Rant Sports Week 11 Official College Basketball Top 25 Rankings
Top 25 Rankings
A bunch has changed in this week’s rankings. However, there are still three undefeated teams left and two of them are still No. 1 and No. 2 in the nation. The third undefeated team cracked the top five in the college basketball top 25 rankings for Week 11.
Oregon has taken quite the fall since conference play started. The Ducks have now lost three games in a row, after winning their first 13 of the season.
Kansas and Kentucky did not meet expectations early on, but both are starting to climb up the rankings and are looking more and more like national title contenders. The Jayhawks have beaten two ranked opponents in a row.
The win against Kansas State was a good resume builder and the victory against Iowa State was huge. Beating the Cyclones at home is not easy, but Kansas still managed to pull off the victory and is red hot. Plus, it is probably the team to beat in the Big 12 now, but Bill Self’s team will still have to play two more ranked opponents in back-to-back games.
Ohio State lost two games last week. Both losses came against ranked opponents and the Buckeyes took a serious hit in the rankings as a result. With that in mind, Iowa did the exact opposite, who are ranked in the top 15 in this week’s rankings.
The Hawkeyes did beat Ohio State at Ohio State, so they are definitely deserving of a much higher ranking this week.
The top two shouldn’t be a mystery to anyone, but find out where and who the other teams are in the college hoops top 25 rankings for Week 11.
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25. Duke Blue Devils
Duke is not off to a good start in conference play. It has already lost to two unranked opponents and almost lost to Virginia at Cameron Indoor last game.
24. UCLA Bruins
UCLA just got done beating Arizona State by 15 points. The Bruins will take on Colorado next, who no longer has leading scorer Spencer Dinwiddie thanks to an injury.
23. Saint Louis Billikens
Saint Louis has won 10 games in a row. Its only losses have come against Wisconsin and Wichita State, who are two of the best teams in the country.
22. Pittsburgh Panthers
Pittsburgh will shoot up the rankings if it can beat Syracuse next. It certainly isn’t impossible, but the Orange are still undefeated and that contest will be played at home for them.
21. Colorado Buffaloes
Losing Spencer Dinwiddie for the season is going to be very tough on the Colorado Buffaloes. Still, the Buffs have a bunch of talent and it will be interesting to see if some of that talent can step up in a big way.
20. Creighton Bluejays
Creighton is the hottest team in the Big East. The Bluejays are on a 10-game winning streak and are one of two teams still undefeated in the conference standings.
19. Louisville Cardinals
Louisville will take on Houston and Connecticut next. Winning those games will be huge and the Cardinals need to do so to become the favorites in the AAC once again.
18. Memphis Tigers
Memphis will play a very talented Connecticut team next. The winner of that matchup will have serious bragging rights.
17. Cincinnati Bearcats
Cincinnati is the highest ranked team in the conference in this week’s rankings and it is also the only undefeated team at 5-0. One of those victories was against Memphis at Memphis.
16. Kentucky Wildcats
Arkansas is a very good home team and it can beat anyone in the country when at home. The Razorbacks proved that by beating Kentucky last game.
The Wildcats will look to rebound against Tennessee.
15. Baylor Bears
Baylor was handed its third and worst loss of the season against Texas Tech. Sure, the game was played on the road for the Bears, but Texas Tech is 9-8 on the year.
14. Iowa Hawkeyes
Iowa may have lost to Wisconsin recently, but it showed that it is still going to compete for a Big Ten title with its most recent victory over the Ohio State Buckeyes. Anytime a team beats Ohio State on the road, you know it is good.
13. Kansas Jayhawks
The Jayhawks will play Oklahoma State and Baylor next. Winning those games would show that Kansas is a serious threat for the national title. The Jayhawks have beaten Oklahoma, Kansas State and Iowa State in back-to-back-to-back games.
Beating the Cowboys and Bears would have people wondering how this team lost four games.
12. Ohio State Buckeyes
Ohio State is still one of the best teams in college hoops, it just plays in the best conference. Losing two games in a row may have some fans worrying, but the Buckeyes will bounce back.
11. Iowa State Cyclones
Iowa State is another team that has lost two straight, but those losses have come against Oklahoma and Kansas. Both teams will be in this year’s dance.
10. Massachusetts Minutemen
Massachusetts deserves to be ranked this high for the simple fact that teams in front of it keep losing and it has only lost to Florida State.
9. Oklahoma State Cowboys
Oklahoma State plays Kansas next and I hope everyone is as excited as I am for that game. This was one of the most buzzed about matchups entering the season and that has not changed whatsoever.
8. San Diego State Aztecs
Mid-major or not, San Diego State is a very good basketball team. The Aztecs have not lost since Nov. 14, the second game of the season.
7. Florida Gators
Florida has been one of the best teams in the country ever since its one-point loss to Connecticut. It has the talent to go undefeated in the SEC, but who knows if that will actually be the case.
6. Wisconsin Badgers
Wisconsin lost to Indiana by three points on the road last game. That is not a bad loss at all. Indiana is a tough place to play at. Plus, the Hoosiers do have the talent to make the dance and a lot of noise in the Big Ten.
5. Villanova Wildcats
Villanova has a tuneup game against DePaul before the showdown with Creighton. Conference play is still early, but that matchup is going to be huge.
4. Wichita State Shockers
Wichita State has the best chance to go undefeated for the simple fact that it plays in the MVC, which doesn’t have any ranked teams in it other than Wichita State. Still, this is a team that made the Final Four last year and is very capable of doing that again this season.
3. Michigan State Spartans
Michigan State has a tough stretch ahead, as it plays Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Iowa and Georgetown next. Yes, you read that right. For whatever reason, the Hoyas and Spartans decided to schedule a matchup during conference play.
2. Syracuse Orange
I am sure the Syracuse Orange will eventually lose in conference play and that could happen against Pittsburgh next. However, that contest will be played at Syracuse.
1. Arizona Wildcats
Colorado had the talent to challenge Arizona for a conference title before Spencer Dinwiddie went down. Who knows if that will be the case now, but the Wildcats and Buffaloes will meet up on Jan. 23.
Arizona will play Arizona State first, which is definitely not a gimmie.
