By Casey Jacobsen
FOX Sports College Basketball Analyst
College basketball is pure chaos, and I’m here to sort it out every Sunday.
With new coaches, new stars, deeper conferences and a transfer portal that never stops spinning, trying to make sense of the national picture isn’t easy. That’s why my Top 25 rewards toughness, experience and identity — not preseason hype or brand names. Expect bold calls. Expect surprises. Expect receipts.
Most of all, expect a ranking built for the long haul. Each week, I’ll reset the landscape, cut through the noise and tell you what actually matters as the season evolves.
With that, here’s the first edition of my college basketball rankings:
25. Nebraska (8-0)
Nebraska picked up right where it left off last season, which concluded with a championship victory in the first edition of the College Basketball Crown. Forwards Rienk Mast and Pryce Sandfort have combined to form a solid frontcourt for the Huskers.
24. Kentucky (5-2)
Kentucky coach Mark Pope described his team as “completely discombobulated” following their 83-66 loss to Michigan State in the Champions Classic on Nov. 18. Since then, the Wildcats have run off two wins by a combined 108 points.
23. Iowa (7-0)
Senior guard Bennett Stirtz, a Drake transfer, looks as good as advertised. He had 29 points on 6-for-8 shooting from downtown in the Hawkeyes’ 74-69 win over Ole Miss in the opening round of the Acrisure Classic. Coach Ben McCollum’s team has been exceptional on the defense, holding opponents to a Big Ten-leading 61.1 points per game.
22. Texas Tech (6-2)
When Texas Tech plays at home, in non-conference competition, the Red Raiders simply don’t lose. Following the team’s 76-72 win over Wyoming on Sunday, Tech extended their non-conference home winning streak to 44. Junior forward JT Toppin and sophomore guard Christian Anderson form of the best duos in the country.
Texas Tech forward JT Toppin is averaging 21.3 points and 11.3 rebounds per game this season. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images)
21. Indiana (7-0)
The Hoosiers are off to an impressive 7-0 start this season, outscoring their opponents by an average margin of 27 points per contest. They have five players averaging double-digits in the scoring column, led by West Virginia transfer Tucker DeVries, who’s putting up 17.5 points per game.
20. St. John’s (4-3)
The Red Storm were one of the top stories in the sport last year, but coach Rick Pitino’s team has been far from perfect to start this season after losing all three matchups against ranked opponents. Is forward Bryce Hopkins ready to be the alpha of this group? We shall see.
Senior Bryce Hopkins is averaging 16.1 points and 4.9 rebounds per game for the Red Storm. (Photo by Porter Binks/Getty Images)
19. Auburn (6-2)
After taking over for his father, Bruce, who retired this past offseason, coach Steven Pearl has been welcomed to Division I college basketball by having to face Houston, Oregon, Michigan and St. John’s in the opening month of the season. Forward Keyshawn Hall has been exceptional after transferring from UCF, but sophomore standout guard Tahaad Pettiford has to play better if this team is going to reach its ceiling.
18. Vanderbilt (8-0)
Guards Duke Miles and Tyler Tanner make up one of the better backcourts in the SEC. The Commodores have been near unstoppable on the offensive side of the ball, leading the nation in scoring at 97.9 points per contest.
17. Florida (5-2)
Florida is among the top teams in the nation from a talent standpoint. However, a stunning 84-80 loss to TCU in the opening game of the Rady’s Children’s Invitational raised some eyebrows. Coach Todd Golden’s team can’t turn the ball over 19 times and expect to win many games.
Providence Friars vs. No. 10 Florida Gators Highlights 🏀 FOX College Hoops
16. North Carolina (6-1)
True freshman forward Caleb Wilson looks like one of the top players in the country, regardless of class, but an injury to senior guard Seth Trimble has left coach Hubert Davis’ group without a polished floor general. The Tar Heels have also struggled to shoot from long-range, ranking 15th among ACC teams with a 31.8% clip from 3-point range.
15. Kansas (6-2)
It has been an up-and-down start to the season for coach Bill Self’s team. The Jayhawks did not look particularly good in early-season losses to UNC and Duke, but they earned an impressive come-from-behind 81-76 win over a good Tennessee team in the Player’s Era Championship. The health of standout freshman Darren Peterson remains a key storyline, as Kansas gets ready for a huge showdown with UConn on Tuesday.
14. Illinois (6-2)
The Illini are a balanced group, with five players averaging double-digits in scoring. Guard Kylan Boswell is off to a strong start in his senior season, while guard Andrej Stojaković has fit in well after spending the first two years of his collegiate career at Stanford and Cal, respectively.
No. 13 Illinois Fighting Illini vs. No. 5 UConn Huskies Highlights 🏀 FOX College Hoops
13. Alabama (5-2)
Coach Nate Oats’ team doesn’t shy away from top-notch competition, completing a four-game stretch from Nov. 8-24 that included a 2-2 mark against St. John’s (win), Purdue (loss), Illinois (win) and Gonzaga (loss). Guards Labaron Philon Jr. and Aden Holloway make up one of the top backcourts in America, while junior forward Taylor Bol Bowen has shown to be a nice addition after transferring from Florida State.
12. Houston (7-1)
I have concerns about this group (3-point shooting and depth), but the Cougars’ defense is elite and freshman guard Kingston Flemings has shown flashes of brilliance. In Sampson, I trust!
Houston guard Kingston Flemings #4 had a team-high 25 points against Tennessee in the Players Era Festival. (Photo by Zach Del Bello/Players Era/Getty Images)
11. Tennessee (7-1)
The Vols lost their first game of the season to Kansas, but don’t forget about their win over Houston. It’s weird to see them without guard Zakai Zeigler, but guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie is going to have an excellent season.
10. Michigan State (7-0)
The biggest surprise in my Top 10? The Spartans know exactly who they are — the nation’s fifth-ranked defense (per KenPom) and a solid offensive group led by redshirt sophomore guard Jeremy Fears Jr, an All-American candidate.
9. BYU (6-1)
BYU is must-watch TV. The trio of forward AJ Dybantsa and guards Richie Saunders and Robert Wright might be the best backcourt in the country. BYU was in a dog fight with Dayton on Friday night, and Dybantsa took over late.
8. Gonzaga (7-1)
Gonzaga’s blowout loss to Michigan was shocking, but the Zags are still a Final Four quality group. Forward Graham Ike, who went 0-9 against the Wolverines, will have a chance to take out his anger against Kentucky on Friday night.
7. Louisville (7-0)
Louisville, which boasts the second-most efficient offense in the sport behind Purdue, will play its first true road game of the season this week against Arkansas. A matchup between two of the best freshman guards in the land, Mikel Brown vs. Darius Acuff? Sigh me up!
6. Iowa State (7-0)
The more I watch, the more I love the Cyclones. Their defense is spectacular, even with guard Tamin Lipsey out due to injury. Their Big 3 of Lipsey and forwards Milan Momcilovic and Joshua Jefferson is as good as any in the country.
Tamin Lipsey #3 of the Iowa State Cyclones is averaging 18.4 points and 5.2 assists per game this season.. (Photo by Ian Maule/Getty Images)
5. Duke (8-0)
Somehow, freshman forward Cameron Boozer has filled the massive shoes of Cooper Flagg. Boozer had 35 points in a win over Arkansas and made it look routine. Next up is a talented Florida team that has yet to pick up a “résumé win.”
4. UConn (6-1)
The Huskies flexed their defensive muscle against a talented Illinois team and held everyone except Illini standout guard Kylan Boswell to 11-for-41 shooting. The Huskies bench, mainly guard Maliki Smith and center Eric Reibe, stepped up in the second half.
3. Purdue (7-0)
It was an impressive week for the “other big guys,” as center Oscar Cluff had 15 points and 15 rebounds in a win vs. Texas Tech. Then, center Daniel Jacobsen (aka my brother from a taller mother) went for 24 points, nine rebounds and six blocks against Eastern Illinois.
2. Arizona (7-0)
The Wildcats have earned this ranking the hard way: winning tough road games. Their true road win at UConn is the best win of the season thus far. A home game against Auburn this coming Saturday and should be fun.
1. Michigan (7-0)
The wildly talented Wolverines were choppy the first two weeks of the season. They figured it out quickly, though, culminating in a 40-point destruction of an excellent Gonzaga team.
Casey Jacobsen is a national college basketball reporter and analyst for FOX Sports. He was a three-time All-Pac-10 selection at Stanford and a First-Team All-American as a sophomore. Follow him at @cjacobsen23.
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