College Basketball: Updated USA Today Coaches Poll Top 25 released
The latest version of the USA Today college basketball coaches poll top 25 rankings have been updated after a thrilling week of college basketball
Of course, the season remains young, but some of the top teams in the nation are beginning to separate themselves from the pack. We’ve seen some awesome showdowns thus far, and that should continue into next week’s clashes.
Let’s dive into the latest coaches poll rankings from USA Today after the sixth week of the season. Here’s where each team stands at the moment.
1) Arizona Wildcats
In their first week as the top team in the nation, Arizona took care of the business in front of them. The Wildcats defeated the Wisconsin Badgers handily, beating their Big Ten foe by 25 points over the weekend.
Arizona won’t play again until Saturday, where they’ll face another formidable Big Ten opponent. The Wildcats will be looking for a win over the Purdue Boilermakers in the Indy Classic, in what should be a fantastic game.
2) Kansas Jayhawks
Kansas went 2-0 last week, as they continue to prove they’re among the best teams in the nation. The Jayhawks first defeated Kansas City, and then took care of business against the Missouri Tigers in a heated showdown.
Now, Kansas will enjoy a week until their next game, which comes Saturday afternoon against Indiana. It should be another fantastic showdown, but the Jayhawks will be looking for another big win over the Hoosiers.
3) Houston Cougars
Houston reached 10-0 over the last week. The Cougars held Rice to 39 points last Wednesday, and then took care of business against Jackson State on Saturday to get to double-digit wins.
Next up for the Cougars is the Texas A&M Aggies. It’s arguably their toughest test of the season thus far, and Houston will be looking to continue to prove they’re among the best teams in the nation with a victory over an SEC opponent.
4) Purdue Boilermakers
Purdue got back on track last week after a demoralizing loss to Northwestern in the week prior. The Boilermakers first defeated Iowa on Monday, and then took care of their business against Alabama on Saturday.
Next up for Purdue is a gigantic showdown against the top team in the nation. The Boilermakers will be pining for a win over the Arizona Wildcats when they face each other on Saturday in the Indy Classic.
5) Connecticut Huskies
The reigning champions of college basketball suffered their first loss of the season against Kansas prior to last week, but they got back on the horse with two wins over the last seven days. UConn defeated North Carolina in the Jimmy V Classic, and followed that up with a win over AR-Pine Bluff.
It doesn’t get easier for the Huskies this week though. UConn will face Gonzaga in the Continental Tire Seattle Tip-Off this week, a game in which both the Huskies and the Bulldogs would love to have as a feather in their cap.
6) Baylor Bears
Baylor only had one game to worry about last week. The Bears found victory during it though, defeating the Seton Hall Pirates during the Big East-Big 12 Battle.
At 9-0, the Bears look like a true contender through the first couple of games on their schedule. Next up for them are some tough games, beginning with a showdown against Michigan State on Saturday.
7) Marquette Golden Eagles
After falling to Wisconsin, Marquette rebounded nicely over the last week. The Golden Eagles defeated the Texas Longhorns and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Wednesday and Saturday respectively.
It’s a little easier of a week for Marquette coming up, as they’ll only play one game. They’ll face St Thomas (MN) on Thursday, as they look to advance to 9-2 on the season in the process.
8) Creighton Blue Jays
Creighton advanced to 8-1 on the season with a win over Central Michigan last week. The Blue Jays defeated the Chippewas by 45 points in an impressive rout, looking like their true selves.
This week, Creighton will start their schedule with a game against UNLV in the Jack Jones Classic on Wednesday, before taking on Alabama on Saturday in what would be a huge boon for the Blue Jays if they’re able to win.
9) North Carolina Tar Heels
North Carolina stayed put after losing in their lone contest of last week. Luckily, it was against one of the top teams in the nation, and the Tar Heels’ good-will was enough to survive a loss against the Connecticut Huskies.
This week, North Carolina will also only play one game, but it’s a difficult one. The Tar Heels will face Kentucky in the CBS Sports Classic on Saturday evening.
10) Tennessee Volunteers
Tennessee got their season back on track last week, and they re-enter the top ten in the Coaches Poll. The Volunteers defeated George Mason on Tuesday, and followed it up with a win over Illinois on Saturday.
This week, Tennessee will face Georgia Southern on Tuesday, who haven’t won a game yet on the season. Then, they’ll travel to San Antonio for the Hall of Fame Series, where the Volunteers will face NC State.
USA Today Coaches Poll Top 25 — 11 through 25:
11) Clemson
12) Oklahoma
13) Gonzaga
14) Florida Atlantic
15) Kentucky
16) Illinois
17) BYU
18) Colorado State
19) Duke
20) James Madison
21) Virginia
22) Texas
23) Wisconsin
24) Miami
25) Ole Miss
Others receiving votes: Northwestern 68; Texas A&M 56; Auburn 32; Colorado 31; Alabama 30; Memphis 26; TCU 21; Iowa State 21; Ohio State 18; San Diego State 10; USC 8; Princeton 8; New Mexico 5; Grand Canyon 5; Utah 3; Cincinnati 2; Indiana 1; Drake 1
As you can see, the USA Today Coaches Top 25 Poll for the sixth week of college basketball reflects the action we’ve seen thus far on the court. With some phenomenal showdown over the next couple of days, we’ll see where each team ends up.