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

6. Alabama (7-1)

When Alabama lost to Iona at the ESPN Events Invitational, we were all ready to hate on the Crimson Tide, but how they’ve bounced back in this past week and a half has been legendary. First off, they really turned on the heat against Miami to finish that tournament on Sunday, pulling away for a 96-64 victory. The big moment came on Saturday, as they traveled to Seattle and departed with a big win against Gonzaga, getting 28 points from Jaden Shackelford in a clutch 91-82 win.

Alabama looks incredible and this team is recently firing on all cylinders. The Iona loss looks like an aberration, especially when the Crimson Tide can shoot the way they just did in Seattle. The offense has been fantastic, and they’ve been excelling against some great competition, with all of their mid-major games against legitimately solid mid-majors as well. Ahead, another big challenge looms, as they welcome a surging Houston team to Tuscaloosa on Saturday.

5. Duke (7-1)

After the high of knocking off #1 Gonzaga, the Blue Devils faltered in this week’s challenge and fall from their brief stint atop the rankings. Despite a 13-point halftime lead, the Blue Devils fell at Ohio State as part of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. A 17-point, 8-rebound effort from Wendell Moore Jr. went by the wayside as the Blue Devils struggled mightily in the second half against the Buckeyes.

Obviously, there’s no reason for despair for the Blue Devils. They remain what is clearly the top team in the ACC, with nobody else in their conference coming anywhere close to scoring nonconference success like knocking off Gonzaga. The Blue Devils defense has been solid, and they’ll get the next week off to regroup off this Ohio State loss. Winnable home games beckon in the near future before ACC play gets going right around Christmas.

4. UCLA (7-1)

Now more than a week removed from that disappointing performance against Gonzaga, UCLA still looks the part as a top team in the country. This past week featured just one game, their debut in Pac-12 play for the season. Tyger Campbell scored 22 points in a pretty easy 12-point home win over Colorado, getting them to that solid start in conference play.

Looking back, you can tell that UCLA just had a really off night against Gonzaga, and their performances in their last two games prove that even further. The Bruins offense has been solid enough to take care of business, while the defense has allowed no more than 63 points in their last four non-Gonzaga games. This next week poses two road games for the Bruins, albeit both very winnable. They get another Pac-12 game on Sunday at Washington before traveling to Marquette and trying to outhustle Shaka Smart’s new program.