1. Kansas Jayhawks (Big 12 #1) (4-0) (KenPom: 7) (Last Week: 1)

Kansas started the week beating Michigan State in the Champions Classic. After scoring 20 points against UNC last week, Hunter Dickinson dropped 28 points in the Michigan State game. After their first four games, Kansas is 9th in offense and 11th in defense per KenPom. The Jayhawks have a matchup against UNC Wilmington on Tuesday as their only game on the week.

2. Gonzaga Bulldogs (WCC #1) (3-0) (KenPom: 3) (Last Week: 3)

The country’s number one offense beat UMass Lowell by a whopping 59 points on Friday. With that said, UMass Lowell is the best team in the America East this year, so that point difference is impressive. So far, Gonzaga has that win, their 36 win over Gonzaga, and a gritty win against a good Arizona State team. The Bulldogs will have another tough test on Tuesday, as they play a road game against San Diego State. After that, they have a matchup against Long Beach State.

3. Auburn Tigers (SEC #1) (3-0) (KenPom: 1) (Last Week: 4)

Auburn has clearly been the best the most impressive team in the country this season. After blowing out a good Vermont team by 51, they go into Houston in a semi-away matchup and wins, and then blows out Kent State. The Tigers have five players averaging double figures early on and Chaney Johnson appears to be having a breakout year. Auburn plays North Alabama on Monday.

4. Iowa State Cyclones (Big 12 #2) (2-0) (KenPom: 8) (Last Week: 5)

The Cyclones have not yet had a true test, as they’ve blown out Mississippi Valley State and UMKC so far. Monday’s game against 358th KenPom ranked IU Indy won’t be a big test either. However, there’s plenty of anticipating around the Cyclones participating in the Maui Invitational, where they’ll play Auburn, UNC/Dayton, and then a third game potentially against UConn depending how the bracket breaks. The Cyclones are very, very good, but outside of their Maui trip, the non-conference schedule is a joke.

5. Houston Cougars (Big 12 #3) (2-1) (KenPom: 2) (Last week: 8)

After losing to Auburn, Houston’s next real test is in Vegas at the Players Era Invitational in a matchup against Alabama on November 26th. The Cougars biggest issue is the replacement of Jamal Shead’s production from a year ago. Last year’s leading scorer, LJ Cryer, is averaging just 12.3 points per game, but it’s just a 3 game sample size. Despite this, the Cougars have 4th best offense per KenPom, in addition to the #1 defense. The Cougars have a game against Hofstra on Friday.

6. Alabama Crimson Tide (SEC #2) (3-1) (KenPom: 10) (Last week: 2)

The biggest question about this Alabama team became this team’s biggest weakness. On KenPom, the Crimson Tide are 37th defensively in the nation. That defense isn’t going to cut it if the Crimson Tide want to compete for the national championship. While Alabama is always one of the most uptempo teams in the country under Nate Oats, they just gave up 87 points to Purdue, who plays at one of the slowest paces in the country for a high major team. That’s concerning. After the McNeese win and Purdue loss, Alabama will face Illinois as their only matchup this week in a semi-home game.

7. UConn Huskies (Big East #1) (3-0) (KenPom: 5) (Last week: 9)

This seems low for the team looking to 3peat, but so far, the schedule has been weak. All three of their wins are over sub-300 KenPom teams. Their only upcoming game this week is against Texas A&M Commerce, another sub-300 KenPom team. However, this team is playing in the Maui Invitational the following week and then we’ll have a much better idea of how to view this iteration of UConn.

8. Tennessee Volunteers (SEC #3) (4-0) (KenPom: 6) (Last week: 10)

Under Rick Barnes, Tennessee once again has an elite defense, ranking 3rd in the nation. However, their 23rd ranking in the nation offensively is the highest ranking the Volunteers have had under Barnes since 2019. Igor Milicic has really stepped up as the guy on offense for the Volunteers of late, scoring 18 and 23 in his last two games. The Volunteers have a big week coming up, as they play Virginia in the Bahamas and then either Baylor or St. John’s, depending the outcome of each game.

9. Purdue Boilermakers (Big Ten #1) (4-0) (KenPom: 12) (Last week: 14)

This was a big week for the Boilermakers, with wins over Ivy League juggernaut, Yale, and then a win over Alabama. It’s been a pleasant surprise how good this offense has been. While many anticipated Trey Kaufmann-Renn stepping up with Zach Edey’s departure, he has been nothing short of incredible, dropping 26 against Alabama. Purdue plays their next game at Marquette before coming back home to play Marshall this week.

10. Duke Blue Devils (ACC #1) (3-1) (KenPom: 4) (Last week: 6)

Despite turning the ball over twice in the final minute of the Champions Classic loss to Kentucky, there are plenty of reasons to be encouraged by Cooper Flagg. Additionally, Duke bounced back in a major way after that loss by beating Wofford by 51 points on Saturday. Wofford was initially ranked in this top 100 in the preseason. Meanwhile, Duke is playing at Arizona on Friday.

11. Baylor Bears (Big 12 #4) (3-1) (KenPom: 13) (Last week: 11)

Baylor has looked a lot better after getting blown out by Gonzaga on opening night. Since then, they’ve beaten John Calipari’s Arkansas team, and 37 point win over Sam Houston State, and then a ___ win over Tarleton State. While Baylor’s offense has been borderline elite, the defense needs to improve. With the sample size small and two of their four games so far against ranked opponents, Scott Drew will right the ship. Baylor plays St. John’s in the Bahamas before playing either Tennessee/Virginia pending the outcome of those games.

12. North Carolina Tar Heels (ACC #2) (2-1) (KenPom: 14) (Last week: 12)

While RJ Davis has shot just 32% from the field and 20% from 3 through the Tar Heels first three games, junior Seth Trimble and sophomore Elliott Cadeau have each stepped up in a major way. While big man was the biggest question for the Tar Heels going into the season, but Jalen Washington may have answered those questions. The Tar Heels will play an away game against Hawaii on Friday before participating in the Maui Invitational the following week.

13. Creighton Blue Jays (Big East #2) (4-0) (KenPom: 18) (Last week: 13)

While Ryan Kalkbrenner has slowed down after his 49 point performance, he should still be a dangerous threat to win National Player of the Year as the season goes on. Kalkbrenner is averaging 25.8 points per game and shooting 85% from the field. In total, Kalkbrenner has missed a total of 5 shots all season. Once Texas Tech transfer Pop Isaacs gets going, this Creighton team will be even more dangerous. Creighton has a home game against Nebraska this week.

14. Kentucky Wildcats (SEC #4) (3-0) (KenPom: 22) (Last week: 23)

Kentucky had a very impressive win over the Duke Blue Devils in the Champions Classic. I was worried about this Kentucky roster coming into the season because they didn’t have that “go to guy” to score consistently for them. Many have speculated it would be Jaxson Robinson, but Robinson is averaging just 7.7 points per game early on. Kentucky has relied on their depth, as they play a legitimate 8-9 man rotation nightly and the depth has been the key to winning a close game like they did against Duke so far. Kentucky will play home games against Lipscomb and Jackson State this week.

15. Arizona Wildcats (Big 12 #5) (2-1) (KenPom: 16) (Last week: 7)

Not only did Arizona lose a game at Wisconsin, but the game wasn’t particularly close. Wisconsin won the game by 15 points and scored 103 points against this Arizona defense. While Arizona’s other two games were against sub-300 KenPom teams, their matchup against Duke this week will be an indicative measuring stick for their defense. Additionally, I was very low going into the year on Wisconsin, ranking them somewhere in the 80s on my preseason rankings. While that could have been too low, Arizona was dinged a little bit for that loss.

16. Texas Tech Red Raiders (Big 12 #6) (3-0) (KenPom: 9) (Last week: 15)

Texas Tech is another team that it’s been tough to gauge early on due to an easy early season schedule. After playing Arkansas Pine Buff on Monday, they’ll head to Brooklyn to play in the Legends Classic against St. Joseph’s on Thursday and then Texas/Syracuse on Friday. However, Texas Tech is the best team in that tournament so they shouldn’t have a problem sweeping this week. New Mexico transfer, JT Toppin, is averaging nearly 23 points per game for the Red Raiders.

17. Xavier Musketeers (Big East #3) (4-0) (KenPom: 44) (Last week: 18)

All offseason, I championed how deep this Xavier team is and it shows early on in the year, as they have 9 players who play at least 12 minutes per game. And so far, Xavier has been healthy. A win over Wake Forest was the icing on the cake after an easy first three games for the Musketeers. Xavier plays Siena on Wednesday.

18. Cincinnati Bearcats (Big 12 #7) (3-0) (KenPom: 11) (Last week: 16)

So far, so good for the Bearcats. Cincinnati is yet to have a blemish on the record; however, they are playing two upcoming road games this week. On Tuesday they play at Northern Kentucky and then Saturday they play at Georgia Tech. Meanwhile, wing Dan Skillings is out for the next couple of weeks after undergoing knee surgery. It’ll be a committee to continue to hold down the fort, as Cincinnati has five players averaging double figures on the year.

19. Ole Miss Rebels (SEC #5) (4-0) (KenPom: 50) (Last week: 19)

After struggling to a two point win against Grambling and a 10 point win against South Alabama, the Rebels had a signature win by beating Colorado State by 15 on Saturday. While Matthew Murrell missed the South Alabama game, he has struggled early, averaging 9.7 points per game and shooting just 36% from the field. That won’t continue to happen. Ole Miss plays Oral Roberts on Thursday.

20. Indiana Hoosiers (Big Ten #2) (3-0) (KenPom: 32) (Last week: 20)

The biggest concern for the Hoosiers when Mike Woodson assembled this roster was the lack of 3 point shooting. Through three games, this team is shooting 39.2% from 3. Their overall effective field goal percentage is 61.2%, good for 13th in the nation. Mackenzie Mgbako is having a sophomore year breakout, averaging 22 points and nearly 8 rebounds per game. Indiana plays UNC Greensboro a home game against this week.

21. Texas A&M Aggies (SEC #6) (3-1) (KenPom: 15) (Last week: 22)

After losing to UCF in the season opener, the Aggies have been excellent since. They also got a significant win over Ohio State on Friday night. Additionally, the Aggies still have a top 20 offense and defense nationally. While Wade Taylor IV hasn’t quite gotten it going yet this year, SMU transfer, Zhuric Phelps, has. Phelps is averaging 16 points per game and has hit 50% of his shots from the field. The Aggies play a home game against Southern this week.

22. St. John’s Red Storm (Big East #4) (4-0) (KenPom: 17) (Last week: 25)

Rick Pitino has the Red Storm ranked in the AP Poll! Ranking 22nd in the AP Poll is the highest St. John’s has been since December 2014. In the transfer portal, the Red Storm landed the highest ranked transfer in Kadary Richmond. Considering Richmond is averaging less than 9 points per game, there’s still growth for this Red Storm team. However, Rick Pitino won the “Pitino Bowl” as the Red Storm just beat Richard Pitino’s New Mexico squad in MSG. St. John’s is about to play 3 games in 4 days, as they’ll face Baylor in the Bahamas and then play either Tennessee or Virginia, and then on Sunday, they’ll face Georgia in another game in the Bahamas.

23. Arkansas Razorbacks (SEC #7) (2-1) (KenPom: 31) (Last week: 21)

The Razorbacks fall from 23 to 21 is no fault of their own. They took care of business this week against Troy, but teams like St. John’s and Texas A&M had more substantial victories. The Razorbacks are another loaded team, as they’ve been playing a deep eight man rotation; however, the biggest surprise is the lack of role for Tennessee transfer, Jonas Aidoo. Aidoo has played just seven minutes per game and has taken a back seat to Zvonimir Ivisic, who followed John Calipari from Kentucky. Freshman Boogie Fland is looking like an early one and done candidate. Arkansas has home matchups against Pacific and Little Rock this week.

24. Marquette Golden Eagles (Big East #5) (4-0) (KenPom: 21) (Last week: 26)

Beating Maryland in College Park is no easy feat. But that’s exactly what Shaka Smart’s squad did. Plus Smart may have a First Team All-American in Kam Jones. Through four games, Jones is averaging 24 points per game and shooting 65% from the field and a whopping 54.5% from 3. Additionally, guys like David Joplin, Chase Ross, and Stevie Mitchell have all played excellent complimentary roles. This week will be challenging for the Golden Eagles, as they play a home game against Purdue and then a neutral court matchup against Georgia.

25. Illinois Fighting Illini (Big Ten #3) (3-0) (KenPom: 25) (Last week: 24)

This Illinois game will go as far as their freshman class can take them. Reclassified freshman, Will Riley, is averaging 17.7 points, while Tomislav Ivisic is averaging 17 points and 9 rebounds. Freshman phenom Kasparas Jakucionis is averaging 9 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 7.7 assists. However, the Illini will need Kylan Boswell to play a larger role. Ben Humichous has been good and efficient. This team could win the Big Ten when it all comes together. The Illini will face Alabama in a semi-away game on Wednesday and then UMES on Saturday.

26. Florida Gators (SEC #8) (4-0) (KenPom: 20) (Last week: 27)

We already knew the three-headed guard monster of Walter Clayton, Will Richard, and Alijah Martin were awesome. But the development of Alex Condon and Sam Alexis are equally as important for this Florida team. Additionally, Florida’s shooting 66% on two pointers, which is 6th in the nation. While I’m much lower on Florida State this year, beating them still constitutes a power five win this week. Florida faces Florida A&M and then Southern Illinois this week.

27. BYU Cougars (Big 12 #8) (4-0) (KenPom: 28) (Last week: 32)

BYU has a whopping 10 players playing at least 10 minutes per game. While three of their first four games were blow outs, that’s still notable. Plus international freshman, Egor Demin, has solidified himself as a top ten pick in the 2025 NBA draft already. BYU plays Mississippi Valley State on Saturday, the team ranked dead last in KenPom.

28. Oregon Ducks (Big Ten #4) (4-0) (KenPom: 33) (Last week: 30)

I wrote about how the Ducks need to get Jackson Shelstad going, and that’s still the case. However, big man Nate Bittle is keeping the ship afloat thus far. While Shelstad is averaging less than 10 points per game, Bittle is the team’s leading scorer and rebounder. It’s bad for Shelstad right now. In fact, in Oregon’s win over Troy, Shelstad had 0 points and only attempted 4 shots. This is something to monitor for the Ducks. They play Oregon State on Thursday.

29. Ohio State Buckeyes (Big Ten #5) (4-0) (KenPom: 26) (Last week: 28)

While the Buckeyes went 0-1 this week in their loss to Texas A&M, their win over Texas in Vegas in opening week still holds wait. Plus Ohio State is 31st offensively and 23rd defensively per KenPom. They’re also shooting 40% from 3 as a team. We already knew Bruce Thornton is awesome, which he still is. But the most encouraging development is John Mobley Jr. being this team’s second leading scorer while shooting 55% from the field and 67% from 3. Obviously those numbers aren’t sustainable for a small guard, but it’s a great early development. Ohio State plays Evansville and then Campbell this week.

30. Texas Longhorns (SEC #9) (3-1) (KenPom: 24) (Last week: 31)

Texas has a big week again. They’ve beaten the snot out of three sub-350 KenPom teams and they lost their season opener to Ohio State. This week, they play Syracuse in Brooklyn for the Legends Classic, and then play either Texas Tech or St. Joe’s depending the outcome of those games.

31. Rutgers Scarlet Knights (Big Ten #6) (3-0) (KenPom: 64) (Last week: 33)

32. Mississippi State Bulldogs (SEC #10) (4-0) (KenPom: 27) (Last week: 34)

33. Wake Forest Deamon Decons (ACC #3) (4-1) (KenPom: 78) (Last week: 17)

34. Miami Hurricanes (ACC #4) (3-0) (KenPom: 47) (Last week: 34)

35. VCU Rams (A10 #1) (4-0) (KenPom: 35) (Last week: 36)

36. Kansas State Wildcats (Big 12 #9) (2-1) (KenPom: 63) (Last week: 29)

37. Dayton Flyers (A10 #2) (4-0) (KenPom: 43) (Last week: 41)

38. Memphis Tigers (AAC #1) (3-0) (KenPom: 38) (Last week: 44)

39. Saint Mary’s Gaels (WCC #2) (4-0) (KenPom: 42) (Last week: 48)

40. Michigan Wolverines (Big Ten #7) (2-1) (KenPom: 30) (Last week: 43)

41. Arizona State Sun Devils (Big 12 #10) (4-1) (KenPom: 56) (Last week: 71)

42. Michigan State Spartans (Big Ten #8) (3-1) (KenPom: 41) (Last week: 39)

43. Iowa Hawkeyes (Big Ten #9) (4-0) (KenPom: 46) (Last week: 53)

44. Nevada Wolfpack (MWC #1) (4-0) (KenPom: 39) (Last week: 54)

45. Providence Friars (Big East #6) (4-0) (KenPom: 81) (Last week: 38)

46. New Mexico Lobos (MWC #2) (3-1) (KenPom: 60) (Last week: 45)

47. UCLA Bruins (Big Ten #10) (3-1) (KenPom: 23) (Last week: 46)

48. Maryland Terrapins (Big Ten #11) (3-1) (KenPom: 37) (Last week: 40)

49. USC Trojans (Big Ten #12) (3-1) (KenPom: 76) (Last week: 37)

50. UCF Knights (Big 12 #11) (3-0) (KenPom: 57) (Last week: 51)

51. Boise State Broncos (MWC #2) (3-1) (KenPom: 36) (Last week: 58)

52. Clemson Tigers (ACC #5) (3-1) (KenPom: 45) (Last week: 42)

53. St. Louis Billikens (A10 #3) (2-1) (KenPom: 117) (Last week: 49)

54. Louisville Cardinals (ACC #6) (1-1) (KenPom: 69) (Last week: 50)

55. Utah State Aggies (MWC #3) (3-0) (KenPom: 48) (Last week: 56)

56. San Francisco Dons (WCC #3) (4-0) (KenPom: 54) (Last week: 54)

57. Grand Canyon Lopes (WAC #1) (2-1) (KenPom: 79) (Last week: 47)

58. McNeese Cowboys (Southland #1) (1-2) (KenPom: 110) (Last week: 52)

59. Wisconsin Badgers (Big Ten #13) (4-0) (KenPom: 29) (Last week: 82)

60. Washington Huskies (Big Ten #14) (3-1) (KenPom: 84) (Last week: 58)

61. NC State Wolfpack (ACC #7) (3-0) (KenPom: 62) (Last week: 63)

62. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (ACC #8) (3-0) (KenPom: 53) (Last week: 64)

63. Penn State Nittany Lions (Big Ten #15) (4-0) (KenPom: 34) (Last week: 74)

64. Northwestern Wildcats (Big Ten #16) (3-1) (KenPom: 51) (Last week: 66)

65. TCU Horned Frogs (Big 12 #12) (3-1) (KenPom: 61) (Last week: 55)

66. Missouri Tigers (SEC #11) (3-1) (KenPom: 58) (Last week: 67)

67. Pitt Panthers (ACC #9) (4-0) (KenPom: 19) (Last week: 69)

68. Butler Bulldogs (Big East #7) (3-1) (KenPom: 89) (Last week: 75)

69. Saint Joseph’s (A10 #4) (3-1) (KenPom: 99) (Last week: 76)

70. SMU Mustangs (ACC #10) (3-1) (KenPom: 72) (Last week: 57)

71. West Virginia (Big 12 #13) (2-1) (KenPom: 86) (Last week: 60)

72. Loyola Chicago Ramblers (A10 #5) (4-0) (KenPom: 83) (Last week: 83)

73. Princeton Tigers (Ivy #1) (4-1) (KenPom: 87) (Last week: 70)

74. High Point Panthers (Big South #1) (4-0) (KenPom: 105) (Last week: 85)

75. UAB Blazers (AAC #2) (2-2) (KenPom: 102) (Last week: 62)

76. LSU Tigers (SEC #12) (3-0) (KenPom: 40) (Last week: 84)

77. Oklahoma Sooners (SEC #13) (3-0) (KenPom: 49) (Last week: 81)

78. Syracuse Orange (ACC #11) (3-0) (KenPom: 106) (Last week: 65)

79. Georgia Bulldogs (SEC #14) (4-0) (KenPom: 65) (Last week: 78)

80. Nebraska Cornhuskers (Big Ten #17) (3-1) (KenPom: 66) (Last week: 73)

81. San Diego State Aztecs (MWC #5) (2-0) (KenPom: 52) (Last week: 79)

82. Virginia Cavaliers (ACC #12) (3-0) (KenPom: 77) (Last week: 88)

83. Villanova (Big East #8) (2-3) (KenPom: 73) (Last week: 68)

84. Wichita State Shockers (AAC #3) (3-0) (KenPom: 85) (Last week: 86)

85. UC Irvine Anteaters (Big West #1) (4-0) (KenPom: 59) (Last week: 93)

86. North Texas Mean Green (ACC #4) (3-0) (KenPom: 68) (Last week: 94)

87. Colorado State Rams (MWC #6) (3-1) (KenPom: 94) (Last week: 80)

88. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (ACC #13) (2-2) (KenPom: 100) (Last week: 77)

89. Santa Clara Broncos (WCC #4) (1-3) (KenPom: 120) (Last week: 72)

90. Charleston Cougars (CAA #1) (3-1) (KenPom: 131) (Last week: 87)

91. Stanford Cardinal (ACC #14) (4-0) (KenPom: 67) (Last week: 95)

92. UNLV Runnin’ Rebels (MWC #7) (2-1) (KenPom: 95) (Last week: 91)

93. California Golden Bears (ACC #15) (3-1) (KenPom: 115) (Last week: 89)

94. Minnesota Gophers (Big Ten #18) (3-1) (KenPom: 75) (Last week: 90)

95. Bradley Braves (MVC #1) (3-1) (KenPom: 101) (Last week: 97)

96. Arkansas State Red Wolves (Sun Belt #1) (3-1) (KenPom: 104) (Last week: 98)

97. South Carolina Gamecocks (SEC #15) (2-2) (KenPom: 70) (Last week: 92)

98. Washington State Cougars (WCC #5) (3-1) (KenPom: 93) (Last week: 96)

99. Vanderbilt Commodores (SEC #16) (4-0) (KenPom: 88) (Last week: Unranked)

100. Louisiana Tech (CUSA #1) (3-0) (KenPom: 82) (Last week: Unranked)