NCAA Basketball: UConn, Purdue rise on top 25 power ranking after Feast Week

1. Houston (6-0)

With the play of some of the other top teams this week, there’s little doubt that Houston has earned this spot atop the polls. Kelvin Sampson’s squad has been relentless on defense and put together some impressive offensive performances too. While this week didn’t quite showcase that offense prowess, they showed they can win games in multiple ways.

The lone contest for the Cougars was a home test against a very solid Kent State squad, one they won in a defensive slugfest 49-44. Marcus Sasser had 19 points while J’Wan Roberts added 11 points and 14 rebounds in the win. It was by far the worst offensive showing for a Cougars team that had been quite efficient offensively to this point, but their smothering defense was enough, limiting the Golden Flashes to just 24% from the field.

There’s a lot to love about Houston. Sasser and Roberts are not the only ones playing fantastic basketball early; freshmen like Jarace Walker and Terrance Arceneaux are giving the Cougars a lot early on. While a 49-point outing isn’t great, you can expect a bounce-back effort on that end of the ball in the weeks to come. Next week features a home date with Norfolk State and an intriguing game against a talented Saint Mary’s team in Fort Worth.

We have completed this week’s deep dive into the top 25 teams in the nation; who do you think should be higher or lower in these rankings, and who’s going to make a big move next week?