CBS Sports updates Top 25 and 1, names new No. 1 after another crazy night of upsets
Another day, another CBS Sports Top 25 and 1 ranking. That’s just the nature of the beast with the spate of Top 10 upsets happening this week.
A day after changing his No. 1 team due to an upset, CBS Sports’ Gary Parrish re-ordered the very top of his rankings once more. And did a lot more down the list, too.
Check out the full CBS Sports Top 25 and 1 after Wednesday’s slate.
1. Purdue Boilermakers (+1)
Despite taking another conference road loss on Tuesday, getting overrun by a red-hot shooting Nebraska team, Purdue finds itself back on top. The Boilermakers slipped from the No. 1 ranking briefly but are right back to the top spot due to some other upsets.
The Boilermakers get to reset at home vs. a lowly Penn State squad before going on the road for a bitter rivalry showdown with Indiana next week. Matt Painter and Co. will be hoping the road woes are resolved by then.
2. UConn Huskies (+3)
UConn has been on a tear since losing on Dec. 20. The Huskies have won four in a row, the most recent result a five-point win on the road on Wednesday evening.
The defending national champions host a ranked Creighton squad on Jan. 17 in a big league showdown. The Huskies will hope to keep hot rolling into that contest.
3. Houston Cougars
Houston went on the road and was bested by Iowa State on Tuesday on a night Cougars offense went dormant in a 57-53 loss to a feisty Cyclones outfit. The Cougars had slipped to No. 3 on Wednesday after that loss and are holding steady.
Houston is likely to finish the season as a top squad. Led by head coach Kelvin Sampson, the Cougars only allowed 49.8 points per game, the least in the nation, entering Tuesday. For reference, the next best team was giving up nearly eight points more per contest.
4. Kansas Jayhawks (-3)
The upset bug that caught Purdue and Houston on Tuesday found Kansas on Wednesday. The Jayhawks slipped up and lost to UCF and thus dropped to No. 4 in the rankings.
But with plenty of top Big 12 competition on the horizon, the Jayhawks can surely make a climb back to No. 1. And more importantly, lock up a top seed for the NCAA Tournament.
5. Tennessee Volunteers (-1)
After an impressive start to SEC play, Tennessee was tripped up on Tuesday. The Volunteers lost 77-72 to Mississippi State and thus dropped in the rankings.
After losing three-straight to a trio of teams in this Top 10 — Purdue, Kansas and North Carolina — in an eight-day window in December, Tennessee had been red hot. Now it’s time to get back on track after the loss.
6. Memphis Tigers
Memphis has won eight games in a row and thusly is holding steady at No. 6 for Parrish in the rankings. However, recent matchups have been close.
The Tigers won the last three games by a combined 12 points, the latest a six-point win. Enough close games and eventually the losing streak will get broken, but for now Memphis and head coach Penny Hardaway are riding high.
7. Arizona Wildcats
Arizona is still 2-0 in the new year with an average win margin of 33 points. The Wildcats lost three of its last five battles in December, including an unexpected 100-82 loss to Stanford on New Year’s Eve.
Even in a loss, Arizona’s offense is awe-inspiring. The Wildcats have the best offense in the country, averaging 92.6 points per game. After a lengthy layoff, Arizona next plays on the road on Saturday.
8. Kentucky Wildcats
After a close battle with Florida over the weekend, Kentucky rolled past Missouri on Tuesday to a 90-77 victory. And while things have been uneven for the young Wildcats this season, the high-level upside is readily evident.
Kentucky had five players hit double figures in scoring against the Tigers, including a trio of freshman. Some sustained elite play could see the Wildcats climb this list further.
9. Illinois Fighting Illini
On Friday, Illinois fell 83-78 to No. 1 Purdue, ending a four-game win streak for the Fighting Illini, pushing the Boilermakers to the edge. It’s been a decent layoff for the Illini since, who play next on Thursday.
The Fighting Illini have been a clear-cut No. 2 team in the Big Ten this season and are in contention for a strong seed in the NCAA Tournament. For now, though, it’s a matter of navigating Big Ten play.
10. North Carolina Tar Heels
The Tar Heels, on a five-game win streak that includes wins over No. 7 Oklahoma and No. 16 Clemson, remain in the Top 10 of the shaken-up list. The latest was a 67-54 win over in-state rival NC State on Wednesday.
North Carolina is now 4-0 in the ACC to start conference play, the best starting mark since making a run to the national championship. Tar Heel faithful would certainly be happy to see that campaign replicated.
Teams No. 11 through 26
11. Wisconsin (+1)
12. Duke (+2)
13. Baylor (+2)
14. Auburn (+2)
15. Oklahoma (-4)
16. San Diego State (+1)
17. Utah State (+1)
18. Iowa State (+1)
19. Nevada (+1)
20. Dayton (+1)
21. Ole Miss (+1)
22. Colorado State (+1)
23. Marquette (-10)
24. Creighton
25. Texas Tech
26. Texas
No teams fell out of or climbed into the rankings, despite the significant shakeups throughout the Top 25 and 1.