College Basketball Rankings: ESPN shakes up BPI Top 25 after 5 ranked teams fall

Posted by Admin January 15, 2025 Basketball

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ESPN has updated their Basketball Power Index (BPI) Top 25 rankings with a new No. 1 after multiple ranked teams bit the dust Tuesday evening.

To separate the best from the rest, ESPN has their own metrics, such as strength of schedule, offensive and defensive rankings, and chances to win a conference that they consider. With that, the latest rankings are here, and there’s a myriad of teams making a climb up the ladder.

Let’s dive into ESPN’s latest Top 25 in college basketball, ranked through BPI. They may not exactly mirror the AP or Coaches Poll Top 25, but they provide a fascinating look at the top teams in the sport at the moment.

Houston advanced to 12-3 over the weekend with a win over Kansas State. Evidently, the victory was enough for them to leapfrog Duke and head to the top spot in ESPN’s BPI Top 25.

They’ll be hoping to continue their hot streak this week. The Cougars are facing West Virginia on Wednesday, and they’ll follow it up with a clash against UCF in Orlando.

Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images

Duke followed up their win over Notre Dame with another victory over Miami on Tuesday. Still, the Blue Devils fell in the ESPN BPI Top 25, going from the top spot to No. 2.

At 15-2, the 2024-25 campaign is off to a fantastic start for Duke. Their next contest will take place against Boston College in Chestnut Hill on Saturday.

At 16-1, Auburn has been tremendous throughout the season. They survived South Carolina over the weekend, and then they took out their aggression on Mississippi State on Tuesday.

Playing within the SEC will provide them plenty of challenges throughout the season. That’ll be the case this weekend, as the Tigers will face Georgia in Athens.

Tennessee suffered their first loss of the season last week, but they bounced back in a big way over the weekend. Texas was their victim, as they won by four.

It doesn’t get any easier for the Volunteers though. Georgia is on the docket for Wednesday, before a clash against Vanderbilt on Saturday.

Iowa State won once again over the weekend, surviving by the skin of their teeth against Texas Tech by one in overtime. That moved their record to 14-1 on the season.

Looking ahead, the Cyclones will face Kansas on Wednesday, followed by West Virginia on Saturday. It’s a gauntlet, but Iowa State has proven to be up to the challenge.

Kansas defeated Cincinnati by 14 over the weekend. That moved their record to 12-3, as they look to reclaim their spot atop the college basketball world.

The Jayhawks can make a statement this week. They’re facing Iowa State on Wednesday, and that’ll be followed with a rivalry showdown against Kansas State on Saturday.

Arizona has been getting back to business over the past few weeks. They advanced to 11-5 after a win over Baylor on Tuesday.

The Wildcats will hope to keep the good times rolling this weekend. Their next game will come against Texas Tech this weekend in Lubbock.

Alabama fell to Ole Miss on Tuesday. The Rebels came to Tuscaloosa motivated, and they left the Crimson Tide in the lurch.

Looking ahead, they’ll have a bounce back opportunity this weekend. A trip to Lexington to face Kentucky is on the docket.

Illinois suffered a demoralizing loss to USC over the weekend. However, they destroyed Indiana on Tuesday, getting back on ESPN’s good graces.

There’s another chance for the Fighting Illini to improve on Saturday. A trip to East Lansing to face Michigan State is up next.

Gonzaga moved to 14-4 over the weekend. They defeated Washington State by 13, as they look to change the narrative around their season.

The Bulldogs have two games over the rest of the week. Oregon State is their first opponent on Thursday, which will be followed by Santa Clara on Saturday.