1. Tennessee Volunteers (8-0)
With the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the country losing in the past few days, Tennessee vaults to the top spot. The Vols haven’t been tested through their first eight games — but that is more a testament to their current level than a knock on their opponents. Tennessee has demolished all eight of its opponents including Louisville (77-55), Virginia (64-42), No. 13 Baylor (77-62) and Syracuse (96-70). In three of those wins, transfer Chaz Lanier scored at least 25 points.
2. Auburn Tigers (7-1)
An argument could be made for Auburn being ranked No. 1 despite its loss to Duke. The Tigers have amassed a handful of impressive wins thus far. Bruce Pearl’s group has overcome off-court drama en route to victories over two top-5 teams (Houston and Iowa State, respectively), No. 12 North Carolina and previously undefeated Memphis. Against Duke, the Tigers raced out to an early 11-point lead. However, Duke rallied on its home court and ultimately won by six.
3. Kansas Jayhawks (7-1)
Early season wins over North Carolina and Duke, respectively, kept Kansas atop the AP Poll through the first five weeks of the season. Then, on Wednesday, the Jayhawks were thoroughly outplayed by Creighton in a Big 12/Big East showdown. KU never held a lead and trailed the Bluejays by as many as 17. It was an ugly showing overall as the team shot 35-percent from the field and committed 17 fouls.
4. Iowa State Cyclones (6-1)
It’s early in the season, but the Cyclones look like a legitimate contender to cut down the nets in March. Iowa State has faced two top-5 teams through seven games. The team faced Auburn in the Maui Invitational and built an 18-point lead — including a 49-33 lead at halftime — before a putback with one second left handed Auburn the win. This week, the Cyclones hosted Marquette and put on a clinic. The team shot over 50-percent from the field, 40-percent from beyond the arc, and led by as many as 15 points. After withstanding a run by Marquette in the second half that knotted the game at 61, the Cyclones outscored the Golden Eagles 20-9 in the final nine minutes to secure the win.
5. Marquette Golden Eagles (8-1)
Speaking of Marquette, the Golden Eagles come in at No. 5. With UConn’s miserable week, Marquette became the highest-ranked team in the Big East. The Golden Eagles have an impressive win over Purdue to their name — a 76-58 shellacking — and their lone loss came on the road against a top-10 team. While they struggled against Iowa State for large stretches, the Eagles fought hard on the road to give themselves a shot to win in the second half. On Saturday, Marquette will host No. 11 Wisconsin.
6. Gonzaga Bulldogs (7-1)
For Gonzaga, its season will always be judged by its performance in March. The Bulldogs have been one of the best teams in the nation for more than a decade but they are still searching for their first National Championship. The Zags started the season with a dominant, 38-point victory over Baylor and also have a 16-point win over Indiana. Mark Few’s group has been dominant in the paint but has struggled from three. To win in March, the Zags will need to hit more shots from deep.
7. Duke Blue Devils (6-2)
Duke has had four opportunities to make a statement win this season and it has gone 2-2. The Blue Devils dropped close games to Kentucky and Kansas, respectively, but also knocked off Arizona in Tucson and handed Auburn its first loss. Star freshman Cooper Flagg was sensational in the win over the Tigers, scoring a game-high 22 points to go along with 11 rebounds, four assists, three steals and two blocks. Flagg is certainly living up to the hype.
8. Oregon Ducks (9-0)
While Oregon’s football team is garnering all of the attention for being ranked No. 1, the basketball team has quietly started the year 9-0. The Ducks put together an impressive three-game run which included double-digit wins over No. 20 Texas A&M and San Diego State, and a two-point win over Alabama in the Players Era Festival Championship. A few days after the win over Bama, the Ducks opened Big Ten play with a road win over USC.
9. Kentucky Wildcats (7-1)
It is hard to say how good this Kentucky team may be. So far, the Wildcats have faced two opponents that could reasonably be expected to challenge them. One of those teams was Duke — and UK delivered by knocking off the Blue Devils 77-72. Its next four games were over before they started. On Tuesday, the Wildcats played their first true road game of the season and came up short. In a 70-66 loss to Clemson, the Wildcats shot 7-of-25 from beyond the arc. On Saturday, Kentucky will face Gonzaga in Seattle.
10. Florida Gators (9-0)
Like Kentucky, we don’t know what to make of Florida just yet. The Gators may be undefeated, but they have played a very weak slate to start the year. Florida doesn’t own a win over a projected NCAA Tournament team. However, it has throttled all nine opponents. The Gators have won each game by at least 13 points and boast an offense that ranks top five nationally in adjusted offensive efficiency. Florida’s first test will come on December 14 when it takes on Arizona State (8-1). Three days later, the Gators will face North Carolina.
