College basketball rankings: Arizona flexes in win over Wisconsin, Creighton in top 10

John Fanta

College Basketball Broadcaster and Reporter

It was another wild week of college basketball, with six of the remaining 13 undefeated teams losing.

The BYU Cougars, who were ranked No. 11 in my top 25 poll last week, fell to Utah on Saturday, while Colorado State (previously No. 13 in my rankings), dropped its first game of the season to Saint Mary’s. Cincinnati (lost to Xavier), Nevada (lost to Drake), TCU (lost to Clemson) and Princeton (Saint Joseph’s) all suffered their first loss of the season as well.

Here are the seven remaining teams that are still undefeated:

Arizona
Baylor
Clemson
Houston
James Madison
Oklahoma
Ole Miss

What stood out to me over this weekend in college basketball?

The No. 1 team in the country, for starters. Arizona more than deserves the top spot in college basketball and only solidified that on Saturday, dominating a Wisconsin team that entered having won six straight, including victories over Virginia, Marquette and Michigan State. To see a 98-73 final score from that matchup is glaring, as the Badgers gave up the most points they’ve allowed in a game since March 1994. It also marked Arizona’s highest margin of victory over a ranked opponent since beating Kentucky by 39 in 2002.

What makes Tommy Lloyd’s team so dangerous? They play such great complementary basketball, as the Wildcats are the only team in the country to rank in the top five of both KenPom adjusted offensive and defensive efficiency. With an adjusted tempo that stands as the fourth-quickest in the country, this Arizona team can come at you in waves offensively.

This is also an incredibly unselfish team, and the vibe between North Carolina transfer Caleb Love and Kylan Boswell has been great. Boswell had nine assists, while Love added five dishes as the Wildcats totaled 26 dimes on 35 made field goals in the win over the Badgers.

This group passes up good shots for great ones, and perhaps the best example of that successful offense under Lloyd, who moved to 69-11 through his first 80 games at the helm with the win Saturday, was seen through senior Pelle Larsson‘s production. The 6-foot-6 wing scored a career-high 21 points against the Badgers, shooting 6-for-6 from the floor and 4-for-4 from downtown.

Oumar Ballo had 15 points on 7-for-8 from the floor and added nine rebounds, while San Diego State transfer Keshad Johnson continues to show why he was such a big transfer portal add, going for 11 points, nine rebounds and four assists. This team is balanced, and they defend at a high level. The Wildcats are the unquestionable No. 1 team in America, and I actually believe they could stay in this spot for a while, despite a gauntlet of a schedule.

Here are five other teams that impressed me over the weekend:

Washington: Mark Few doesn’t surrender a double-digit second-half lead very often. In a critical season for head coach Mike Hopkins, the Huskies came back from 11 down behind Kentucky transfers Keion Brooks and Sahvir Wheeler to stun Gonzaga. Washington’s win snapped a 16-game winning streak for the Zags over the Pac-12. Gonzaga’s lack of depth was exposed, and Anton Watson and Ryan Nembhard’s struggles ended up being too much to overcome.

Tennessee: What I like about this Volunteers team is that they can play more freely on the offensive end than many of Rick Barnes’ squads. Dalton Knecht delivered 21 points in Saturday’s 86-79 win over an Illinois team that fought hard. The Northern Colorado transfer has been such a great addition in Knoxville, as he creates matchup issues for a defense with his length and tough shotmaking ability. He was one of five Vols in double figures.

Clemson: The Tigers just keep winning, improving to 9-0 on Saturday with a 74-66 win over TCU. To beat the Horned Frogs, you must match, if not exceed their physicality. Ian Schieffelin answered the bell with his 14-point, nine-rebound, five-assist performance. Joe Girard displayed why he was such a great add from Syracuse, leading the team with 21 points and hitting three triples in the win.

Utah: Don’t sleep on the Utes! Craig Smith’s team will be feisty in the Pac-12 and earned a nice résumé win on Saturday, handing BYU its first loss of the season, 79-63. Senior Gabe Madsen caught fire, shooting 5-for-9 from 3 and finishing with 17 points. He has scored 17-plus points in five of the Utes’ nine games. This Utes team is very capable of making the NCAA Tournament, something the program hasn’t done in seven years.

Monmouth: The Hawks trailed Northern Illinois by 19 on Saturday afternoon. They wouldn’t quit, coming all the way back and winning on a Jakari Spence buzzer-beater 3. What makes this moment so special? The senior’s grandmother passed away on Thursday of last week. Spence’s father told him to play on Saturday, and he ended up as the hero.

With that, here is a fresh Top 25!

1. Arizona (8-0)

The Wildcats did not play in a formal multi-team event this season, so Llyod basically designed three neutral-site games to represent that experience for his team. After the home test against Wisconsin, the Cats have a week to prep for this swing:

Dec. 16: Purdue at Gainbridge Fieldhouse (Indianapolis)
Dec. 20: Alabama at Footprint Center (Phoenix)
Dec. 23: Florida Atlantic at T-Mobile Arena (Las Vegas, watch on FOX and the FOX Sports app)

Could the Wildcats suffer their first loss in any of these games? Sure they could. The best opportunity for a team to pull it off would be the Boilermakers, who will be playing a quintessential home game in Indy when they play the Cats. If Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer are in sync and able to handle Love and Boswell’s pressure, Purdue could pull it off. But something says to me that the Wildcats come out of this three-game stretch unscathed. I think this team is clearly the best in college hoops right now.

2. Kansas (9-1)

Hunter Dickinson, KJ Adams and Kevin McCullar Jr. are willing the Jayhawks right now. Kansas closed the first half on a 14-0 run on Saturday to beat Missouri, 73-64, with that trio combining for 47 points. Freshman guard Elmarko Jackson put up his best game at Kansas thus far, drawing five fouls and scoring 11 points. Up next for the Jayhawks is a road trip to Bloomington to visit Indiana on Saturday.

3. UConn (9-1)

The Huskies look as complete as anybody in the country, and even though Kansas got them at Allen Fieldhouse, I like Connecticut’s upside a little more than the Jayhawks because Dan Hurley has a team that can really impact the game from the perimeter offensively. In Tuesday’s 87-76 win over North Carolina, the Huskies had 25 assists on 34 made field goals. Cam Spencer, Solomon Ball and Alex Karaban combined for eight triples, with Spencer and Karaban combining for 41 points. Donovan Clingan hasn’t even been great yet, and Connecticut is 9-1. Up next for the Huskies is a matchup against Gonzaga on Friday in Seattle.

4. Purdue (9-1)

Alabama was within three points of the Boilermakers twice in a three-minute span late in Saturday’s game, but Purdue’s Braden Smith had ice in his veins. The sophomore hit a tough runner in the lane, then after Mark Sears answered, he buried a clutch triple in Purdue’s 92-86 win over the Crimson Tide.

Zach Edey was outstanding as usual with 35 points, and he received the “Robin” assistance from Smith, who posted a career-high 27 points, eight assists and only one turnover. The 62 combined points by Edey (35) and Smith (27) marked the most for a Purdue duo since Glenn Robinson (44) and Cuonzo Martin (29) combined for 73 points against Kansas in the 1994 NCAA Tournament.

5. Houston (10-0)

Emanuel Sharp put up a career-high 25 points and LJ Cryer put up double figures for a ninth consecutive game as the Cougars beat Jackson State, 89-55. Why is Houston lower this week? I want to reward teams for challenging themselves in non-conference play. Houston’s non-conference strength of schedule is 261. They play Texas A&M on Saturday at the Toyota Center. I want to see what the Cougars do in that game if I’m going to move them back up.

6. Baylor (9-0)

RayJ Dennis and Ja’Kobe Walter form one of the best backcourt duos in college basketball. Dennis has combined for 31 assists in the last four games, posting 17 points and seven dimes in Tuesday’s 78-60 victory over Seton Hall. As for the likely one-and-done freshman in Walter, he’s been in double figures in seven of the team’s nine games and has connected on four triples in four games this season. The Bears take on Michigan State at 2 p.m. ET on Saturday in Detroit.

7. Marquette (8-2)

If you let the Golden Eagles get into an offensive rhythm, just pack your bags and go home. Notre Dame learned that the hard way, with Marquette starting the game on a 17-0 run and never looking back in a 78-59 win. It’s a rebuilding year for Micah Shrewsberry in South Bend, but still, a 17-0 run to open a game is impressive. Oso Ighodaro has been invaluable for the Golden Eagles, going for 20 points and four assists in Saturday’s win. He landed on our newest Big Man Ladder.

More than anything, though, Marquette goes as Tyler Kolek goes. He’s the best point guard in America, and combined for 45 points, 15 rebounds and 13 assists in wins over Texas and the Fighting Irish this week.

8. Clemson (9-0)

Are you surprised? You shouldn’t be. Last week, the Tigers ended Alabama‘s 19-game home winning streak in the ACC/SEC Challenge. This week, Clemson ended a pair of perfect records, beating South Carolina at home and then going up to Toronto and taking down TCU in Canada, 74-66. This team is dangerous because they’re really balanced. On Saturday, Schieffelin stood out with 14 points, nine rebounds (seven on the offensive glass) and five assists, while Girard has made a huge impact in giving this offense a new dimension. He had 21 in the win over a Horned Frogs team that is typically strong defensively, while PJ Hall continued his ACC Player of the Year candidacy with 17 points.

9. Creighton (8-1)

The Bluejays improved to 8-1 this weekend and are back in the top 10. I’m willing to put them in this slot because the Thanksgiving Day loss does give off the vibe that a really strong team simply had a bad day. What makes this team tough? Wing play. Baylor Scheierman and Trey Alexander are so dynamic, combining for 17 assists and no turnovers in Saturday’s 109-64 win over Central Michigan. Six Bluejays scored in double figures. Up next for Creighton is a game with UNLV on Wednesday before they return home for FOX Primetime Hoops against Alabama at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday.

10. Oklahoma (9-0)

Porter Moser has a group of guys that really fit him, as he crushed it in the transfer portal with Javian McCollum, John Hugley, and Jalon Moore, among others. Between that trio and a pair of sophomores in Otega Oweh and Milos Uzan making a leap, particularly Oweh, it’s been the perfect combination for the Sooners to start 9-0.

It was a great week for McCollum, who combined for 39 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists in a pair of wins over potential NCAA teams, Providence and Arkansas.

The remaining Top 25:
11. Tennessee (6-3)
12. North Carolina (7-2)
13. Kentucky (7-2)
14. Gonzaga (7-2)
15. Illinois (7-2)
16. Florida Atlantic (7-2)
17. BYU (8-1)
18. James Madison (9-0)
19. Duke (6-3)
20. Colorado State (9-1)
21. Northwestern (7-1)
22. Colorado (7-2)
23. Virginia (8-1)
24. Ole Miss (9-0)
25. San Diego State (8-2)

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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