NCAA Basketball: Auburn, Gonzaga, Ohio State rise in latest top 25 power rankings

4. Auburn (2-0)

While the postseason hasn’t been kind to the Tigers these last few seasons, Auburn has been a much more successful basketball program under Bruce Pearl in recent years. The Tigers won the SEC Tournament before last season’s Tourney upset and returned significant veteran talent. Pearl and his staff added a few key names and this opening week of the season certainly proved that they have the talent and potential to make national headlines.

That brilliance began on Wednesday as the Tigers put on quite a show, winning 94-43 in blowout fashion over a strong Vermont squad. Denver Jones had 16 points and a full team effort was on display as the Tigers shot 56% from the floor. What they did on Saturday was even more impressive, as the Tigers traveled to Houston and came away with a 74-69 win over a Top 5 opponent. Johni Broome was excellent with 20 points and 9 rebounds while Tahaad Pettiford established himself with 21 points off the bench.

No team in the entire country had a better week than Auburn, and this is a team who saw their plane turned around on Friday due to issues between players on the flight. The Tigers put together two extremely impressive performances, blowing out a strong Vermont squad before scoring a Houston win that will be currency for the entire season. They get a relative rest next week with Kent State coming to town, though obviously the Tigers can’t let their guard up.