Bracketology 2025: Gonzaga, UCF, Purdue and Wisconsin among season's early winners

It’s been a strong start to the 2024-25 NCAA Basketball season, with plenty of programs getting quality wins. Yes, it’s early to look at the Bracketology part of the season, but these games count, and some have already done themselves good favors from a resume standpoint.

Here’s a look at the teams who got some needed wins to get off to a good start in the season. 

Kentucky Wildcats - 3-0

There were many unknowns about the new-look Wildcat roster under coach Mark Pope. They were barely in the top 25 to start out the season and were viewed as big underdogs in the Champions Classic matchup against Duke. They were down most of the game, but a comeback gave them the late lead, and they held on for the 77-72 victory.

This is a near-guaranteed Quad 1 victory and, assuming Duke continues to develop and win throughout ACC play, will become one of the top signature wins this season. It also takes the pressure off a future road matchup at Gonzaga a month from now. Not bad for the start of the Pope era.

LSU Tigers - 3-0

LSU was picked to finish in the bottom third of the SEC rather than a postseason contender. It’s early, but they got one of the better wins in the first two weeks, going on the road and winning at Kansas State. Barring a complete collapse by the Wildcats in Big 12, they should be in the top-75 of the NET rankings, giving Coach Matt McMahon and the Tigers a Quad 1 victory.

If the Tigers don’t lose a Quad 4 buy game, they’ll enter SEC play in solid shape. They also have a trio of ACC opponents (FSU, Pitt, and SMU) in the rest of the non-con schedule to add another Quad 1/2 victory.