There was a massive shake-up in the top five of the Power Rankings this week, with the gauntlet that is the SEC claiming two more victims in Florida and Alabama. Tuesday night began with Alabama seeing its eight-game winning streak end at home against Ole Miss. Two hours later, Florida -- exactly one week after beating Tennessee by 30 points -- lost by one at home to Missouri.
While neither of those schools drops far, the results give more credence to the idea of a three-team tier earning a bit of separation at the top of the rankings.
Johni Broome's injury makes Auburn's spot more tenuous, but the Tigers beat Mississippi State by 22 even without him. Duke is barely breaking a sweat while blowing out inferior ACC competition. And then there's Iowa State, which has only a two-point loss to Auburn blemishing its résumé and just dispatched Kansas by 17.
That's not to say other teams won't push into that group in the coming days and weeks. Houston's metrics put the Cougars in the conversation, but they need a marquee win or two. Even after their losses, Tennessee and Florida aren't far off and will have plenty of opportunities.
But right now, after the surprising home losses in the SEC on Tuesday, Auburn, Duke and Iowa State look a cut above everyone else.
1. Auburn Tigers (16-1)
Previous ranking: 1
No Broome, no problem. Auburn battered Mississippi State by 22 points in its first full game since Broome suffered a sprained ankle that should keep him out at least a couple of weeks.
Unsurprisingly, senior forward Chaney Johnson stepped into Broome's spot in the lineup and was terrific, finishing with 17 points on 7-for-10 shooting with eight rebounds and four blocks. Johnson has played 30 or more minutes on five occasions this season, and he's averaging 15.6 points and 8.2 rebounds in those games.
Next seven days: at Georgia (Jan. 18)
2. Iowa State Cyclones (15-1)
Previous ranking: 2
T.J. Otzelberger was forced to change his starting lineup for just the second time this season as news broke hours before Wednesday's game against Kansas that Milan Momcilovic will miss extended time with a hand injury. In stepped Curtis Jones, the nation's best sixth man. But Otzelberger also moved big man Dishon Jackson to the bench and slotted Brandton Chatfield into the starting lineup. Against the Jayhawks, Jones had 20 first-half points and finished with 25, while Jackson had 17 points off the bench.
Next seven days: at West Virginia (Jan. 18), vs. UCF (Jan. 21)
3. Duke Blue Devils (15-2)
Previous ranking: 3
Don't forget about Kon Knueppel! The freshman from Milwaukee received considerable buzz in the preseason, then came out of the gates with 22 points in the season opener against Maine, moving into the top 10 of NBA mock drafts.
After a few up-and-down weeks, Knueppel has regained his early-season form. He had 25 points and six 3-pointers in the win over Miami on Tuesday, and is averaging 16.7 points over his past six games, shooting 46.7% from 3-point range.
Next seven days: at Boston College (Jan. 18)
4. Tennessee Volunteers (16-1)
Previous ranking: 6
Tennessee returned to its early-season form in the second half against Georgia on Wednesday, coming out of halftime on a 26-4 run and cruising to an 18-point win. Zakai Zeigler was terrific, hitting three 3s in a 70-second stretch and finishing with 16 points, 7 assists and 6 steals -- while Jordan Gainey came off the bench to score 19. Meanwhile, Chaz Lanier continues to struggle. He shot just 2-for-16 against Georgia, bringing his totals over the past three games to 8.3 points on 18.6% shooting.
Next seven days: at Vanderbilt (Jan. 18), vs. Mississippi State (Jan. 21)
5. Kentucky Wildcats (14-3)
Previous ranking: 9
Jaxson Robinson was the most highly touted of Kentucky's transfer additions last spring before taking a backseat to some of his teammates in early-season buzz, but the former BYU player has put together back-to-back impactful performances. He had 27 points and seven 3-pointers at Mississippi State on Saturday, then followed with 22 points, 8 rebounds and 5 3s in the Wildcats' win over Texas A&M on Tuesday -- his two highest-scoring games of the season.
Next seven days: vs. Alabama (Jan. 18)
6. Florida Gators (15-2)
Previous ranking: 4
Todd Golden's team was brought back down to Earth on Tuesday, suffering a one-point home loss to Missouri.
Are there any similarities between the Gators' two losses of the season, to Kentucky and Missouri? Both were by far Florida's worst defensive performances of the campaign, with the Gators allowing 1.48 points per possession to the Wildcats and 1.21 to the Tigers. Both opponents made double-digit 3-pointers, while Missouri also grabbed 15 offensive rebounds. Florida has been one of the best 3-point percentage defenses in the country all season, so this is likely just a blip.
Next seven days: vs. Texas (Jan. 18), at South Carolina (Jan. 22)
7. Marquette Golden Eagles (15-2)
Previous ranking: 7
Marquette barely escaped DePaul in overtime on the road Tuesday, but it was another positive game for Kam Jones' supporting cast. Jones has struggled shooting the ball from the perimeter over the past few weeks, going 1-for-10 against the Blue Demons to drop to 20% from 3 in the past six games -- but David Joplin stepped up with 30 points and seven 3-pointers, while Chase Ross had 15 points after going for 27 last week.
One more thing to monitor is Shaka Smart's bench usage: Tre Norman was the only player to see double-digit minutes off the bench Tuesday, while Zaide Lowery, Damarius Owens and Caedin Hamilton have seen their minutes lessened after having more consistent roles earlier this season.
Next seven days: vs. Xavier (Jan. 18), at Seton Hall (Jan. 21)
8. Alabama Crimson Tide (14-3)
Previous ranking: 5
Alabama had its worst offensive performance in two seasons Tuesday night, getting held to 64 points in a 10-point home loss to Ole Miss. The Crimson Tide shot 5-for-20 from 3-point range and turned the ball over 21 times. It was the first time since their Sweet 16 loss to San Diego State in 2023 that the Tide have scored fewer than 70 points -- and the first time all season they've been held below 1.04 points per possession. Their 0.84 points per possession was their lowest since a March 2023 loss at Texas A&M.
Next seven days: at Kentucky (Jan. 18), vs. Vanderbilt (Jan. 21)
9. Houston Cougars (13-3)
Previous ranking: 14
J'Wan Roberts is starting to come to life on the offensive end. The senior big man scored in double figures in his first three games of the season, then just once over the next eight games. But once the schedule flipped to Big 12 play, Roberts became far more aggressive on the offensive end. After putting up a season-high 22 points against West Virginia on Wednesday, he's averaging 14.0 points and 6.0 rebounds over his past five games, shooting nearly 59% from the field.
Next seven days: at UCF (Jan. 18), vs. Utah (Jan. 21)
10. Oregon Ducks (15-2)
Previous ranking: 13
If it seems as if Oregon has consistently won close games this season, it's not just anecdotal. As this tweet points out, Oregon has eight wins this season where its KenPom win probability was 36% or lower at some point in the second half. The Ducks' recent three-game win streak was decided by a total of seven points. Their biggest win this season, back in November against Alabama, was by two points. It's not a surprise that they're No. 13 nationally in Luck Rating at KenPom -- and No. 1 among high-major teams.
Next seven days: vs. Purdue (Jan. 18), vs. Washington (Jan. 21)
11. Kansas Jayhawks (12-4)
Previous ranking: 11
After three straight wins in which Kansas' defense looked elite, especially in the second half, the Jayhawks struggled to contain Iowa State on Wednesday -- and their offense disappeared. Kansas was held to 57 points and 0.80 points per possession, just four days after it scored 54 points and 0.88 points per possession in a win over Cincinnati -- the Jayhawks' two worst offensive performances of the season.
Next seven days: vs. Kansas State (Jan. 18), at TCU (Jan. 22)
12. Memphis Tigers (13-3)
Previous ranking: 15
Memphis' past two wins have come by just four points each, and while the defense held both North Texas and East Carolina to under one point per possession, the Tigers' offense totaled 142 points on 140 possessions. One of the issues was familiar: turnovers. Memphis ranks at the bottom of the AAC in turnover percentage, and the Tigers coughed it up 31 times in the past two games. Against East Carolina, the outside shots weren't falling, as the nation's sixth-best 3-point shooting team went just 6-for-23 from behind the arc.
Next seven days: at Temple (Jan. 16), at Charlotte (Jan. 19)
13. Texas A&M Aggies (13-4)
Previous ranking: 8
The Aggies have hit a rough patch, losing their past two games -- but star guard Wade Taylor missed both defeats, as well as their two-point road win at Oklahoma. And while A&M's offense has clearly been impacted without its best scorer, it's the Aggies' defense that has struggled since the start of SEC play. Oklahoma, Alabama and Kentucky all scored at least 1.13 points per possession against A&M, combining to make 36 3s.
Next seven days: vs. LSU (Jan. 18), at Ole Miss (Jan. 22)
14. Illinois Fighting Illini (13-4)
Previous ranking: 10
While the narratives coming out of the Illini's demolition of Indiana on Tuesday centered mostly on the Hoosiers' struggles, it was also a remarkable offensive performance from Brad Underwood's team. The 60 first-half points were the most Illinois had scored in a first half on the road in the past 25 seasons. And Kasparas Jakucionis is clearly healthy after missing two games with an injury. He went for 21 points and five assists, making three 3-pointers.
Next seven days: at Michigan State (Jan. 19)
15. UConn Huskies (13-4)
Previous ranking: 16
Solo Ball developing into one of the Big East's premier shot-makers has been a storyline of UConn's season, and is also going to be a key factor in the Huskies' offense remaining efficient with Liam McNeeley sidelined. Ball has gone from averaging 3.3 points to 13.6 and from shooting 31.9% from 3 to 43.9%. He has been even better over his past four games, averaging 17.3 points and shooting 51.6% from 3-point range on nearly eight attempts per night.
Next seven days: vs. Creighton (Jan. 18), Butler (Jan. 21)
16. Michigan Wolverines (13-3)
Previous ranking: 17
Don't sleep on Dusty May's guards. Tre Donaldson has been terrific during Michigan's five-game winning streak, averaging 14.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 5.2 assists -- with better than a 2-1 assist-to-turnover ratio. He's also shooting 48.3% from 3 over that span. Similarly, Nimari Burnett is averaging 16.5 points in his past four games, with two 16-point performances and two 17-point showings. Burnett is 15-for-20 from 3 in those contests.
Next seven days: at Minnesota (Jan. 16), vs. Northwestern (Jan. 19)
17. Purdue Boilermakers (14-4)
Previous ranking: 19
Caleb Furst's Purdue career has been fascinating from a role perspective. He started the first 12 games of his freshman season before moving to the bench in a much-diminished role. The big man then started 21 games as a sophomore before ending the season playing sparingly and continuing that for much of his junior campaign. As a senior, Furst moved from the bench to the starting lineup five games ago -- and Purdue is 5-0 since. He had a season-high 15 points and six rebounds in Wednesday's win at Washington, including a couple of key plays late in the first half to keep it close.
Next seven days: at Oregon (Jan. 18), vs. Ohio State (Jan. 21)
18. Ole Miss Rebels (15-2)
Previous ranking: 22
The Rebels picked up their biggest win of the Chris Beard era Tuesday, going to Alabama and knocking off the top-five Crimson Tide. And the key was once again Malik Dia, who has emerged as a frontcourt force over the past couple weeks. In the first 14 games of the season, the Belmont transfer averaged 7.1 points and 5.5 rebounds on 41.1% shooting. After going for 23 points and 19 boards against Alabama, Dia is averaging 21.0 points, 11.3 rebounds and shooting 55.3% over his past three games.
Next seven days: at Mississippi State (Jan. 18), vs. Texas A&M (Jan. 22)
19. Mississippi State Bulldogs (14-3)
Previous ranking: 12
Even during the Bulldogs' nine-game winning streak, there were signs that their defense wasn't quite as good as past iterations under Chris Jans -- and that came to the forefront in the recent losses to Auburn and Kentucky. The Bulldogs allowed an average of 91.5 points in the two games, with the Wildcats and Tigers combining to make 26 3-pointers. Both teams shot better than 62% inside the arc and scored at least 1.24 points per possession. That all has to change before this weekend.
Next seven days: vs. Ole Miss (Jan. 18), at Tennessee (Jan. 21)
20. Michigan State Spartans (15-2)
Previous ranking: 18
Tom Izzo has used his backups as much as any coach in the country this season, ranking ninth nationally in bench minutes, and the depth was needed Wednesday against Penn State. Frankie Fidler had his best game in a Spartans uniform, coming off the bench to put up 18 points -- including 14 in the second half -- and seven rebounds. Michigan State has won 10 straight games and gets its opportunity at a statement win with Illinois coming to East Lansing on Sunday. To this point, the Spartans haven't beaten any teams considered a lock for the NCAA tournament. A victory Sunday would change that in a big way.
Next seven days: vs. Illinois (Jan. 19)
21. Missouri Tigers (14-3)
Previous ranking: Unranked
After a 13-win turnaround and an NCAA tournament appearance in Dennis Gates' first season at the helm in 2022-23, the Tigers didn't win a single SEC game in 2023-24, finishing 8-24. This season, though, Gates has Missouri back on the upswing. The Tigers went into Gainesville on Tuesday and handed Florida just its second loss of the season, with Caleb Grill coming off the bench to make six 3s and score 22 points. That victory pairs nicely with a December win over Kansas, and Missouri's only three losses have come to Auburn, Illinois and Memphis.
Next seven days: vs. Arkansas (Jan. 18), at Texas (Jan. 21)
22. Gonzaga Bulldogs (14-4)
Previous ranking: 21
Gonzaga has won five in a row since losing to Kentucky, UConn and UCLA in a five-game stretch, but there are legitimate concerns about the Bulldogs' defense. During the win streak, they've allowed 82 points to Pepperdine, 80 to San Diego and 75 to Washington State -- with all three scoring at least 1.08 points per possession. Each of those teams shot 50% or better inside the arc and both Pepperdine and Washington State rebounded at least one-third of their misses.
Next seven days: at Oregon State (Jan. 16), vs. Santa Clara (Jan. 18)
23. Wisconsin Badgers (14-3)
Previous ranking: Unranked
Wisconsin's win streak is up to six games after the Badgers hung on to beat Ohio State on Tuesday, and that has coincided with Steven Crowl's emergence down low. Six of Crowl's seven double-figure point totals this season have come in his past six games. In the first 11 games of the season, he averaged 7.4 points on 43.2% shooting and 5.2 rebounds. In the past six, he has averaged 16.2 points on 71.2% shooting and 6.5 rebounds.
Next seven days: at USC (Jan. 18), at UCLA (Jan. 21)
24. Arizona Wildcats (11-5)
Previous ranking: 23
The resurgence continued Tuesday night, when the Wildcats beat Baylor by 11 in a game Arizona led by as many as 27 points -- it was done and dusted in the first 10 minutes. Once again, it was Henri Veesaar who proved to be the spark for the Wildcats. He came off the bench to finish with a career-high 19 points and seven rebounds, going 9-for-11 from the field, after racking up 14 points and five rebounds off the bench against UCF last weekend. Veesaar is averaging 10.9 points and 6.0 rebounds during Arizona's seven-game winning streak.
Next seven days: at Texas Tech (Jan. 18), at Oklahoma State (Jan. 21)
25. Georgia Bulldogs (14-3)
Previous ranking: 25
Despite Wednesday's blowout loss to Tennessee, Georgia remains in the rankings ahead of St. John's by virtue of the Bulldogs' head-to-head win back in November. It doesn't get much easier for Mike White's team, though, with a home game against Auburn this weekend and then trips to Arkansas and Florida. They have to get better offensively away from home if they're to remain in the rankings. In five road or neutral games this season, Georgia has exceeded one point per possession just once, reaching the 70-point mark just once as well.
Next seven days: vs. Auburn (Jan. 18), at Arkansas (Jan. 22)
Dropped out: Oklahoma Sooners (No. 22), Utah State Aggies (No. 24)