With two weeks in the books in the college basketball season, it's become apparent we still have a lot to learn about this year's top teams. While freshmen have made their mark early on, there have been only a handful of true elite matchups to help us gain context for the pecking order of the sport's best programs.
The first true AP Top 25 of the season saw a big flip at the top, as Houston's strong performance in Week 1 allowed them to leapfrog Purdue. With the Boilermakers making a statement of their own with a road win at No. 8 Alabama, have they done enough to reclaim the top spot?
Projected AP Top 25 rankings after Purdue tops Alabama
1. Purdue Boilermakers
2. Houston Cougars
3. UCONN Huskies
4. Arizona Wildcats
5. Duke Blue Devils
6. Michigan Wolverines
7. Louisville Cardinals
8. Illinois Fighting Illini
9. BYU Cougars
10. Florida Gators
11. Kentucky Wildcats
12. Gonzaga Bulldogs
13. Alabama Crimson Tide
14. St. John's Red Storm
15. Iowa State Cyclones
16. Michigan State Spartans
17. Texas Tech Red Raiders
18. North Carolina Tar Heels
19. Tennessee Volunteers
20. UCLA Bruins
21. Wisconsin Badgers
22. Arkansas Razorbacks
23. Kansas Jayhawks
24. NC State Wolfpack
25. Indiana Hoosiers
Purdue makes a statement in Tuscaloosa
After winning a matchup in West Lafayette a year ago, Purdue knew the degree of difficulty in their home-and-home with Alabama would increase significantly in Tuscaloosa. While the Crimson Tide did hit 16 threes, the Boilermakers did a good job defending the interior without fouling, keeping Alabama to just 10 free throw attempts on the night.
Matt Painter's team attacked the glass with abandon, crushing Alabama on the boards (52-28 rebound advantage) and drew 23 free throw attempts, hitting 16 and winning a game where the score was in the 80s. That ability to play their game in a flow that favored the Crimson Tide speaks well to their ability to hang with anyone.
Houston outlasts Auburn in Birmingham
While No. 1 Houston's matchup with No. 22 Auburn was technically a neutral site contest, it was essentially a road game with the contest in Birmingham. The Tigers certainly gave the Cougars a fight, taking the game down to the wire before Houston was able to block an inbound lob play from Auburn with a second to go that could have set up an upset-sealing dunk.
The fact this game was closer than Purdue's win over Alabama will likely flip the two top dogs in the polls but this is a true 1A/1B situation at the moment. A home date against MAAC school Rider is the Cougars' only action this week so they should head to the Players Era Festival at 5-0 barring something extremely fluky.
UCONN holds on for dear life against BYU
One of the week's most compelling matchups came in Boston, as A.J. Dybantsa and his No. 7 BYU Cougars played a de facto road game against No. 3 UCONN. While the Huskies looked like the superior outfit for most of the evening, the Cougars demonstrated some impressive guts as they nearly chased down UCONN late, falling by two points after trailing by 16 with 7:46 to go.
The Cougars have to be encouraged by how well Dybantsa adjusted to UCONN's physical defense in the second half, looking far more comfortable as he finished with 25 points and six rebounds on 8-of-14 shooting. If the game went another four minutes, it is likely that BYU would have found a way to complete the comeback.
Louisville asserts itself against Kentucky
College basketball fans got a rare treat in Week 2 as No. 9 Kentucky and No. 12 Louisville staged the earliest meeting of their rivalry yet. While this matchup has traditionally wrapped up the non-conference season for both Bluegrass State schools, the decision to play it on Veteran's Day was a strong one as the two rivals traded haymakers before the Cardinals pulled away with a 96-88 victory.
Freshman Mikel Brown ruled the day for Louisville, putting up a game-high 29 points on 8-of-16 shooting while senior Ryan Conwell added 24 to help the Cardinals win on their home court. While Mark Pope was undoubtedly disappointed with the loss, that kind of game will be helpful for Kentucky as they get set to take on No. 17 Michigan State at the Champions Classic on Tuesday.
Gonzaga smokes another Power Conference team
It has become quite clear that No. 19 Gonzaga wasn't given enough respect entering the season. A few days after blowing out Oklahoma at home, the Bulldogs gave No. 23 Creighton a rude welcome to the Kennel, rolling to a 90-63 victory that turned into a complete landslide after the break.
Gonzaga smothered Creighton defensively, holding the Bluejays to 37 percent shooting and forcing 17 turnovers. That margin of victory is usually what you would expect from a buy game, but seeing Gonzaga essentially dominate two power conference teams (both of whom made the NCAA Tournament last season) in a row should put America on notice that Mark Few's team means business this season.