NCAA Basketball: Florida, UConn, Dayton rise in latest top 25 power rankings

What makes the NCAA Basketball special, among other things, is the unpredictability of this fine sport. We cannot say with certainty which players will star and stand out, nor which teams will have the same success. There are always surprise teams and players that emerge, and we’ve already seen numerous examples even in the first month and a half of the season.

Now isn’t the time to list all of these breakout stars, but we’re certainly at the point where these breakouts are more than just hot or fluky starts. Many teams have already played nine or ten games and conference play waits right after the holidays. We’re hitting the last real quiet part of the season right around Christmas but we’ve seen plenty in recent weeks to make some of those determinations. Some teams are for real and some players are really showing that they belong.

Whether in rivalry games, holiday tournaments, or major upsets, the players on dozens of teams are making their own personal cases. Only 68 teams will make March Madness, and right now is when many of those resumes are being strengthened or weakened, and everyone in this sport knows that. Despite what we may have thought six weeks ago, the teams can only lean on what they’ve actually produced on the court.

Again, we’re considering that production in our latest edition of the Top 25 rankings. As previously mentioned, this isn’t exactly the busiest time of the season, though we’re fresh off a Saturday that was jam-packed with great matchups and efforts. Knowing weeks of results and considering how these teams currently stand, we’ll know begin our deep dives into each we’ve deemed worthy here in the middle of December.