Four of the top five teams and eight of the 16 total teams in last week's power rankings took at least one loss over the last week, making way for a complete overhaul at the top of this week's rankings led by Tennessee's pole vault from No. 5 to No. 1.
The Volunteers' leap this week came almost by default after losses by Auburn, Kansas, Kentucky and Marquette, but also serves as recognition for what they've done this season. Only two teams have a higher scoring margin at this juncture in the season than Tennessee, with Tennessee Martin and Syracuse becoming just the latest victims in its path of destruction. Each game so far en route to its 8-0 start has been won by at least 15 points. Rick Barnes' team is side-swiping teams and barely breaking a sweat.
Maryland, the No. 2 team in scoring margin ahead of Tennessee, also gets a big bump up to No. 2 in this week's Power Rankings after being unranked a week ago. A loss in mid-November to Marquette at home cost it some early-season style points, but the Terrapins have rallied the last few weeks culminating with a stunning 83-59 smackdown of Ohio State on Wednesday night. At one point in the second half they led by 40 points before Kevin Willard's club called off the dogs and cruised to a 24-point win.
So let's dive in here. This week's power rankings are listed below. As I intend to do each week to make it crystal clear, my own personal operating guidelines for how I rank the teams are also listed below. I promise to abide by these as closely as I can throughout the season.
Power Rankings definition: Ranking teams with an emphasis on recent performance based on their level of competition. These are heavily unscientific in nature and can be distilled down to a "vibes" ranking -- with things like margin of victory, injuries, performance vs. top competition, momentum and other sometimes subjective factors weighing into the equation. The power rankings can be thought of in a weekly setting as a reaction -- or sometimes even an overreaction -- to the small sample of the week that was.
Let's get to it.
| 1 | |
| There are very few weaknesses for this Tennessee team and a list of strengths the length of a CVS receipt. They've taken no prisoners and demolished teams with the No. 2 defense in adjusted efficiency metrics at KenPom.com and a top-10 offense powered by elite offensive rebounding and 2-point shooting. Last week: No. 3 | |
| 2 | |
| Vibes are very high in College Park right now for the Terps after thoroughly dismantling an Ohio State team on Wednesday that has the makings of an NCAA Tournament team. They've aced several tests this season already and are winning with an elite defense and a top-three freshman in Derik Queen Last week: NR | |
| 3 | |
| Oregon made its first appearance in the power rankings last week and rewarded me with the vote of confidence with wins over Alabama and USC this week. Ducks have a dangerous amount of depth with a rotating cast of characters who can be the star of the show on any given night. Last week: No. 15 | |
| 4 | |
| Dusty May's Wolverines took their show on the road and brought their best defensive effort of the season with them Tuesday in a 67-64 win over Wisconsin in Madison. They've defeated Xavier and Wisconsin in their last two outings and suddenly, surprisingly, look like a real factor in the Big Ten race. Last week: No. 16 | |
| 5 | |
| Duke poured cold water on the hottest team in college basketball Wednesday in an 84-78 win over Auburn, finally closing out a game against a high level opponent in a close game. Cooper Flagg had 22 points, 11 rebounds, four assists, three steals and two blocks in a hilariously good all-around performance. Last week: No. 9 | |
| 6 | |
| Clemson handed No. 4 Kentucky its first loss of the season Tuesday and has quietly been playing quality hoops the last few weeks. Ian Schieffelin had 20 rebounds (!!!) in the win vs. UK and has been among the most impactful players in the ACC this season. Last week: NR | |
| 7 | |
| A 2-0 week with double digit wins over Indiana and Davidson on neutral floors gets Gonzaga back into the top 10. The Bulldogs have among the most formidable frontcourts in Graham Ike , Ben Gregg and Braden Huff , who each add different elements to their hard-to-stop offense. Last week: No. 13 | |
| 8 | |
| I promised last week to move Florida up assuming it passed tests this week vs. Wake Forest, Wichita State and Virginia . And the Gators did just that -- winning all three by an average of 24 points. Last week: No. 12 | |
| 9 | |
| You can't lose the night before the Power Rankings refresh and expect to remain at No. 1, but I can't in good conscience move the Tigers down too much. Losing on the road at Cameron Indoor happens to even the best teams. This feels right for now for Auburn with plenty of chances upcoming to move back up the ranks. Last week: No. 1 | |
| 10 | |
| Hilton Magic helped Iowa State hand Marquette its first loss of the season Wednesday night and moved the Cyclones to 6-1 on the season. Their only loss on the year is to Auburn in Maui. Last week: No. 8 | |
| 11 | |
| Creighton's three-game losing streak already feels like it was months ago after defeating No. 1 Kansas on Wednesday in Omaha. It's the second time the Bluejays have taken down the No. 1 team in as many years after beating No. 1 UConn in Omaha last year. Last week: NR | |
| 12 | |
| Kam Jones looked human for the first time all season for Marquette on Wednesday in an 81-70 loss to Iowa State, and the Golden Eagles' defense crashed back to Earth a bit. But Jones is still putting together an All-American caliber season thus far -- and his team's defense has been among the best in the entire sport. Last week: No. 5 | |
| 13 | |
| OU won the Battle 4 Atlantis with wins over Providence , Arizona and Louisville last week. It is now 8-0 on the season behind a remade backcourt that features Kobe Elvis and Jeremiah Fears alongside Jalon Moore. Last week: NR | |
| 14 | |
| No. 1 Kansas' first loss of the season to Creighton came in undramatic fashion as the Bluejays went wire-to-wire in the win. The loss put a spotlight on some struggles for KU's remade backcourt, which has been inconsistent in the early going despite a 7-1 start to the year. Last week: No. 2 | |
| 15 | |
| A 94-79 win over North Carolina in Chapel Hill on Wednesday helped Alabama bounce back from its close-shave loss to Oregon over the weekend. The defense remains a question mark for the Tide; the offense, however ... as good as ever. Last week: No. 10 | |
| 16 | |
| Mark Pope's first loss as Kentucky coach came Tuesday in Littlejohn Coliseum against Clemson where the Wildcats struggled to slow Ian Schieffelin and didn't take care of the ball well enough. I'm not panicking about UK, now 7-1, though another loss may be on the horizon with Gonzaga on deck Saturday. Last week: No. 4 | |