NCAA Basketball top 25 power rankings: Baylor rises, Duke and LSU fall

Exciting times abound in the NCAA Basketball world, as there seems to be wild endings and exciting games on a near daily basis. We’re still fighting through COVID pauses, and many teams are dealing with player shortages through illness or injury, but this season is pushing forward full steam ahead. We’re nearly at the end of January, which means we grow closer and closer to another exciting postseason.

We’re getting closer to the make or break time for some of these teams, especially with the NCAA Tournament less than two months away. We’ve seen and learned a lot, especially since conference play has ramped up in recent weeks. In great conferences like the Big 12 and Big Ten, each game presents a tough battle on a regular basis; while other leagues are starting to see one or two teams really take authority. Everyone’s dealing with something; whether it be injuries or other difficulties; it’s how these teams play when the games matter most that show us who they are.

Chaos has reigned in conference play, with upsets and brilliant games popping up regularly. Even so, this week’s edition of the top 25 rankings has still come together, though moving these teams around based on recent events becomes quite tricky.

These are again my own rankings, and they are extremely fluid, especially closer to the bottom of the poll. There were a great number of teams considered who just missed out on this ranking, though any of these teams could find their way into the poll in the coming weeks.

Without any further hesitation, we’ll get right into the rankings, starting at the bottom and working towards another new team at #1.