NCAA College Basketball Top 25 Power Rankings - January 8, 2024

Welcome back hoop fans! As another electrifying week of college basketball wraps up, it's time to shake up the power rankings. Conference play began this past week and the competition has been raised. My power rankings are updated and listed here at RotoBaller and updated weekly!

This is also going to show similarities and differences compared to traditional polls because I not only break down team wins but crucial losses as well. This past week included wild finishes, upsets, and strong victories.

Let's break it down, team by team, and see who's falling and rising in this week's power rankings.

(25) Miami (11-3) ⇔

Last week: W 95-82 vs. Clemson and L 86-82 at Wake Forest

No movement for Miami this week after having a great win over Clemson but then falling to a tough Wake Forest team in an always hostile environment. This offense is one of the most explosive in the ACC and will have a chance to move up this week with more conference games underway.

(24) Ole Miss (13-1) ⇓5

Last week: L 90-64 at Tennessee

The Rebels and Chris Beard faced their first loss of the season to one of the nation's best, Tennessee. It will be interesting to see how Ole Miss responds this week, but they currently find themselves 24th in this week's rankings.

(23) Utah State (14-1)

Last week: W 77-72 vs. Colorado State 

New to the rankings this week, Utah State has lost just one game this season which occurred at the start of the year, but have won 12 games in a row since including the conference victory over ranked Colorado State. The Aggies are led by Great Osobor who is averaging 18.5 points and 9.5 rebounds per game this season.

(22) BYU (12-2) ⇓5

Last week: L 71-60 vs. Cincinnati 

BYU opened up conference play with a loss to an underrated Cincinnati team. This was a poor showing which moves them down five spots from the previous week. We will see how good BYU really is after this upcoming week as they have a difficult road game against Baylor.

(21) Creighton (11-4)

Last week: W 69-60 vs. Providence 

This may be too big of a jump for Creighton, but a win over ranked Providence helps their resume. The team is led by guard Baylor Scheierman who is averaging 17.9 points per game this season. Creighton still has question marks revolving around them but finds themselves as a new addition to the rankings this week.

(20) Colorado State (13-2) ⇔

Last week: W 76-68 vs. New Mexico and L 77-72 at Utah State

The Rams were due for a loss and Utah State is no joke. I'm not the biggest believer in Colorado State and think their ranking may be a little high still, but due to other teams losing, there is no movement this week.

(19) Gonzaga (11-4) ⇑5

Last week: W 86-60 vs. Pepperdine and W 101-74 vs. San Diego

Gonzaga got the tune-up games they needed seeing monster wins over Pepperdine and San Diego this past week. I'm not completely sold on the Zags, but the team looked great this past week which moves them up a few spots.

(18) San Diego State (13-2) ⇑5

Last week: W 74-47 vs. Fresno State and W 72-61 vs. UNLV

San Diego State has now won six straight games and has looked like one of the toughest teams to beat in the Mountain West. The Aztecs love to run with the ball and will keep moving up in the rankings if wins continue to add up.

(17) Wisconsin (11-3) ⇑2

Last week: W 83-72 vs. Iowa and W 88-72 vs. Nebraska 

The Badgers continue to look strong winning both of their conference games this week in highlight fashion. Sophomore AJ Storr has led the way for the Badgers -- now averaging 14.7 points and 2.9 rebounds per game this year.

(16) Clemson (11-3) ⇓3

Last week: L 95-82 at Miami and L 65-55 vs. North Carolina

Clemson had a really tough week losing both of their games to begin conference play. Clemson has a talented roster but fell short in the final minutes in both games this week which gives me concern on how they can be down the stretch. I may be a little easy on them this week, but two losses put them here in the rankings.

(15) Illinois (11-3) ⇑3

Last week: W 96-66 vs. Northwestern and L 83-78 at Purdue 

Moving up despite a loss? Well, I may have been wrong about this Illinois team as they looked much more impressive without star Terrence Shannon than I would have expected. Despite losing this past week, they looked good against the number-one team in the nation on the road. This and the win over Northwestern landed them here.

(14) Baylor (12-2) ⇔

Last week: W 98-79 vs. Cornell and W 75-70 at Oklahoma State 

Their last game went into overtime but the team was able to pull it together in a true road test for a win which showed me that this team has the composure to finish the job when needed. The Bears are led by Ja'Kobe Walter who is averaging 15.3 points per game this season.

(13) Auburn (12-2) ⇑2

Last week: W 88-68 vs. Penn and W 83-51 at Arkansas

Auburn was bumped up two spots this week and it was mostly because of the monster road win they had against an always-difficult Arkansas team. Auburn continues to shine this season, now stretching their winning streak to seven games. Johni Broome continues to be one of the more valuable pieces in the country and should be watched by all viewers.

(12) Marquette (11-4) ⇓4

Last week: L 78-75 at Seton Hall 

No discredit to Seton Hall, but this was a game that Marquette was expected to win and with another loss, this puts them with four on the year (tied for the most by any NCAA team in the Top 25). However, with wins over Kansas, Illinois, Texas, and Providence, this team is still ranked towards the top and has plenty of potential.

(11) Oklahoma (13-1) ⇔

Last week: W 71-63 vs. Iowa State 

With just one loss on the season, Oklahoma has been one of the most underrated teams this season but for some reason, I still can't get a real feel for how much potential this Sooners team has. Similar to Houston, Oklahoma doesn't have the strongest resume but will see tougher competition as conference play continues. No movement this week for Oklahoma.

(10) Duke (11-3) ⇑2

Last week: W 86-66 vs. Syracuse and W 67-59 at Notre Dame 

The Blue Devils showed two strong conference wins this week including a blow-out win over Syracuse. Duke has now won six straight games and has been bumped to the top ten in my latest rankings. Kyle Filipowski has been the star this season as he is currently averaging 16.8 points and 8.4 rebounds per game this season.

(9) Memphis (11-2) ⇔

Last week: W 78-75 at Tulsa and W 62-59 vs. SMU

Memphis won both games this past week in close fashion, but the biggest story is possibly losing guard Caleb Mills for the remainder of the season after going down with an apparent lower leg injury. More news will be released but as of now, it doesn't look good. Acquiring mid-season transfer Nae'Qwan Tomlin from Kansas State has been one of the best additions in the country and this team is still one of the most electric to watch.

(8) Arizona (12-3) ⇑2

Last week: W 97-50 vs. Colorado and W 92-73 vs. Utah 

There is no surprise that Arizona can put up points -- currently leading the NCAA in points per game at 92.6. The Wildcats continued to score with ease, going over 90 points in both wins over Colorado and Utah. Despite blowouts, both of these teams have been good this season, which gives the Wildcats a two-rank boost this week. If the defense can improve, this team will be very dangerous come March.

(7) Tennessee (11-3) ⇔

Last week: W 90-64 vs Ole Miss 

Tennessee was spectacular this week and put up a show against a solid Ole Miss team that was undefeated up until the loss. There is no surprise that the Vols love to play defense, but it was encouraging to see a 90-point victory this past week. No movement this week for Tennessee, but it has definitely been made clear to me that this team is a top 10 group that could see themselves moving up as the year goes on.

(6) UConn (13-2) ⇓2

Last week: W 85-56 vs. DePaul and W 88-81 vs. Butler 

UConn hasn't done anything worthy of dropping them down a couple of spots, but due to other teams proving their worth against big-time programs, this ultimately dropped UConn two spots. Center Donovan Clingan has been dominant this season, but it was clear to me that this Huskies team struggles without the star and, they will need him back before this team faces a loss.

(5) North Carolina (11-3) ⇑1

Last week: W 70-57 at Pittsburgh and W 65-55 at Clemson 

The Tar Heels came home this week with two monster road wins against a gritty Pittsburgh team and a very talented Clemson team. The duo of RJ Davis and Armando Bacot may be one of the best in the country, and you can expect them to keep thriving during conference play. North Carolina is quickly making a case to be a top-three team in the country.

(4) Kentucky (11-2) ⇑1

Last week: W 87-85 at Florida 

Kentucky continues to shine, and they proved their toughness against a very solid Florida team on the road in an always-hostile environment. Due to their win this week, I have them bumped up a spot and eyeing the Top three. The Wildcats are led by senior guard Antonio Reeves, who is averaging 19.0 points per game this year.

(3) Houston (14-0) ⇔

Last week: W 89-55 vs. West Virginia 

Houston still remains undefeated with one conference game under their belt. This team has a ton of firepower and could easily find themselves at the top of my list... after they beat some real competition. Their best wins this season include unranked Utah, Texas A&M, and Xavier, but they will see tougher competition as the year goes on which can help boost them in the rankings.

(2) Kansas (13-1) ⇔

Last week: W 83-81 vs TCU

Kansas survived a home scare against a tough TCU team this past week, and if you saw the game, many believe Kansas may have gotten lucky with an end-of-game flagrant foul that was called with seconds remaining. However, a win is a win and the Jayhawks still have one of the most talented teams in the country -- which is why there is no movement here.

(1) Purdue (14-1) ⇔

Last week: W 67-53 at Maryland and W 83-78 vs Illinois

Purdue has now improved to 5-0 on the season when playing against ranked opponents. Despite Illinois not having one of their most talented players, this was still a valuable conference win against another ranked team. Zach Edey continues to be a National Player of the Year candidate and Sophomore Branden Smith has also developed into his own -- now averaging 13.0 points per game.

Others Receiving Votes

• Texas
• South Carolina
• Utah
• Florida Atlantic
• Providence

Stay tuned for the college basketball rankings here at RotoBaller throughout the entire season!

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