College Basketball Rankings 2015-16: Bleacher Report's Week 9 Top 25
Welcome to the college basketball season, football fans. College basketball has a treat for a football-less Monday: How does No. 1 vs. No. 2 sound?
I could build the suspense and make you click through to see who the top two teams are this week, but every poll in America will (and should) have Kansas and Oklahoma in the top two spots this week.
The Sooners travel to Lawrence for Big Monday, and it is the most anticipated game between the two schools since the 1988 national title game in Kansas City.
A few years ago, ESPN.com's Brett McMurphy told me this about that game: In the days leading up to the matchup, KU coach Larry Brown told his players they couldn't keep pace with Oklahoma. He believed the Jayhawks needed to slow the tempo to have a chance against Billy Tubbs' running and gunning Sooners.
As KU's players huddled in the tunnel before they took the court, Milt Newton told his teammates, "(Bleep) that, let's run with these guys." The product was one of the most beautiful halves of basketball ever played, as the Jayhawks and Sooners battled to a 50-all tie.
That's pertinent because this year's versions of the Jayhawks and Sooners are playing some of the country's fastest and most entertaining basketball. Lon Kruger has always embraced the pace, and Bill Self has some Larry Brown in him, but he's beginning to channel his inner Billy Tubbs this season.
On Monday night, there will be running and gunning, and it should be the best the college game has to offer. Now go make Milt Newton proud, Jayhawks and Sooners.
Teams dropped from rankings: George Washington (21), Utah (22), Cincinnati (23), Wake Forest (25)
Others receiving votes: Saint Mary's, California, Texas Tech, Baylor
25-21: Dayton-Pittsburgh
1 of 17
25. Dayton
Record: 11-2
Previous rank: Not ranked
Dayton's early-season win over Iowa is looking better than it did at the time, and Archie Miller's program appears destined for its third straight NCAA tournament bid.
After playing extremely small last year, Miller has some more size this season with the addition of 6'11" freshman Steve McElvene, who has provided some shot blocking (2.2 swats per game) and improved Dayton's interior defense.
The Flyers will also benefit from Dyshawn Pierre's return. He's the team's leading returning scorer this year, and he had to sit out the first semester.
24. Connecticut
Record: 10-3
Previous rank: Not ranked
The addition of Cornell transfer Shonn Miller has given UConn the interior scoring it missed a season ago when the team was often too reliant on Ryan Boatright. Miller doesn't need many touches to produce, either; he's averaging 12.9 points on 64.1 percent shooting.
23. Butler
Record: 11-3
Previous rank: 9
This was a tough last week for Butler with losses to Providence and Xavier, but few teams in America would make it out of those two games with a win. The fact the Bulldogs couldn't steal one of the two makes next Sunday's home game against Villanova a must-win if they want to compete for the Big East title.
22. South Carolina
Record: 13-0
Previous rank: 24
The Gamecocks got what was arguably their best win of the season Saturday when they beat Memphis 86-76. That fact would lead some to argue it's still too early to buy South Carolina, but, hey, 13-0 is 13-0. This team resembles Frank Martin's best squads at K-State: strong defensively and hits the offensive glass hard.
21. Pittsburgh
Record: 12-1
Previous rank: Not ranked
The Panthers are another team that played a weak nonconference—their nonconference slate ranked 324 in strength of schedule, according to KenPom.com—but it would have received a bump had the Gonzaga game been completed.
Pitt led at half time, and the game was canceled because of weather conditions. Jamie Dixon's program has earned the benefit of the doubt over the years.
20-16: Louisville-Texas A&M
2 of 17
20. Louisville
Record: 12-2
Previous rank: 16
I'm taking a wait-and-see approach with Louisville. The Cardinals are one of those teams that has looked really strong against subpar competition, but they lack quality wins. Sunday's 65-57 win against Wake Forest was the first time they've knocked off a team that will even sniff an at-large bid.
19. West Virginia
Record: 12-1
Previous rank: 20
Kansas State became only the second team this season to have fewer than 18 turnovers against West Virginia's defense. The Mountaineers won 87-83 in double overtime, and the fact they can still win when the other team is able to handle their press is a good sign.
Also worth noting: The Big 12 is once again deep with teams like K-State and Texas Tech playing better than expected.
18. Purdue
Record: 13-2
Previous rank: 11
The Boilermakers have lost two of their last four, with the losses coming to Butler on a neutral floor and Iowa at home. The Hawkeyes rallied from a 17-point halftime deficit to win 70-63 Saturday.
I switched channels at halftime—if you're not watching Oklahoma-Iowa State, you're doing it wrong as a college basketball fan—so it's hard to wipe away the impressions of the Purdue I had from the first half.
When the Boilermakers are on, as they were then, they have scoring inside and out and a defense with a ton of length that is really hard to get a clean look against. Translation: Don't panic, Purdue nation. This team can be—and probably is—much better than this ranking reflects.
17. Iowa
Record: 11-3
Previous rank: Not ranked
The Hawkeyes are to be taken as Big Ten contenders after opening the conference season with wins over Michigan State and at Purdue. The Hawkeyes have an experienced team that understands how to run Fran McCaffery's system, and senior wing Jarrod Uthoff is playing like an All-American.
16. Texas A&M
Record: 11-2
Previous rank: 15
With Kentucky looking vulnerable at times this year, the Aggies could be the team that benefits in the SEC.
A&M has the most talented roster outside of UK in the league and is arguably better up front, especially when Jalen Jones is on. Jones dropped 28 points in the SEC opener against Arkansas, and he has scored 22 or more points in four of his last seven games.
15. Duke
3 of 17
Record: 12-2
Previous rank: 12
Mike Krzyzewski has gone small for the third straight season playing a wing at the 4 spot. Only this time around it is not exactly by choice, as Amile Jefferson's injury has forced Coach K to put Brandon Ingram at power forward.
But once again, the ability to spread the floor and take advantage of the mismatches a guy like Ingram creates has worked splendidly. With Ingram playing most of his minutes at power forward over the last five games, he's averaging 21.2 points per.
It could just the timing—Ingram was already starting to come on strong—but his success at that spot should help Duke survive while Jefferson is out.
This team is still at its best, especially on the defensive end, when Jefferson is on the floor, but Ingram succeeding there will give Coach K some more flexibility with his lineups when Jefferson returns.
.png?w=256 "NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Championship")
14. Kentucky
4 of 17
Record: 11-2
Previous rank: 12
This is probably the right spot for the Kentucky Wildcats based off results. They've lost to a team that will likely live life on the bubble (UCLA) and another (Ohio State) that is probably an NIT team. But if these rankings were based on who has the best shot to win the national title, I'd still have Kentucky in my top five.
Tyler Ulis is a rock who is one of the country's toughest guards to defend off the bounce. Jamal Murray is probably more streaky than UK had hoped, but when he's on, he's close to unguardable. And even if Skal Labissiere never lives up to the hype this season, Marcus Lee and Alex Poythress form a strong front line, especially with Poythress getting his bounce back and starting to play better.
So, yes, the 'Cats have been a slight disappointment. But remember the last "disappointing" team John Calipari had, the 2013-14 group, ended up playing in the national championship game.
13. Iowa State
5 of 17
Record: 11-2
Previous rank: 10
I'll be spending the next two weeks begging my editor to let me cover the Oklahoma-Iowa State rematch in Ames on Jan. 18. No two teams have played more entertaining games over the last few seasons, and the first edition this year on Saturday—a come-from-behind 87-83 win for OU—did not disappoint.
It was also a reminder of how difficult the Cyclones are to guard. And now added to the equation is Marquette transfer Deonte Burton, another undersized power forward, like Georges Niang, who is crafty off the bounce and can nail the three. Only Burton is bouncier.
Four games into his career as a Cyclone, Burton is averaging 13.8 points and has made seven of his first 10 threes. He dropped 19 points on the Sooners, and next year he'll take over Niang's role as the point forward.
As for this season, he's a dynamic weapon off the bench who reminds me of a mini Julius Randle. His addition helps take some of the sting away from losing guard Naz Long for the season.
12. Arizona
6 of 17
Record: 13-1
Previous rank: 17
This is the unsexiest roster Sean Miller has had the last few years, but the Wildcats keep winning games just like all the others. This week should tell us whether Arizona is still the Pac-12 favorite after a road swing in California that will take Zona to UCLA and USC.
The Wildcats passed their nonconference test with flying colors. Not only did they have to deal with a ton of roster turnover—losing four starters—but the one returner, Kaleb Tarczewski, missed eight straight games before returning Sunday for the 94-82 win over Arizona State in the Pac-12 opener.
This group should only improve as the season progresses, and it's a nice reminder Miller has built Arizona back into one of the country's premier programs that will be good year in and year out, no matter who leaves early for the NBA or graduates.
11. Miami
7 of 17
Record: 12-1
Previous rank: 14
The Miami Hurricanes are one basket away from being undefeated. This is a group that can grind out wins even when shots aren't falling. Take Saturday's win over Syracuse, for instance. The Canes missed their first 16 threes and finished just 3-of-25 from deep, yet they still won by 13, with the final score 64-51.
The roster is talented enough to compete with Virginia, North Carolina and Duke for the ACC title. For the Canes to do that, they need Sheldon McClellan to heat back up. McClellan missed all six of his threes against the Orange and has made just two of his last 15 threes after starting the year 17-of-31.
10. Xavier
8 of 17
Record: 13-1
Previous rank: 6
The 31-point loss to Villanova is understandable when provided the context. The Musketeers watched starting guard Edmond Sumner leave the court on a stretcher minutes into the game.
The fact the Musketeers responded with a 19-point win, 88-69, two days later against a tough Butler squad suggests Xavier is going to be just fine. Take that one ugly loss away and you could argue Xavier has been the country's most impressive team, with road wins at Michigan and Wake Forest, neutral-court wins over Alabama, USC and Dayton and home wins over Cincinnati, Auburn and Butler.
Wake Forest was the only team to stay within single digits of the eight, and the average margin of victory in those eight wins was 16.9 points.
Xavier gets a rematch with Villanova on Feb. 24 at home, and don't be surprised if that game has Big East title implications.
9. SMU
9 of 17
Record: 13-0
Previous rank: 9
It's probably too soon to start any undefeated talk, or is it? Remember, the Mustangs are not allowed to play in the postseason, and so their season will end at game No. 30.
The only games left on the schedule that KenPom.com has SMU as an underdog are at Connecticut on Feb. 18 and at Cincinnati on March 6. The Cincy game is essentially a coin flip, according to Ken Pomeroy's numbers. By that point, the numbers could shift and SMU could be the favorite.
Pomeroy gives the Mustangs only a 1.6 percent chance at running the table. So, yes, maybe that talk is a bit premature. But the Mustangs are playing like a team that should get a high seed in the NCAA tournament and would have the goods to get to a Final Four.
Going undefeated would, at the very least, make this team unforgettable in a season they're unable to make memories in March.
8. Villanova
10 of 17
Record: 12-2
Previous rank: 18
Villanova had a statement win this last week by giving Xavier its first loss and doing so by a margin of 31 points.
Xavier had been one of the country's best defensive teams in nonconference play, and Villanova's performance was a reminder of what this team can do when outside shots are falling. The Wildcats have had their struggles from the perimeter, but they made 13 of 25 threes against Xavier and then made 23 of 32 shots inside the arc.
Villanova's ability to spread the floor around Daniel Ochefu with guys who can attack off the bounce has produced an offense that is still efficient despite the fact threes haven't always fallen. Even Ochefu is dangerous facing up and using his quickness to get around other bigs.
The Wildcats shoot only 32.4 percent outside the arc, but their 63.1 percent shooting inside the arc is the country's best.
7. Providence
11 of 17
Record: 14-1
Previous rank: 19
Providence's Ed Cooley should be the early favorite for National Coach of the Year. Even though the Friars entered this season with the best point guard in college basketball, Kris Dunn, most expected them to be a bubble team at best. (If you go by the voting in both national polls, Providence ranked 40th in the preseason in both, which is bubble range.)
Cooley had to replace three of his four leading scorers off last year's team and also had big man Paschal Chukwu transfer to Syracuse. But Cooley has proved to be excellent at player development, and the Friars are much more than just the Kris Dunn show.
In fact, Providence's talent now looks much more like a top 10-15 roster, as Dunn isn't the only NBA prospect on the team. Both leading scorer Ben Bentil and sophomore wing Rodney Bullock have emerged as prospects who could eventually get drafted. That threesome stacks up with any Big Three in America.
6. Maryland
12 of 17
Record: 13-1
Previous rank: 4
One reason to buy Maryland's preseason stock was the addition of big man Diamond Stone. The Terps didn't have a scoring threat in the post last season, and Stone, a McDonald's All-American, figured to be that guy.
Well, Stone was just OK earlier on this season. He looked overwhelmed in Maryland's loss to North Carolina. But Stone is heating up, and that's scary for the Big Ten.
Stone's improved play had been relatively quiet until he blew up for 39 points last week against Penn State. That game inflates his numbers a bit, but he's been pretty darn good over the last month whether you include that game or not.
In Maryland's last seven games, Stone is averaging 17.1 points per while shooting 61.1 percent from the field and 78.0 percent at the free-throw line. Take away the Penn State game, and he's still putting up an efficient 13.5 points per game, shooting 59.6 percent from the field and 81.3 percent at the line.
5. North Carolina
13 of 17
Record: 13-2
Previous rank: 7
North Carolina's offense has been great all season and even better with Marcus Paige, averaging 90 points per game and 1.24 points per possession since his return. This team's weakness has been and will likely continue to be on the defensive side of the ball.
In particular, the Heels have struggled with athletic penetrating guards who thrive getting to the paint. It's no coincidence their two losses have come against two such guys: Northern Iowa's Wes Washpun and UT's Isaiah Taylor.
The good news for the Heels is the ACC, for the most part, lacks these types of penetrating guards. NC State's Anthony "Cat" Barber is the one guy who fits that mold, but NC State isn't much of a threat. Notre Dame's Demetrius Jackson has the goods to give the Heels some problems, but the Irish will probably have their own issues trying to slow down UNC's offense.
So this bodes well for UNC's chances of competing for the ACC title and maybe a No. 1 seed, but it's something to watch when the bracket comes out in March.
4. Michigan State
14 of 17
Record: 14-1
Previous rank: 1
The Spartans are hardly recognizable without Denzel Valentine, and one stat from the loss to Iowa was indicative of the difference between Sparty with Valentine and without. Michigan State had only 11 assists in that loss on 27 made field goals.
With Valentine, the Spartans led the country in assist rate (78.8 percent). In his absence, the Spartans are assisting on only 54.3 percent of their buckets, which would rank 133rd nationally, according to KenPom.com.
The good news is Michigan State should be able to avoid another blemish before his return. The Spartans play Illinois at home Thursday and then travel to Penn State on Sunday. Valentine, who had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee on Dec. 21, told mlive.com he hopes to return for the Penn State game.
3. Virginia
15 of 17
Record: 12-1
Previous rank: 5
Over the last five games, Virginia has...
- Beat the best pressing team in the nation, West Virginia, by 16 points, 70-54.
- Beat Villanova by 11, 86-75. It's the same Villanova team that just smoked previously unbeaten Xavier by 31 points.
- Rallied from an 11-point deficit (and five-point deficit in overtime) to beat California, 63-62, a team that hasn't quite lived up to expectations but has top-15 talent.
- Beat a sneaky-good Oakland club by 13, 71-58, after Oakland took then-No. 1 Michigan State to overtime eight days prior.
- Had the second-most efficient performance (1.33 points per possession) against Notre Dame's defense over the last two years—second only to last year's national champ Duke, per KenPom.com.
Tony Bennett's team is quietly rolling along, as usual. The Cavaliers have won two straight ACC titles, and smart money is on them to do it again. Other rosters might be sexier, but no one in the league is more consistent.
2. Oklahoma
16 of 17
Record: 12-0
Previous rank: 3
Buddy Hield finally cooled off Saturday in Oklahoma's 87-83 win over Iowa State. Hield made only two of nine threes after entering the game having made 20 of his previous 35 attempts from deep. And Hield still scored 22 points and the Sooners scored 87 points on his worst shooting night of the season.
This was the perfect example of why Hield and the Sooners are so hard to guard and have been so consistent this year. If you try to guard Hield on the perimeter and take away his looks from deep, which the Cyclones tried to do, he can still gouge your defense with his improved ability to slash to the rim.
Also overlooked because of how awesome Hield has been is point guard Jordan Woodard's drastically improved shooting. Woodard is making 53.1 percent of his threes after shooting just 25.4 percent last year, and the Sooners have additional three-point marksmen in Isaiah Cousins (46.2 percent) and Ryan Spangler (44.8 percent).
Hield has a minimal amount of pressure on him for a guy who averages 24.7 points per game, because not only is he surrounded by shooters, the Sooners have other guys who can score in late-clock situations or beat a defense by themselves in Woodard and Cousins. Spangler is also a difficult matchup. And on top of that, they're all upperclassmen.
Lon Kruger, you are the envy of coaches everywhere.
1. Kansas
17 of 17
Record: 12-1
Previous rank: 2
This summer, Kansas coaches made the decision to start two point guards, which began with SMU's Nic Moore filling in for an injured Devonte' Graham in the World University Games. The payoff was a gold medal.
Graham has been even better than Moore next to Frank Mason, and the change, stylistically, is ideal for this particular group. It has allowed Wayne Selden to move to small forward—a more comfortable spot where he could focus on scoring.
It also has allowed the Jayhawks to play much faster. Graham's ability to apply ball pressure and create turnovers—he leads the team with 1.9 steals per game—has the Jayhawks forcing turnovers at a higher rate than any KU team since 2006-07 when Bill Self also started two point guards (Mario Chalmers and Russell Robinson) and had a third (Sherron Collins) as the sixth man.
Offensively, the Jayhawks are shooting more shots in transition (first 10 seconds of a possession) and shooting at a better clip in those attempts as well, according to Hoop-Math.com:
- Percentage of field-goal attempts in transition: 2014-15 (19.3 percent); 2015-16 (25.9 percent)
- Effective FG percentage in transition: 2014-15 (49.4 percent); 2015-16 (58.8 percent)
Self's teams have always been consistent on the offensive end because of their post presence. This group is different, but just as effective, and should continue to be consistent because they have three guards who play fast, unselfish and get each other easy shots. They'll have their best test of the season Monday night against Oklahoma's talented backcourt.
Tipoff can't get here fast enough.
C.J. Moore covers college basketball for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter, @CJMooreBR.
.png?w=480 "NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Championship")
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
