College Basketball Rankings: Predicting the AP Poll Top 25 as MTE events headline Week 3

After multiple moves at the top of the AP Poll over the first few weeks, the No. 1 spot is again going to be one of the top points of discussion in college basketball. Ahead of Top 25 update, there is plenty to debate across the board with several ranked matchups setting the tone for movement up and down.

Multiple neutral site MTEs headline the past week’s top results with multiple other Top 25 contests on the schedule. Among those, the first Top Five matchup saw Arizona knock off UConn and continues its hot start to the season.

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

Predicted AP Poll Top 25

1. Purdue (Last Week: 1)

After multiple changes at the No. 1 spot over the first weeks of the regular season, Purdue looks primed to hold its position this week. A dominant win against Texas Tech backed up a win over Memphis, leading the Boilermakers to a Baha Mar championship.

2. Houston (Last Week: 2)

Houston played just one game this week after dropping from No. 1 back to No. 2 last week, leaving them likely to remain here. The Cougars took care of business against Rider to set themselves up for bigger non-conference opponents on the schedule.

3. Arizona (Last Week: 4)

Arizona holds the best resume in college basketball to this point, adding another Top 25 win this week. The Wildcats went on the road this time, taking down UConn to move them further up the board while making a real case for No. 1 votes.

4. Duke (Last Week: 5)

Duke picked up a Top 25 win this week during the Champions Classic, knocking off Kansas on a neutral floor. The Blue Devils followed up that performance with two more buy games against lower-level competition.

5. Louisville (Last Week: 6)

Louisville added to its non-conference resume in its only matchup of the week, taking down Cincinnati in a rivalry renewal. The Cardinals continue to slide slowly up the rankings with more chances to pick up big wins in the future.

6. Michigan (Last Week: 7)

Michigan played just one game over the past week, picking up its most convincing win yet over mid-major opposition. The Wolverines continue to get healthy and find their rhythm as bigger matchups approach on the schedule.

7. UConn (Last Week 3)

UConn has started off the season with multiple Top 25 matchups, putting them in the mix for a high ranking despite their first loss coming at home. While a loss to Arizona is not going to tank the resume, it will see the Huskies fall this week.

8. BYU (Last Week: 9)

BYU bounced back from its first loss of the season with a convincing Top 25 win which should see them move up the board again this week. The Cougars took down Wisconsin on a neutral floor to set them up well for the rest of the non-conference slate.

9. Florida (Last Week: 10)

Florida played just one game over the past week, taking down Merrimack in a buy game by a large margin. The Gators now look to ramp up for a tougher stretch of the non-conference schedule which features multiple Top 25 matchups.

10. Alabama (Last Week: 11)

Alabama bounced back from its first loss with a neutral site win over Illinois which should see them move up the rankings. The Crimson Tide continue their tough non-conference slate with more opportunities to build the resume.

Predicting 11-25

11. Illinois (Last Week: 8)
12. Gonzaga (Last Week: 13)
13. St. John’s (Last Week: 14)
14. Iowa State (Last Week: 16)
15. Michigan State (Last Week: 17)
16. Kentucky (Last Week: 12)
17. North Carolina (Last Week: 18)
18. Texas Tech (Last Week: 15)
19. UCLA (Last Week: 19)
20. Tennessee (Last Week: 20)
21. Arkansas (Last Week: 21)
22. Auburn (Last Week: 22)
23. NC State (Last Week: 25)
24. Indiana (Last Week: NR)
25. Vanderbilt (Last Week: NR)

Projected to drop out: Wisconsin (Last Week: 23), Kansas (Last Week: 24)