Michigan returned from their COVID pause to get a comeback win over Wisconsin and remain in a select group at the top of the rankings.
With wins over BYU and San Francisco, both on the road, I have once again moved Gonzaga back to the top spot, but they and Baylor still seem to be a few lengths away from Michigan and even further from others with Villanova’s loss.
Loyola Chicago got a big win over Drake in the first game but dropped the second game by 1 point in overtime, which resulted in them moving to the 10th overall spot in KenPom.
I have a new system for tracking teams and will use it to base a lot of my decisions. As the year goes on, I find that a lot of people get sucked into the most recent games and put a little too much weight on recent results sometimes. Because of this, and because I generally like objective data as much as possible, I’m going to use these metrics in my post as well as the basis for my thought process.
I use KenPom as my starting point and keep track of the top-50 overall teams and a few in others as I see fit. A key win in my rankings is defined as a top-50 win at home, a top-75 win on a neutral court, or a top-100 win on the road. I will try to record all losses for now, but will also denote bad losses in italics when necessary and those are just the opposite of the good wins. For instance, if a team loses to a team not in the top-50 at home, then it’s a “bad” loss. Same for a loss to a team outside of the top-100 anywhere.
1. Gonzaga (20-0)
Key Wins:
- Kansas on a neutral court by 12
- Auburn on a neutral court by 23
- West Virginia on a neutral court by 5
- Iowa on a neutral court by 11
- Virginia on a neutral court by 23
- BYU at home by 17
- Saint Mary’s on the road by 14
- BYU on the road by 11
- San Francisco on the road by 39
Losses:
- None
2. Baylor (17-0)
Key Wins:
- Illinois on a neutral court by 13
- Oklahoma at home by 15
- TCU on the road by 18
- Texas Tech on the road by 8
- Kansas at home by 8
- Oklahoma State on the road by 15
- Texas on the road by 14
Losses:
- None
3. Michigan (14-1)
Key Wins:
- Penn State at home by 4
- Maryland on the road by 11
- Minnesota at home by 25
- Wisconsin at home by 23
- Maryland at home by 24
- Purdue on the road by 17
- Wisconsin on the road by 8
Losses:
- Minnesota on the road by 18
4. Ohio State (17-4)
Key Wins:
- Notre Dame on the road by 5
- UCLA at home by 7
- Rutgers at home by 12
- Rutgers on the road by 11
- Illinois on the road by 6
- Wisconsin on the road by 12
- Penn State at home by 4
- Iowa on the road by 4
- Maryland on the road by 8
- Indiana at home by 19
Losses:
- Purdue on the road by 7
- Northwestern on the road by 1
- Minnesota on the road by 17
- Purdue at home by 2
5. Illinois (14-5)
Key Wins:
- Duke on the road by 15
- Minnesota at home by 27
- Penn State on the road by 17
- Indiana at home by 9
- Purdue at home by 11
- Northwestern on the road by 25
- Penn State at home by 14
- Iowa at home by 5
- Indiana on the road by 4 in OT
- Wisconsin at home by 15
Losses:
- Baylor on a neutral court by 13
- Missouri on the road by 3
- Rutgers on the road by 3
- Maryland at home by 3
- Ohio State at home by 6
6. Alabama (17-5)
Key Wins:
- Providence on a neutral court by 17
- Tennessee on the road by 8
- Florida at home by 15
- Auburn on the road by 4
- Kentucky on the road by 20
- Arkansas at home by 31
- LSU on the road by 30
- LSU at home by 18
- South Carolina on the road by 3
Losses:
- Stanford on a neutral court by 18
- Clemson on a neutral court by 8
- Western Kentucky at home by 2
- Oklahoma on the road by 5
- Missouri on the road by 3
7. Iowa (15-6)
Key Wins:
- North Carolina at home by 13
- Purdue at home by 15
- Rutgers on the road by 2
- Maryland on the road by 22
- Minnesota at home by 15
- Northwestern on the road by 23
- Rutgers at home by 13
- Michigan State on the road by 30
Losses:
- Gonzaga on a neutral court by 11
- Minnesota on the road by 7 in OT
- Indiana at home by 12
- Illinois on the road by 5
- Ohio State at home by 4
8. Virginia (15-3)
Key Wins:
- Notre Dame on the road by 9
- Boston College on the road by 12
- Clemson on the road by 35
- Syracuse at home by 23
- NC State on the road by 7
- Georgia Tech on the road by 8
- North Carolina at home by 12
Losses:
- San Francisco on a neutral court by 1
- Gonzaga on a neutral court by 23
- Virginia Tech on the road by 14
9. Houston (17-2)
Key Wins:
- Texas Tech on a neutral court by 11
- UCF on the road by 9
- SMU on the road by 14
Losses:
- Tulsa on the road by 1
- East Carolina on the road by 9
10. Texas (13-5)
Key Wins:
- Davidson on a neutral court by 2
- Indiana on a neutral court by 22
- North Carolina on a neutral court by 2
- Oklahoma State at home by 3
- Kansas on the road by 25
- West Virginia on the road by 2
Losses:
- Villanova at home by 4
- Texas Tech at home by 2
- Oklahoma at home by 1
- Baylor at home by 14
- Oklahoma State on the road by 8 in 2OT
11. Oklahoma (13-5)
Key Wins:
- TCU on the road by 4
- West Virginia at home by 4
- Kansas at home by 7
- Texas on the road by 1
- Alabama at home by 5
- West Virginia on the road by 1 in 2OT
Losses:
- Xavier on the road by 22
- Texas Tech at home by 2
- Baylor on the road by 15
- Kansas on the road by 4
- Texas Tech on the road by 5
12. West Virginia (14-6)
Key Wins:
- VCU on a neutral court by 12
- Oklahoma State on the road by 3
- Texas Tech at home by 1
- Kansas at home by 12
- Texas Tech on the road by 11
Losses:
- Gonzaga on a neutral court by 5
- Kansas on the road by 14
- Oklahoma on the road by 4
- Texas at home by 2
- Florida at home by 5
- Oklahoma at home by 1 in 2OT
13. Villanova (13-3)
Key Wins:
- Arizona State on a neutral court by 9
- Texas on the road by 4
- Georgetown on the road by 13
- Marquette on the road by 17
- Seton Hall at home by 2
- Seton Hall on the road by 8
Losses:
- Virginia Tech on a neutral court by 8 in OT
- St. John’s on the road by 11
- Creighton on the road by 16
14. USC (17-3)
Key Wins:
- BYU on a neutral court by 26
- Arizona on the road by 14
- Arizona State on the road by 9
- Stanford on the road by 6
- UCLA at home by 18
Losses:
- Connecticut on a neutral court by 3
- Colorado at home by 10
- Oregon State on the road by 2
15. Texas Tech (14-6)
Key Wins:
- Oklahoma on the road by 2
- Iowa State on the road by 27
- Texas on the road by 2
- LSU on the road by 5
- Oklahoma at home by 5
Losses:
- Houston on a neutral court by 11
- Kansas at home by 1
- Oklahoma State at home by 5 in OT
- Baylor at home by 8
- West Virginia on the road by 1
- West Virginia at home by 11
16. Creighton (16-5)
Key Wins:
- St. Johns on the road by 18
- Connecticut on the road by 2 in OT
- Xavier at home by 5
- Providence on the road by 2
- Seton Hall at home by 36
- Connecticut at home by 8
- Seton Hall on the road by 4
- Marquette on the road by 3
- Georgetown on the road by 15
- Villanova at home by 16
Losses:
- Kansas on the road by 1
- Marquette at home by 5
- Butler on the road by 4 in OT
- Providence at home by 4
- Georgetown at home by 7
17. Wisconsin (15-7)
Key Wins:
- Loyola Chicago at home by 14
- Louisville at home by 37
- Michigan State on the road by 9
- Minnesota at home by 12
- Indiana at home by 7 in 2OT
- Rutgers on the road by 6
- Maryland on the road by 6
- Penn State at home by 16
Losses:
- Marquette on the road by 2
- Maryland at home by 6
- Michigan on the road by 23
- Ohio State at home by 12
- Penn State on the road by 10
- Illinois on the road by 15
- Michigan at home by 8
18. Loyola Chicago (18-4)
Key Wins:
- Missouri State on the road by 26
- Missouri State on the road by 20
- Drake on the road by 27
Losses:
- Wisconsin on the road by 14
- Richmond on a neutral court by 2
- Indiana State on the road by 5
- Drake on the road by 1 in OT
19. Florida State (11-3)
Key Wins:
- Indiana at home by 2 OT
- Florida at home by 12
- North Carolina at home by 7
- Louisville on the road by 13
- Clemson at home by 19
Losses:
- UCF at home by 12
- Clemson on the road by 10
- Georgia Tech on the road by 11
20. Tennessee (14-5)
Key Wins:
- Colorado at home by 9
- Missouri on the road by 20
- Arkansas at home by 5
- Kansas at home by 19
- Kentucky on the road by 11
Losses:
- Alabama at home by 8
- Florida on the road by 26
- Missouri at home by 9
- Ole Miss on the road by 2
- LSU on the road by 13
21. Purdue (13-8)
Key Wins:
- Ohio State at home by 7
- Maryland at home by 3
- Michigan State on the road by 1
- Indiana on the road by 12
- Penn State at home by 8
- Ohio State on the road by 2
- Minnesota at home by 19
Losses:
- Clemson on a neutral court by 11
- Miami on the road by 4
- Iowa on the road by 15
- Rutgers on the road by 5
- Illinois on the road by 8
- Michigan at home by 17
- Maryland on the road by 1
- Minnesota on the road by 3
22. Kansas (15-7)
Key Wins:
- Kentucky on a neutral court by 3
- Creighton at home by 1
- Texas Tech on the road by 1
- West Virginia at home by 14
- Oklahoma at home by 4
- Oklahoma State at home by 12
Losses:
- Gonzaga on a neutral court by 12
- Texas at home by 25
- Oklahoma State on the road by 5
- Baylor on the road by 8
- Oklahoma on the road by 7
- Tennessee on the road by 19
- West Virginia on the road by 12
23. Arkansas (16-5)
Key Wins:
- Auburn on the road by 12
- Kentucky on the road by 1
- Missouri on the road by 5 at home by in OT
Losses:
- Missouri at home by 13
- Tennessee on the road by 5
- LSU on the road by 18
- Alabama on the road by 31
- Oklahoma State on the road by 4
24. Missouri (13-5)
Key Wins:
- Oregon on a neutral court by 8
- Wichita State on the road by 10
- Illinois at home by 3
- Arkansas on the road by 13
- Tennessee on the road by 9
- Alabama at home by 3
Losses:
- Tennessee at home by 20
- Mississippi State on the road by 15
- Auburn on the road by 6
- Ole Miss on the road by 21
- Arkansas at home by 5 in OT
25. Rutgers (12-7)
Key Wins:
- Syracuse at home by 10
- Maryland on the road by 14
- Illinois at home by 3
- Purdue at home by 5
- Indiana on the road by 4
- Northwestern on the road by 8
- Minnesota at home by 4
Losses:
- Ohio State on the road by 12
- Iowa at home by 2
- Michigan State on the road by 23
- Ohio State at home by 11
- Wisconsin at home by 6
- Penn State on the road by 8
- Iowa on the road by 13
Also Considered (Alphabetical):
Arizona, BYU, Clemson, Colorado, Connecticut, Duke, Florida, Indiana, Louisville, LSU, Maryland, Memphis, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma State, Oregon, Penn State, Saint Louis, San Diego State, Seton Hall, St. Bonaventure, UCLA, Utah State, VCU, Virginia Tech