Skip to main content
Join Now
Get a profile. Be recruited.

College basketball rankings: Comparing how first NET Rankings data lines up with latest AP Poll

James Fletcher IIIby: James Fletcher III8 hours agojdfletch3

As the calendar turns from November to December, there is now a full month of data across college basketball. That means the NCAA is ready to release its first edition of the NET Rankings, which will update daily for the rest of the season as results change the data.

Now one of the gold standards for analytics, and the metric cited most often in NCAA Tournament bubble conversations, the NET Rankings bring plenty into consideration which the AP Poll does not. However, this early in the process, it can be extremely valuable to see where the two divert.

Here is a look at where the AP Poll’s thoughts on every team in the Top 25 compare to the NET Rankings data with multiple games in the book. There will certainly be widespread movement over the coming months in both models, as results and efficiency change the perception.

Top 25 teams

19 teams matched up between the AP Poll and the NET Rankings Top 25s, and while none landed in exactly the same spot, there were several close together.

There are 12 teams which the NET Rankings placed within three spots of the AP Poll and five more ranked within five spots of each other. The rest have a sizeable gap in how the metrics view them against the voters.

All rankings presented as (AP Poll/NET Ranking)

Closely ranked

Purdue (1/3), Michigan (3/1), Duke (4/2), UConn (5/8), Louisville (6/9), Michigan State (7/10), Iowa State (10/7), Gonzaga (11/8), Alabama (12/14), Vanderbilt (17/19), Kentucky (18/15), St. John’s (23/23),

Not too far

Arizona (2/6), BYU (9/13), Tennessee (13/9), Kansas (21/17), USC (24/20)

Different opinions

Houston (8/18), Illinois (14/6), Indiana (22/11),

Ranked by AP voters

These teams were viewed among the 25 best teams by the AP Poll voters, but do not have the computer numbers to support it. Check out how much higher they rank than what the NET Rankings say.

Florida (15/33), North Carolina (16/26), Texas Tech (19/37), Auburn (20/30), Arkansas (25/45)

Top 25 in NET Rankings

On the other hand, the computer seems significantly higher on this group of teams than the voters who saw their offseason moves. There are many factors which play into the gap, and time will tell which test proves more accurate.

Iowa (26*/16), LSU (37*/19), Butler (NR/21), Utah State (31*/22), Yale (NR/25)

The AP Poll does not officially rank teams beyond the Top 25, however the remaining numbers were determined by the amount of votes received by teams which did not make the cut.