drop

College basketball power rankings: Purdue, Duke move up; Michigan, Villanova drop as Gonzaga & UCLA hold steady

MEMPHIS, TN - NOVEMBER 19: DeAndre Williams #12 of the Memphis Tigers dunks the ball against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers during a game on November 19, 2021 at FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee. Memphis defeated Western Kentucky 74-62. (Photo by Joe Murphy/Getty Images) /

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HOUSTON, TEXAS – NOVEMBER 16: Marcus Sasser #0 of the Houston Cougars looks to make a move on Kihei Clark #0 of the Virginia Cavaliers during the second half at Fertitta Center on November 16, 2021, in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images) /

Gonzaga and UCLA remain atop the college basketball rankings this week but their matchup in Las Vegas should shake things up.

It has certainly been an interesting week in the world of college basketball. The Big East’s dominance in the Gavitt Games put a dent in the Big Ten’s aura of dominance while an outstanding final from the Hall Of Fame Tip-Off offered a sneak peek at what we may be able to look forward to in March Madness.

A stacked week of MTEs featuring many of the country’s top teams offers plenty of opportunities for shakeups in my college basketball power rankings entering December. For now, let’s break down the Top 10 teams in the land right now beginning with a look at the five teams that finished just shy of the big board.

College basketball rankings: Honorable Mentions

Michigan Wolverines, Houston Cougars, Kentucky Wildcats, Illinois Fighting Illini, Arkansas Razorbacks

The Big Ten adds two schools that were in the Top 10 last week to this section after Illinois and Michigan had poor results last week. The Fighting Illini lost by a point to Marquette in the Gavitt Games while the Wolverines lost by a bucket at home to Seton Hall before getting dominated by Arizona at the Roman Main Event.

The other teams of note in here are Houston and Arkansas, who will be in MTEs this week with a chance to move into the Top 10 with strong results. Kentucky maintained its position with a solid week but didn’t beat anyone worthy enough to merit a move out of this space.