We've reached a point in the season where it's only reasonable to rank one of two teams No. 1 — Purdue or UConn.
That's it.
Those are the only two schools with undefeated records, super-strong computer numbers and at least four Quadrant 1 victories. So when the Associated Press Top 25 poll updates Monday, I'll be shocked if anybody other than Purdue or UConn receives one of the 62 first-place votes. Again, every other team's resume is flawed in a way Purdue's and UConn's isn't, either with a loss or a lack of quality victories.
Matt Painter's Boilermakers remain No. 1 in Monday morning's updated CBS Sports Top 25 And 1 daily college basketball rankings — but I have no issue with anybody who puts Dan Hurley's Huskies ahead of them. Either order is defensible considering both teams are 4-0 in Quadrant 1 opportunities. If you want to argue in favor of Purdue, start by noting that the Boilermakers have three wins over schools ranked in the top 15 of the NET compared to UConn's one. If you want to argue in favor of UConn, start by noting that the Huskies have beaten every opponent by double-digits, including the Alabama team that won at Houston. In other words, Purdue has more wins over top-tier teams but UConn has been more consistently overwhelming for its opponents. Both have been great.
As I've stated many times, I'm just going to leave Purdue and UConn No. 1 and No. 2 in the Top 25 And 1, and in that order, until one of them loses. Eventually, one of them — and probably both of them — will fall. But it should be noted that KenPom.com currently projects the Boilermakers and Huskies to be favored in every game they will play between now and Selection Sunday. That's wild regardless of the context but especially so when you consider that neither team was ranked in the AP preseason Top 25 poll.
Top 25 And 1 rankings
Rk | Teams | Chg | Rcrd | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 |
Purdue
| Zach Edey finished with 29 points and 16 rebounds in Saturday's 69-61 win over Davidson. The Boilermakers' next game is Wednesday against New Orleans. | -- | 1-0 |
2 |
UConn
| Adama Sanogo finished with 27 points and 14 rebounds in Saturday's 68-46 win at Butler. The Huskies' next game is Tuesday against Georgetown. | -- | 1-0 |
3 |
Houston
| Jarace Walker finished with 17 points and seven rebounds in Saturday's 69-61 win at Virginia. The Cougars' next game is Wednesday against McNeese State. | -- | 1-0 |
4 |
Arizona
| Azuolas Tubelis finished with 19 points and nine rebounds in Saturday's 75-70 win over Tennessee. The Wildcats' next game is Tuesday against Montana State. | -- | 1-0 |
5 |
Kansas
| Gradey Dick finished with 20 points and six rebounds in Saturday's 84-62 win over Indiana. The Jayhawks' next game is Thursday against Harvard. | -- | 1-0 |
6 |
Virginia
| Virginia missed 16 of the 22 3-pointers it attempted in Saturday's 69-61 loss to Houston. The Cavaliers' next game is Tuesday at Miami. | -- | 1-0 |
7 |
Texas
| Marcus Carr finished with 17 points and five assists in Sunday's 72-62 win over Stanford. The Longhorns' next game is Wednesday against Louisiana. | -- | 0-1 |
8 |
Gonzaga
| Drew Timme finished with 29 points and 10 rebounds in Saturday's 100-90 win over Alabama. The Zags' next game is Tuesday against Montana. | -- | 1-0 |
9 |
Alabama
| Alabama allowed Gonzaga to shoot 57.1% from the field in Saturday's 100-90 loss to the Zags. The Crimson Tide's next game is Tuesday against Jackson State. | -- | 1-0 |
10 |
Arkansas
| Jordan Walsh finished with 18 points and four steals in Saturday's 76-57 win over Bradley. The Razorbacks' next game is Wednesday against UNC Asheville. | -- | 1-0 |
11 |
Miss. St.
| Tolu Smith finished with 15 points and eight rebounds in Saturday's 68-66 win over Nicholls State. The Bulldogs' next game is Tuesday against Drake. | -- | 1-0 |
12 |
Baylor
| Keyonte George finished with 19 points and four rebounds in Sunday's 65-59 win over Washington State. The Bears' next game is Tuesday against Northwestern State. | -- | 0-1 |
13 |
Tennessee
| Tennessee missed 19 of the 27 3-pointers it attempted in Saturday's 75-70 loss at Arizona. The Vols' next game is Wednesday against Austin Peay. | -- | 1-0 |
14 |
UCLA
| Jaime Jaquez Jr. finished with 19 points and 12 rebounds in Saturday's 63-53 win over Kentucky. The Bruins' next game is Wednesday against UC Davis. | -- | 1-0 |
15 |
Duke
| Dariq Whitehead finished with 15 points and two assists in Saturday's 82-55 win over Maryland-Eastern Shore. The Blue Devils' next game is Tuesday at Wake Forest. | -- | 1-0 |
16 |
Indiana
| Indiana allowed Kansas to shoot 51.5% from the field in Saturday's 84-62 loss. The Hoosiers' next game is Tuesday against Elon. | -- | 1-0 |
17 |
Illinois
| Mathew Mayer finished with 21 points and seven rebounds in Saturday's 68-47 win over Alabama A&M. The Illini's next game is Thursday against Missouri. | -- | 1-0 |
18 |
Kentucky
| Only one Kentucky starter finished with more than eight points in Saturday's 63-53 loss to UCLA. The Wildcats' next game is Wednesday against Florida A&M. | -- | 1-0 |
19 |
Marquette
| Oso Ighodaro finished with 16 points and six rebounds in Friday's 69-58 win over Creighton. The Golden Eagles' next game is Tuesday at Providence. | -- | 1-0 |
20 |
Wisconsin
| Steven Crowl finished with 15 points and five rebounds in Thursday's 78-56 win over Lehigh. The Badgers' next game is Friday against Grambling State. | -- | 1-0 |
21 |
Xavier
| Souley Boum finished with 28 points and seven assists in Friday's 102-89 win at Georgetown. The Musketeers' next game is Tuesday against Seton Hall. | -- | 1-0 |
22 |
West Virginia
| Erik Stevenson finished with 22 points and four assists in Sunday's 96-78 win over Buffalo. The Mountaineers' next game is Thursday against Stony Brook. | -- | 1-0 |
23 |
Miami
| Isaiah Wong finished with 22 points and 10 assists in Saturday's 91-76 win over St. Francis (Pa.). The Hurricanes' next game is Tuesday against Virginia. | -- | 1-0 |
24 |
Va. Tech
| Sean Pedulla finished with 21 points and six assists in Saturday's 74-48 win over Grambling. The Hokies' next game is Wednesday against Boston College. | -- | 1-0 |
25 |
N. Carolina
| Armando Bacot finished with 28 points and 15 rebounds in Saturday's 89-84 overtime win over Ohio State. The Tar Heels' next game is Wednesday against Michigan. | -- | 1-0 |
26 |
Ohio St.
| Ohio State finished with 16 turnovers in Saturday's 89-84 overtime loss to North Carolina. The Buckeyes' next game is Wednesday against Maine. | -- | 1-0 |