College basketball power rankings: In unpredictable season, steady Houston is No. 1

John Fanta

College Basketball Broadcaster and Reporter

There’s no dominant team. From night to night, the unpredictable keeps happening.

College basketball is one big, glorious mystery this season, and it is beautiful.

In the last week, eight of our previous top 15 teams in the weekly power rankings lost. For a third consecutive week, we will have a new No. 1. More to come on who that is, but first, some quick takeaways from a crazy week that was in the sport.

Even though Purdue suffered its first loss of the season to Rutgers, I would argue that this was the Boilermakers’ most impressive week of the season — next to their run to a PK85 title in November. The reason? Matt Painter’s team responded to the defeat by going on the road and edging a top-25 Ohio State squad and following it up with a commanding win over Penn State on Sunday night.

Arguably the best story in college basketball at the moment is straight out of Manhattan … Kansas! The Kansas State Wildcats, who were chosen dead last in the Big 12 preseason poll, are 14-1 and 3-0 in conference play. Their last week? A 116-103 win at Texas … followed by a 97-95 overtime victory at Baylor. Former Bears assistant Jerome Tang, who was Scott Drew’s right-hand man, took his program into Waco in his first season and the Cats pulled it off. What makes this story so special? Keyontae Johnson, a former Florida standout who collapsed on the floor during a game in 2020, has returned to college basketball this season and is starring for K-State. He went for 24 points and nine rebounds in Saturday’s victory at Baylor, while fifth-year senior Markquis Nowell put up the best performance of the week in the country with 32 points and 14 assists. Hats off to the Wildcats.
The Big Ten’s depth is outstanding. Just look at Sunday’s results: Northwestern went on the road and upset Indiana at Assembly Hall. Iowa stopped one of the hottest teams in the country, Rutgers, by going into Piscataway and knocking off the Scarlet Knights. Maryland, coming off blowout losses to Michigan and Rutgers, knocked off Ohio State. The point? 12 of the 14 teams in the conference are involved in the NCAA Tournament conversation. B1G will stack units on Selection Sunday.
The Big East has dueling nine-game winning streaks, with Xavier and Providence as two of the hottest teams in America. The Musketeers won at Villanova for the first time in program history on Saturday, while the Friars knocked off UConn before edging St. John’s on Saturday. These programs have two of the top 10-15 coaches in college basketball, with Sean Miller returning to Xavier and Ed Cooley following up a Sweet 16 season in Providence with another team that was an after-thought just a month ago.
One mid-major note: You do not see this often. The teams with the nation’s two longest winning streaks in college basketball come from the same conference (CAA), and they will face off on Wednesday. No. 23 Charleston, which leads the country with 15 consecutive wins, will visit UNCW, which notched a school record 13th straight win on Wednesday night. If you’re looking to watch two teams capable of causing madness in March, mark this matchup in Wilmington down on your viewing guide.

With that, here’s my latest Top 15!

1. Houston (16-1)

The Cougars’ 16 wins have come by an average of 24 points. The NET, KenPom and Torvik rankings systems all have them at No. 1. That’s why we’re placing them at the top spot as well. In Sunday’s 72-59 win at Cincinnati, five-star freshman Jarace Walker put up his latest strong performance with 21 points and five rebounds. With the elite guard play of Marcus Sasser to charge an experienced core, Kelvin Sampson’s team has it all. Their only loss? It came to a team that’s included in our top five.

2. Kansas (14-1)

The Jayhawks have not missed a beat. Despite losing six of their top eight shot-makers from last season, Bill Self has reloaded, and the defending national champions have a legit shot to repeat. Playing smaller has caused matchup nightmares for opponents, and Jalen Wilson is one of the five best players in the country.

3. Tennessee (13-2)

I am going in on the Volunteers and contemplated putting them second since they handed the Jayhawks their only loss. That being said, Rick Barnes’ team won its two SEC games this week by a combined 77 points. The difference for this Vols squad? They have a playmaker in Zakai Zeigler, who has combined for 18 assists to just four turnovers in the last two games.

4. Purdue (15-1)

The Boilers revealed this week that they’ve got the ability to punch back. Zach Edey went for 30 points and 13 rebounds in Sunday’s 76-63 win over Purdue, and the freshman guards have answered the bell. Braden Smith’s last two games: 31 points, 13 assists, 10 rebounds, and just one turnover. Fletcher Loyer posted 17 in the victory Sunday night and came up clutch at Ohio State on Thursday night.

5. Alabama (13-2)

The Crimson Tide have the best freshman in college basketball, Brandon Miller, and a great mix of experience with youth. In Saturday’s 78-52 blowout of Kentucky, Miller led the way with 19 points and seven rebounds.

6. UConn (15-2)

Adama Sanogo‘s Huskies had never beaten Creighton … until Saturday. Connecticut impressed in the 69-60 victory, behind Sanogo’s 26 points and nine rebounds. It was an All-American level performance by Dan Hurley’s star junior, and the way the Huskies wore the Jays down with physicality in the final 10 minutes really stood out.

7. UCLA (14-2)

Mick Cronin’s Bruins have won 11 in a row after a 60-58 victory over USC on Thursday, and Jaylen Clark continues to have a breakout season.

8. Arizona (14-4)

After a Thursday scare against Washington, the Wildcats’ 28-game home winning streak ended on Saturday with a 74-61 loss to Washington State. It cannot just be the Azuolas Tubelis show. Kerr Kriisa, Courtney Ramey and Pelle Larsson need to respond this week.

9. Kansas State (14-1)

Look, the Wildcats have earned it. You go on the road and beat Texas and Baylor in the same week while winning 14 of your first 15 games? They shouldn’t just enter the polls this week. They should be rewarded for what they’ve done, and what they’ve done has been incredible. The duo of Johnson and Nowell is combining for nearly 36 points per game, while Nowell is second in the country with 8.9 assists in a top-30 KenPom offense.

10. Iowa State (12-2)

The Cyclones have won five in a row and handed TCU only its second loss of the season on Saturday with a 69-67 victory. Iowa State is the boa constrictor of college basketball — playing elite team defense — and has a senior core of Jaren Holmes, Gabe Kalscheur and Caleb Grill to lead the scoring efforts.

Kalscheur’s game-winner on Saturday? Cold. Blooded.

11. Texas (13-2)

After firing Chris Beard on Thursday, it begged the question of how interim head coach Rodney Terry and the Longhorns would respond in Saturday’s road test at Oklahoma State. The Horns put their defensive footprint on the game, winning 56-46. Credit to those kids for working through distractions and keeping the season on track.

12. Gonzaga (14-3)

I know what you’re thinking: John, they didn’t lose, and you moved them down. But in the WCC, I have to judge by how games went, and frankly, the Bulldogs beat San Francisco and Santa Clara by just a combined seven points over the weekend. Mark Few has to be concerned with his team’s defense at the moment.

13. Xavier (13-3)

Zach Freemantle posted a season-high 29 points, just one off his career-best, to go with 11 rebounds and four assists as the Musketeers won at Villanova, 88-80. Souley Boum added 22 points, 10 rebounds and six assists in the win. He’s been one of the most underrated transfer pickups in the nation.

14. Miami (13-2)

I moved the Hurricanes down four spots after a rather strange loss at Georgia Tech. It’s another piece of evidence of just how difficult it is to win on the road. The Canes shot 5-for-32 from 3-point land. Chalk it up as an off night. I still really like this team and their dynamic backcourt.

15. TCU (13-2)

I thought about a lot of different directions with this one. Even though they fell to Iowa State on Saturday by two, the Horned Frogs did notch an impressive win over Baylor behind Chuck O’Bannon’s heroics.

Mike Miles is the best guard in America who not enough people recognize, and Jamie Dixon’s team is filled with experience, the best weapon come March.

John Fanta is a national college basketball broadcaster and writer for FOX Sports. He covers the sport in a variety of capacities, from calling games on FS1 to serving as lead host on the BIG EAST Digital Network to providing commentary on The Field of 68 Media Network. Follow him on Twitter @John_Fanta.

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