Kentucky is the new No. 1 in the CBS Sports Top 25 (and one).
That's the byproduct of what happened at Tuesday's Champions Classic - specifically UK's 69-48 win over Michigan State in which Malik Monk starred, and Kansas' 77-75 upset of Duke that put a loss on the Blue Devils' resume and cost them their No. 1 ranking. Yes, Duke was without Harry Giles, Jayson Tatum and Marques Bolden for the showdown with the reigning Big 12 champs, and that's why I'd actually be encouraged if I were Mike Krzyzewski. His Blue Devils just played Kansas to the buzzer with three possible lottery picks on the bench. When they get them back, watch out. But a loss is still a loss. And Duke now has one loss.
The Oregon Ducks -- minus Dillon Brooks -- also took their first loss Tuesday. Baylor gave it to them.
So the Bears went from unranked to 17th in the Top 25 (and one). And Creighton's win over Wisconsin elevated the Bluejays into the top 15. As a result of those two outcomes, Rhode Island, Purdue, Syracuse, California, Iowa State, West Virginia and Wichita State all got bumped down, no fault of their own. And adding Baylor to the rankings required Tuesday morning's No. 26 team to fall out. So my apologies to the Cincinnati Bearcats. It's not you. It's just a numbers thing. Blame Oregon, if you'd like.
The complete Top 25 (and one) is below.
Rk | Teams | Chg | Rcrd | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 |
Kentucky
| Malik Monk made seven 3-pointers and finished with 23 points in Tuesday's win over Michigan State. The Wildcats have won their three games by an average of 26.7 points. | 1 | 0-0 |
2 |
Villanova
| Player of the Year candidate Josh Hart scored 24 points in Monday's win at Purdue. The Wildcats are on an eight-game winning streak dating to last season. | 1 | 0-0 |
3 |
Indiana
| James Blackmon finished with 26 points and six rebounds in Indiana's season-opening upset of Kansas. Thomas Bryant added 19 points and 10 rebounds before fouling out. | 1 | 0-0 |
4 |
Kansas
| Frank Mason's jumper in the final seconds of regulation lifted Kansas past Duke Tuesday night. The senior guard finished with 21 points in the upset. | 1 | 0-0 |
5 |
Duke
| Duke was without Harry Giles, Jayson Tatum and Marques Bolden for Tuesday's loss to Kansas. Luke Kennard had 22 points in the setback. | 4 | 0-0 |
6 |
Xavier
| J.P. Macura was 10-of-10 from the free throw line in Monday's win over Buffalo. He's averaging 15.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists. | -- | 0-0 |
7 |
N. Carolina
| Joel Berry finished with 23 points on 10 shots in Tuesday's win over Long Beach State. Justin Jackson added 14 points and 10 rebounds. | -- | 0-0 |
8 |
Virginia
| Austin Nichols got 11 points and three rebounds in his Virginia debut. He was the only Cavalier in double-figures in Tuesday's win over St. Francis. | 1 | 0-0 |
9 |
UCLA
| Lonzo Ball is averaging 16.0 points, 8.5 assists and 8.0 rebounds through two games with the Bruins. He's made 10 of the 14 shots he's attempted. | 1 | 0-0 |
10 |
Saint Mary's
| Jock Landale finished with 33 points and nine rebounds in his first career start. The center from Australia made 15 of the 20 shots he took in SMC's season-opening win over Nevada. | 2 | 0-0 |
11 |
Gonzaga
| Cal transfer Jordan Mathews is averaging 16.5 points and 3.5 assists. He made five 3-pointers in Monday's win over San Diego State. | 2 | 0-0 |
12 |
Louisville
| V.J. King finished with 17 points on 11 shots in Monday's win over William & Mary. The heralded freshman is averaging 11.5 points and 3.5 rebounds. | 2 | 0-0 |
13 |
Texas
| The Longhorns shot 50.0 percent from the field in Monday's win over Louisiana-Monroe. Tevin Mack finished with a game-high 14 points. | 2 | 0-0 |
14 |
Arizona
| Lauri Markkanen finished with 26 points and eight rebounds in Tuesday's win over CSU Bakersfield. The freshman from Finland was 9-of-9 from the free throw line. | 2 | 0-0 |
15 |
Creighton
| Maurice Watson finished with 17 points and 10 assists in Tuesday's win over Wisconsin. The Bluejays shot 50 percent from the field to remain undefeated. Kansas State transfer Marcus Foster led all scorers with 19 points in Friday's win over UMKC. Maurice Watson added 17 points and nine assists | 7 | 0-0 |
16 |
Wisconsin
| The Badgers missed 28 of the 39 3-pointers they took in Tuesday's loss at Creighton. Bronson Koenig was just 3-of-13 from beyond the arc against the Bluejays. | 5 | 0-0 |
17 |
Baylor
| Manu Lecomte finished with 18 points, seven assists and four rebounds in Tuesday's win over Oregon. The Miami transfer is shooting 46.2 percent from 3-point range this season. | NR | 0-0 |
18 |
Oregon
| The Ducks' loss at Baylor came without the services of All-American Dillon Brooks. He's still recovering from offseason foot surgery. | 10 | 0-0 |
19 |
Michigan St.
| The Spartans remain winless but their two losses are neutral-court losses to Kentucky and Arizona. Miles Bridges is averaging 13.5 points and 9.5 rebounds. | 2 | 0-0 |
20 |
Rhode Island
| E.C. Matthews got 22 points on 10 shots in Monday's win over Marist. He's shooting 77.3 percent from the field through two games. | 2 | 0-0 |
21 |
Purdue
| Caleb Swanigan is averaging 21.5 points, 14.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists. He got 22 points in Monday's loss to Villanova. | 2 | 0-0 |
22 |
Syracuse
| The Orange made 13 3-pointers in Tuesday's win over Holy Cross. Andrew White had five 3-pointers and finished with 19 points. | 2 | 0-0 |
23 |
California
| The Bears handled South Dakota State easily Friday even though Ivan Rabb didn't play. The sophomore forward was sidelined by a lingering toe injury. | 2 | 0-0 |
24 |
Iowa St.
| Deonte Burton finished with 10 points and 13 rebounds in Monday's win over Mount St. Mary's. Monte Morris added 18 points and three assists. | 1 | 0-0 |
25 |
West Virginia
| The Mountaineers forced Mississippi Valley State into 26 turnovers Monday. Five different West Virginia players reached double-figures in points in the 41-point win. | 1 | 0-0 |
26 |
Wichita St.
| The Shockers shot 55.4 percent from the field in Sunday's 37-point win over Long Beach State. Conner Frankamp led all scores with 15 points on eight shots. | 1 | 0-0 |