AURA CBB Rankings (11/22)

BENTON - Now that a tiny bit of the dust has settled and most teams have a handful of games under their belts, some have emerged as immediate frontrunners to compete for a National Championship. For others, they’ll need to clean some things up to stay at the top of this list for long. Lucky for those guys and us fans, we still have a LOT of basketball left to play. Let’s go ahead and start things off with #25.

#25. Wisconsin Badgers (4-1)

Getting blown out on the road against an outstanding BYU team didn’t help the Badgers’ resume much, but by the skin of their teeth they’ll stay on the list this week. They’ll need a convincing win this week over Providence to prove they still belong here. It doesn’t get any easier once Big Ten conference play starts. The Badgers need more from senior Andrew Rohde offensively in big games like the BYU contest. The defense can’t give up 90+ points and expect to win games. They’ll need to tighten things up quickly.

#24. UCLA Bruins (4-1)

I’ll be honest here. I’ve been impressed at times with the Bruins, but I’m not sure how long they can stay on this list. They took a tough 69-65 loss to powerhouse Arizona last week that is the only blemish to their record so far, but barely scraping by teams like Eastern Washington and Pepperdine raise a few red flags. The Bruins seem to play to the level of their competition most nights. Their next three games should show us what UCLA is made of as they travel to Cal and Washington before coming back home to host Oregon. They’ll face a big test in #12-ranked Gonzaga on December 13th.

#23. NC State Wolfpack (4-0)

Tough win at home over a gritty VCU squad. The Wolfpack haven’t faced a real test yet but their date on the road with the #19-ranked Auburn Tigers on December 3rd. Darrion Williams is the truth and is pacing the NC State offense with 23.3 points per game. As a matter of fact, the Wolfpack are putting up right at 100 points per game. They may be a sleeper pick come March.

#22. Georgetown Hoyas (4-0)

Speaking of sleeper picks, I bet you weren’t expecting to see these guys on here. A come-from-behind win over Clemson after a slow start may not have been as pretty of a win as they wanted, but a win is a win. Impressive 10-point win over Maryland on the road. The offense is motored by the guard play of KJ Lewis and Malik Mack. They could give the Big East a run for its money this year.

#21. Arkansas Razorbacks (5-1)

The Razorbacks put up an absolute dog fight but fell on the road 69-66 against a loaded Michigan State team in their only blemish so far. Barely squeaking by Winthrop may have raised some eyebrows but I don’t think that will slow this Arkansas team down at all. They’ll face back-to-back tests with a road game against #5-ranked Duke on Thanksgiving before hosting #6-ranked Louisville on December 3rd.

#20. Texas Tech Red Raiders (4-2)

The Red Raiders have a couple of black eyes from the Big 10 after losing to Illinois who was missing two starters and getting absolutely trounced by Purdue last night by 30 points. Tech will have to figure it out as the road doesn’t get much easier from here. They’ll go on the road to take on #5-ranked Duke on December 20th and hit the road again on January 6th as they take on #2-ranked Houston.

#19. Auburn Tigers (4-1)

Auburn might be the most impressive team on the back end of this list. Their only loss has been to #2-ranked Houston, 73-72. The talent on the Tigers’ roster can compete with any team in the SEC on any given night but I especially love how they guard with intensity. Big home game coming up on Tuesday as #8-ranked Michigan comes to town. Two tough road tests with #3-ranked Arizona on December 6th and #1-ranked Purdue on December 20th.

#18. Tennessee Volunteers (5-0)

The Vols just simply haven’t played anyone yet. That is soon to change as they travel to #2-ranked Houston on Tuesday. Another ranked matchup for the Vols comes on December 6th when #11-ranked Illinois comes to town. Expect guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie to be the catalyst for the Volunteer offense who should have a strong presence in the paint with 6’11” JP Estrella and Nate Ament at 6’10”.

#17. UNC Tarheels (5-0)

The Tarheels look like they may have the roster to compete for an ACC Championship this season if they can stay healthy. An impressive win over Kansas helps build the argument that UNC belongs in the Top 20. The Tarheels will have two huge road tests as they travel to #14-ranked Michigan State on Thanksgiving and hit the road to play the #16-ranked Kentucky Wildcats on December 2nd.

#16. Kentucky Wildcats (4-2)

An absolute butt-thumping from Michigan State knocks the Wildcats a few spots back, but let's be real: this is the University of Kentucky. They’re going to figure it out. Back-to-back games with ranked opponents in the same week with #17-ranked UNC and #13-ranked Gonzaga should show us how much grit the Cats have. I don’t see any reason why they shouldn’t compete for an SEC title with the talent on their roster.

#15. Iowa State Cyclones (4-0)

Iowa State continues to prove year after year that they belong on this list. Solid win over Mississippi State at home but some big tests coming up for the Cyclones. #13-ranked St. John’s comes to town in hopes of handing ISU their first loss of the season. The Cyclones will travel to #1-ranked Purdue on December 6th. Can Tamin Lipsey lead his team past Pitino and Painter’s squads?

#14. Michigan State Spartans (5-0)

I was very surprised to see the Spartans playing basketball at this high of a level in November, but here we are. MSU is loaded and I truly believe a dark horse to win the Big 10 this year. They play gritty and aggressive on both sides of the ball. They will take on #17-ranked UNC on Thanksgiving before a date with the #5-ranked Duke Blue Devils on December 6th.

#13. St. John’s Red Storm (3-1)

The Red Storm have a lot of the same qualities back from last year's team, only this team knows how to shoot the ball. Gutsy loss at home against a very talented Alabama squad. Ian Jackson and Bryce Hopkins are going to pose problems for any defense in the Big East. St. John’s will take on a ranked opponent in #15 Iowa State on Monday. They’ll face a big test on the road on December 20th as they travel to #16-ranked Kentucky.

#12. Gonzaga Bulldogs (5-0)

Gonzaga seems to always find its way onto this list. The Zags have picked up some quality wins over Oklahoma, Creighton and Arizona State. At this point it is basically an annual tradition for Gonzaga to completely own the WCC. Don’t expect that to be any different this year. The Zags will face a huge road test Monday as they travel to #10-ranked Alabama. They’ll face another tough road test at #16-ranked Kentucky on December 5th.

#11. Illinois Fighting Illini (4-1)

A tough first loss for the Illini came at the hands of gritty #10-ranked Alabama at the United Center, 90-86. Andrej Stojakovic, Kylan Boswell and David Mirkovic have been the spark plugs for the Illinois offense. A very gritty win over Texas Tech while missing two starters was huge for the Illini resume. Getting those two guys back to 100% should be huge for the blue and orange. Big road came coming up on the 28th as the Illini take on #4-ranked UConn at Storrs. They’ll follow that up with a game against #18-ranked Tennessee on December 6th.

#10. Alabama Crimson Tide (3-1)

Alabama is one of if not the grittiest teams on this list. They have so many offensive weapons they can go to that aren’t afraid of the big moment. A huge win at the United Center over #11-ranked Illinois propels Alabama into the Top 10 this week. The Crimson Tide have played some tough opponents and may have the strongest schedule of any team on this list. Big game coming up on Monday as they host #12-ranked Gonzaga. Alabama will host #3-ranked Arizona at home on December 13th.

#9. Florida Gators (4-1)

Florida’s only loss thus far has come to #3-ranked Arizona who has been on a tear against ranked opponents. The Gators bring back a lot of the National Championship group from a year ago and look to have the talent to potentially repeat. Thomas Haugh and Alex Condon are an absolute handful and pose a huge problem for opposing defenses. Huge road game coming up December 2nd at #5-ranked Duke before traveling to #4-ranked UConn on December 9th.

#8. Michigan Wolverines (4-0)

I’ll be completely honest here. After barely surviving Wake Forest in overtime and squeaking by TCU, I don’t think Michigan belongs in the Top 10. However, I don’t want to hear how I’m a biased Illinois fan, so here you go. The Wolverines are going to have to figure out how to play their game against good teams, or their road trip to #19-ranked Auburn may end in an “upset”.

#7. BYU Cougars (4-1)

The Cougars are legit contenders this year with an absolute horse in AJ Dybantsa. After completely throttling Wisconsin 98-70, BYU looks like they are in the top tier. Their only loss has come to #4-ranked UConn on the road, 86-84. I only expect this team to get better throughout the year and continue to slowly climb this list. The Cougars do not take on another ranked opponent until January 17th where they’ll go on the road to take on the #20-ranked Texas Tech Red Raiders.

#6. Louisville Cardinals (5-0)

The Cardinals’ huge win over in-state rival and #16-ranked Kentucky has given the Louisville fan base something to talk about and it seems as if the success of the Pitino era may be back in full force. The duo of Mikel Brown Jr. and Ryan Conwell are putting up 40 points per game just on their own. The Cardinals will travel to #21-ranked Arkansas on December 3rd before another road trip to Knoxville to take on #18-ranked Tennessee.

#5. Duke Blue Devils (6-0)

The Blue Devils’ young talent is legitimate. Cam Boozer has played as advertised, putting up 20.3 PPG as a freshman. Evans and Ngongba have provided a lot of offense for Duke as well. A big slate of ranked opponents is coming up for the Blue Devils as they host #21-ranked Arkansas on Thanksgiving, host #9-ranked Florida on December 2nd and travel to #14-seeded Michigan State on December 6th.

#4. UConn Huskies (4-1)

Let’s make one thing clear. I don’t like moving UConn back a spot after losing a tight game with Arizona. Why? How do you gauge anything from a UConn team missing Tarris Reed Jr.. Braylon Mullins and Andre Furphy? You simply can’t. But a win is a win and Arizona is impressive nonetheless. UConn has a big one coming up as they’ll host #11-ranked Illinois on Friday. They’ll travel to Kansas on December 2nd.

#3. Arizona Wildcats (5-0)

Regardless of who was and wasn’t on the floor for the contest against UConn, these Wildcats look like legit contenders this year. They have been on an absolute tear against ranked opponents on the road, with a 71-67 win over #4 UConn, a 69-65 win over #24 UCLA and a 93-87 win over #9 Florida. Cats have some big games coming up as they host #21 Auburn on December 6th before traveling to #10 Alabama on December 13th.

#2. Houston Cougars (5-0)

The Cougars’ defense has been the driving force that has made Houston a championship contender. This year is no different. The guard play of Kingston Flemings and Emanuel Sharp have proved very effective for the Cougs. Cenac Jr. and Tugler are also hard to stop on any given night. Look for the Cougars to be right there once again in March. Houston will have a big test at home on Tuesday as they take on the #18-ranked Tennessee Volunteers.

#1. Purdue Boilermakers (6-0)

Did you really think anyone else but the Boilermakers belonged in this spot? Delusional. A 30-point victory over Texas Tech on a neutral floor just goes to show how dominant this group can be when all of the cylinders are firing. Great win on the road against #10-ranked Alabama. They survived a scare on the road against Penny Hardaway’s Memphis Tigers, but have played extremely clean basketball since. Big home game coming up on December 6th as they’ll take on Lipsey and the #15-ranked Iowa State Cyclones.