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Finals have wrapped up, which means the Christmas holiday is rapidly approaching. Conference play is right around the corner for college basketball teams across the nation. Before we get to that point though, there are still numerous top non-conference matchups to pay attention to. Some occurred this past weekend, highlighted by No. 1 Arizona vs. No.2 Purdue and a clash of historical blue bloods -- UNC and Kentucky.
This, along with a number of other lower-profile contests, caused a fairly sizeable mix-up in the AP poll. Three teams saw a five-spot bump, while three others found themselves four spots from where they were last week. 12 others experienced some movement.
It's time for the next article of a year-long series: Overrated and Underrated College Basketball Teams after the release of the weekly Associated Press Poll. All rankings listed are based on the Week 7 AP Poll.
Overrated College Basketball Teams For Week 7
Kentucky Wildcats: #13 to #9
This Kentucky team is going to be next to impossible to pin down this season. Talent is in every direction for John Calipari, and when they are on their game, this team looks unstoppable. Unfortunately for a team chock-full of freshmen, you will also get some dud performances, which is exactly what happened when the 'Cats dropped a home game to UNC Wilmington, 80-73.
Kentucky native Reed Shepherd is one of the best shooters in the country already in his first season, hitting at a 57% clip. He and five-star point guard Rob Dillingham coming off the bench is such an embarrassment of riches for Calipari. You could definitely make the case that one of them should be starting, but I think Calipari wants to get his pair of top-five recruits in D.J. Wagner and Justin Edwards more comfortable since Shepherd and Dillingham already appear ready for the moment.
The Wildcats had an impressive win over UNC at home, a game they were surprisingly not favored in, so they do of course deserve a bump in the poll. Five spots is a bit much. Metrics aren't everything, but it's worth noting that this team is #21 in KenPom, #22 in EvanMiya, and #33 in Haslametrics. This is an extremely volatile team, one that is going to drop some more games they shouldn't throughout the year. I wouldn't be shocked if this next game against Louisville ends up being close.
Oklahoma Sooners: #11 to #7
After being thrown to the basement of the conference by being picked to finish 12 of 14 in the conference preseason poll, the Sooners have rocketed all the way to No. 7 through seven weeks. Porter Moser's squad hasn't faced the toughest schedule in the country, but they are sitting at 10-0 having played four Power Five teams that are all in the top 55 of KenPom.
Moser hasn't had a top-35 defense in his three years in Norman, but the Sooners are tracking to be elite on that end of the floor. Oklahoma currently ranks eighth overall in adjusted defensive efficiency and fifth in effective field goal percentage defense. Although, the only top-50 offense they have faced is Iowa. The win against Arkansas is solid, and if they can beat UNC in Charlotte tomorrow, I will dial back the Sooner hate. But right now, a No. 7 ranking is just too high for this ball club.
Underrated College Basketball Teams For Week 7
Clemson Tigers: #13 to #18
This is similar to Oklahoma's situation, but the inverse. If the Sooners got a four-spot bump for blowing out Green Bay, how can the AP justify a whole five-spot drop for the Tigers, who lost to a really good Memphis team (-2.5) on the road by only two? Doesn't seem right.
That was the first loss of the season for the Tigers, who won't be challenged again until they head to Coral Gables to take on Miami in early January. Prior to the L, Brad Brownell's squad had ripped off four straight Power Five wins, including an extremely impressive win at No. 23 Alabama (-8.5). PJ Hall -- 20.2 points, 7.1 rebounds, 2.5 assists -- is an early front-runner for ACC Player of the Year and a legit First-Team All-American candidate. With the ACC looking like it will have another down year, Clemson will need to compete for a conference title to be taken seriously, so we will really see what this team is made of over the next month or so. I am a believer.
UConn Huskies: No change (Remained at #5)
I've reached the point where I genuinely believe this team can be the first to repeat since Florida in 2007-08. The Huskies are playing effortless basketball at the moment, and can beat teams in so many ways it's scary. The thing is, they aren't even playing at their peak. Gonzaga is having a down year by their standards, but UConn easily handled a top-15 team in the country all while playing relatively sloppy basketball in the second half in a 90% pro-Zags crowd. That sounds like something that deserves a bump, even if it's slight.
Donovan Clingan appears to finally be fully healthy -- 21 points and eight rebounds vs. the Zags -- but five-star guard Stephon Castle is still being slowly worked in. Unfortunately for the rest of the country, this team is going to get better. Mark your calendars for February 17 and March 6 when the Huskies take on Marquette. Both of these games will be absolute must-see TV.
