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NCAA Basketball: Alabama, Ohio State rise, Gonzaga, BYU fall in top-25 power rankings

By Joey Loose

COLUMBUS, OHIO - NOVEMBER 30: Paolo Banchero #5 of the Duke Blue Devils puts up a shot against Zed Key #23 of the Ohio State Buckeyes during the second half of a game at Value City Arena on November 30, 2021 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
COLUMBUS, OHIO - NOVEMBER 30: Paolo Banchero #5 of the Duke Blue Devils puts up a shot against Zed Key #23 of the Ohio State Buckeyes during the second half of a game at Value City Arena on November 30, 2021 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) /
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Leaky Black North Carolina Tar Heels (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
Leaky Black North Carolina Tar Heels (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /

24. North Carolina (5-2)

Things have been rocky for the Tar Heels, but new head coach Hubert Davis is starting to figure things out as the calendar has reached December. Those rough losses to Purdue and Tennessee look okay, especially with the Boilermakers playing the way they have been, and they bounced back this past week. Their only game came at home against Michigan in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, with the Tar Heels scoring a big 72-51 win, buoyed by great defense and 22 points from Caleb Love.

Being in the ACC, North Carolina will have plenty of chances for nice wins, even if the ACC seems a bit down this season. They’ve had some good performances and some rough ones as well; they’ll just need to find a way to survive the rough ones as they did against Brown and Charleston to start the season. Up ahead, they start ACC play at Georgia Tech on Sunday before taking on Elon at home next weekend, two games the Tar Heels very much could and should win.

23. Florida (6-1)

There have been opportunities to make early statements, and Florida has taken advantage of most of them, getting their season off to a hot start. After early wins against Florida State and Ohio State, the Gators got another big challenge this week and came up just short. First off, they took care of Troy on Sunday at home with ease. On Wednesday, the Gators fell 74-67 at Oklahoma in a game where the long-range shooting just wasn’t falling.

Florida won their first six games this season, with those two big early wins, and are still in great shape even after this week’s first loss. The Gators have turned in some very solid efforts, especially on the defensive end, and look to be a real contender in a very tough SEC this year. After these challenges, the upcoming schedule is a little easier, with home games against Texas Southern and North Florida next week. The Gators get two easy opportunities to get back on track and to keep stockpiling the wins before SEC play begins at the end of the month.

22. BYU (7-1)

BYU chose the wrong time to struggle offensively, dropping their first game of the season this past week. The Cougars still look like a great team, and certainly one of the top contenders in the WCC. That struggle came on the road against nearby Utah Valley, dropping a 72-65 decision in overtime. They bounced back this weekend, picking up a road win at Missouri State on Saturday, taking care of business in the 74-68 win, getting 21 points from usual hero Alex Barcello.

In winning their first six games, the Cougars were really on a roll, picking up a couple of impressive Pac-12 wins along the way, but this team certainly isn’t perfect. The loss to Utah Valley certainly stings, but it doesn’t ruin what BYU has accomplished to this point. Next week, they’ll get a shot to get back on the wagon, welcoming in Utah State for a home date before taking on Creighton during the weekend. Picking up a couple of wins would certainly swing favor back towards BYU.

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