3 college basketball teams that should be ranked in the AP Top 25, but aren't

We've said it before, and we'll say it again; the AP Top 25 is not the end-all, ultra-important ranking in college basketball. With so many teams, so many rankings systems and so many metrics, the AP Top 25 is merely one way to measure how CBB teams are playing at any point during the season.

With all that being said... the new AP Top 25 is out! After one of the most chaotic college hoops weeks in recent memory, there was unsurprisingly a lot of movement. Purdue leapt to No. 11, UConn dipped to No. 19 and Gonzaga fell out of the rankings entirely.

But with so many teams in college hoops, a few of them will miss out on the weekly top 25, even if they deserve a number next to their name — here are three of those teams.

St. Mary's Gaels

If non-conference wins against Nebraska, USC (by 35 points) and Utah didn't sell you on this team, then maybe winning six WCC games by a combined 161 points will do the trick.

None of those games came against the top teams in the conference, but... this team is eviscerating opponents right now. SMU is the only undefeated team left in conference play, and has a legit shot to win the conference outright for the second straight year.

With Gonzaga not being the threat they were in years past, it could be the Gaels conference to lose. San Francisco and perhaps Washington State will have something to say about this, but this team is rolling right now.

Senior Augustas Marciulionis is the do-it-all guy for the Gaels, leading the team in points, rebounds and assists. With four guys averaging over 10 points per game, they can hurt you in a variety of ways.

Vanderbilt Commodores

I'm a little shocked this team didn't crack the top 25 this week. Vandy is 15-3 with losses against a very good Drake team, a very good Mississippi State team and a very good Missouri team.

A close win against Tennessee on Saturday showed this team doesn't just keep it close against good teams — they can win those games, too!

The 'Dores received 35 votes this week, so if the rankings went to 28, they'd sneak in. Plus, with games against Alabama and Kentucky this week (Godspeed) this team has ample opportunity to prove it belongs. Winning one of those two games should be enough to vault them into the rankings. Winning both might put them in the top 15 — but I won't get ahead of myself.

UC Irvine Anteaters

The Anteaters did themselves a disservice by not scheduling tougher non-conference games. Even a few games against power conference teams would have proven this team belongs in the conversation with other high-level mid-majors.

Still, a 17-2 record deserves some love regardless, especially with how hot UCI has gotten in recent weeks. They've rattled off seven straight conference wins to kick off Big West play, and seven of those wins have come by double-figures. They've already beaten fellow Big West power UC San Diego, a team that beat Utah State earlier in the season.

These Anteaters don't mind making things ugly; they have a top 25 defense, forcing teams to shoot under 38 percent from the field, one of the best marks in the country. When March comes around, and this team is like 28-5, just know that it's for real. These guys can play.

Texas Tech Red Raiders

One point separates Texas Tech from a top 25 ranking... specifically, the one point this team lost to Iowa State by on January 11th. Despite the heartbreaker, TTU turned around and won its next two games, the most recent coming against Arizona.

This is a tournament team, but without a signature win, they will remain closer to the bubble than a shoe-in. They'll have chances to solidify themselves in February with games against Houston, West Virginia and Houston again coming next month.

This team hangs it hat on moving the ball (17th in the country in assists) and getting buckets (24th in points per game). Three players score about 15 points per game, and that three-headed monster is tough for defenses to contain.