Tuesday night brought the most eye-popping result of the 2024-25 men’s basketball season: Florida 73, Tennessee 43.
The Volunteers, who entered the game as the only team in the country without a loss, gave up the first 12 points and were essentially never in the game. Florida didn’t even play its A-game — and ran Tennessee out of the building.
Auburn was already No. 1, so the top didn’t change. It does seem there’s a top tier developing, with the Tigers followed by Iowa State and Duke — none of those three has suffered anything resembling a 30-point loss yet this season and they have consistently looked a cut above over the past month.
Tennessee is still 14-1 with road wins at Illinois and Louisville, a neutral-site win over Baylor and a home blowout over Arkansas, so the Volunteers can’t drop too far. But that performance against the Gators on Tuesday will be a rough spot on their résumé all season — and could come up in discussion on Selection Sunday.
Previous ranking: 1
Auburn had its closest win since November on Tuesday, when it won at Texas by five despite jumping out to a 21-point lead. Texas scored 42 points in the final 12:30 to get within three, but Auburn made clutch free throws down the stretch. It was the Tigers’ worst defensive performance since the loss to Duke and their second-worst defensive performance of the season. Texas took 30 free throws and shot 50% inside the arc.
Next seven days: at South Carolina (Jan. 11), vs. Mississippi State (Jan. 14)
Previous ranking: 3
After allowing more than one point per possession in the Big 12 opener against Colorado, Iowa State’s typical defense has returned. The Cyclones limited Baylor to 29.7% shooting from the field and 24.1% from 3, holding the Bears to just 25 first-half points. Baylor scored less than 0.85 points per possession, as did Utah on Tuesday night. Iowa State forced the Utes into similar struggles, but this team also turned them over 18 times.
Next seven days: at Texas Tech (Jan. 11), vs. Kansas (Jan. 15)
Previous ranking: 4
Duke moved into the No. 1 spot at KenPom after the Blue Devils’ blowout of Pitt on Tuesday night, and they now occupy the top spot at both KenPom and in ESPN’s Men’s College Basketball Power Index. Jon Scheyer’s team is unlikely to be tested all that frequently in ACC play, so let’s just watch Cooper Flagg’s dunk a few more times.
Next seven days: vs. Notre Dame (Jan. 11), vs. Miami (Jan. 14)
Previous ranking: 6
When it comes to statement victories, it’s hard to imagine a bigger one than taking down the previously unbeaten No. 1 team in the country by 30, holding it to 43 points. Florida had looked the part all season, but it needed a marquee win to back it up — and that’s what the Gators got against Tennessee on Tuesday. Perhaps the most impressive part? They did it despite leading scorer and All-America candidate Walter Clayton scoring just seven points.
Next seven days: at Arkansas (Jan. 11), vs. Missouri (Jan. 14)
Previous ranking: 5
Mark Sears’ November struggles seem like a distant memory, as the All-American guard is back to playing his best basketball. He scored 22 points in each of Alabama’s first two SEC games, also totaling 16 assists. Since scoring 11 points and shooting 3-for-14 in a loss to Oregon on Nov. 30, Sears is averaging 21.4 points, 3.0 rebounds and 5.6 assists in his past seven games, shooting 48.4% from the field and 41.5% from 3.
Next seven days: at Texas A&M (Jan. 11), vs. Ole Miss (Jan. 14)
Previous ranking: 2
Tennessee will have to hope Tuesday was a blip, as the Volunteers’ loss to Florida will go down in the record books. According to ESPN Research, Tennessee’s 30-point margin of defeat was the third-most all time by an unbeaten AP No. 1 team and the most since Houston in 1968. The Vols’ 43 points were also the third-fewest points scored in a game by an AP No. 1 team in the shot clock era.
Next seven days: at Texas (Jan. 11), vs. Georgia (Jan. 15)
Previous ranking: 9
Marquette was pushed to the brink by Georgetown on Tuesday, but the Golden Eagles erased a 14-point deficit to move to 5-0 in the Big East. And this time, the hero wasn’t All-American guard Kam Jones. Chase Ross scored a career-high 27 points, hitting four 3-pointers, while also racking up six steals. Jones struggled to finish for most of the night, with Thomas Sorber causing issues on the interior, but Ross stepped up to lead the comeback win.
Next seven days: at DePaul (Jan. 14)
Previous ranking: 10
The Aggies have already stacked wins over Purdue, Texas Tech, Texas and Ohio State this season, but Wednesday’s victory at Oklahoma might have been the most impressive. The game was in Norman. The Aggies did it without guard Wade Taylor, who was out because of an injury. The Sooners led by as many as 18 points in the second half and received an otherworldly shooting performance from Brycen Goodine (nine 3s off the bench). But A&M fought back for a two-point win behind Zhuric Phelps’ 34 points — including the winning 3-pointer with under 20 seconds to go.
Next seven days: vs. Alabama (Jan. 11), at Kentucky (Jan. 14)
Previous ranking: 8
Kentucky’s defense is worth exploring. The Wildcats’ incredible offensive output against Florida on Saturday masked that they gave up 100 points and 1.40 points per possession in the win, including 81% shooting inside the arc. Georgia then scored 82 points and hit 1.09 points per possession. Kentucky has now allowed seven of its past eight opponents to exceed one point per possession — it didn’t allow any of its first seven opponents to hit that mark.
Next seven days: at Mississippi State (Jan. 11), vs. Texas A&M (Jan. 14)
Previous ranking: 23
Illinois received tough injury news before Wednesday’s game against Penn State, with star freshman Kasparas Jakucinois ruled out because of a left forearm injury. Without him, the Illini went beat Penn State by 39. Ben Humrichous (21 points and nine boards) and Tre White (20 and seven) stepped up, but the story was freshman big man Morez Johnson. In by far the best game of his career, he came off the bench to finish with 20 points and 11 boards.
Next seven days: vs. USC (Jan. 11), at Indiana (Jan. 14)
Previous ranking: 10
Kansas has really turned up the defensive intensity since losing at home to West Virginia on New Year’s Eve. The Jayhawks beat UCF by 51 over the weekend, limiting the Knights to 48 points and 0.62 points per possession — including 18.4% from inside the arc. And after Arizona State scored 42 points in the first half Wednesday, Kansas held the Sun Devils to five made field goals and 13 points after halftime. Shakeel Moore’s insertion into the starting lineup has made a big difference at that end of the floor.
Next seven days: at Cincinnati (Jan. 11), at Iowa State (Jan. 15)
Previous ranking: 14
It’s officially statement time for Chris Jans’ team. The Bulldogs are off to a 14-1 start, with the lone loss coming to Butler back in late November. They own a comfortable road win at Memphis and have just three wins by single digits. But that schedule is about to get a lot more difficult. Over the next two weeks, the Bulldogs face Kentucky, Auburn, Ole Miss and Tennessee. A split would prove Mississippi State has what it takes to remain near the top tier of the league — and inside the top 15 nationally.
Next seven days: vs. Kentucky (Jan. 11), at Auburn (Jan. 14)
Previous ranking: 7
Oregon had an interesting week, getting obliterated by Illinois at home Thursday before bouncing back to beat Maryland on Sunday. The Ducks hit a season-high 12 3s against the Terrapins, likely saving them from a third straight Big Ten defeat. But it was also their second consecutive game where they struggled defensively. Illinois scored 109 points and almost 1.40 points per possession, hitting 16 3s in the process, while Maryland scored almost 1.20 points per possession and shot 43% from 3.
Next seven days: at Ohio State (Jan. 9), at Penn State (Jan. 12)
Previous ranking: 16
Houston is still yet to notch a win over a surefire NCAA tournament team, but those chances will come — at Kansas on Jan. 25 jumps off the page pretty quickly. And in the meantime, it’s pretty clear that Houston’s defense is as dominant as ever. The Cougars have now held all three Big 12 opponents to 55 points or fewer, forcing an average of 16.0 turnovers per game. It’s also worth noting that Milos Uzan has totaled 15 assists to just three turnovers in those three games, while also notching at least two steals in all three games.
Next seven days: at Kansas State (Jan. 11), vs. West Virginia (Jan. 15)
Previous ranking: 17
Memphis got through two of its toughest AAC games in the past week, winning at Florida Atlantic by 28 and then escaping at home against North Texas. And with the midway point of the season here, it’s time to make the case for PJ Haggerty as a first-team All-American. He’s averaging 22.2 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists, shooting 50% from the field and nearly 45% from 3-point range. Haggerty has had some turnover issues, but he has made up for it with at least one steal in every game. Doing all this for a top-20 team (a ranking that should rise in the coming weeks) puts him in the conversation.
Next seven days: vs. East Carolina (Jan. 11)
Previous ranking: 11
UConn escaped against Providence in its first game without Liam McNeeley, scoring 60 points in the second half to erase a 14-point deficit and get the win. But the Huskies’ eight-game winning streak was snapped Wednesday night at Villanova, with Alex Karaban missing the potential go-ahead free throws with three seconds left. While the team’s offense wasn’t the same without McNeeley, the defense in its past two games has been an issue, allowing 1.28 points per possession to Providence and 1.16 to Villanova.
Next seven days: at Georgetown (Jan. 11)
Previous ranking: Unranked
Michigan’s results are finally catching up to its metrics, which now have the Wolverines inside the top 10 at both KenPom and Torvik. A 19-point road win at UCLA helped the cause. In the Los Angeles road swing, it was once again Dusty May’s dominant big man duo that led the way. Danny Wolf went for 21 points, 13 boards, 7 assists and 6 blocks against USC, while Vladislav Goldin had 36 points and seven rebounds in the win at UCLA.
Next seven days: vs. Washington (Jan. 12)
Previous ranking: 18
For Michigan State to hit its ceiling this season, Jaden Akins had to become the team’s go-to guy on the offensive end, filling the shoes of Tyson Walker. And while he hasn’t quite hit the scoring numbers of Walker, he has taken his game to a different level and is having the most efficient offensive season of his four-year career in East Lansing. Over his past five games, Akins is averaging 15.8 points and shooting nearly 46% from the field and 36% from 3-point range.
Next seven days: vs. Washington (Jan. 9), at Northwestern (Jan. 12), vs. Penn State (Jan. 15)
Previous ranking: 21
Braden Smith is in the midst of an otherworldly stretch of production, cementing his place in the All-America conversation. After going for 22 points, six rebounds and seven assists against Northwestern, Smith is now averaging 25.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 9.7 assists and 2.0 steals over his last three games — while also shooting 43.8% from 3-point range on nearly 11 attempts per game.
Next seven days: at Rutgers (Jan. 9), vs. Nebraska (Jan. 12), at Washington (Jan. 15)
Previous ranking: Unranked
Chris Beard’s team has rebounded nicely from its blowout loss at Memphis to end 2024, winning back-to-back games to open SEC play. The Rebels’ perimeter defense has been a highlight, with Georgia and Arkansas combining to shoot 7-for-41 from behind the arc in the two games. Malik Dia’s emergence against the Razorbacks could be a major positive; he had 21 points and eight rebounds, by far his best game in an Ole Miss jersey.
Next seven days: vs. LSU (Jan. 11), at Alabama (Jan. 14)
Previous ranking: 19
After losing to UCLA and struggling to put away Pepperdine at the end of December, Mark Few went back to the starting lineup that brought the Zags so much success in the first two games of the season. Michael Ajayi to the bench, Ben Gregg into the lineup. Whether it’s the rotation tweak or simply a good week, Gonzaga’s shooting has improved since the change — and Gregg went for 23 points and shot 3-for-3 from behind the arc in Wednesday’s win over San Diego.
Next seven days: vs. Washington State (Jan. 11)
Previous ranking: 12
After starting the season with 13 straight wins, Oklahoma has now dropped its first two games in SEC play. The first defeat was understandable; it ran into a buzzsaw in Tuscaloosa. The second one will be harder to swallow. The Sooners led Texas A&M by 18 points in the second half and were still up double-digits with just over eight minutes to play. But they made just two shots the rest of the game missed chances to win the game in the final minute. Brycen Goodine did score 34 points off the bench, though, going 9-for-11 from 3.
Next seven days: at Georgia (Jan. 11), vs. Texas (Jan. 15)
Previous ranking: Unranked
Written off after a loss to UCLA in Phoenix a month ago, Arizona has now won five straight games — including back-to-back road tilts at Cincinnati and West Virginia. What have been the keys to the Wildcats’ turnaround? Tommy Lloyd shuffled his rotation after the 4-5 start, moving Anthony Dell’Orso into the starting lineup and shifting KJ Lewis to a sixth man role. He has also expanded the roles of Henri Veesaar and Carter Bryant. Veesaar has been notable; in his past seven games, he is averaging 9.1 points and 5.7 rebounds.
Next seven days: vs. UCF (Jan. 11), vs. Baylor (Jan. 14)
Previous ranking: 25
Utah State might be the best team in the Mountain West, and there’s a strong case to be made for Mason Falslev in Player of the Year in the league talk. After making an impact as a freshman, Falslev is now averaging 16.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.4 assists, while shooting 47.5% from 3-point range. He had some of his best games in Utah State’s toughest matchups, scoring 28 against North Texas and going for 25 and 12 against Iowa.
Next seven days: vs. Boise State (Jan. 11), at UNLV (Jan. 15)
Previous ranking: Unranked
Georgia picked up its biggest win of the season Tuesday, keeping Kentucky at an arm’s length for the final 25 minutes en route to an 82-69 victory. The Bulldogs now own wins over both the Wildcats and St. John’s, with huge opportunities coming up: vs. Oklahoma, at Tennessee, vs. Auburn, at Arkansas, at Florida. Freshman forward Asa Newell, who had 17 points and seven rebounds against Kentucky, is now averaging 15.5 points and 6.9 rebounds.
Next seven days: vs. Oklahoma (Jan. 11), at Tennessee (Jan. 15)
Dropped out: UCLA Bruins (No. 13), Dayton Flyers (No. 20), Baylor Bears (No. 22), West Virginia Mountaineers (No. 24)
