This past Saturday featured the craziest, most upside-down day of the men's college basketball season thus far. Eleven AP-ranked teams lost, according to ESPN Stats & Information research, with 10 of them losing to lower-ranked or unranked opponents.
Eight top-15 teams lost, with five losing at home. Three top-10 teams lost -- at home.
And it didn't stop after that, with five top-15 teams also losing between Tuesday and Wednesday.
There were massive changes to the Power Rankings as a result, with Purdue the biggest beneficiary, rising six spots. The Boilermakers have great résumé-based metrics, strong efficiency-based metrics and rank third in the country in Quadrant 1 and 2 wins, behind only Auburn and Alabama. Matt Painter's team has a marquee nonconference win over Alabama, a neutral-court victory over Ole Miss and noteworthy home victories over Maryland and Michigan.
It's those quality wins that give Purdue the edge over Florida for the final spot in our top five. The Gators have the 30-point drubbing of Tennessee from early January, but that's their only win over a team ranked in the top 25 of the NET. Although, Todd Golden's team has the biggest opportunity possible this weekend, on the road to Auburn.
Given the recent trend of how ranked teams are performing, these rankings might get flipped on their head again by this time next week. But let's dive in.
The Tigers post 11 blocks to help them secure a 98-70 win over the Sooners in an all-around team performance and remain the only undefeated team in SEC play at 9-0.
1. Auburn Tigers (21-1)
Previous ranking: 1
Johni Broome attracts most of the praise surrounding Auburn, with some reserved for standout freshman Tahaad Pettiford as well as veteran guards Chad Baker-Mazara, Miles Kelly and Denver Jones -- but it's time to give Dylan Cardwell his flowers, too.
The 6-foot-11 fifth-year senior has started all 22 games for the Tigers this season, ranking first in the SEC in block percentage and second in offensive rebounding percentage. He's shooting better than 70% from the field in SEC play and EvanMiya.com's Player Rankings have him as the third-most valuable player in college basketball -- behind only Cooper Flagg and Broome.
Next seven days: vs. Florida (Feb. 8), at Vanderbilt (Feb. 11)
2. Duke Blue Devils (20-2)
Previous ranking: 2
Duke's win over North Carolina was a shot across the bow -- not because the Blue Devils beat their rival, but because they led by as many as 32 points and scored as many within the first 10 minutes to render the game completely uncompetitive. That's how it's been in most of their ACC games this season.
It was a similar story against Syracuse on Tuesday, when Duke went into the building formerly known as the Carrier Dome and rolled by 29 points. It was more of the same for the Blue Devils, although the healthy return of Maliq Brown -- who had six points and eight boards off the bench against the Orange -- is a positive boost.
Next seven days: at Clemson (Feb. 8), vs. California (Feb. 12)
3. Alabama Crimson Tide (19-3)
Previous ranking: 3
A light must have turned on for Grant Nelson during Alabama's game at Kentucky in mid-January, when the former North Dakota State transfer went for 25 points and 11 rebounds. Prior to that game, Nelson had finished with single-digit scoring in three straight outings, hitting double figures in just four of his previous 10 contests. But over his past five games, starting with that Kentucky performance, Nelson is averaging 15.6 points and 7.8 rebounds -- he's also blocked eight shots in his past two games.
Next seven days: at Arkansas (Feb. 8), at Texas (Feb. 11)
The Volunteers overcome a halftime deficit to earn an 85-81 win over the Tigers, thanks to Zakai Ziegler and Igor Milicic Jr. putting up 21 points each.
4. Tennessee Volunteers (19-4)
Previous ranking: 9
After a couple rocky weeks, Tennessee notched two big wins, and in almost entirely different ways.
Zakai Zeigler and Igor Milicic Jr. missed Saturday's game against Florida, but Tennessee was elite defensively. Coupled with the fact Gators star Walter Clayton Jr. was hampered by an ankle injury, the Vols rolled by 20.
Zeigler and Milicic returned for Wednesday's game against Missouri, leading the Vols to a 57-point second-half performance and a win over the Tigers by combining for 42 points, 13 rebounds and 13 assists.
Next seven days: at Oklahoma (Feb. 8), at Kentucky (Feb. 11)
5. Purdue Boilermakers (18-5)
Previous ranking: 11
We could spotlight Braden Smith here again -- and considering he went for 31 points, six rebounds and four assists in Tuesday's win over Iowa, that would be warranted. He is the best guard in the country. But Trey Kaufman-Renn has also taken his game to a different level over the past couple weeks. One of the biggest breakout stars of this college basketball season, Kaufman-Renn has jumped from 6.4 points and 4.0 rebounds last season to 18.7 points and 6.3 rebounds in 2024-25 -- and over the past five games, he has averaged 22.4 points on 57% shooting.
Next seven days: vs. USC (Feb. 7), at Michigan (Feb. 11)
6. Florida Gators (19-3)
Previous ranking: 5
With Walter Clayton Jr. out after suffering an ankle injury against Tennessee, Todd Golden turned to junior guard Denzel Aberdeen in the starting lineup on Tuesday. Aberdeen performed admirably in his first career start, making a deep 3 with the shot clock expiring in the first half, and generally keeping things ticking on the offensive end. He finished with 13 points, three assists and zero turnovers. Golden said after the game that Clayton tested his ankle in shootaround but wasn't ready; if he's out for this weekend's trip to Auburn, Aberdeen will be counted on in a huge spot once again.
Next seven days: at Auburn (Feb. 8), at Mississippi State (Feb. 11)
7. Houston Cougars (18-4)
Previous ranking: 6
Houston suffered its first loss since Nov. 30 last weekend, falling at home to Texas Tech in overtime. Although the Cougars bounced back against Oklahoma State on Tuesday, they've now allowed at least one point per possession in four of their past six games -- a mark they hadn't allowed any of their previous nine opponents to reach.
There's not much in the underlying data that points to a massive concern other than 3-point shooting, which could be chalked up to variance. Kansas, Tech and Oklahoma State all shot 36% or better from 3 over Houston's past four games; only four teams in the Cougars' first 18 games hit that threshold.
Next seven days: at Colorado (Feb. 8), vs. Baylor (Feb. 10)
Texas A&M Aggies vs. South Carolina Gamecocks: Game Highlights
8. Texas A&M Aggies (17-5)
Previous ranking: 13
Buzz Williams has been forced into a couple lineup changes due to injury over the past few games -- and while the defense has shown more issues than he would like, it's also allowed him to get his five best offensive players on the floor. Hayden Hefner missed the game against Oklahoma and was replaced by Manny Obaseki, who remained in the lineup despite Hefner returning against South Carolina.
Up front, Pharrel Payne has started for Solomon Washington the past two games. Perhaps unsurprisingly, it's resulted in A&M's two best offensive performances in a month.
Next seven days: at Missouri (Feb. 8), vs. Georgia (Feb. 11)
9. Iowa State Cyclones (17-5)
Previous ranking: 4
Iowa State has now lost three in a row -- with the past two defeats coming by a combined 36 points -- after starting the season 17-2. The Cyclones have struggled at both ends of the floor, but the offensive issues are more concerning. Milan Momcilovic has missed the past seven games with a hand injury; in that time, the Cyclones have been held to less than one point per possession on four occasions. In their first 15 games of the season, they exceeded that threshold in every contest.
Momcilovic is a double-figure scorer and their best 3-point shooter, making his absence increasingly glaring on the offensive end.
Next seven days: vs. TCU (Feb. 8), at UCF (Feb. 11)
10. Texas Tech Red Raiders (18-4)
Previous ranking: 22
Given the circumstances surrounding Tech's win at Houston this past Saturday -- on the road, with the objectively ridiculous ejections of JT Toppin and coach Grant McCasland -- there's a strong case to be made that it was the most impressive win of any team this season. The Red Raiders then avoided a letdown by following the statement win up with a 14-point victory over Baylor on Tuesday. That's now seven wins in a row for Texas Tech.
Keep an eye on Toppin, though. He went down in the first half with an injury, and though he returned in the second half, he played only eight minutes.
Next seven days: at Arizona (Feb. 8), vs. Arizona State (Feb. 12)
11. Kansas Jayhawks (16-6)
Previous ranking: 12
Bill Self got the response he wanted after Kansas allowed Baylor to score 60 points in the second half on Saturday, with the Jayhawks holding Iowa State to 52 points on Monday. They were dialed in defensively, contesting everything and keeping the Cyclones off the free-throw line. Iowa State scored just 0.83 points per possession, its worst offensive performance of the season.
At the other end, Kansas got an early boost from AJ Storr, who buried two 3-pointers en route to eight first-half points. It was Storr's first game with multiple 3s since Kansas played Duke in late November.
Next seven days: at Kansas State (Feb. 8), vs. Colorado (Feb. 11)
Seth Greenberg and Sean Farnham break down how St. John's was able to beat Marquette on Tuesday.
12. St. John's Red Storm (20-3)
Previous ranking: 15
Our Power Rankings have been a bit behind the AP poll when it comes to the Red Storm -- primarily because we wanted to see them beat a surefire NCAA tournament team. Their best win entering the week was at home against New Mexico in November. Well, after Tuesday's win over Marquette, the training wheels are off. The Storm have now won nine games in a row and 15 of their past 16, to put them in first place in the Big East heading into Friday night's massive road trip to UConn.
Kadary Richmond is starting to resemble Kadary Richmond at the right time, too. In his previous two games, against Providence and Marquette, he averaged 21.0 points, 9.5 rebounds and 8.0 assists.
Next seven days: at UConn (Feb. 7), at Villanova (Feb. 12)
13. Memphis Tigers (19-4)
Previous ranking: 14
Memphis is currently in the midst of what could be its best stretch of play on the offensive end all season, at the very least since the Tigers left the Maui Invitational. They have scored at least 1.19 points per possession in three of their past four games, scoring 1.04 in the fourth one. They've also made at least nine 3s in that stretch, shooting 39.1% or better from 3-point range in all four games.
Dain Dainja is also giving Memphis a dominant low-post operator, scoring at least 19 points in three of his past four games and shooting 72% from the field over that stretch.
Next seven days: vs. Temple (Feb. 9)
14. Marquette Golden Eagles (18-3)
Previous ranking: 7
Saturday's home loss to UConn produced one of the more interesting defensive performances of the season for Marqutte. The Huskies turned the ball over 25 times, leading to the Golden Eagles' highest defensive turnover percentage of the season. But UConn also scored better than 1.17 points per possession, which was Marquette's worst defensive effort of the seaspn. Combined with Tuesday's loss to St. John's, Marquette has now allowed at least one point per possession in four straight games. Both the Huskies and Red Storm dominated the Golden Eagles on the offensive glass; now Marquette ranks last in the Big East in defensive rebounding percentage.
Next seven days: at Creighton (Feb. 8), vs. DePaul (Feb. 11)
Caleb Love corrals a loose ball on defense and takes it all the way to score against BYU.
15. Arizona Wildcats (16-6)
Previous ranking: 20
Like seemingly everything with Caleb Love, it's been an interesting season for the talented but enigmatic senior guard. For much of November through January, he had taken a dramatic step back from last season's All-American performance. But Tommy Lloyd and the Wildcats need Love to be one of the elite guards in the country -- and over the past few weeks, he's showing a return to form: He's scored at least 22 points in three of his past five games, averaging 20.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.0 assists over that span while shooting nearly 40% from 3.
Next seven days: vs. Texas Tech (Feb. 8), at Kansas State (Feb. 11)
16. Missouri Tigers (17-4)
Previous ranking: 19
Missouri had about as strong a 1-1 week as you can get in the SEC this season, destroying Mississippi State on the road by 27 then hanging with Tennessee until the final seconds in a four-point loss. The Tigers have been making shots at an incredibly high level in recent weeks, including double-digit 3-pointers in seven of their past eight games and at least 40% of their 3s in six of their past eight -- a stretch in which Dennis Gates' team has gone 6-2. They have five players making at least one 3 a game and are now shooting 39.9% from beyond the arc in SEC games.
Next seven days: vs. Texas A&M (Feb. 8), vs. Oklahoma (Feb. 12)
17. Michigan State Spartans (18-4)
Previous ranking: 10
Michigan State's 13-game winning streak came to an end, with the Spartans losing both games on their Los Angeles swing to USC and UCLA. The Spartans' offensive weaknesses, which were mitigated during the streak due to their dominance around the rim, came to the forefront. They shot just 10-for-37 from 3-point range in the two games, which shouldn't be a surprise: They rank last in the Big Ten in 3-point attempt rate, last in percentage of points from 3-pointers and 15th in 3-point percentage. But, when it's combined with inefficiency in the paint and not getting to the free-throw line 40% of the time, it leads to just 0.95 points per possession in back-to-back games.
Next seven days: vs. Oregon (Feb. 8), vs. Indiana (Feb. 11)
18. Kentucky Wildcats (15-7)
Previous ranking: 8
Kentucky's defense has gone from something that might hold the Wildcats back in March to a flat-out embarrassment. They've been a sieve at that end of the floor over the past month, ranking last in the SEC in defensive efficiency by a wide margin in conference play and giving up nearly 1.20 points per possession. They are now 212th in the country in adjusted defensive efficiency at BartTorvik.com over that stretch. And it gets worse: Since facing Alabama on Jan. 18, Kentucky is 245th nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency.
As Heat Check CBB pointed out on X, three of Kentucky's eight-worst defensive performances in the last 28 years have come since the calendar turned to 2025. It's bad.
Three of Kentucky's eight worst single-game defensive efficiencies since the start of the 1996-97 season have happened in the past month, according to KenPom. pic.twitter.com/OlkMQsjfde
— Heat Check CBB (@HeatCheckCBB) February 5, 2025
Next seven days: vs. South Carolina (Feb. 8), vs. Tennessee (Feb. 11)
19. Maryland Terrapins (17-5)
Previous ranking: Unranked
Kevin Willard's team has won four in a row and six of the past seven -- and the Terrapins' improved shooting is a major factor in the recent run of form. They've made at least 10 3-pointers in three of their previous four games, a number they hadn't reached since Dec. 21, and they went exactly 12-for-24 from beyond the arc in their last two games against Indiana and Wisconsin.
Relatedly, Selton Miguel is playing his best basketball since Big Ten play began, scoring in double figures in each of his past four games while shooting 11-for-21 from 3 over that span.
Next seven days: at Ohio State (Feb. 6), vs. Rutgers (Feb. 9)
20. Wisconsin Badgers (18-5)
Previous ranking: 24
The surprise random breakout of the week goes to Wisconsin's Carter Gilmore. In the first 120 games of the fifth-year senior's career, Gilmore had scored in double figures a grand total of zero times. Not once. In his past two games, Gilmore has done it twice. He had 15 points and seven rebounds off the bench at Northwestern over the weekend, then went for 10 points and three rebounds against Indiana on Tuesday. He shot 6-for-8 from 3-point range across the two games and is now shooting 56.5% from 3 in Big Ten play.
Next seven days: at Iowa (Feb. 8)
Matthew Murrell scores 24 points as the Rebels control the first half, giving up just one turnover throughout the game to defeat the Wildcats, 98-84.
21. Ole Miss Rebels (17-6)
Previous ranking: 23
Twenty four assists and only one turnover -- that was Ole Miss' offensive stat line in Tuesday's win over Kentucky. According to ESPN Stats & Information, it was the fewest turnovers in an SEC game in the past 25 seasons -- and the Rebels became the first team over those 25 seasons to dish out more than 20 assists and turn the ball over fewer than two times against a ranked opponent.
Taking care of the ball has been Ole Miss' calling card this season; the Rebels rank first in the country in turnover percentage, giving it away on fewer than 13% of their possessions.
Next seven days: at LSU (Feb. 8), at South Carolina (Feb. 12)
22. UCLA Bruins (17-6)
Previous ranking: Unranked
After losing four in a row and five of the past six -- complete with a Mick Cronin press conference rant -- UCLA has turned its season around, winning six straight with Tuesday's victory over Michigan State. The biggest change has come on the offensive end; the Bruins rank sixth in adjusted offensive efficiency at BartTorvik.com since the start of the winning streak, compared to 44th on the season. They are taking care of the ball and making perimeter shots.
Aday Mara has also been a season-changer for Mick Cronin. In his past five games, Mara is averaging 11.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.4 blocks. In his first 17 games, Mara averaged 4.3 points and 3.2 rebounds in just 9.3 minutes.
Next seven days: vs. Penn State (Feb. 8), at Illinois (Feb. 11)
23. UConn Huskies (16-6)
Previous ranking: Unranked
If there's a time for UConn to start revving up the engines to generate momentum and reignite its three-peat chase, it's now.
The Huskies are coming off an impressive road win at Marquette and should now regain the services of talented freshman Liam McNeeley, who has missed the past eight games with an ankle injury. With him sidelined, though, sophomore guard Solo Ball has developed into a legitimate go-to guy. Ball had 25 points, 11 rebounds and seven 3-pointers in the win over Marquette. He is averaging 18.7 points on 50.7% 3-point shooting in his past nine games.
Next seven days: vs. St. John's (Feb. 7), at Creighton (Feb. 11)
24. Mississippi State Bulldogs (16-6)
Previous ranking: 17
The wheels are starting to come off for Mississippi State, which has now lost five of its past seven games, including a 27-point blowout loss at home to Missouri -- a new low for the Bulldogs. Their perimeter defense in SEC play has been highly concerning, with six of their past seven opponents making double-digit 3s. Missouri made 15 3s and scored 1.35 points per possession -- just days after Alabama made 15 3s and scored 1.27 points per possession.
Mississippi State ranked eighth nationally in 3-point defense last season, allowing teams to make just 29.8% of their 3s. This season, its opponents are making nearly 36% of their outside shots, which ranks the Bulldogs around 300th in the country.
Next seven days: at Georgia (Feb. 8), vs. Florida (Feb. 11)
25. Saint Mary's Gaels (20-3)
Previous ranking: Unranked
The winner of Saturday night's Gonzaga-Saint Mary's showdown was likely to get the final spot in this week's rankings, and the Gaels jumped out to a double-digit lead in the first half then hung on late to run their winning streak to 10 games and remain unbeaten in WCC play -- with a three-game lead over the Zags.
Freshman Mikey Lewis has provided a different dimension to Randy Bennett's team as the sixth man, coming up big in big games. He had a team-high 16 points in the win over Gonzaga, also going for 23 against Nebraska in November, Saint Mary's second-best win of the season.
Next seven days: at San Francisco (Feb. 6), at Oregon State (Feb. 8), vs. Santa Clara (Feb. 11)
Dropped out: Illinois Fighting Illini (No. 16), Louisville Cardinals (No. 18), Oregon Ducks (No. 21), Vanderbilt Commodores (No. 25)