Purdue maintained the No. 1 spot in this week’s Associated Press Top 25 poll, but two of its Big Ten counterparts — Michigan and Michigan State — took big leaps forward after impressive weeks.
The Boilermakers (7-0) still received 40 of 61 first-place votes after a light week that included a 109-62 win over Eastern Illinois. Arizona 7-0 followed at No. 2 for the second consecutive week and received six first-place votes.
Behind them at No. 3 was Michigan (7-0), which jumped up from No. 7 and received 15 first-place votes after winning the Players Era Festival in dominant fashion. The Wolverines defeated No. 11 Gonzaga 101-61 in Wednesday’s final in Las Vegas and won their three games by a combined 110 points.
It’s Michigan’s highest ranking since February 2021.
Duke (8-0) and UConn (6-1) rounded out the top five.
Other big risers: Michigan State (7-0) moved up four spots to No. 7 after a win over No. 16 North Carolina on Thursday. No. 10 Iowa State (7-0) climbed five spots after going 3-0 at Players Era, and No. 13 Tennessee (7-1) jumped four spots after a 2-1 week in Vegas. No. 17 Vanderbilt (8-0) had the biggest jump of the week, moving up seven spots after impressive wins over Western Kentucky, VCU and Saint Mary’s.
St. John’s (from No. 14 to No. 23), Houston (No. 3 to No. 8) and Florida (No. 10 to No. 15) were the biggest fallers.
Kansas (6-2) and USC (7-0), at Nos. 21 and 24, respectively, joined the poll, replacing UCLA and NC State.
Here’s the full poll, along with the ballot of The Athletic’s C.J. Moore:
1
7-0
1
2
2
7-0
2
3
3
7-0
7
1
4
8-0
4
6
5
6-1
5
6
6
7-0
6
4
7
7-0
11
7
8
7-1
3
9
9
6-1
9
11
10
7-0
15
12
11
7-1
12
16
12
5-2
8
5
13
7-1
17
10
14
6-2
13
13
15
5-2
10
15
16
6-1
16
14
17
8-0
24
18
18
5-2
19
17
19
6-2
20
22
20
6-2
21
21
21
6-2
NR
NR
22
7-0
25
NR
23
4-3
14
NR
24
7-0
24
23
25
5-2
22
19
NR
7-0
NR
22
NR
8-0
NR
23
Others receiving votes: Iowa 99, UCLA 59, Nebraska 52, TCU 35, Missouri 28, Utah St. 16, Saint Mary’s 15, Baylor 13, Oklahoma St. 12, SMU 12, Clemson 10, LSU 7, Seton Hall 6, Wisconsin 6, NC State 5, Wake Forest 3, California 2, Colorado 1, George Mason 1, Buffalo 1
Iowa State’s big jump
Iowa State made the biggest leap in my rankings this week after the Players Era Festival. I thought the Cyclones would be good this year, but worried about the shooting guard spot and the graduation of Curtis Jones.
One reason the Cyclones played so well in Vegas was freshman Killyan Toure, who has started every game and slid over to point guard in the absence of Tamin Lipsey. Toure scored 39 points and had seven assists over the final two games in Vegas with Lipsey sidelined. Coach T.J. Otzelberger and his staff continue to identify players who fit them and turn out to be underrated. Toure is the next one. Also, Joshua Jefferson is playing at an All-American level. He’s Iowa State’s go-to player. He’s been excellent on both ends. The biggest test yet awaits for the Cyclones on Saturday: A trip to Purdue.
Gonzaga still rising, despite loss
I had been ranking Gonzaga much higher than the consensus. Last week, I had the Zags at No. 5, and they were 12th in the AP poll. I figured, even if they lost to Michigan on Thursday, assuming it was a close loss, I would likely keep them in the same spot and maybe drop them from No. 5 to No. 6. Then the 40-point pantsing happened.
Still, the resume demands Gonzaga should be a top-10 team. The Zags rank fifth at KenPom and fifth in the NCAA’s NET ratings, released for the first time this season on Monday. They’re ninth at Bart Torvik and 10th at Evan Miya, two additional analytics sites. I’ve got the Zags eighth, and they get another shot this week to show they’re worthy with a semi-road game against Kentucky in Nashville on Friday.
Why I ranked Iowa
New to my poll this week is Iowa, which beat another team (Ole Miss) who had been hanging around in my keeping-an-eye-on section of the Top 25. The Hawkeyes are No. 16 in Monday’s NET ratings and have the 11th-best offense on a per-possession basis in college hoops. Coach Ben McCollum was a legend at Division II and is proving to be an elite coach at this level as well. In two years in Division I, his teams are 38-4, and 6-1 against high-major competition. Bennett Stirtz, who followed McCollum from Northwest Missouri State to Drake and now Iowa, is playing at an All-American level as well, which means it’s conceivable we could have two All-Americans from the state of Iowa.
The Hawkeyes get their biggest test yet at Michigan State on Tuesday.
