The Thanksgiving holiday has come and gone as has the first major part of the college basketball season. Feast Week and the holiday tournaments brought incredible competition in the recent week, capping off what has actually been an excellent November of hoops. Many eyes only gravitate towards this sport for the drama in March but make no mistake that this month was just as entertaining.
The feeling is a little different in the sport with the recent advent of the Players Era Festival, but that certainly hasn’t destroyed Feast Week. The various tournaments have given us buzzer beaters, upsets, and other exciting moments that won’t soon be forgotten, let alone some great entertainment throughout Thanksgiving Day.
Regardless of what excitement we saw in the Bahamas or the Cayman Islands, most of the attention is still on those major matchups. We actually got a number of ranked matchups this week and this opening month has certainly been a challenge for several prominent programs. Now a month into the season, we’re getting to the point where we have to ignore preseason expectations because some teams are really showcasing or really disappointing after four weeks.
It’s the former that we focus on today as we give our latest update to our Top 25 rankings, fresh after a week of crazy tournament play. It’s still early enough in the season where schedules and resumes are very unbalanced and it can be hard to judge one team against another. Will you see the unbeaten team that’s been unchallenged or the high-major program that’s secured a few notable wins but might have lost a few games already? We’ll start answering those questions with this week’s update ahead.
25. St. John’s (4-3)
Rick Pitino’s work in his second year at programs needs to be studied and he certainly did that again last year at St. John’s. The Red Storm disappointed in the NCAA Tournament but still won a Big East title and figured out how to win important games. It’s been a bit of the same early this season, with slight disappointment, including a tough showing at the Players Era Festival this past week.
St. John’s needed one or two more plays to go their way, falling 83-82 to Iowa State on Monday despite 20 points from Oziyah Sellers. The Red Storm did bounce back nicely the following day, getting their first notable win of the season with a 96-81 victory against Baylor. Bryce Hopkins starred with 26 points while Sellers added another 22 in the win. Unfortunately, Wednesday’s finale brought a tough effort, as they’d fall 85-74 against Auburn despite a 24-point effort out of Zuby Ejiofor.
Realistically you could make arguments that a 3-loss team doesn’t deserve the Top 25 right now, but we still believe in the Red Storm. There are certainly some issues with this roster and with the defense, but St. John’s still has great metrics and potential. We’ll be keeping an eye on this team, hoping to salvage this tough start to the season as they face Ole Miss this upcoming weekend in a game they certainly can’t afford to blow.
24. USC (7-0)
During his previous stints at both Nevada and Arkansas Eric Musselman had a knack for finding remarkable talent and putting them in the right position. His teams made several postseason runs, but he opted to head back home and take over at a USC team jockeying for position as new members in the Big Ten. We’re still too early in the year to know this team’s potential, especially after barely surviving Troy last week, but a trip to the Maui Invitational certainly changed their trajectory.
Game one in Maui on Monday saw solid outside shooting, as the Trojans beat Boise State 70-67 thanks to a 27-point effort from Rodney Rice, one of those great transfers. USC dug out from a halftime deficit Tuesday, outlasting Seton Hall 83-81 to advance to the final. Ezra Ausar starred this time with 25 points while Chad Baker-Mazara added 18 points. The Trojans’ best effort came in winning the title, knocking off Arizona State 88-75 thanks to another 23-point effort out of Baker-Mazara.
As has been the hot topic for discussion last week, the Maui Invitational isn’t what it once was with the advent of other events, but USC still took care of their business. The offense played great for most of the event and Musselman looks to have a team that can do serious damage in the Big Ten. An early test comes at Oregon in that first peek at Big Ten play next week and we’ll get to see how the Trojans handle their first hostile road environment.
23. Iowa (7-0)
Recent results have been somewhat uneven at Iowa, and it’s not like this program was in bad shape, they just weren’t really nationally relevant even with some fantastic talent. New head coach Ben McCollum comes back to Iowa City with a major reputation and the early results from the Hawkeyes prove that. This team kicked butt against Xavier and has handled their business to this point, but this week was their first time leaving campus.
The Hawkeyes headed to the Acrisure Classic in Palm Springs and got Tuesday started on the right foot with a 74-69 win over Ole Miss. Bennett Stirtz supplied 29 points in a brilliant showing as Iowa got another notable win. The following day, Iowa survived more of a defensive slugfest, edging Grand Canyon 59-46 for the tournament crown. Isaia Howard had 19 points and 6 rebounds off the bench alongside Stirtz’s 13 as Iowa’s defense put together their best performance to date.
The unbeaten start looks awesome even if the level of competition doesn’t exactly scream at you. Iowa’s offense has been operating at a high level early this year, but it was their defense that helped them succeed in Palm Springs. Stirtz and a few other faces on this team starred with McCollum at his previous jobs and this crew knows just exactly what he expects of them moving forward. The unbeaten start will be significantly challenged next week, as the Hawkeyes get their first taste of league play at Michigan State.
22. Kansas (6-2)
The early work from Kansas this season matched some of the recent disappointments, as early losses to North Carolina and Duke actually dropped the Jayhawks out of the national rankings. Bill Self has built his career on winning titles and bringing elite talent to Kansas, but the recent loss of top-recruit Darryn Peterson certainly hasn’t helped matters for this team. However, even without Peterson, the Jayhawks found a way back into the spotlight at the Players Era Festival.
Their first contest in Las Vegas went well, winning 71-61 over Notre Dame thanks to 18 points and 9 rebounds out of Flory Bidunga. A very similar result came Tuesday, with the Jayhawks triumphant 71-60 against Syracuse, with double-doubles from both Bidunga and Tre White in another decent performance. In the third place game on Wednesday, Kansas had their best effort of the season, crawling out of a halftime hole to knock off Tennessee 81-76 for the team’s first ranked win. Melvin Council Jr. and Elmarko Jackson both scored 17 points, as Jackson was essential off the bench in that late push.
Kansas found a way to win those games without their star freshman. While they didn’t play the toughest stretch of games in Vegas, that win over Tennessee looks fantastic and the Jayhawks should get Peterson back in the lineup before too much longer. Without him, this might not be a team that can win the Big 12 but they’ve showed that they won’t back down. They do really need him sooner rather than later, as an important matchup against UConn comes up in just a couple days.
21. North Carolina (6-1)
It’s an important year for Hubert Davis as he hopes to lead the Tar Heels to a memorable season, and for good reason this time. To this point North Carolina has largely been brilliant, including a double-digit win over Kansas in the opening week of the season. The Tar Heels headed down the Florida for a holiday tournament that was going to tell us a few things about this team, but what exactly did we learn?
Tuesday saw North Carolina survive a tough challenge from St. Bonaventure, winning 85-70 over the previously-unbeaten Bonnies. Henri Veesaar had 24 points and 13 rebounds while Caleb Wilson had 18 points and 12 rebounds. The ball didn’t bounce their way on Thursday night, with the Tar Heels falling 74-58 against a strong Michigan State squad for the season’s first loss. Wilson starred again with 18 points and 7 rebounds, but North Carolina had their worst shooting performance of the young season from outside the arc.
The best of the Tar Heels wasn’t on display on Thanksgiving in that loss to the Spartans but it’s too early to panic in Chapel Hill. The team didn’t have the most challenging November but made enough strides during the month. Wilson has been a sensational freshman, Veessaar has been an awesome addition, and there’s potential here if this team figures a few things out. Unfortunately, they face an uphill challenge by heading to Kentucky this upcoming Tuesday.
20. Texas Tech (5-2)
At this moment in time we can’t really call Texas Tech one of the elite teams. Any chance for that argument went out the window with that 30-point loss against Purdue last week, but this was far from an ending for Grant McCasland’s squad. The Red Raiders still have a ton of basketball ahead of them and plenty of chances to showcase why many expect big things in the Big 12 from this team.
Their chance to bounce back came on Wednesday night at home against New Orleans, with the Red Raiders winning 82-50. This wasn’t some showy opponent or big event, but Texas Tech did exactly what they needed to do to get back in the win column. Christian Anderson finished a nice November with a 23-point effort while JT Toppin had another double-double with 19 points and 16 rebounds in his typical dominance.
The high expectations at the season’s beginning stemmed from the return of Toppin, who at his best is one of the top frontcourt players in the entire nation. While the Red Raiders are still licking their wounds from a few Big Ten losses, they certainly have the raw talent to start winning some of these major matchups. They’ll get plenty of opportunities in conference play, and do see both Arkansas and Duke in the coming weeks, though all they have to worry about next week is Wyoming coming to town.
19. Auburn (6-2)
Questions were raised on opening night but it’s time to stop harping on a close call against Bethune Cookman. The Tigers looked more the part of a ranked team and came just short of upsetting Houston just a few weeks ago. Plenty of attention remains on the Tigers and Steven Pearl in his first season at the helm, though the Players Era Festival certainly provided even more in terms of attention on this squad.
All good news on Monday, as the Tigers secured an 84-73 win over Oregon largely thanks to 24 points out of Tahaad Pettiford. Tuesday was a regrettable effort, as Auburn was outworked 102-72 by a fantastic Michigan squad. Pettiford again led the Tigers with 16 points. That foul taste didn’t last long, as the Tigers secured a ranked win on Wednesday, triumphant 85-74 against St. John’s. Pettiford had 27 points while Keyshawn Hall added 20 points and 8 rebounds in the important win.
In the big picture, Auburn was outclassed by Michigan but so was everybody at the Players Era Festival. There were certainly questions about the defense at times in Las Vegas, but the Tigers secured their first two important wins of the campaign. The metrics are actually in a pretty great place if you ignore much of what happened against the Wolverines, but challenges lie ahead. Auburn hosts an NC State team looking to make a statement before heading to Arizona, getting two really tough tests to reaffirm their status as a ranked team and SEC contender.
18. Indiana (7-0)
While it certainly remains to be seen what happens in the coming weeks and months, the first stage of the Darian DeVries era in Bloomington has been successful. His debut year with the Hoosiers has seen this program off to an unbeaten start, albeit not against the strongest level of competition. Regardless, Indiana has taken care of who’s been on their schedule, including a double-digit win over Marquette earlier in the year.
The Hoosiers added to that success with another double-digit win over a power conference foe, this time handling Kansas State 86-69 on Tuesday. This was another game where the inside attack ate, while Reed Bailey led the charge with 21 points. Saturday provided far less drama, as Indiana coasted to a 100-56 win over Bethune-Cookman to finish off the week. Tucker DeVries scored 20 points and Lamar Wilkerson added 18 points as the Hoosiers shot 55% from the field.
Despite some fantastic early results, Indiana is clearly far from perfect at this point. We’ll need to see this team more significantly challenged before we truly understand their ceiling. We do know that DeVries is one fantastic player and has done great things under his father in recent years. The first truly monumental test comes next weekend in a matchup against Louisville, giving the Hoosiers that opportunity to show what they can do on a more national stage.
17. Florida (5-2)
The defending champions of any sport always have extra pressure coming off that extreme success and that’s no different for Florida. What’s been the surprise in Gainesville isn’t necessarily just the underwhelming start to the season but how some of the new faces in town aren’t living up to expectations. The season got off on the wrong foot against Arizona before the Gators settled back in, but a trip to San Diego brought up those issues again.
The Gators dropped a tough debut in the Rady Children’s Invitational on Thursday, losing 84-80 to TCU. Thomas Haugh and Urban Klavzar both had 20 points, but it was another inconsistent performance from the starters in the backcourt. Florida did salvage the back half of their trip, topping Providence 90-78 on Friday night. This time around Xaivian Lee had a nice performance with 20 points while Boogie Fland added 17 in the win.
Seven games into the season, Florida does not look like the same national contender we saw cut down the nets last season. Sure the frontcourt returned basically all of their talent but Fland and Lee have underwhelmed and the long-range shooting has been disastrous at times. Whatever the issues become, the Gators need to find instant solutions because there’s a very tough game coming at Duke in just a few days.
16. Kentucky (5-2)
When you look up and down the lineup at Kentucky you see plenty of talent and it’s a testament to the work that Mark Pope and his staff have already put in. The Wildcats reached the Sweet Sixteen last y ear and have the talent to repeat that and even more in 2026. However, Kentucky failed their first two challenges, dropping tough contests against Louisville and Michigan State.
This week didn’t provide a challenge as the Wildcats stayed safely at home, getting a 104-54 blowout win over Tennessee Tech. Lexington provided zero drama in this 50-point decision, as five different Wildcats scored in double figures, including a double-double from Malachi Moreno. Kentucky shot 50% from the 3 and dominated every face of this game in a dominant second half.
Frankly, the Wildcats have looked brilliant in their five wins but none of them have come over notable opponents. They have the pieces to be an efficient offense and brilliant defense but need to put it together against someone real in the coming month. Luckily, Pope’s squad has two huge chances in the days ahead, with the Wildcats hosting North Carolina before playing Gonzaga on Friday night.
15. Illinois (6-2)
When the season kicked off, this new-look Illinois team looked like they could be one of the best of the best with some great offensive fireworks. A loss to Alabama dulled that early roar, though the Illini have largely taken care of their business, including a nice win over Texas Tech. However, this team had another major opportunity come up this week despite not being in a holiday tournament.
Before that, Illinois played UTRGV much closer than expecting, surviving with an 87-73 win over the Vaqueros. Andrej Stojakovic continued his brilliant start to the season with a 24-point showing. That major opportunity is where things went south, as the Illini trailed throughout a 74-61 loss to UConn in New York City. Kylan Boswell represented much of the offense in a 25-point, 9-rebound performance.
After putting up over 110 points multiple times in the opening week, Illinois’s offense has looked far less sharp more recently. Let’s not flare the alarms, as the Illini lost to two very talented teams and themselves still have the talent to be a major factor in the Big Ten. Even with great metrics, it’s hard to be super satisfied about the current state of this offense, something that’ll need to change before Saturday’s huge showdown against Tennessee.
14. Tennessee (7-1)
Life is never easy in the SEC but Rick Barnes has turned the Volunteers into one of those top-tier teams in the league. Recent Sweet Sixteen runs demonstrate that greatness, though there are plenty of new faces in Knoxville this year hoping to make their own mark. The Volunteers were largely unchallenged before this week but the Players Era Festival certainly changed that.
Day one wasn’t too tough, as Tennessee mashed Rutgers 85-60 thanks to a 32-point effort from Ja’Kobi Gillespie. The Volunteers had their best performance of the young season on Tuesday, outlasting a Top 5 Houston squad in a 76-73 win. Gillespie again starred with 22 points as the Volunteers advanced to the third place game in the Players Era Festival. Unfortunately, they came up just short against Kansas, falling 81-76 to the Jayhawks on Wednesday night. Nate Ament stood out with 20 points and 9 rebounds and Jaylen Carey had a double-double off the bench but it just wasn’t enough late.
Tennessee suffered their first loss of the season and the defense had a few struggles, but the overall opinion on this team should be even higher. Gillespie is a bona fide star at the point and Ament is showcasing why he was one of the top freshmen recruits in the sport coming into this year. That trip to Las Vegas challenged Barnes’ team, but the challenges are far from over, as the Volunteers head to Syracuse before a weekend tilt against Illinois this week.
13. Alabama (5-2)
A few teams on these very rankings weren’t really tested in November but the complete opposite is true of the Crimson Tide. Even before heading to Las Vegas this week, Alabama had already paid three top opponents, knocking off St. John’s and Illinois while losing to Purdue. We’ve seen this team brutally tested and finally getting healthy, but how would everything come together at the Players Era Festival?
A fourth-straight tough test didn’t go Alabama’s way, as they’d fall 95-85 against a great Gonzaga team on Monday. A rough defensive effort doomed the Crimson Tide despite 29 points and 7 assists from Labaron Philon Jr. Alabama bounced back nicely the following day, knocking out UNLV 115-76 thanks to 26 points from Aden Holloway and a much better effort from the team as a whole. Their trip concluded with a 105-72 win over Maryland in another impressive showing, this time led by Philon’s 20 points and 6 assists against the Terrapins.
One month into the season, Alabama is 2-1 against the talent of the Big Ten and showed that they belong on the national stage. Even though that game against Gonzaga didn’t go their way, it’s pretty clear that the Crimson Tide still have one of the best offenses in the nation. If their defense can take just a tiny step forward then this team can hang with anyone. Another notable matchup approaches at the Crimson Tide host Clemson this week, though we promise a break is coming soon in Tuscaloosa.
12. Gonzaga (7-1)
The early weeks of this season showed us again why Gonzaga is always a team to watch in this sport. The Bulldogs have to garner national attention during the nonconference season, because WCC play only affords them so many opportunities to impress. They did a great job of that with early wins over Creighton and Oklahoma and faced a huge opportunity this week at the Players Era Festival.
Their opening salvo in Las Vegas was very impressive with a 95-85 win over Alabama, getting twin 21-point efforts out of Graham Ike and Tyon Grant-Foster. Tuesday’s contest was more demonstrative of their talent, as Gonzaga blew out Maryland 100-61. Braden Huff led the charge with 20 points while Emmanuel Innocenti added 15 off the bench. Unfortunately, Gonzaga had one of their worst performances in recent memory in the title game and were boat raced 101-61 by Michigan while shooting just 34% from the floor.
Seven games into the season, Gonzaga certainly looked like a Top 10 team that can do damage with a talented rotation. That eighth game is where the questions being as we wonder how much we can gleam about the Bulldogs on a night where the Wolverines just took complete control. Gonzaga is still a great team and should shake off this performance, though their next matchup is another important one against Kentucky at the end of the week.
11. Vanderbilt (8-0)
Exceeding expectations last season, Vanderbilt made the Big Dance despite being picked last in the SEC in the preseason. This time around, the Commodores were given a bit more respect, but November showed that we still might be underrated Mark Byington’s crew. The Commodores headed to the Bahamas for the Battle 4 Atlantis and didn’t leave town until making quite the statement.
The first game was their closest of the season, but Vanderbilt still survived Western Kentucky 83-78 thanks to 28 points from Duke Miles and 22 points from Devin McGlockton. The Commodores rolled to an 89-74 win over VCU the following day, this time getting 20 points from Miles on a great shooting day for the entire team. However, it was the title game on Friday where Vanderbilt really stood out, getting a demonstrative 96-71 win over a very good Saint Mary’s team. Miles had 25 points, Jalen Washington added 19 points off the bench, and the Commodores had one of the best performances against those Gaels in recent memory.
The Bahamas didn’t exactly provide a field full of ranked teams or household names, but Vanderbilt dominated the field and proved they were the best of the eight teams present. The stock was already rising on this program but that 25-point win over Saint Mary’s looks better than we can convey and shows that the Commodores might actually be one of the teams to beat in the SEC. They’ll be back home for a few weeks and have a home game against SMU in just a few days.
10. Michigan State (7-0)
It hasn’t always been perfect or pretty but the Spartans survived November without a blemish and have built the starting point for a really nice resume. While another team in their state may overshadow them this week, Michigan State came into play with nice wins over Arkansas and Kentucky and added another ranked victory in Florida this week.
Michigan State was down at the Fort Myers Tip-Off, starting Tuesday with an 89-56 win over East Carolina. There weren’t too many issues against the Pirates, as the Spartans got 16-point efforts from both Jaxon Kohler and Divine Ugochukwu. The more brilliant effort came Thursday, as Michigan State topped North Carolina 74-58 for another notable win. Jeremy Fears Jr. stood out with 19 points and 7 assists while Kohler had a double-double in the win.
Against Arkansas, the Spartans couldn’t hit from long-range, but these last two major matchups have seen their offense really performing at a high level. Fears and Kohler look like two enormously important players for a Michigan State team hoping to win another Big Ten title this season. While the Spartans are back in East Lansing this week, it’s far from an easy seven days for the Spartans, who’ll host Iowa and Duke in the days to come.
9. BYU (6-1)
These first few weeks of the season have shown both the good and the bad from this BYU squad. We know that there’s immense talent but the Cougars have this tendency of getting off to slow starts and aren’t getting consistent contributions from further down the rotation. Nevertheless, they pushed UConn to the brink in their only loss and are fresh off a rousing win over a then-ranked Wisconsin squad.
The Cougars did solid work at the ESPN Events Invitational, beginning with Thursday’s 72-62 win over Miami. Beyond the usual suspects, BYU got an 18-point effort from Kennard Davis Jr. alongside typical brilliance from AJ Dybantsa (16 points, 8 rebounds) and company. The next night, BYU was pushed hard by Dayton but survived in an 83-79 effort. They came back from another halftime deficit largely thanks to 29 points from Richie Saunders and 23 out of Robert Wright III.
Beyond having one of the most potent trios in the nation, BYU is starting to see contributions elsewhere. However, it’s not just Davis that they need making plays, as only the starters scored in that win over the Flyers. Talent could get this Cougars team back to the Sweet Sixteen but they’ll need their depth to show up to make a real run. A contest against Cal Baptist is next on the agenda in what should be a much calmer month of December for this team.
8. Iowa State (7-0)
Across the last half decade, T. J. Otzelberger has done an impressive job turning Iowa State back into a yearly contender in the Big 12, especially as the league has gotten even stronger. The Cyclones got this season off to an equally impressive start, though the only real game of note was a 16-point win over Misssissippi State. Their chance to really impress came at the Players Era Festival and they took advantage.
In their first game, Iowa State outlasted St. John’s 83-82 in a ranked battle, getting 23 points from Milan Momcilovic and a 17-point, 8-rebound game from Joshua Jefferson. The Cyclones were impressive on Tuesday, winning 78-60 over Creighton thanks to 20 points from Killyan Toure and another 18 from Joshua Jefferson. Bizarre tournament tiebreakers kept the Cyclones from playing for a title, but they took out their frustrations on Syracuse in a 95-64 win. Momcilovic had 24 points while Jefferson had a double-double with 13 points and 10 assists.
Regardless of opinions on how things went down with that event, Iowa State was one of the most impressive teams in the field. They handled their business with three impressive wins and continue an unbeaten start to the season. Next week should briefly continue that trend with a home date with Alcorn State but the weekend looms large as the Cyclones head to West Lafayette for a highly-anticipated date with Purdue.
7. Houston (7-1)
The best program in the Big 12 got this season off to a hot start, with that win over Auburn cementing a great unbeaten beginning for Kelvin Sampson’s unit. Now obviously, the Cougars know the season isn’t won or lost in November, as this team is coming off a trip to the national title game. However, a trip to Las Vegas for the Players Era Festival certainly afforded them the chance to understand this team’s potential.
Monday’s action was much closer than expected, as Houston needed overtime to survive Syracuse 78-74. Emanuel Sharp and Milos Uzan were the offense with 26 points apiece against the Orange. Houston lost for the first time all season on Tuesday, falling 76-73 against a tough Tennessee team even with 25 points from freshman Kingston Flemings. Fortunately the Cougars were back in the win column Wednesday, getting a 66-56 victory against Notre Dame, this time led by Sharp with 17 points.
Overall, Houston didn’t have the best performance in Las Vegas. It wasn’t just losing to Tennessee in that tough battle, but needing overtime against Syracuse and having two pretty dreadful shooting days along the way against those ACC squads. An elite Houston defense was challenged and didn’t completely break and will continue to be the backbone of this resilient squad. Next week brings a game against Florida State that the Cougars hope is less of a challenge.
6. Louisville (7-0)
We are not too far removed from a time when Louisville was becoming a laughing stock, regularly getting beaten at home and a cellar dweller in the ACC. Pat Kelsey’s work cannot be praised enough and his team showed out brilliant in wins over Kentucky and Cincinnati already this year. While the Cardinals are another team that didn’t have a big holiday tournament, they did secure a pair of big wins before it was turkey time.
The Cardinals didn’t struggle Monday, getting an 87-46 blowout win over Eastern Michigan. Isaac McKneely led the scoring with a 17-point effort during a smothering defensive performance for this team. Louisville’s dominance only continued Wednesday during a 104-47 victory against NJIT. Ryan Conwell put together his best performance of the season with 32 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists in a laugher over the Highlanders.
The two opponents that Louisville beat this week aren’t exactly at the same level as some of these other ranked teams, but they left no doubt. Three years ago, these were the kinds of games that Louisville was struggling in or downright losing, but the Cardinals have an entirely new vibe under Kelsey. You can consider them unchallenged through November, but the new month kicks off with tough matchups against Arkansas and Indiana away from home.
5. Connecticut (6-1)
With the current state of the Big East, nonconference play becomes even more important for the Huskies. UConn impressed against BYU before losing a tough game at home against Arizona last week. They’ve had zero issues with the other foes on their schedule and should have some similar blowouts further down the line, but are we starting to question just what the ceiling should be for Dan Hurley’s squad?
Last Sunday was another drama-free performance, as the Huskies won 72-49 over Bryant without too much struggle, getting 16 points from Eric Reibe and a triple-double from Silas Demary Jr. in a memorable performance. A fully healthy Huskies squad thrived under the bright lights on Friday, beating a talented Illinois team 74-61 at Madison Square Garden. Solo Ball dropped 15 points, Malachi Smith had 14 points and the Huskies contained the Fighting Illini for another ranked victory.
A month into the season and the Huskies are 2-1 in the important games. Offensively, things could be going smoother but Demary and the other new pieces are working well to this point in the season. Like we mentioned, things aren’t going well in the Big East and these Huskies look like heavy favorites right now but Hurley knows it’s far too early to crown this team anything. We’ll learn even more about them at Kansas on Tuesday.
4. Duke (8-0)
Many things will happen in this season but the earliest weeks have shown us that Cameron Boozer is for real. The latest talented freshman out of Durham has guided the Blue Devils to a perfect start to the season, one that already including nice wins over Kansas and Texas even before this week. Duke didn’t have some big holiday tournament on their schedule but did find a way to grab attention on the holiday.
Before that, we have to remember the Blue Devils’ impressive 93-56 win over Howard that came back last Sunday, a game that featured a 26-point, 12-rebound performance from Boozer. The Blue Devils then headed to Chicago to play Arkansas on Thanksgiving and came away with an 80-71 win, grabbing another victory against an SEC foe. If you think he’d been great previously, Boozer’s eighth contest was his best with 35 points and 9 rebounds against the Razorbacks, spearheading a brilliant performance for Duke late on turkey day.
Taking down a ranked Arkansas squad on a neutral-court was no easy task but another great and efficient offensive performance from the Blue Devils got the job done. Clearly, Boozer is even exceeding early expectations and there certainly seems to be enough talent around him for this team to make serious noise. Two more major opportunities to prove that come right away, as Duke hosts defending champion Florida on Tuesday before heading to Michigan State on Saturday.
3. Arizona (7-0)
The Wildcats became one of the stars of November even without being part of one of these premier holiday tournaments. Arizona grabbed attention by upending Florida on opening night, got a nice win over UCLA, and then got one of the best wins of the month at UConn just over a week ago. Tommy Lloyd’s program has been fantastic in recent years, but this young and talented team has even more potential moving forward.
Their sixth game of the season came Monday and was not very competitive, earning a 103-73 win over Denver. The Wildcats were led by 20-point efforts out of Brayden Burries and Ivan Kharchenkov, just some of that new talent in Tucson. Few issues were had Saturday either, with the Wildcats winning 98-61 against Norfolk State. Motiejus Krivas led the charge with 20 points and 9 rebounds as Arizona used a strong interior offense to win.
This team can be lethal on offense and does it without the long-range shot, with some rough shooting numbers in those wins over both UConn and Norfolk State. There’s a nice balance between youth and real talent here and until we see otherwise it’s hard not to call Arizona one of the top teams to watch this season. Their next major test luckily comes at home as they’ll play host to Auburn next weekend.
2. Michigan (7-0)
Sometimes it can be truly amazing how the impression on a program can change quickly in a season. Michigan entered this year with major expectations and a brilliant lineup but struggled in a few of their games in the opening weeks of the season. They still got off to an unblemished start but weren’t exactly looking like a top team. This week they were looking like a top team.
Simply put, Michigan became the story of the Players Era Festival. On Monday they mauled San Diego State 94-54, getting 15 points from Yaxel Lendeborg while completely outworking the Aztecs. More of the same came Tuesday with a 102-72 win over a ranked Auburn squad, with another 17 points from Lendeborg in the leading effort. What transpired Wednesday topped it all, with the Wolverines blowing out a really great Gonzaga team 101-61, with a 20-point, 11-rebound from Lendeborg, 17 points from Trey McKenney, and 13 assists out of Elliot Cadeau.
Regardless of expectations, lineups changes, or what happened in the earlier weeks, Michigan proved that they are absolutely the real deal this season. They took complete charge in Las Vegas, winning those three games by a combined 110 points in one of the most dominant holiday tournament performances in recent memory. These emphatic performances earned them a nice break and we won’t see the Wolverines again until next weekend where they’ll be heavily favored in their Big Ten debut against Rutgers.
1. Purdue (7-0)
You could certainly argue that Purdue entered this season with a fair amount of pressure on their backs. After getting the lineup back fully healthy, the Boilermakers have proven why they’re an expected title threat with this talented rotation under Matt Painter. Purdue already made their mark in the month with roads win at Alabama and an impressive showing in the Bahamas, meaning they were resting at home through these holidays.
Fresh off that blowout win over Texas Tech, Purdue had just a single game coming on Friday night and it became another laugher. The Boilermakers won 109-62 over Eastern Illinois with their best offensive showing of the young season. Daniel Jacobsen shined with 24 points and 9 rebounds off the bench while Trey Kaufman-Renn added 14 points alongside another 10 assists from Braden Smith.
If the Boilermakers can legitimately get this type of production off the bench, then this Purdue team will make noise this season. They have one of the nation’s best point guards, guards that can make long-range shots, and a tough frontcourt that can grab boards and cause havoc too. They earned this restful holiday, though next up is a first taste of Big Ten play at Rutgers before a highly-anticipated matchup against Iowa State next weekend.
Nearly a month into an already incredible college basketball season, we’ve taken some time to rank the best of the sport from what we’ve seen. Do you agree with some of the teams we’ve included this week after their recent success or did we leave out someone more deserving?