College basketball rankings: Auburn, Tennessee on top; Illinois makes big jump

The arrival of 2025 means that conference play is in full swing in college basketball and the road to March kicks up a couple of notches in intensity.

These next two months are going to be one wild roller coaster ride, and we got a taste of it this past week with a couple of statement-making performances that resulted in a shakeup in my latest college basketball rankings.

Here’s my biggest takeaway before getting to the rankings:

The SEC is at the top of the sport, but the depth of the Big Ten should not be underestimated.

In my Top 25 this week, I have a total of seven teams from the Big Ten, highlighted by Brad Underwood’s Illinois squad, which made as large of a statement as we’ve seen this season with a resounding 109-77 road win at Oregon.

We get to that victory and much more in our team capsules below, with the top of the rankings remaining the same and headlined by the great debate between Auburn and Tennessee.

That said, let’s get to our Top 25!

1. Auburn (13-1)

The Tigers stay in my top spot because of their overall body of work and the fact that they’ve got the No. 1 offense, according to KenPom, and a top-15 defense with the national player of the year frontrunner, Johni Broome, leading the way. Bruce Pearl tied Joel Eaves as the winningest head coach in Auburn men’s basketball history with his 213th victory, as the Tigers beat Missouri on Saturday, 84-68. Broome had 24 points and seven rebounds, one of five in double-figures and one of seven to knock down a 3-pointer. The balance of this team is special.

2. Tennessee (14-0)

The Volunteers opened SEC play by giving Arkansas a big reality check, handing the Razorbacks a 76-52 defeat in Knoxville on Saturday. It’s frankly amazing that Rick Barnes and his staff have managed to make a second straight transfer portal addition that is having an All-American first-team season. North Florida transfer Chaz Lanier has been fantastic and continued his strong season on Saturday with 29 points on 10-of-20 shooting from the floor. Igor Milicic Jr. had 13 points and 18 rebounds, part of a 51-29 advantage on the glass for Tennessee.

3. Iowa State (12-1)

After the Cyclones reached the Sweet 16 last year and brought back the majority of this core, all signs pointed to them being a top 5-6 team in America — but it’s another thing to back up the talk. They’ve done that in every way and then some to this point. At 12-1 on the season, they look like the top team in the Big 12 week after week. That continued Saturday with a 74-55 blowout over Baylor behind 16 points, 10 rebounds and five assists from Keshon Gilbert. This team’s offensive evolution stands out with Saint Mary’s transfer Joshua Jefferson providing a nice boost.

4. Duke (12-2)

The Blue Devils gave quite the ACC welcome to SMU on Saturday, traveling down to Dallas and blowing out the Mustangs, 89-62. This Duke team has won eight consecutive games, with Cooper Flagg putting up his latest big-time performance with 24 points, 11 rebounds and three assists, while Kon Knueppel and Tyrese Proctor combined to make seven 3s. I believe this team will have less than three ACC losses and will be a No. 1 seed on Selection Sunday.

5. Alabama (12-2)

The Crimson Tide put an end to Oklahoma‘s undefeated season with a statement-making 107-79 win over the Sooners on Saturday night in Tuscaloosa in the SEC opener. When this Tide team locks in defensively, they are national-championship-level good. Nate Oats’ squad outscored Oklahoma 48-31 in the first half, holding OU superstar Jeremiah Fears to 0-for-7 shooting from the floor. The emerging X-factor for the Tide: Kansas transfer Labaron Philon, who’s averaging 15 points per contest over the past three weeks.

6. Marquette (13-2)

Shaka Smart should be a candidate for national coach of the year. He lost Tyler Kolek and Oso Ighodaro to the NBA, and he was thought to have a top-25ish team. Instead, they’ve beaten Purdue, Wisconsin, Maryland and Georgia in non-conference play and are off to a 4-0 start in Big East play after a 79-71 win over Creighton on Friday. Kam Jones posted 22 points, nine rebounds and five assists in that game, while Stevie Mitchell had 18 in the victory. Jones is in the conversation for national player of the year, but Mitchell is also one of America’s best guards and does so much for Smart’s team.

7. Kentucky (12-2)

The Wildcats made an opening statement in SEC play on Saturday, handing Florida its first loss of the season with a 106-100 victory in Lexington behind a 7-of-9 shooting performance from beyond the arc from Koby Brea and six players scoring at least 14 points. Mark Pope has instilled a new offense that has to be refreshing for Big Blue Nation to watch, as the Cats shot 55% from the floor in the win over a great Florida team, and Lamont Butler had 19 points and eight assists.

8. Houston (10-3)

The Cougars are No. 1 in the Torvik rankings and No. 3 in KenPom, so I have no problem putting them higher than most pundits. Why? Because I’m not faulting Houston for losing a couple of close games to Alabama, Auburn and San Diego State. Two of those teams are above them in these rankings, and all three defeats were by five points or fewer. This team is making some progress offensively, and we saw that Saturday, as Kelvin Sampson’s team hit 16 3-pointers en route to an 86-55 win over BYU. Emanuel Sharp is a stud, going for 18 points on Saturday, while Terrance Arceneaux provided a nice spark off the bench.

9. Florida (13-1)

The Gators are undefeated no more, but Todd Golden’s team is still a Final Four contender and has one of nation’s best backcourts, highlighted by Walter Clayton and Alijah Martin. They combined for 59 of the team’s 100 points in Saturday’s loss at Kentucky. The Gators can score with the best of them, ranking No. 3 in KenPom adjusted offensive efficiency.

10. Illinois (11-3)

The Fighting Illini are my big winner of the week, and it’s because of what they did to Oregon in Eugene on Thursday. The 32-point win margin was the largest by a road team over an AP Top 10 squad in the history of college basketball. Brad Underwood’s group was led by Tre White, who had 20 points and 11 rebounds, while Evansville transfer Ben Humrichous broke out for 18 points in a very encouraging performance for his season. What did Illinois show me? That it’s the most talented team in the Big Ten. Does that mean it wins this league or goes the furthest in March Madness? Not necessarily, but with Kasparas Jakucionis’ skill set and its depth of options, I love everything about this group.

11. Texas A&M (12-2)
12. UConn (12-3)
13. Michigan State (12-2)
14. Mississippi State (13-1)
15. Memphis (12-3)
16. Kansas (10-3)
17. Oklahoma (13-1)
18. Ole Miss (12-2)
19. West Virginia (11-2)
20. Oregon (13-2)
21. Gonzaga (12-4)
22. Purdue (11-4)
23. Michigan (11-3)
24. Nebraska (12-2)
25. Utah State (14-1)

John Fanta is a national college basketball broadcaster and writer for FOX Sports. He covers the sport in a variety of capacities, from calling games on FS1 to serving as lead host on the BIG EAST Digital Network to providing commentary on The Field of 68 Media Network. Follow him at @John_Fanta.