The Champions Classic had huge results with Kentucky losing to Michigan State and Kansas topping Duke. Now we project our college basketball rankings.
College basketball officially got underway a little more than a week ago, but it often feels like the Champions Classic is the unofficial start of the season. And with four historic programs in action on Tuesday night, it felt like that even more with the drama that unfolded.
The night began with an absolute classic between the Kentucky Wildcats and Michigan State Spartans. Though Tom Izzo’s team is not in the Top 25 college basketball rankings, Sparty has shown their moxie early as they played No. 2 Gonzaga to a one-point game last week. Now they have a resumé win to their credit after outlasting John Calipari’s team in a double-overtime marathon.
After the long wait to take the floor, the Duke Blue Devils and Kansas Jayhawks offered a phenomenal sequel. In a back-and-forth game that Duke looked like it might pull away in down the stretch, Kansas got a lift from freshman Gradey Dick that allowed the Jayhawks to take the lead and hold on for the win.
With three top-10 teams in action and two of them losing on Tuesday, it’s time to check in on the projected college basketball rankings.
Projected college basketball rankings after Kansas beats Duke, Kentucky upset by Michigan State
- North Carolina Tar Heels
- Gonzaga Bulldogs
- Houston Cougars
- Kansas Jayhawks
- Baylor Bears
- UCLA Bruins
- Arkansas Razorbacks
- Duke Blue Devils
- Creighton Bluejays
- Kentucky Wildcats
- Texas Longhorns
- Indiana Hoosiers
- Auburn Tigers
- Arizona Wildcats
- Virginia Cavaliers
- San Diego State Aztecs
- Alabama Crimson Tide
- Illinois Fighting Illini
- Michigan Wolverines
- Tennessee Volunteers
- Texas Tech Red Raiders
- Texas A&M Aggies
- Michigan State Spartans
- UConn Huskies
- Purdue Boilermakers
With Kansas getting the win over Duke despite not having MJ Rice on the floor, it feels right for the defending national champions to jump Baylor and claim the No. 4 spot. As for Duke, they only fall one spot while Kentucky clings onto the last spot in the Top 10.
It should be noted that North Carolina had some trouble with Gardner Webb on Tuesday as well. The Heels won, but their claim to the No. 1 spot could be getting thinner. Moreover, Gonzaga and Texas are set for a showdown on Wednesday night that could have big rankings implications as well.
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