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This past week in men's college basketball featured several top-level matchups and exciting upsets. A new No. 1 has emerged in the Arizona Wildcats, who have reached the top of the rankings for the first time in nine years. That paved the way for Houston to join the top five, as they now come in at No. 3.
Overall, there was crazy movement in this week's poll, as not a single team stayed at their previous ranking. Six different teams experienced bumps -- negative or positive -- of seven spots or more.
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 5 AP Poll.
Overrated College Basketball Teams For Week 5
Creighton Bluejays: #15 > #10
Starting the year No. 8 and picked to finish second in the Big East, Creighton has huge expectations this year. Even more so than their Elite Eight run last March. The start to the year was going how it was for most top teams in the country, cruising right along in their buy-games and taking down one formidable opponent (Iowa).
The Bluejays then faced Colorado State in the Hall of Fame Classic and got the doors blown off of them. 19 points in the first half and 28% from the field on the night, it was an all-around disaster for coach Greg McDermott, who did not seem prepared to take on one of the best-kept secrets in the country. Creighton lost 69-48 and dropped seven spots in the AP poll.
Flash forward a week later and the Bluejays were able to take care of business against two power-five teams -- Oklahoma State and Nebraska -- though both teams were picked at or near the bottom of their conferences. The Cornhuskers are a respectable #58 in KenPom (#33 adjusted offensive efficiency) and Creighton did hold them to 60 points on the road. Still, I don't think beating these two mediocre teams after a 21-point loss (-8.5) should have given them a spot back in the top 10.
North Carolina Tar Heels: #20 > #13
One of the aforementioned teams that experienced a 7+ spot bump, the Tar Heels soared from No. 18 all the way to No. 8 in this week's poll. Hubert Davis and Co. have looked impressive thus far, having just blitzed No. 10 Tennessee in the ACC-SEC challenge this past week. The Volunteers did make it respectable in the end thanks to Dalton Knecht's 37 points, which tied for the most points scored by a visiting player in the Dean Dome.
It was a great win, one that UNC was hungry for after narrowly bowing out in the Battle 4 Atlantis to Villanova in OT. The Heels then had a lot of trouble with a bad Florida State team but were able to secure an eight-point victory. Beating a physical Tennessee squad on your own floor and then escaping No. 71 (KenPom) ranked Florida State does not seem like that equates to moving up eight spots in the rankings. UNC can make me eat my words if they can take down UConn at Madison Square Garden tonight, but I have doubts about that happening.
Underrated College Basketball Teams For Week 5
Northwestern Wildcats: Unranked (Fourth in Others Receiving Votes)
Back-to-back years playing the giant killer for Northwestern. For two consecutive seasons, Northwestern takes down Zach Edey and No. 1 Purdue, this time doing it in overtime, 92-88. This team has a legit All-American caliber player that just happens to have one of the most fun names in college basketball -- Boo Buie. He hung 31 on the Boilermakers, including seven in the extra period. This team had two other senior guards go for 20+ in the game -- Ryan Langborg and Ty Berry.
The Wildcats did lose earlier in the year to a good Mississippi State team and came close to dropping one to Western Michigan, so I can understand why that didn't make the final cut for this week. Even with that information though, beating the No. 1 team with the No. 1 overall player who just took down three top-11 teams in a few days is deserving of a spot in the top 25. Especially with no bad losses on your resume. Give Chris Collins and that team the respect they deserve.
Clemson Tigers: Unranked > #24
One of my sleeper teams for 2023, Clemson gave everyone a big scare when they snuck past UAB by the skin of their teeth earlier in the year. The Tigers appear to have put that in the past and are playing great ball of late. Just this past week, they were able to take down two tough opponents on the road -- No. 23 Alabama and Pittsburgh. Senior forward PJ Hall is playing like an ACC Player of the Year candidate with averages of 21.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and two blocks. Chase Hunter and Syracuse transfer Joe Girard are complementing each other well.
Brad Brownell's Tigers are the only undefeated team left in the ACC with Duke's recent losses to Arkansas and Georgia Tech this past week. Clemson deserved to be ranked ahead of the Blue Devils in the Week 5 AP poll, even if they may not be as talented. The road definitely does not get any easier for the Tigers, with South Carolina, TCU, and Memphis on the horizon, but they have proven so far that they belong.
