NCAA Basketball: Wisconsin, Duke, Creighton rise in latest top 25 power rankings

1. Connecticut (17-2)

Though they did win the national championship last season, these Huskies have shown no signs of slowing down. Dan Hurley’s squad has impressed in the early going this season, relying heavily on Tristen Newton, Alex Karaban, and a slew of other talent. It’s been a thrill ride in Connecticut in recent years and it could continue deep into this year’s postseason again.

Due to a quirk in their schedule, the Huskies didn’t actually play any games this past week, so we’ll instead focus on what they’ve accomplished this season. They acquired neutral-site wins over Texas, North Carolina, and Gonzaga in nonconference play, while their two losses came on the road against Kansas and Seton Hall, two tough places to play. They’ve responded by winning their last seven Big East games, including three outside of Storrs.

Losing Donovan Clingan to injury was supposed to hamper this team, but even without their talented forward the Huskies have played fantastic basketball. It’s easy to see why this team remains atop most national rankings, especially with their offensive performances this entire season. There are plenty of opportunities on the schedule ahead, including home dates with Xavier and Providence in the coming days.

This completes this week’s deep dive into the Top 25 teams in the nation and where they stand. With what we’ve seen so far this season, do you agree with these rankings and the teams we included and mentioned today?