College Basketball Rankings: Predicting the AP Poll Top 25 after non-conference showdowns in Week 5

Now one week into December, the college basketball landscape continues to take shape through non-conference matchups which help set teams apart from their peers. The ACC/SEC Challenge headlined the slate this week, providing a head-to-head comparison of two top conferences.

After No. 1 Purdue took a loss against Iowa State, it looks likely that a new team will top the rankings this week. The voting could be split between the two teams with the best resumes in the country, Arizona and Michigan.

After the fifth week of the college basketball season wraps up, it is time to look at how the results could impact the upcoming rankings. Here is an early projection of what Monday’s AP Poll could look like after the latest set of games.

Predicted AP Poll Top 25

1. Arizona (Last Week: 2)

Arizona picked up another Top 25 win for its resume, taking down Auburn in the only matchup this week. The Wildcats are now in prime position to jump to No. 1 for the first time this season after the rest of college basketball’s results.

2. Michigan (Last Week: 3)

Michigan also has a case to land at No. 1 in the AP Poll this week given their dominance against every level of competition in recent weeks. However, the Wolverines already sat behind Arizona before they picked up a Top 25 win.

3. Duke (Last Week: 4)

Duke is also in position to slide up the rankings this week, adding two wins to the record. The Blue Devils remain in the mix of undefeated teams and remain one of the best in college basketball by any datapoints used.

4. UConn (Last Week 5)

UConn could become the highest ranked one-loss team in the country this week, giving the strength of the loss and the wins they have added to the resume. The Huskies also added two wins this week, further helping the case.

5. Iowa State (Last Week: 10)

Iowa State could make one of the biggest leaps in the rankings this week, coming off a big win over Purdue, which will rank among the best this season. The Cyclones have also handled business in other non-conference matchups to this point.

6. Purdue (Last Week: 1)

Purdue is primed to drop from the No. 1 spot in the AP Poll for the second time this season, but the first time resulting from a loss. The Boilermakers fall to Iowa State, but should remain in the mix for a high spot given their strong past results.

7. Houston (Last Week: 8)

Houston looks to start climbing back up the rankings after a drop last week, and that process was helped by a win in their only game of the week. The Cougars still hold a strong resume, and look to add more marquee wins to make it pop.

8. BYU (Last Week: 9)

BYU continues its strong start to the season with a win this week, marking their only game since the last rankings update. The Cougars still look likely to move up the board given the other results across college basketball.

9. Michigan State (Last Week: 7)

Michigan State started the week with its first Big Ten win of the season against Iowa, but dropped a game against Duke over the weekend to stop their win streak. The Spartans should not fall far, but could see a slight bump down the rankings.

10. Gonzaga (Last Week: 11)

Gonzaga added another ranked win to its resume this week, taking care of business on a neutral floor against Kentucky. While the strength of that win could come into question, it is certainly enough to help them shift up in the AP Poll.

Predicting 11-25

11. Louisville (Last Week: 6)
12. Alabama (Last Week: 12)
13. Illinois (Last Week: 14)
14. North Carolina (Last Week: 16)
15. Vanderbilt (Last Week: 17)
16. Texas Tech (Last Week: 19)
17. Florida (Last Week: 15)
18. Tennessee (Last Week: 13)
19. Arkansas (Last Week: 25)
20. St. John’s (Last Week: 23)
21. UCLA (Last Week: NR)
22. Kansas (Last Week: 21)
23. Auburn (Last Week: 20)
24. Nebraska (Last Week: NR)
25. TCU (Last Week: NR)

Projected to drop out: Kentucky (Last Week: 18), Indiana (Last Week: 22), USC (Last Week: 24)