I am not a fan of having to determine the best 25 teams in college basketball, especially early in the season. I think there is not much that separates teams, especially as you get to the teams that are in the 15-45 range. I am always impressed with people that attempt to put their opinions out there and believe that the best way to have an opinion of where a team should (or shouldn’t) be ranked, is to also have an entire top-25 of your own.
While I spend most of my time focused on the SEC, I am still a college basketball addict and try to fit in as many games as I can watch while I can (and my wife will let me). I was lucky enough this year that the start of college basketball coincided perfectly with the Thanksgiving holiday and that my wife chose to go and visit her family while I opted to not travel in a pandemic.
With that, I am confident in saying that Gonzaga is the best team in the country and Baylor is probably right behind them. After that, you could convince me almost any other team deserves to be in the top-10 and I’d at least listen to you. Obviously, my rankings are below, but the only thing I will dispute right now is anyone saying Gonzaga and Baylor aren’t the two best teams in college basketball so far.
1. Gonzaga (3-0)
Key Wins:
- Kansas by 12 on a neutral court
- West Virginia by 5 on a neutral court
Key Losses: None
2. Baylor (4-0)
Key Wins:
- Illinois by 13 on a neutral court
- Washington by 34 on a neutral court
Key Losses: None
3. Iowa (6-0)
Key Wins:
- North Carolina by 13 at home
- Iowa State by 28 at home
Key Losses: None
4. West Virginia (6-1)
Key Wins:
- VCU by 12 on a neutral court
- Western Kentucky by 6 on a neutral court
- Richmond by 16 at home
Key Losses:
- Gonzaga by 5 on a neutral court
5. Michigan State (6-0)
Key Wins:
- Notre Dame by 10 at home
- Duke by 6 on the road
Key Losses: None
6. Villanova (5-1)
Key Wins:
- Texas by 4 on the road
- Arizona State by 9 on a neutral court
Key Losses:
- Virginia Tech by 8 on a neutral court in overtime
7. Texas (5-1)
Key Wins:
- Davidson by 2 on a neutral court
- Indiana by 22 on a neutral court
- North Carolina by 2 on a neutral court
Key Losses:
- Villanova by 4 at home
8. Tennessee (2-0)
Key Wins:
- Colorado by 9 at home
- Cincinnati by 9 at home
Key Losses: None
9. Kansas (6-1)
Key Wins:
- Kentucky by 3 on a neutral court
- Creighton by 1 at home
Key Losses:
- Gonzaga by 12 on a neutral court
10. Wisconsin (4-1)
Key Wins:
- Rhode Island by 11 at home
Key Losses:
- Marquette by 2 on the road
11. Houston (4-0)
Key Wins:
- Texas Tech by 11 on a neutral court
- South Carolina by 10 at home
Key Losses: None
12. Creighton (4-1)
Key Wins: None
Key Losses:
- Kansas by 1 on the road
13. Missouri (5-0)
Key Wins:
- Oregon by 8 on a neutral court
- Illinois by 3 at home
Key Losses: None
14. Florida State (3-0)
Key Wins:
- Indiana by 2 at home in overtime
- Florida by 12 at home
Key Losses: None
15. Illinois (4-2)
Key Wins:
- Duke by 15 on the road
Key Losses:
- Baylor by 13 on a neutral court
- Missouri by 3 on the road
16. Texas Tech (6-1)
Key Wins: None
Key Losses:
- Houston by 11 on a neutral court
17. Xavier (7-0)
Key Wins:
- Cincinnati by 8 on the road
- Oklahoma by 22 at home
Key Losses: None
18. San Diego State (5-0)
Key Wins:
- UCLA by 15 at home
- Arizona State by 12 on the road
Key Losses: None
19. Clemson (5-0)
Key Wins:
- Purdue by 11 on a neutral court
- Maryland by 16 at home
- Alabama by 8 on a neutral court
Key Losses: None
20. Louisville (4-0)
Key Wins:
- Seton Hall by 1 at home
- Western Kentucky by 21 at home
Key Losses: None
21. Michigan (6-0)
Key Wins:
- Penn State by 4 at home
Key Losses: None
22. Ohio State (5-0)
Key Wins:
- Notre Dame by 5 on the road
Key Losses: None
23. Oklahoma State (6-0)
Key Wins:
- Marquette by 8 on the road
- Wichita State by 3 on the road
Key Losses: None
24. Indiana (4-2)
Key Wins:
- Providence by 21 on a neutral court
- Stanford by 16 on a neutral court
Key Losses:
- Texas by 22 on a neutral court
- Florida State by 2 on the road in overtime
25. Oregon (4-1)
Key Wins:
- Seton Hall by 13 on a neutral court
- Washington by 3 on the road
Key Losses:
- Missouri by 8 on a neutral court
Next up
- Florida
- Rutgers
- Syracuse
- North Carolina
- Virginia
- Arizona State
- Arkansas
- Duke
- Saint Louis
- LSU