Ranking the Best College Basketball Teams Not in the AP Top 25
The 2013-14 college basketball season isnโt yet 10 games old, but there have already been plenty of shakeups in the AP Top 25 rankings. As preseason darlings drop out (and scramble to climb back in), there are always plenty of promising squads waiting on the periphery to snag a place in the national spotlight.
One outstanding team that hasnโt yet made an appearance in the polls is the Missouri Tigers. Hot-shooting Jabari Brown, Mizzouโs top returnee, has been a key factor in a 7-0 start for Frank Haithโs team.
Read on for more on Missouriโs impressive early showing, along with its place among the best 25 teams not ranked in the latest AP poll. For purposes of these rankings, as on Selection Sunday, strong performances against meaningful competition count for more than beating up on overmatched opponents.
25. Tennessee (5-2)
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A very narrow pick over SEC rivals LSU and Arkansas for this spot, the two-loss Volunteers feature the best balance of the trio between inside and outside play.
The latter is the domain of slasher Jordan McRae, one of the conferenceโs most dangerous scorers so far at 19.1 points per game.
Inside, meanwhile, Jarnell Stokes and Jeronne Maymon each pack 260 pounds on their 6โ8โ frames, with all the strength youโd expect from that figure.
Stokes, the teamโs top rebounder and second-leading scorer, had three straight double-doubles at the Battle 4 Atlantis (where Tennessee beat Xavier and Wake Forest).
24. George Washington (6-1)
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A surprisingly easy 60-53 win over Creighton gave GW the Wooden Legacy championship and a spot on the national radar. The Colonials held the peerless Doug McDermott to just seven points on 2-for-12 shooting in the victory.
Offensively, Indiana transfer Maurice Creek is the main man, shooting 45.2 percent from deep while scoring 14.9 points per contest.
Meanwhile, Isaiah Armwood (himself a former Villanova transfer in his second year with the Colonials) is a 6โ9โ shot-blocker who also leads the team in rebounding.
23. Xavier (5-3)
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Inexperienced Xavier got steamrolled by some veteran teams at the Battle 4 Atlantis, but the Musketeers have already shown that theyโll be a force on their home floor.
The same Tennessee team that beat them in the Bahamas lost by four when it traveled to the Cintas Center on Nov. 12.
PG Semaj Christon is reprising his scintillating freshman year, while 6โ10โ Western Michigan transfer Matt Stainbrook has been an enforcer in the middle.
Scoring options beyond those two have been limited, but sophomore Myles Davis has been hitting all the right notes as a catch-and-shoot three-point threat.
22. Notre Dame (5-1)
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An early upset at the hands of Indiana State deflated expectations for the Irish, but Mike Breyโs roster still has the talent that attracted all that preseason hype.
Senior PG Jerian Grant has been lighting up scoreboards with 19.5 points, 5.5 assists and 2.2 steals per game.
Alongside Grant, classmate Eric Atkins is providing another 14 points a night while virtually duplicating the floor leaderโs rebound and assist numbers.
When senior center Garrick Sherman plays well (19 points and seven boards in a rout of Army), ND is still a very dangerous offensive team.
21. Drexel (4-2)
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Drexelโs two losses have come against UCLA and Arizona by a combined nine points. A win in either of those games, and the Dragons would already have the Top 25 spot they look to be headed toward before seasonโs end.
A veteran backcourt led by PG Frantz Massenat gets most of the credit, but Drexel can do some work on the glass, too.
6โ7โ Kazembe Abifโwho had a double-double in the NIT thriller against Alabamaโand 6โ8โ, 250-poundย Dartaye Ruffin combine for nearly 17 rebounds a night.
20. Saint Maryโs (6-0)
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Gonzagaโs upset loss to Dayton leaves St. Maryโs as the only unbeaten team in the WCC. That 6-0 record includes solid wins over fellow mid-major standouts Louisiana Tech and Drake, but it has come exclusively at home.
With Matthew Dellavedova gone, 6โ9โ junior Brad Waldow has become the Gaelsโ leader, piling up 17.7 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game.
At the point, Stephen HoltโDellavedovaโs old backcourt mateโhas stepped into the playmakerโs role with flair, dishing out 5.7 assists and grabbing 4.7 boards a night.
19. Illinois (7-1)
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For the second year in a row, John Groce got Illinois off to an unexpected winning run to start the season before Tuesdayโs tough loss to Georgia Tech.
This time around, the early hero has been Drake transfer Rayvonte Rice, whoโs pouring in 17.1 points per game.
Riceโs last-second layup gave the Illini their biggest win of the season (61-59 at UNLV), a game in which shot-swatting Nnanna Egwu also scored a dozen points against the loaded Rebels front line.
Perhaps the best news for Illinois has been that all this success has come in spite of a slow start from junior PG Tracy Abrams, one of the squadโs best returnees.
18. Saint Louis (7-2)
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Whatever else Jim Crewsโ team does, the Billikens are going to play defense. Even ignoring Tuesdayโs meeting with Division II Rockhurst, SLU ranks 13th nationally in scoring defense (59.5 points per game).
6โ6โ bowling ball Dwayne Evans has struggled with rebounding this year (5.0 boards a night), but he has been able to lead the St. Louis offense as expected.
Even better news for SLU is that 5โ9โ sophomore Austin McBroom is emerging as the three-point threat last yearโs team lacked, especially after scoring 14 points in a tough loss to the mighty Wisconsin defense.
17. Cincinnati (7-0)
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The closest thing to a meaningful opponent for Cincinnati has been struggling NC State, but no coach is going to object to a 7-0 start.
The Bearcatsโ success, to no oneโs surprise, has been keyed by senior scoring machine Sean Kilpatrick and his 19.7 points per game.
Kilpatrick has put last yearโs appalling shooting percentages in the rear-view mirror thanks to a much-improved group of forwards in front of him.
Agile Titus Rubles has provided a welcome combination of dunks and rebounds, while stockier Justin Jackson has suddenly evolved into a terrific shot-blocker with 2.9 rejections a night.
16. Arizona State (7-2)
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A loss to woeful Miami made sure the Sun Devils would stay outside the Top 25 for at least another week, but ASU has had done some impressive work early on.
A true road win at UNLV and a home squeaker over Marquette showed off the firepower of the Jahii Carson-led offense.
The ultra-quick Carson is scoring 20.2 points per game (including sizzling three-point shooting) and still dishing out 5.1 assists a night.
Heโs getting plenty of help from Penn State transfer Jermaine Marshall as a scorer and 7โ2โ senior Jordan Bachynski as a rebounder and shot-blocker.
15. Ole Miss (6-0)
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The Barclays Center Classic didnโt have nearly the high-powered field of some holiday tournaments, but Ole Miss still deserves plenty of credit for winning it. The Rebels topped dangerous Georgia Tech and Penn State squads to improve to 6-0 on the year.
Marshall Hendersonโs perimeter game is the teamโs best-known weapon, but itโs PG Jarvis Summers who leads the roster in scoring (15.7 points per game).
The frontcourt would love to have Murphy Holloway or Reginald Buckner back, but the similarly brawny Demarco Cox is holding his own on the glass so far.
14. Harvard (7-1)
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Itโs hard to fault any East Coast team for losing on the road at altitude, and one defeat at the hands of Colorado in Boulder is the only blemish on Harvardโs early record.
The Crimson would have a lot more buzz right now if theyโd picked a different holiday tournament, but sweeping a disappointing field at the Great Alaska Shootout didnโt earn this squad as much credit as it will eventually garner.
Harvard has the two best point guards in the Ivy League with Siyani Chambers (last yearโs starter) and senior Brandyn Curry (back after what was effectively a one-year suspension for academic cheating).
Supporting that formidable duo are scoring leader Wesley Saunders (a versatile 6โ5โ swingman) and three-point marksman Laurent Rivard.
13. Missouri (7-0)
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Not only has Missouri won all seven of its games so far in 2013-14, but the Tigers have won by at least nine points every time out.
That record includes three neutral-court victories, the last two coming in a stroll to the championship of the Las Vegas Invitational.
Jordan Clarkson has continued Mizzouโs magic touch with transfers, as the ex-Tulsa guard is leading the team in scoring (just ahead of last yearโs top transfer, Jabari Brown).
Freshman Johnathan Williams III isnโt getting many shots in this guard-heavy offense, but his 8.3 rebounds a game earn him a spot in the crowded ranks of fast-starting SEC freshmen.
12. Colorado (7-1)
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Since getting thumped by No. 20 Baylor in its season opener, Colorado has ripped off seven straight wins.
Boulder altitude has helped with many, but both Wyoming and Air Force (which hosted the Buffs) are used to the thin air and still couldnโt handle the Colorado D.
Lockdown guard Spencer Dinwiddie and towering center Josh Scott have combined to make sure no opponent has topped 70 points during the winning streak.
Meanwhile, 6โ7โ sophomore Xavier Johnson has been a worthy heir to Andre Roberson with 5.2 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game.
11. Charlotte (6-1)
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Launched into national recognition by an upset of then-No. 14 Michigan, Charlotte would be undefeated except for a one-point heartbreaker at the College of Charleston.
The 49ers are anchored by versatile PG Pierria Henry, whoโs putting up stat lines reminiscent of a poor manโs Marcus Smart (12.1 points, 6.3 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 2.6 steals per game).
Henry, a junior, is the old man on a sophomore-led team featuring 6โ11โ, 257-pound Mike Thorne Jr. and 6โ9โ, 237-pound Willie Clayton in the middle. Another sophomore, Shawn Lester, is leading Charlotte in scoring after sitting out his entire freshman campaign.
10. Boise State (6-0)
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Through six games against unimpressive competition, Boise State has been overwhelming. The Broncos sit atop the national scoring charts with 97.7 points per game for the season.
The veteran backcourt pairing of Anthony Drmic and Derrick Marks is leading the way as expected, placing among the nationโs top scoring duos (40.3 combined points a night) for the second year in a row.
Even more encouraging for BSUโs postseason hopes, 6โ9โ senior Ryan Watkins is looking more assertive inside, pulling in a career-high 9.8 rebounds a game.
9. Marquette (5-3)
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When Marquetteโs offense goes bad, as it did against Ohio State, it goes really bad (35 points on .189 shooting). When Davante Gardner gets in a rhythm, though, the center with the offensive linemanโs build can cure a multitude of scoring ills.
Gardner leads the team in both scoring and rebounding but has struggled badly in losses to the Buckeyes and San Diego State.
If he gets more help from the promising freshmenโespecially Deonte Burton and JaJuan Johnson on the wingsโthe gritty Golden Eagles defense will have more than enough scoring support to soar back into the national rankings.
8. Creighton (5-2)
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The Blue Jays certainly laid an egg at the Wooden Legacy, but even a pair of surprising lossesโto George Washington and San Diego Stateโcanโt disguise how dangerous this offense is.
Doug McDermott had his worst game in over a year against the Colonials and is still ranked sixth in the country in scoring.
Creightonโs bench has been especially impressive early on, with Ethan Wragge shooting .521 from long range and Devin Brooks lighting up Arizona State for 23 points in the teamโs biggest win.
It doesnโt hurt any that the Blue Jays have two of the Big Eastโs top distributors in Grant Gibbs and Austin Chatman (4.7 and 4.6 assists per game, respectively).
7. Pittsburgh (8-0)
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For Jamie Dixonโs reputation as a defensive coach, itโs Pittโs offense that has really impressed over the last couple of seasons.
This yearโs Panthers are again one of the most efficient scoring teams in the country, thanks to the playmaking tandem of swingman Lamar Patterson and PG James Robinson (10.3 combined assists per game).
Patterson has been the hero early on, thanks to a 17.1 points-per-game scoring average thatโs more than seven points above his previous career best.
Fellow senior Talib Zanna, meanwhile, anchors the team as a rebounder and racked up 16 points, 10 boards and four blocks (a career high) in a win over Penn State.
6. Indiana (6-2)
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Itโs been pretty well-established that Indiana canโt handle Syracuseโwhich handed IU its second loss on Tuesday night after knocking it out of the 2013 Big Danceโbut the rest of the country still needs to watch out.
Point guard Yogi Ferrell is thriving as the leader of a rebuilt offense that hung 102 points on Washington in the 2K Sports Classic.
Ferrellโs surprising scoring burst (17.4 points per game) has gotten a fitting complement from Noah Vonlehโs dominant rebounding.
The jewel of Tom Creanโs freshman class, Vonleh has five double-doubles in his first eight starts and has even shown some shot-blocking ability.
5. Virginia (7-1)
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If Joe Harris starts getting some looks at the basket again, Virginiaโs going to be really scary. The Cavaliers are 7-1 even with their top scoring threat putting up four fewer points per game (on four fewer shots) than he did a year ago.
The key, of course, is Tony Bennettโs stifling defense, a unit thatโs already held three opponents under 45 points.
Neutral-site wins over Davidson and SMU are nothing to sneeze at, and it took a buzzer-beating trey from Treveon Graham to hand this team its only loss on the road at VCU.
4. Florida State (5-2)
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After a down year in 2012-13, Leonard Hamiltonโs defense is back to its usual suffocating form. The only opponent to top 70 points against the Seminoles this season is sweet-shooting Michigan, and that game went to overtime.
Athletic PF Okaro White is leading the โNoles on both ends of the floor with his shot-blocking and dunking prowess.
Fellow senior Ian Miller, FSUโs top perimeter weapon, looked especially impressive in an early signature win over VCU: 22 points on 6-for-11 shooting, plus seven rebounds for the 6โ3โ guard.
3. New Mexico (5-1)
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Although the Charleston Classic handed New Mexico its only lossโto current No. 21 UMassโit also brought solid wins over UAB and Davidson. The Lobos have been a three-man team, but those three players have put up eye-opening numbers on the young season.
Center Alex Kirk is the ringleader, and the 7-footer is dominating all comers to the tune of 20.8 points, 12 rebounds and 4.0 blocks per game.
Right on his heels for the team scoring lead are seniors Kendall Williams (19.8 points) and Cameron Bairstow (19.0), the former of whom is also a cool-handed point guard whoโs dealing out 6.3 assists a night.
2. Virginia Commonwealth (6-2)
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Anyone whoโs surprised to see VCU leading the country in steals per game hasnโt been paying attention lately. The Ramsโ frantic Havoc defense is a known quantity by now, but this yearโs edition has some offense to go with it.
Treveon Graham is the top scoring threat for the second year in a row, defensive ace Briante Weber has developed into a solid point guard and center Juvonte Reddic has become more of an offensive threat inside.
As bad as VCU looked in getting blown out by Florida State, the Rams also have wins over Virginia and Belmont, with more quality victories sure to come in Atlantic 10 play.
1. North Carolina (4-2)
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Up and down goes the Tar Heel roller coaster, beating Louisville on its home floor one night and bricking its way to a loss at UAB (1-for-12 from deep, 4-for-11 free throws) on another.
If Roy Williams can cut down on his teamโs valleys, the peaks are something to see.
PG Marcus Paige has been a revelation as a sophomore, jumping from 8.2 points per game to 20.8. Brice Johnson and Kennedy Meeks are providing the interior toughness last yearโs team couldnโt find.
If P.J. Hairston returns (or another perimeter scorer emerges) this is still a potential ACC champion thanks to the roster's depth and speed.
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