ESPN shakes up BPI Top 25 college basketball rankings after 8 ranked teams fall on Saturday

ESPN shook up its BPI Top 25 rankings as we got through a chaotic Saturday with eight ranked teams losing! Similar to football, the Basketball Power Index uses strength of schedule metrics, results and predictive measures to determine the rankings.

Saturday’s results certainly sent the top 25 in the BPI for a loop though. We didn’t even get through the entire weekend!

So without further ado, let’s dive into ESPN’s latest BPI. We’ll start at No. 1 of the top 25.

1. Duke

Duke remained at the top of the BPI following Saturday’s action. The Blue Devils improved to 17-1 by dominating Stanford 80-50 on the road.

Cameron Boozer led the way with 30 points, 14 rebounds and three assists. Isaiah Evans added 15 points, four rebounds and two assists.

2. Michigan (+1)

Michigan moved up one spot in the BPI after Saturday, beating Oregon 81-71 on the road. The Wolverines are now 16-1 on the season chasing Duke for the top ranking.

Elliot Cadeau had 17 points, one rebound and five assists. Nimari Burnett added 15 points, three rebounds and three assists in the victory.

3. Gonzaga (+1)

Gonzaga just keeps the winning times rolling. The Bulldogs are now 19-1 on the season with a road victory over Seattle, winning 71-50.

Gonzaga moved up one spot in the BPI with this effort, sitting in the top three this weekend. Mario Saint-Supery led the way with 20 points, one rebound and four assists.

4. Arizona (-2)

The top team in the AP Poll moved down two spots in the BPI! Despite an 84-77 win over UCF on the road and an 18-0 record, the Wildcats aren’t the top team this week.

Jaden Bradley led the way with 23 points, six rebounds and five assists in the win. Motiejus Krivas added 17 points, 12 rebounds and one assist.

5. Houston (+1)

The Cougars moved up a spot in the BPI despite being inactive since Tuesday, a 77-48 win over West Virginia. But Houston will be back in action against Arizona State on Sunday, hosting the Sun Devils.

At 16-1 this eason, Houston is in the national title conversation once again. They just have to keep pace with those four teams in front of them. 

6. Purdue (+1)

Purdue moved up another place in the BPI rankings after Saturday. The Boilermakers beat USC 69-64 on the road in a close contest.

Braden Smith had 22 points, four rebounds and five assists in the win. Occar Cloff added 19 points, six rebounds and four assists.

7. Iowa State (-2)

Because of movement in other spots, and of course Iowa State’s loss, the Cyclones dropped two places in the BPI. Iowa State lost 79-70 to Cincinnati on the road.

It was just their second loss of the year (16-2). Milan Momcilovic put up 34 points and a rebounds in the defeat.

8. Louisville 

How about Louisville? They didn’t shift in the BPI rankings, but dominated Pitt on the road 100-59 to stay in the top 10.

Ryan Conwell had 24 points, six rebounds and six assists in the win. J’Vonne Hadley added 17 points, seven rebounds and five assists.

9. Illinois (+1)

Illinois moved up one place in the BPI rankings with a 77-67 win over Minnesota to improve to 15-3 this year. The Fighting Illini have won seven in a row.

Keaton Wagler put up 17 points, four rebounds and five assists in the win. But it was Zvonimir Ivisic leading the way with 18 points and nine rebounds.

10. Florida (+1)

Florida got back into the top 10 of the BPI with a 98-94 win over Vanderbilt. The Gators, who are the defending champs, are now 13-5 following the road victory to add to the resume.

Reuben Chinyelu put up 20 points, 10 rebounds and three assists. Xavian Lee added 20 points himself, six rebounds and two assists.

ESPN BPI Top 25 updated after 8 ranked teams lose

11. UConn (-2)
12. BYU
13. Vanderbilt
14. St. John’s (+1)
15. Michigan State (+3)
16. Kansas (+3)
17. Tennessee (-3)
18. Alabama (-2)
19. Nebraska (+4)
20. Kentucky (-3)
21. Texas Tech
22. Virginia (+3)
23. Clemson (+1)
24. Iowa (+4)
25. Auburn (-3)