1. Kansas Jayhawks (3-0)
The No. 1 ranked team from the preseason remains atop the Power Rankings this week. Kansas opened its campaign with a 30-point win over Howard and proceeded to play two iconic programs to close out the week. First, the Jayhawks hosted No. 9 North Carolina. Bill Self’s group built a 20-point lead late in the first half and eventually entered the break with a 53-38 advantage. However, the Jayhawks found themselves trailing with under two minutes to play before ending the game with a 5-0 run. Four days later, KU knocked off Michigan State, 77-69, behind Hunter Dickinson’s 28-point performance.
2. Gonzaga Bulldogs (2-0)
Following an exhibition loss to Southern Cal in the preseason, some fans and critics scoffed at Gonzaga being ranked No. 6 entering the year. Then, the Bulldogs opened their season with a dominant victory over No. 8 Baylor. The Zags trailed 1-0 and following Graham Ike’s basket with 18:33 on the clock, they never trailed again. Baylor had no answers all night as the Zags rolled to a 101-63 win. Arizona State provided a much tougher test a few days later, but the Zags pulled out an 88-80 win after outscoring the Sun Devils 17-9 over the final 5:21.
3. Auburn Tigers (3-0)
Aside from teammates fighting on a plane, the start to Auburn’s season has been great. Bruce Pearl’s team has easily dispatched two opponents — Vermont and Kent State, respectively — by a combined 74 points, and also owns one of the top wins of the season. In their second game, the Tigers outscored No. 4 Houston by 10 points in the second half en route to a 74-69 win. Pearl’s team is deep — the bench scored 39 points against Houston — and is capable of outscoring any opponent.
4. UConn Huskies (3-0)
The two-time defending champions have taken care of business so far. As the Huskies work to figure out the identity of this year’s team, they’ve cruised past their first three overmatched opponents. UConn defeated Sacred Heart by 36, New Hampshire by 39, and Le Moyne by 41. The Huskies will be tested in early December when they take on Baylor, Texas, and Gonzaga in a 10-day stretch.
5. Alabama Crimson Tide (3-0)
Unlike UConn, the Crimson Tide have been tested through their first three games. Alabama began the season with a 56-point demolition of UNC Ashville but struggled to put away its next two opponents. Against Arkansas State, the team only led by three at halftime and was unable to pull away until the final four minutes of play. Game 3 included a 21-point lead over McNeese, but the Cowboys closed to within six points with under five minutes on the clock. Five of Bama’s next six games are against ranked opponents — #13 Purdue, #8 Houston, #24 Rutgers, #10 North Carolina, and #14 Creighton.
6. Houston Cougars (2-1)
Despite its loss to Auburn, Houston comes in at No. 6. The Cougars are faced with replacing Jamal Shead, who is now with the Toronto Raptors, and Milos Uzan appears to be capable of picking up some of the slack. Through three games, Uzan is averaging 10/4/6 and is shooting 52% from the field. Houston struggled from the field against Auburn (41%) and had trouble stopping the Tigers from getting to the rim. In their two wins, however, the Cougars shot much better from the field and scored 90+ points.
7. Kentucky Wildcats (3-0)
No Coach Cal, no problem for the Wildcats through three games. With all eyes looking forward to their showdown with Duke, the Wildcats did well to avoid distractions en route to two early wins. Kentucky scored 103 points against Wright State and proceeded to put up 100 against Bucknell. Against the Blue Devils, Kentucky trailed by nine at halftime and didn’t look great. However, coach Mark Pope hit all the right notes in the second half and his team played lights out. UK outscored Duke 40-26 after the intermission and earned a very impressive victory. With the game tied with under one minute to play, Kentucky forced back-to-back turnovers to help seize the win.
8. Iowa State Cyclones (2-0)
The Cyclones are on a mission this year. Last season, Iowa State thumped No. 1 Houston in the Big 12 Championship en route to earning a 2-seed in the NCAA Tournament. After two strong wins to start March Madness, the Cyclones fell to Illinois in the Sweet 16 by three points. Now, the team is looking to build upon its strong season by making a run at the National Championship. Coach T.J. Otzelberger has a strong roster that has been bolstered by the addition of two transfers — Dishon Jackson and Joshua Jefferson — who have started both games thus far. The Cyclones have dominated their first two opponents and will now gear up for a showdown with Auburn on November 25.
9. Arizona Wildcats (2-0)
While Arizona has been unable to breakthrough when it matters most for more than 20 years, the program is consistently competitive nationally. Now a member of the Big 12, the Wildcats opened their season with two glorified scrimmages. A 93-64 win over Canisius was followed by a 102-44 bloodbath against Old Dominion. We should learn more about Zona over the next week as it takes on Wisconsin (Nov. 15) and Duke (Nov. 22).
10. Duke Blue Devils (2-1)
Speaking of Duke… the Blue Devils come in at No. 10. Ranked No. 4 to start the year, Duke notched two victories and averaged 98 points per game before facing Kentucky. A strong first half resulted in a nine-point lead at the break, and the Dukies appeared to be in control in the second half until they faced a pair of health issues. Guard Sion James injured his shoulder and center Khaman Maluach dealt with cramps — changing the tenor of the game in Kentucky’s favor. While it is certainly upset with the loss, Duke must be happy with the play of freshman phenom Cooper Flagg. Flagg scored 26 points and snagged 11 rebounds against UK and already looks like one of the top players in the nation.
