College Basketball Rankings 2014-15: Bleacher Report's Week 7 Top 25

No one—or at least no one in his or her right mind—will dispute that Kentucky is the best team in college basketball.

But who is No. 2?

Duke has the top overall player in Jahlil Okafor, and the Blue Devils’ Dec. 3 victory at Wisconsin is the best win by any team this season. Arizona’s home overtime win against Gonzaga also ranks high on the "best non-conference win" chart. But who knows what the outcome would've been if that game occurred on a neutral court. Either way, both teams deserve to be in any conversation about the No. 2 squad in America.

So, too, does Villanova, which may have the nation’s best overall resume when it comes to quality wins. And Kansas arguably has the most room to grow. No one (outside of Kentucky) has won games in more convincing fashion than Virginia. And Louisville continues to show toughness despite a lack of depth.

So while the identity of the nation’s top team is clear, determining who is No. 2—and Nos. 3-10—isn’t nearly as easy. Colleagues C.J. Moore, Kerry Miller and I did our best in this week’s power rankings.

25. VCU (8-3)

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The Rams apparently gained a ton of momentum from their double-overtime victory against Northern Iowa on Dec. 13. Last week Shaka Smart’s team thumped Cincinnati by 21 points and Belmont by 27.

24. California (10-1)

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First-year Golden Bears coach Cuonzo Martin couldn’t be off to a better start. Cal, which is getting 19.5 points and 8.9 rebounds from guard Tyrone Wallace, hasn’t lost in more than a month, although that could change when it hosts Wisconsin Monday.

23. Baylor (9-1)

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For a team that was supposed to be in a transition year, Baylor has been one of college basketball’s biggest surprises. The Bears own victories over Memphis, South Carolina, Stephen F. Austin, Vanderbilt, New Mexico State and Texas A&M. Their only loss (to Illinois) came without point guard Kenny Chery.

22. Northern Iowa (10-1)

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The Panthers could be serious contenders against Wichita State in the Missouri Valley Conference. Northern Iowa’s only loss came in double overtime at VCU. On Saturday it posted a 12-point neutral-court win over Iowa. The backcourt of Seth Tuttle and Wes Washpun combined to average 26 points and 5.9 assists. Tuttle shoots 63.9 percent from the field, while Washpun is making 58.3 percent of his attempts.

21. San Diego State (8-3)

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A double-digit loss to Washington, a one-point win over Long Beach State and an overtime defeat at rebuilding Cincinnati have the Aztecs in danger of falling out of the rankings. Steve Fisher has assembled enough talent to win a lot of games, but they are still trying to find a way to replace point guard Xavier Thames from last year's squad. 

20. Maryland (11-1)

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Sunday’s victory over Oklahoma State went a long way toward legitimizing the Terrapins, who boasted just one other head-turning win (against Iowa State) before beating the Cowboys.

19. St. John’s (9-1)

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The Red Storm’s roster has been loaded with talent the past two years, but chemistry was an issue. That’s not the case anymore for a squad that touts wins over St. Mary’s, Syracuse and Minnesota and a seven-point loss to Final Four-contender Gonzaga. D’Angelo Harrison averages a team-high 19.8 points.

18. Colorado State (11-0)

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One of the most impressive things about the Rams thus far has been their performance in the clutch. Four of Colorado State’s wins have come by three points or less. J.J. Avila averages team highs in points (14.4) and rebounds (7.7).

17. North Carolina (8-3)

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A Dec. 3 home loss to Iowa apparently lit a fire under the Tar Heels. Since then Roy Williams’ team has blasted East Carolina, played admirably in a loss to Kentucky and topped North Carolina-Greensboro and then-No. 12 Ohio State. Kennedy Meeks has been a force down low with 13.3 points and a team-high 9.5 rebounds.

16. Oklahoma (8-3)

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Depth appears to be an issue for the Sooners, as each starter played at least 33 minutes in Saturday’s setback against Washington in the MGM Classic in Las Vegas. Oklahoma trailed by as many as 20 points before a valiant comeback attempt fell short in a 69-67 loss.

15. Notre Dame (11-1)

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The Fighting Irish are outscoring their opponents by an average of 25.2 points per game. Notre Dame ranks first in the nation in field-goal percentage (55.3) and sixth in points per game (85.7).

14. Washington (10-0)

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The Huskies are one of the season’s biggest surprises, although Lorenzo Romar didn’t look all that sharp in beating Eastern Washington (81-77) on Dec. 14 or Oklahoma (69-67) on Saturday. Washington led by as many as 20 points against the Sooners but nearly lost after scoring only three points in the final 4:01.

13. Wichita State (8-1)

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The Shockers keep winning, but they haven’t been nearly as dominant in recent weeks. Gregg Marshall’s squad had to fight back from double-digits deficits to defeat unranked Detroit and Alabama, the latter of which came at home. A lack of depth in the paint has been one of the biggest issues.

12. Utah (8-2)

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The Utes’ five-year NCAA tournament drought should end this season thanks to the coaching of Larry Krystkowiak and the excellence of players such as standout point guard Delon Wright (16.3 points and 4.7 assists) and forward Jakob Poeltl (10.6 points, 8.9 rebounds). Utah boasts a win over Wichita State, and its only losses are against San Diego State and Kansas.

11. Iowa State (9-1)

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Each of the Cyclones’ nine victories has come by double digits. That includes Saturday’s 29-point win over Drake. Marquette transfer Jameel McKay made his Iowa State debut in that game and scored eight points and grabbed five rebounds in 13 minutes.

10. Texas (10-1)

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Five Texas players scored in double figures in Saturday’s home win over Long Beach State. That includes point guard Javan Felix, who continues to fill in admirably for injured starter Isaiah Taylor—who is out with a broken wrist. Taylor is expected to return in January. Felix had a season-high 17 points Saturday.

9. Kansas (9-1)

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Freshman Kelly Oubre scored 23 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in Saturday’s win over Louisiana-Lafayette. Oubre, a McDonald’s All-American, had combined for just 31 points in Kansas’ first nine games. He was thrust into the starting lineup Saturday after sophomore Brannen Greene was disciplined for being late to a weightlifting session.

8. Villanova (11-0)

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The Wildcats showed a ton of character by rallying from a 15-point deficit to defeat Syracuse in overtime Saturday. Villanova—which got 25 points from JayVaughn Pinkston and 23 from Darrun Hilliard—never led until the extra period. Villanova has just one game (against NJIT) remaining before opening Big East play against Butler on New Year’s Eve.

7. Louisville (10-0)

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Terry Rozier and Montrezl Harrell averaged a combined 33.5 points for the undefeated Cardinals, who may be Kentucky’s last hurdle to an undefeated season. Though Harrell will be suspended for Tuesday's game vs. Cal State Northridge, he'll be back when Louisville hosts the No. 1-ranked Wildcats Saturday at the KFC Yum! Center.

6. Virginia (11-0)

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The Cavaliers made a profound statement in Saturday’s 49-point whipping of Harvard. Once thought to be a Top 25-caliber squad, Harvard scored just eight points in the first half and went 1-of-20 from the field against Virginia’s vaunted defense.

5. Gonzaga (11-1)

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The Zags haven’t looked nearly as crisp in recent weeks. Mark Few’s squad struggled to put away UCLA and a porous Washington State team and could never find its groove in Saturday’s 63-50 victory over Cal Poly in Seattle. Gonzaga’s first West Coast Conference game (Saturday’s road test at BYU) may be its toughest.

4. Wisconsin (10-1)

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Monday’s road game against Cal (10-1) couldn’t come at a better time for the Badgers, who need to be tested in a raucous environment before entering Big Ten play. All but one of Wisconsin’s victories have come by double digits. Center Frank Kaminsky averages 16 points and 7.6 rebounds.

3. Arizona (12-0)

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Considering their final test is against struggling UNLV in Las Vegas, it appears the Wildcats will enter Pac-12 play without a blemish. Freshman Stanley Johnson is averaging 14.7 points for a squad that ranks seventh in the country in field-goal percentage (50.7).

2. Duke (10-0)

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The Blue Devils haven’t looked as sharp in recent wins over Elon (75-62) and Connecticut (66-56), but that could be because of the doldrums of final exams week. Upcoming games against Toledo (Dec. 29) and Wofford (Dec. 31) will give Mike Krzyzewski’s squad a chance to get its groove back before opening ACC play against Boston College Jan. 3.

1. Kentucky (12-0)

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The buzz about a potential undefeated season in Lexington picked up steam—and rightfully so—after the Wildcats only allowed seven first-half points in Saturday’s 83-44 victory over UCLA. This weekend’s road tilt against No. 4 Louisville will likely be the toughest situation John Calipari’s squad will encounter for the rest of the regular season, as the SEC is as bad as it’s been in years.