ESPN shakes up BPI Top 25 rankings as conference play speeds into view

ESPN shook up its BPI Top 25 rankings as we inch closer to conference play in the sport. 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 hasn’t played since December 20th, an 82-81 loss to Texas Tech. Still, this is ESPN’s top team in the BPI as they ramp up to play Georgia Tech on New Year’s Eve.

The Blue Devils are 11-1 on the season and are certainly one of the top teams in college basketball. They don’t have another ranked game until playing Louisville on January 6th.

2. Gonzaga

Nov 4, 2024; Spokane, Washington, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs head coach Mark Few selects players to send in against the Baylor Bears in the second half at Spokane Arena. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-Imagn Images — James Snook-Imagn Images

Gonzaga didn’t move in the BPI either as they have not played in a week. Their last game was a 91-82 win over Oregon on the road.

The Bulldogs are back in action Sunday on the road against Pepperdine. They’ll be heavily favored before having a quick turnaround against San Diego on the 30th.

3. Michigan (+1)

Michigan hasn’t played in a week, but upon further evaluation, moved up one spot in the BPI rankings. The Wolverines are also ranked No. 2 in the latest AP Poll following dominating wins in their last eight games, winning by an average margin of 34+ points.

Dusty May and crew will return to action on Monday against McNeese State at home before fully rolling into conference play. That’s when they’ll host USC on January 2nd in Ann Arbor.

4. Arizona (-1)

With Michigan moving up, the Wildcats moved down in this latest edition of the BPI. They’ll return to action Monday against South Dakota State at home before Big 12 play against Utah.

Arizona does not have an AP ranked game until January 26th when they travel to take on BYU. So moving forward, this team should be able to stack up more wins.

5. Houston (+1)

Houston HC Kelvin Sampson — (Troy Taormina | Imagn Images)

Houston’s been off for eight days, but moved up one spot in the BPI on this fine Sunday morning. The Cougars will take on Middle Tennessee State Monday at home before Big 12 action.

Houston goes to Cincinnati on January 3rd and certainly circled their game against Texas Tech on January 6th. That’ll be a top 15 game, at least by AP Poll standards.

6. Iowa State (-1)

The Cyclones are still undefeated by the way, sitting at 12-0 through the first third of the college basketball season. But, they moved down a spot in the BPI due to their metrics.

Still, ISU can make waves as they’ll be favored in every game until a January 13th matchup with Kansas on the road. They could very well beat the Jayhawks that day anyway, but would it be surprising to see this squad at 16-0?

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7. Louisville

The Cardinals are 10-2 this season and well within the top 10 of the BPI at this point of the season. Louisville returns to action Tuesday at Cal in ACC play and will also travel to take on Stanford on January 2nd.

All eyes will be on this crew when they host Duke on January 6th, as referenced above. There’s an opportunity to rise in all rankings by that point.

8. Purdue

Purdue head coach Matt Painter - Dr. Michael Huang, Kentucky Sports Radio — Purdue head coach Matt Painter – Dr. Michael Huang, Kentucky Sports Radio

We last saw Purdue in action on the 20th with an 88-60 win over Auburn. That’s right, the Boilermakers put the beatdown on the Tigers.

As far as the BPI is concerned, this team is in the top 10 before a game against Kent State Monday. Then, Matt Painter and crew get a stretch of Wisconsin, Washington, Penn State, Iowa and USC in Big Ten play.

9. UConn

UConn returns to action on New Year’s Eve at Xavier, making it 10 days in between games for the Huskies. Dan Hurley is pushing all of the right buttons though, as they are 12-1 on the season.

Can they make it three titles in four years? It’s possible. So long as they stay in the top 10 of the BPI right?!

10. BYU

The Cougars are 12-1 on the season after a 109-81 win over Eastern Washington prior to Christmas. This BPI top 10 team is led by all-star AJ Dybantsa. No. 1 overall pick maybe?

BYU is back in action against Kansas State on January 3rd on the road before hosting Arizona State four days later in BIg 12 play. Make no mistake, this team is for real.