Some of the best teams in all of men's college basketball just suffered shocking losses, and other teams are getting hot in the weeks leading up to conference tournaments. That allows for a lot of shakeup in the men's college basketball power rankings. So, who are the top 25 teams as of Feb. 11?
25. Kentucky
When Kentucky loses, they oftentimes lose really embarrassingly. Earlier in the year, the Wildcats lost 94-59 against Gonzaga. More recently, Kentucky was beaten by a score of 80-55 against Vanderbilt. While that is worrisome come tournament time, the Wildcats do have enough impressive wins to justify a spot within the top 25. Kentucky has won eight of their last nine games, including ranked victories over two of their last three. Kentucky's recent improvements have coincided with improved play out of Otega Oweh. Oweh has led the team in scoring in five consecutive games, surpassing the 20-point mark in all of those contests.
24. Louisville
Louisville started to slip down the rankings when Mikel Brown Jr. was sidelined. The future lottery pick is back, and he showed just how much he means to the team with a 45-point explosion in the Cardinals' most recent game. That is a record for ACC freshman. Brown can be streaky at times, but that is okay because Louisville has other scoring options, too. Ryan Conwell leads the team with 18.9 points per game, and Sananda Fru is one of the most efficient players in the nation (77% on 2-point shots).
23. Vanderbilt
After a 16-0 start, the wheels have started to fall off for Vanderbilt. They've lost four of their last eight games, and the struggles have coincided with a harder schedule after starting off the year against inferior competition. Even so, recent wins over Auburn and Kentucky prove that Vanderbilt is still a good team. The squad could really use a return from the injured Duke Miles.
22. BYU
BYU is enduring hardships, and only time will tell if they can overcome adversity. The Cougars have lost five of their last seven games, which included a four-game losing streak. Their schedule during this stretch was incredibly tough, but now their spot inside the top 25 is at risk. AJ Dybantsa still looks like the potential number one pick, though.
21. Arkansas
Two of Arkansas' best veteran role players, D.J. Wagner and Karter Knox, are currently sidelined due to injuries. Hopefully, they will be back soon, because the Razorbacks have two of the best offensive teams in the country on their upcoming schedule. Arkansas' scoring has improved throughout the season, and they might be getting hot at the right time.
20. Virginia
The ACC has been revitalized this season. Virginia's steady play is a big reason why. The Cavaliers are 21-3 with seperate winning streaks of five, six, five, and five wins. Virginia is well-equipped to make a deep run come the NCAA Tournament.
19. St. John's
With the best transfer portal class in the nation, it was clear that St. John's always had the talent to be one of the best teams this season. All they needed was time to put it all together. The Red Storm have been dominant during the back half of the season, as they've won 10 straight games, including recently over UConn. Rick Pitino has the third most wins ever with 904, and he will continue climbing up the all-time wins ladder with the way his team is playing.
18. Saint Louis
Saint Louis has yet to take on a ranked opponent, but they've dominated whoever was in front of them so far. The 23-1 is particularly dominant on offense. The Billikens score 91 points per game, which ranks fifth in the nation. They are also inside the top 10 in assists (19.3), 2-point percentage (61.5%), and 3-point percentage (40.8%). They don't allow second-chance points, either, as their 42 rebounds per game is also a top 10 mark.
17. Texas Tech
JT Toppin and Christian Anderson form one of the best duos in college basketball. Both are double-double machines, Toppin as a point-rebounders producer and Anderson as someone who can score and assist. Toppin was ClutchPoints' preseason choice for the best player in college basketball. His numbers have been great all year, but the Red Raiders did just suffer recent back-to-back losses to UCF and Kansas. Before that, they had bested Houston, though.
16. Clemson
Clemson is incredible on the road. In fact, they've won 16 straight away conference games, which ties the 1962-64 Duke Blue Devils for the second most in ACC history. The team's stifling defense travels well. They don't get a lot of steals or blocks, but everybody plays hard and doesn't give up easy shots on the less glamorous side of the court.
15. Miami (OH)
Miami (OH) remains the lone unbeaten team in college basketball. The RedHawks are 24-0 and still don't know what losing feels like. Miami's success stems from their ability to score the basketball. They rank first in the nation with 92.7 points per game. The team regularly surpasses the 100-point threshold, and they do it without a clear-cut top option. Miami thrives because they play team-first basketball.
14. Purdue
Purdue had lost three straight games since the last ClutchPoints power rankings came out, but they might be back on track now. The Boilermakers have answered with a three-game winning streak that includes a momentum-inducing overtime victory over a Nebraska team that was undefeated not long ago. Braden Smith is climbing up the all-time assist leaderboard while also scoring much more effectively and efficiently than he did early in the season.
13. Nebraska
Despite their recent loss to Purdue, Nebraska has done enough to warrant being one spot above the Boilermakers in the men's basketball power rankings. The Cornhuskers had won 20 straight games before losing three of their last four. Two of those losses came against teams that were ranked number one in the AP Poll at some point this season, the third came against an Illinois team that was red hot at the time, and all three of the losses were single-digit defeats.
12. Florida
The Florida Gators are looking more and more like the team that won March Madness last year. One standout victory in recent memory was a 100-77 win over Alabama. They outpaced one of the best scoring teams in the league by a wide margin. The Gators can hang their hat on rebounding, too. They average 46.2 rebounds per game, which is the best mark in the nation.
11. Michigan State
Michigan State is a gritty team. Their playstyle won't always be pretty, but they give themselves a shot to walk away from every game victorious. That was illustrated by their last two wins, both of which came in overtime. This iteration of the Spartans perfectly fits Tom Izzo's style. They play hard-nosed defense and give 100% all the time. This allows them to outplay what is a somewhat mediocre roster from a talent perspective, outside of Jeremy Fears, one of the most explosive guards in the country.
10. Illinois
During a 12-game winning streak, Illinois was looking like arguably the best team in the nation. Had these power rankings come out a day or three earlier, Illinois could have ranked in or near the top five. Instead, they rank 10th after losing two straight games. Illinois was right there, as both of those losses came in overtime, but it would have been nice to see the team pull it off in crunch time. The good news is Keaton Wagler has established himself as one of the best draft prospects over the last few weeks. The freshman is shooting 43.7% from deep.
9. UNC
UNC vs. Duke is one of the greatest rivalries in college sports. The Tar Heels trailed by 13 points before Seth Trimble hit a game-winning shot over the fellow blue blood. However, the iconic victory was seemingly all UNC cared about because they forgot to focus on their next opponent. The ultimate high of winning at the buzzer was followed by a disappointing loss to Miami.
8. Kansas
Darryn Peterson, the potential number one pick, has been in and out of the lineup for Kansas this year. When he plays, he shows flashes of being one of the greatest draft prospects in recent memory. It hasn't mattered recently whether Peterson is or isn't on the court, though, as the Jayhawks are playing great ball even without him. Kansas is coming off the best win of the season in all of college basketball as they just handed Arizona their first loss of the season. Flory Budunga has stepped up as the other superstar in Lawrence, Kansas.
7. Iowa State
Iowa State has an elite big three of Milan Momcilovic, Joshua Jefferson, and Tamin Lipsey. They are somewhat thin after that, though, which has led to the team being exposed on occasion during the back half of the season. The Cyclones started the year undefeated before losing back-to-back games. They bounced back from that rough stretch, but just lost their most recent game to TCU. Nobody from the big three scored more than 12 points, and the rest of the team combined for just 20 points. That won't get it done.
6. Gonzaga
Gonzaga suffered a fluky loss against Portland to start their February off. Besides that, the Bulldogs have been steady all season long. Graham Ike has been too much for WCC opponents to handle recently, as he has put up some monster stat lines in recent games. Hopefully, Braden Huff will be back by the conference tournament, but that is far from a guarantee.
5. UConn
UConn has won 18 straight games before their most recent matchup. They lost to an up-and-coming St. John's team, but it shouldn't negatively affect UConn's outlook or placement in these power rankings. UConn still combines stifling defense with efficient scoring. Their starting five is reminiscent of the Huskies teams that won back-to-back national championships.
4. Houston
Houston's defense is elite. They allow just 61.2 points per game, the second-best mark in the nation. This is nothing new for Kelvin Sampson-led teams, but it is worth repeating just how difficult it is for opposing teams to score on Houston. The Cougars have plenty of scoring pop in Kingston Flemings and Emanuel Sharp, too.
3. Duke
As mentioned above, Duke just lost via buzzer beater. Their only prior loss was a one-point defeat to Texas Tech. Some may question if the team has a closing problem, but in actuality, they've been in a great position to win every single game of the season. Cameron Boozer is still playing like the Player of the Year, and the rest of the roster is loaded with NBA talent.
2. Michigan
Michigan's last four wins include two ranked victories and a 110-point outing. They are a 22-1 team that is an absolute force inside. Yaxel Lendeborg, Morez Johnson Jr., and Aday Mara are grown men playing against college kids, and it shows. Their late-season stretch is filled with fellow elite programs, so it will be interesting to see how they finish out regular season play.
1. Arizona
The Arizona players are mere mortals. They finally lost their first game of the season, 82-78, to Kansas. Arizona was off to a 23-0 start prior to that. Getting a loss out of the way and learning how to overcome adversity might not be a bad thing for a Wildcats program with championship aspirations. Even with the loss, they are still the best team in the nation.
