Auburn Tops College Hoops Rankings After Tennessee Thriller

1. Auburn Tigers (18-1)

Auburn remains atop the college basketball world following a 53-51 victory over Tennessee. The Tigers received a boost ahead of the showdown when it was announced that star Johni Broome would return to the court following a two-week absence. Broome delivered for his team, scoring 16 points to go along with 13 rebounds and four blocks. Auburn is undefeated in SEC play and its last three wins have come against ranked opponents — Mississippi State, Georgia, and Tennessee.

2. Duke Blue Devils (17-2)

The Blue Devils have won 13 games in a row and are clearly the class of the ACC. Before its most recent game, a close battle on the road against Wake Forest, Duke had demolished both Miami and Boston College, respectively. The Demon Deacons gave Duke all it could handle and held a six-point lead in the second half. Then, Duke switched to a 2-3 zone over the final nine minutes and flummoxed the Deacons. Duke outscored Wake by 13 points to end the game and extend its winning streak.

3. Iowa State Cyclones (17-2)

One of the top teams from the start of the season, Iowa State remains in a good spot as we approach February. The Cyclones dropped their second game of the season — a 64-57 loss at West Virginia — on the heels of a dominant, 17-point win over Kansas. Following the loss to WVU, Iowa State has won its past two games by a combined 40 points. State has two massive road tests over the next week. After a trip to Tucson to take on Arizona (Jan. 27), the Cyclones will take on Kansas State at home before heading to Lawrence for a rematch with the Jayhawks (Feb. 3).

4. Florida Gators (18-2)

The Gators have not entered the NCAA Tournament ranked higher than a 4-seed since 2014. Through 20 games, it would be a shock if Florida didn’t receive at least a 3-seed on Selection Sunday. Florida has a 30-point win over then-No. 1 Tennessee on its resume, and has a second opportunity to knock off the Vols next week. The Gators have been led by their backcourt as three players are averaging 13.5-plus PPG. The team’s two losses have come by a combined seven points — a six-point loss at Kentucky and a one-point defeat to Missouri, respectively.

5. Alabama Crimson Tide (17-3)

In a stacked SEC, Alabama is making a name for itself as a national title contender. The Tide reached the Final Four last season as a 4-seed and they are an improved group this year. In their most recent victory over the rival LSU Tigers, the Tide played the entire second half with Mark Sears — their leading scorer — on the bench. Alabama finished its three-game gauntlet (@ Texas A&M, vs. Ole Miss, @ Kentucky) with two impressive road wins. Regardless of where the Tide finish in the SEC standings, they should be seen as a legit threat to cut down the nets at the end of the year.

6. Houston Cougars (16-3)

With Kelvin Sampson as head coach, Houston has been one of the top teams in the country over the last seven seasons. The Cougars have won 30+ games three years in a row and have entered the past two NCAA Tournaments as a 1-seed. The team was expected to take a step back this season, but it once again looks like a contender. Houston started the year 4-3 with losses to Auburn, Alabama, and San Diego State, respectively, but it has won 12 in a row. Last weekend, the Cougars pulled off a miraculous, double-OT win in Lawrence over Kansas. At 8-0 in conference play, Houston currently leads the Big 12.

7. Michigan State Spartans (17-2)

In a deep Big Ten, Michigan State currently stands out as the top dog entering the home stretch of the regular season. The Spartans are 8-0 in conference play — every other team has at least two losses — and hold a strong win over Illinois. With that being said, Sparty hasn’t faced a tough schedule thus far. In February, State will face four teams that are currently ranked, and that doesn’t include two tough road games against UCLA and Maryland.

8. Marquette Golden Eagles (17-3)

While UConn, as back-to-back National Champions, remains the team to beat in the Big East, Marquette currently sits atop the conference alongside St. Johns. The Golden Eagles have won two in a row following a two-point loss to Xavier. Following a trip to Butler on Tuesday, Marquette will start February with its three biggest games of the year. Marquette plays host to UConn on Feb. 1, and will then face St. Johns and third-place Creighton on the road. Shaka Smart’s team can put itself in the conversation for a 1-seed with wins in those games.

9. Tennessee Volunteers (17-3)

After a long stint as the No. 1 team in the country, Tennessee is 3-3 over its last six games. We all remember the Vols undefeated start coming to an end with a 30-point loss to Florida. Since that time, the Vols have knocked off two ranked opponents (at the time) — Georgia and Mississippi State — but have come up short when it matters most. Last week, the Vols nearly erased a 16-point second-half deficit to Vanderbilt before falling 76-75. Then, last Saturday, the Vols gave No. 1 Auburn all it could handle…only to go scoreless over the final 2:07 in a 53-51 loss.

10. Purdue Boilermakers (16-5)

Sitting alone in second-place in the Big Ten, Purdue is starting to round into form. Following back-to-back losses to Texas A&M and Auburn, respectively, Purdue is 8-1 over its last nine games. A three-point loss to Ohio State put an end to Purdue’s seven-game winning streak, but it rebounded with a 27-point thrashing of Michigan. Before the loss to Ohio State, the Boilermakers took down a strong Oregon group in Eugene. With Zach Edey now in the NBA, forward Trey Kaufman-Renn has taken a huge step forward to lead the team. Last year, Kaufman-Renn averaged 6.4 PPG across 39 starts. This season, he is leading the team in scoring (18.1 PPG) and rebounding (6.3 RPG).