Power Rankings: Gonzaga, Auburn, Kentucky make gains
Credit to Author: Jeff Borzello| Date: Sat, 16 Nov 2024 16:09:42 EST
Duke Blue Devils vs. Kentucky Wildcats: Game Highlights (1:54)
The first week of in-season College Basketball Power Rankings is always something of a crapshoot. Preseason priors are still heavily weighted, literally everything is a small sample size and the lack of a consistent competition level across the board makes early comparisons difficult.
Furthermore, one statement win can skyrocket a team up the order.
We saw three of those through the first 10 days of the 2024-25 season: Gonzaga‘s blowout of Baylor on opening night, Auburn beating Houston in Houston and Kentucky coming back to top Duke at Tuesday night’s Champions Classic.
So, how high does each team rise?
Auburn and Gonzaga slot right behind Kansas at the top of the rankings. The short-handed Tigers going into Houston and looking every bit the part of a national championship contender was hugely impressive. They went toe-to-toe with the Cougars’ toughness, Johni Broome won the interior battle for Auburn and Tahaad Pettiford is an emerging star. Gonzaga, meanwhile, was just a force offensively against Baylor. Mark Few’s ability to go eight deep with bona fide shotmakers is something to behold. Both teams should be season-long title threats.
Kentucky, meanwhile, rises into the top 10 as Mark Pope appears to have the Wildcats ahead of schedule. A come-from-behind win on a neutral floor against what should be one of the most talented teams in the country is something that has staying power.
Previous editions: Preseason top 25
Preseason ranking: 1
Kansas nearly blew a 20-point lead at home to North Carolina and had an ugly win over Michigan State, but the Jayhawks will remain atop the rankings entering their next big showdown, against Cooper Flagg and Duke in Las Vegas on Nov. 26. A couple of things to monitor in Lawrence: AJ Storr‘s struggles and the emergence of Flory Bidunga. Storr played well against the Tar Heels, but he has totaled 11 points in 27 minutes in Kansas’ other two games. Bidunga has made an impact behind — and sometimes alongside — Hunter Dickinson, averaging 9.0 points and 5.7 boards in 13.3 minutes.
Next seven days: vs. Oakland (Nov. 16), vs. UNC Wilmington (Nov. 19)
Johni Broome and Tahaad Pettiford combine for 31 of the Tigers’ 46 second-half points, helping snap a six-game losing streak against the Cougars with the 74-69 win.
Preseason ranking: 10
Bruce Pearl has always been a coach who relies heavily on bench production, and it looks as if he’ll have at least two or three players in reserve capable of big nights. Tahaad Pettiford was the headliner from Auburn’s win over Houston, finishing with 21 points and five 3-pointers. He also has totaled 11 assists in three games. More under the radar has been Chaney Johnson, who went for 18 points in Wednesday’s win over Kent State. He has now scored in double figures in all three games and is shooting nearly 79% from the field.
Next seven days: vs. North Alabama (Nov. 18)
Preseason ranking: 6
Khalif Battle was an enigmatic scorer at his previous stops (Butler, Temple, Arkansas), capable of huge scoring outings but also showing tendencies to go cold for long stretches. In reality, reaching his ceiling outcome is exactly what Gonzaga needed on a steady, solid team. And Battle’s shooting prowess has never been in doubt. He already has knocked down seven 3s through two games and has generally played within the offense. And this is his only 2-pointer so far this season:
THIS LOB‼️ 😳
No. 6 Gonzaga vs. Arizona State is a good one 🍿 pic.twitter.com/E7pE8gMxGE
Next seven days: vs. UMass Lowell (Nov. 15), at San Diego State (Nov. 18), vs. Long Beach State (Nov. 20)
Preseason ranking: 2
We’re still waiting for the potential juggernaut offense to fully click — which is a good sign for the Crimson Tide, who are averaging 90 points through three games. Right now, there have been some ups and downs from the perimeter, with the team shooting just over 30% from 3. Some of that is due to small-sample variance, some is the myriad of injuries, some is the influx of several newcomers — and some could be a byproduct of starting Jarin Stevenson and Clifford Omoruyi (and Grant Nelson) together.
Next seven days: at Purdue (Nov. 15), vs. Illinois (Nov. 20)
Preseason ranking: 3
UConn gets one more warmup game before a brutal stretch that features the Maui Invitational, Baylor, Texas, Gonzaga and Xavier in a 23-day span. We’ll talk about Alex Karaban and Liam McNeeley plenty this season — Solo Ball, too, with the way his season is going. But Tarris Reed Jr. has been a consistent factor in each of the Huskies’ three games so far, coming off the bench to average 12.7 points and 9.7 rebounds, including 4.0 offensive boards per game.
Next seven days: vs. Texas A&M Commerce (Nov. 19)
Preseason ranking: 5
There’s not much to glean from Iowa State beating Mississippi Valley State and Kansas City by a combined 65 points, except that T.J. Otzelberger used transfers Dishon Jackson and Joshua Jefferson together in both games’ starting lineups — meaning Milan Momcilovic came off the bench in Game 1 and Curtis Jones came off the bench in Game 2. It’s not an unfamiliar role for Jones, who started only once last season, but it will be interesting to see how Otzelberger handles the rotation moving forward.
Next seven days: vs. IU Indy (Nov. 18)
Preseason ranking: 4
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Houston had only two games last season when it allowed more points per possession than what Auburn scored against the Cougars last weekend. The Tigers dominated around the rim in a way few teams are capable of doing to a Kelvin Sampson team. They also shot better than 71% inside the arc, making 20 2-pointers. Only one team hit more than 20 2s against Houston in a game last season. A big plus from the opening three games has been Milos Uzan‘s quest to replace Jamal Shead; he has 19 assists and just five turnovers.
Next seven days: No games scheduled
Preseason ranking: 23
At halftime during the Champions Classic, it was fair to question whether Kentucky could consistently get points in a half-court setting against a strong opponent. Duke was keeping the Wildcats out of transition, and after an early barrage of 3s, the team’s attack had dried up. Then Mark Pope made some smart tweaks offensively, using Amari Williams and Brandon Garrison as playmakers in the middle of the floor, and Andrew Carr created matchup problems. The Wildcats answered a lot of questions with their second-half showing.
Next seven days: vs. Lipscomb (Tuesday)
Tobe Awaka gets the basket plus the foul
Preseason ranking: 9
Arizona’s schedule kicks up a notch after two easy wins to open the campaign, with a trip to Wisconsin on Friday followed by a home game against Duke and the Battle 4 Atlantis in the Bahamas that could include a title game tilt against Gonzaga or Indiana. Two early notes for the Wildcats: Tennessee transfer Tobe Awaka went for 18 and 15 against Old Dominion, while Estonia native Henri Veesaar is finally showing some of the promise that made him such an intriguing recruit several years ago, averaging 9.0 points and 5.5 rebounds through two games.
Next seven days: at Wisconsin (Nov. 15)
Preseason ranking: 13
Tennessee’s victory over Louisville was as dominant a power-conference road victory as we’ll see all season. The Volunteers were up 10 points before Louisville was able to get on the board, and the Cardinals didn’t get within single digits until midway through the period — and then only briefly. Chaz Lanier was terrific, and the offense looks as if it will run through him in big moments this season. He had 19 points in that game, 18 against Gardner-Webb and 13 against Montana. And he’s shooting nearly 59% from 3 so far.
Next seven days: vs. Austin Peay (Nov. 17)
Duke coach Jon Scheyer discusses the difficulties finishing the game with multiple players cramping.
Preseason ranking: 8
The Champions Classic game flipped against Duke’s favor when Blue Devils center Khaman Maluach began to deal with cramping issues and guard Sion James left the court with a shoulder injury. Maluach was impactful at both ends of the floor, protecting the rim while also providing a lob-and-dunk threat offensively. Given the way Caleb Foster and Tyrese Proctor struggled to make shots in the second half, having the veteran James in there also would have been useful. James’ injury prognosis will be key.
Next seven days: vs. Wofford (Nov. 16)
Preseason ranking: 11
For a player averaging 20.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 5.5 assists through two games, RJ Davis has left a lot of meat on the bone. He is shooting just 29.4% from the field and 22.2% from 3-point range. Considering he has shot at least 42% from the field and 36% from 3 in each of his past three campaigns, we’re incredibly confident this is just a blip. Still, the increased defensive attention on the preseason Wooden Award favorite is a real thing.
Next seven days: vs. American University (Nov. 15)
Preseason ranking: 15
One of my favorite nuggets this season comes courtesy of ESPN Research: Ryan Kalkbrenner‘s 49 points in Creighton’s opener was the fourth most in a season opener for a ranked team in AP poll history. The only players with more are Hall of Famers Bob Pettit, Lew Alcindor and Artis Gilmore. So, in a way, Kalkbrenner is putting up historic numbers to start the campaign. He’s averaging 29.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.0 blocks — shooting an absolutely absurd 35-for-38 from the field, 3-for-3 from 3.
Next seven days: vs. Kansas City (Nov. 16)
Braden Smith knocks down the 3-point shot
Preseason ranking: 16
We knew Braden Smith‘s usage would go through the roof with Zach Edey gone, but the junior point guard could put up some truly huge numbers this season. Smith opened with 12 points, 15 assists and 8 rebounds against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and followed up with 22 points, 6 assists, 9 rebounds and 5 steals against Yale. Purdue has as tough a two-game stretch this coming week as anyone in college basketball, so Smith’s production will be put to the test against Mark Sears and Kam Jones.
Next seven days: vs. Alabama (Nov. 15), at Marquette (Nov. 19)
Preseason ranking: 17
Speaking of Kam Jones, he is somehow exceeding the numbers he was putting up in games without Tyler Kolek last season. Small-sample and schedule-strength caveats apply, but 22.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 2.3 steals on 69.2% field goal and 52.9% 3-point shooting is absolutely wild. One development to keep an eye on is Chase Ross notching four assists in each of his first three games. This is a player who had 48 assists across the first 68 games of his career.
Next seven days: at Maryland (Nov. 15), vs. Purdue (Nov. 18)
Preseason ranking: 7
We won’t be able to truly judge Baylor’s ceiling until Langston Love returns from injury, but the Bears have righted the ship pretty dramatically since the opening loss to Gonzaga — with the play of star freshman and projected top-five NBA pick VJ Edgecombe the headliner. After struggling mightily against the Zags (aside from the dunk over Joe Few), Edgecombe has totaled 24 points, 18 rebounds and 12 assists in the Bears’ two games since, looking more comfortable as a playmaker even if his shot is not yet falling.
THIS POSTER, OH MY‼️
HE ALMOST JUMPED OVER HIM 😳 pic.twitter.com/bfdAazCw8g
Next seven days: vs. Tarleton State (Nov. 17)
Preseason ranking: 19
The loss of Dan Skillings Jr. for weeks following a knee procedure will force a major tweak for Wes Miller. Skillings was the team’s leading scorer and second-leading rebounder last season, despite not cracking the starting lineup until the second half. Connor Hickman moved into the lineup in his place for the second game of this season, with Miller likely hoping he would bring a different look and more perimeter shooting. Former Iowa and Kentucky transfer CJ Fredrick Jr. also could see increased minutes.
Next seven days: vs. Nicholls (Nov. 15), at Northern Kentucky (Nov. 19)
Adou Thiero cashes a triple for Arkansas
Preseason ranking: 14
Through its first three games, Arkansas hasn’t been able to replicate the explosiveness and dynamism it showed in the preseason exhibition against Kansas. The Razorbacks are struggling offensively, and while the perimeter shots finally started falling against Troy (10-for-23), that game was also their least efficient offensive outing of the season. Two early bright spots for John Calipari have been Adou Thiero, who has 43 points in his past two games, and Boogie Fland, who has 17 assists to just five turnovers.
Next seven days: vs. Pacific (Nov. 18)
Preseason ranking: 18
Some things are still a work in progress for this offense, namely Malik Reneau and Oumar Ballo playing alongside each other and the production of the all-transfer backcourt of Kanaan Carlyle and Myles Rice. But through two games, Mackenzie Mgbako looks like the team’s most important player and a potential breakout star. The former top-10 recruit had 31 points and 9 boards in the opener against SIUE and followed up with 18 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists against Eastern Illinois. Most importantly, he has made six 3s.
Next seven days: vs. South Carolina (Nov. 16)
Preseason ranking: 22
Florida’s offense has picked up where it left off last season, scoring at least 1.17 points per possession in each of its first three games. It wasn’t against the stiffest competition, but the Gators look like they will be a handful around the rim due to the size and physicality of their perimeter players. One player who needs to find some consistency is Alijah Martin, who is averaging 12.3 points but shooting 4-for-15 from 3 — including an 0-for-6 outing in the opener. He might hold the key to Florida’s season.
Next seven days: at Florida State (Nov. 15), vs. Florida A&M (Nov. 19)
Micah Parrish buries shot for Ohio State
Preseason ranking: Unranked
Lost in the buzz around Gonzaga’s blowout of Baylor late on opening night was Ohio State beating Texas in Las Vegas. The Buckeyes then went on to top Youngstown State by 34 points earlier this week. The big story of the Bucks’ first two games is the play of freshman guard John Mobley Jr., who entered college with the reputation of a shooter and is very much living up to it so far. He is averaging 15.0 points and is 7-for-8 from 3 despite coming off the bench.
Next seven days: at Texas A&M (Nov. 15), vs. Evansville (Nov. 19)
Preseason ranking: Unranked
St. John’s is already showing signs of being a second-half team. The Red Storm outscored Fordham after halftime by 18; they turned a four-point halftime deficit into a 23-point win against Quinnipiac; and they finished Wednesday’s win over Wagner on a 27-8 run. Kadary Richmond, the No. 1 transfer in the portal last spring, totaled just five points in the past two games. But RJ Luis Jr. has picked up the slack, averaging 16.3 points and 6.7 rebounds.
Next seven days: vs. New Mexico (Nov. 17)
Preseason ranking: Unranked
JT Toppin was one of the best transfer pickups in the country this past spring; with the way he played over the second half of last season, along with his size and skill set, his trajectory was going through the roof. And the New Mexico transfer is already hitting his stride in Lubbock. Through three games, Toppin is averaging 22.7 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.0 blocks and shooting 76.% inside the arc. It hasn’t quite been Big 12-level competition, but the immediate impact is noticeable.
Next seven days: vs. Arkansas Pine Bluff (Nov. 18)
Preseason ranking: 20
A two-point home win over Grambling followed by a victory over South Alabama that was a one-possession game in the final five minutes isn’t exactly the statement the Rebels wanted to make in the opening weeks. The offense has been really poor the past two games: 0.94 points per possession against Grambling, 0.98 against South Alabama. Ole Miss is shooting just 44% inside the arc — including just 8-for-26 on 2s against the Jaguars.
Next seven days: vs. Colorado State (Nov. 16)
Preseason ranking: 25
Rutgers is still waiting for the debut of Ace Bailey, the projected No. 2 pick in the NBA draft. He has missed the first two games of the season with what ESPN’s Jonathan Givony reported was a minor hip flexor injury. Bailey and Dylan Harper are expected to form the best freshman duo in the country. With Bailey out, though, Steve Pikiell is getting surprising production from another freshman, big man Lathan Sommerville. In two games, he’s averaging 12.5 points and 6.0 rebounds.
Next seven days: vs. Monmouth (Nov. 15), vs. Merrimack (Nov. 20)
Dropped out: Texas A&M (No. 12), Texas (No. 21), UCLA (No. 24)