The college basketball season is a month over, with teams just a week and a half away from conference games in many cases. The Tuesday after Christmas will start the conference grind for a lot of schools across the country. At this point, what have teams accomplished to merit various college basketball rankings?
Baylor Bears
The Bears have done the most heavy lifting of any team. They have matched Kentucky’s win over Michigan State. They have beaten the Oregon Ducks, Louisville Cardinals, and Xavier Musketeers as well. This is the best assortment of quality wins in college basketball. It’s a real surprise in terms of preseason expectations – nobody thought Baylor would be this good this soon – but analysts who are trying to rank the top teams cannot look at brand names and say that just because Baylor isn’t Duke or Kansas or UCLA, it deserves a lower ranking. The Bears should be ranked No. 1 based on their body of work. This should not be in much dispute.
UCLA Bruins
If there’s one win which towers above any other individual win so far this season in college basketball, UCLA’s win in Rupp Arena at Kentucky is the crown jewel. It’s extremely hard to win on the Wildcats’ home floor, largely because Kentucky is always good under John Calipari but also because Kentucky fans are legitimately loud and do not sit on their hands. UCLA’s offense is the most unstoppable force in college basketball so far this season. A night with under 85 points feels like a huge disappointment for the Bruins… because it rarely happens. This team is a steamroller right now and among the top college basketball squads right now.
Villanova Wildcats
The defending national champions did retain much of their roster, but Villanova lost its best big man, Daniel Ochefu, and a tough-as-nails point guard, Ryan Arcidiacono. These losses were supposed to cost the Wildcats at some point… but that point hasn’t come yet. The holdovers from last season’s championship team, especially player of the year candidate Josh Hart, simply refuse to wilt. This team has bonded quickly. It is hungry instead of complacent following its title. Hart scored 37 last Saturday in a tough win over a very good Notre Dame team which has made the Elite Eight two straight years in the NCAA Tournament. Villanova has wins over Purdue and the Irish, but the lack of losses is what also makes Villanova a top-three college basketball team.
Even though they are third in our power ranking, they are actually the No. 1 team in the country according to the Associated Press poll (received 56 first-place votes this week) as well as the USA Today Coaches poll.
North Carolina Tar Heels
The Tar Heels have lost only one college basketball game this season and that loss came at Indiana. There’s nothing to be ashamed of there as Indiana is currently the No. 9 team in the country and enters the weekend having won five straight and eight of their last nine games.
The Tar Heels do have some qualities wins on their resume already, including a win over Wisconsin and have managed to continue to win without star player Joel Berry, a defensive rock at point guard who also lends continuity to their halfcourt offense. If North Carolina beats Kentucky on Saturday, it will solidify its place as a top-five team. Even if it loses, North Carolina won’t be too far from the top in terms of an NCAA Tournament seed.
Kansas Jayhawks
The Jayhawks have that win over Duke, which will continue to be a major achievement on their resume. They did lose to Indiana, but they have not stumbled on any other occasion. They enter the weekend on a nine-game winning streak, which includes victories over Nebraska, UMKC and Stanford in the last couple of weeks.
Kentucky could be considered here, but the Wildcats lost at home to UCLA, whereas the Kansas loss was on a neutral floor. Indiana could also be considered here, with wins over Kansas and North Carolina, but the Hoosiers stubbed their toes against Fort Wayne.
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