College Basketball Power Rankings (12/21/23)

Written By Dylan Lieck

College Basketball Power Rankings: 

Author: Dylan Lieck | Dec. 21, 2023 | 5:33 P.M. CST

The landscape of all major college sports have changed drastically over the past half decade. With the new transfer rules, the existence of the transfer portal, NIL money, and the lack of governing rules on all of these things, we’ve entered a time period that resembles the “wild wild west.” I would argue that all of these things have created a much more competitive landscape in college basketball. As a result, we’ve seen one of the wackiest years in college basketball in some time. It legitimately seems like we have a mid-major upsetting a ranked team or a power five school multiple times per week! 


In one of the first games of the season we saw #4 Michigan State go down to James Madison (who is undefeated and ranked in the top 20 by the way). Not too long after that we saw a 2023 Final Four team, in #10 Florida Atlantic go down to Bryant University. And those were just the beginning. Since then we’ve seen Kentucky lose to UNC Wilmington. We’ve seen a 7-1 #25 Northwestern team take down #1 Purdue, and then lose at home to a 3-8 Chicago State team. We saw San Diego University take down Arizona State. We saw LSU lose to damn Nicholls! How about Santa Clara? They RAN through the Pac 12, taking down Stanford, Oregon, and Washington State! Vanderbilt, Louisville, and Xavier all thought getting upset by inferior teams once wasn’t enough, so they all did it twice! Vandy lost to Presbyterian and Western Carolina, Louisville got beat by Chattanooga & Arkansas State, and Xavier got beat on the home floor by both Oakland University and Delaware. To say the start to this season has been wild would be a MASSIVE understatement.


In one of the craziest college basketball seasons ever (and we’re not even two months in), it’s almost impossible to see a clear favorite to cut down the nest in early April. There are legitimately ten to fifteen teams that you could likely convince me have a SHOT to win it all. And, for probably all but five of them, you could convince me that they could also lose in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Nonetheless, with the information and data points we have so far, here is my Top 10 Power Rankings as of Thursday, December 21st, 2023. For clarification, these are my rankings based on who I believe are the BEST teams at this very moment. I’m taking into account multiple things: (1) Statistics & Game Outcomes, (2) Strength of Schedule, (3) Resumé, (4) and how each team has looked live (the eye test). Thus, this will likely not correlate exactly to the AP Poll or KenPom Rankings. 

Top 5

#1 Connecticut Huskies 

  • Record: 10-2

  • AP Poll Rank: #5 

  • KenPom Rank: #4

Summary: 

This team has looked to have the highest ceiling of any team in the country. They lost three major pieces from last year’s national title run, but they’ve reloaded per usual. Going into last night their lone loss came on the road against Kansas in Allen Fieldhouse, a game that essentially came down to the final possession where UCONN had a good look at a three that would’ve won it. Early in the season the Huskies were missing a key contributor in Stephon Castle, a highly rated freshman. However, they ran through their early season schedule. They have three double digit wins against top 15 teams, including an 11 point win over #9 North Carolina, and a ten point win over #10 Gonzaga, both of which came on neutral floors (and the game against Gonzaga was in Seattle). Going into last night, the Huskies looked to me to be the clear cut #1 team in the land. However, they stumbled in their second true road game at Seton Hall. Seton Hall is not a very good team, and they’ve traditionally not had a great home court advantage. 

The main reason I’m somewhat dismissing the loss is because Donavan Clingan, their best big man (and likely All-American), injured his ankle in the first half. This was also a conference road game, in a place that has traditionally given UCONN problems. Overall, if the Huskies played any team in the country on a neutral floor right now, they would be a favorite of at least 3 points, according to my CBB Sports Betting Power Ratings. To me this team is still the best team in the country when healthy, although I’m slightly less impressed with them following the 15-point loss at Seton Hall.  Look for the Huskies to bounce back the next couple weeks. I would be surprised if they didn’t rattle of 5+ games in a row, and have some impressive road wins along the way.

#2 Arizona Wildcats 

  • Record: 9-1

  • AP Poll Rank: #4

  • KenPom Rank: #3

Summary: 

The Wildcats are a team that I’ve held in high regard all season. In fact, I’d say they’ve been my #2 team all season, just slightly behind UCONN. An Arizona, UCONN National Title would be an absolute treat if it played out that way. They are probably the two most talented teams in the country, both have fantastic coaches, and both are storied programs. However, Arizona is the one more likely to NOT hold up their end of the bargain, as the Wildcats have really struggled in making deep March runs over the past decade. Tommy Lloyd in company know this first hand after their crushing 1st round defeat at the hands of 15 seed Princeton last season. 

That said, this 2023 version of the Wildcats is the most talented Arizona team I’ve seen in over a decade. In addition to the return of Oumar Ballo, Pelle Larson, and Kylan Boswell, the defending Pac-12 Champs also added two elite players with Final Four experience: Caleb Love (North Carolina) & Keshad Johnson. So far this season, those major additions have paid significant dividends, as Love & Johnson are the two leading scorers for the Wildcats through their first ten games. The Cats may have the best win of the season so far, as they went to Cameron Indoor and took down the #2 ranked Blue Devils on their home floor. They followed that up a few weeks later taking down #21 Michigan State, in a game they led from start to finish. They also dismantled a top 25 Wisconsin team at home by 25 points. Their lone loss came to the current #1 team in the AP Poll, the Purdue Boilermakers. The game was technically on a “neutral” floor, however it was played in Indianapolis, which was essentially a home game for the Boilermakers. Arizona made a run late, but it wasn’t enough & they were handed their first loss of the season. 

From what I’ve seen from the Wildcats so far this season, they are clearly one of the best teams in the country. Even though Purdue beat them in Indianapolis, I think the Wildcats are a much more complete team. Purdue just caught Arizona in a bad spot, but I still think the Wildcats are slightly better. On a true neutral floor I believe Arizona would still be a 3 point favorite. 

#3 Houston Cougars 

  • Record: 11-0 

  • AP Poll Rank: #3 

  • KenPom Rank: #1

Summary: 

The Houston Cougars had just three regular season losses last season on their way to a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. This season has started no different, with the Cougars winning 11 straight, as they remain one of the few unbeaten teams left in college basketball. The Cougars did lose 3 of their top 4 scorers from last year's team, including Marcus Sasser and Jerace Walker (both to the NBA). However, Houston did add a big time transfer in LJ Cryer (leading scorer for Baylor last year). Cryer has been a big pickup for the Cougs, as he has led them in scoring this season, putting up north of 17 ppg. The Cougs did have a somewhat significant loss in the past few weeks. In their previous game against Texas A&M, sophomore Terrance Arceneaux  (5.5 PPG, 4.5 RPG ) tore his achilles and was lost for the season. Arceneaux is not a starter, but he is a key piece in the rotation, having appeared in all of Houston’s games this season. 

The Coug’s talent is on par with what they’ve had the past few seasons. Every year Houston is going to be elite in two areas: Defense and Rebounding. And that’s no different this year. However, the addition of Cryer is massive for their possible success in late March. Cryer and Jamal Shed together bolster one of the best backcourts in the country. 

Although I think this Houston has a shot to be the best team Kelvin Sampson has had in his time at Houston, I also can’t know that for sure until I see them play some real competition. The only decent Power 5 teams they’ve played so far this season, they’ve struggled to run away. Last Saturday they beat a decent Texas A&M team, however that same A&M team has really struggled as of late. Houston also struggled to take care of a bad Xavier team on the road earlier this year. Overall, until I see them play some better teams it will be hard for them to crack my top two. They are still a very good team, though. 

#4 Purdue Boilermakers

  • Record: 10-1

  • AP Poll Rank: #1

  • KenPom Rank: #2

Summary: 

The last #1 seed to get upset by a #16 seed went on to win the National Title the following season. Will Purdue follow the trend? I can tell you that it’s very unlikely given the makeup of this Purdue team. That may sound odd if you are a casual college basketball team, or if you like listening to the talking heads on ESPN tell you how good Zach Eddy is every time you turn on a Purdue game. That said, the only other #1 seed to get upset by a #16 seed, the Virginia Cavaliers, did not seem to be a National Champion caliber team either. Everyone doubted Virginia given their distinct style of play leading to a ton of close games. But, they proved everyone wrong in 2019, running through the NCAA tournament. So maybe there is something to be said for everyone doubting a team that is clearly super talented on paper. 

When looking at this version of Purdue, they are almost the exact same roster as last season. They returned 5 of their top 6 scorers from last season, and the only non-returner (Brandon Newman) only averaged 6 PPG last season. If you’re looking at purely resumé so far this season, it would be very difficult to make an argument for any other team as the #1 team. They’ve lost just one game, and it was against a tough conference opponent, in a hostile environment, and it was Purdue’s first true road game. And, it took overtime for Northwestern to take down Purdue. The Boilermakers won the Maui Invitational over the Thanksgiving Holidays, and they did so in impressive fashion. They beat 3 top 11 teams in the country over the course of 3 consecutive days (2 of which are currently ranked in the top 8). Despite the loss to Northwestern a few weeks later, they rebounded with a big time win over #1 Arizona. Now that game was technically on a neutral floor, but as mentioned in Arizona’s breakdown, that was really a home game for Purdue, as it took place in Indianapolis. Still, the Boilermakers have taken care of business against some really good teams, and they’ve overperformed this season (at least according to my expectations). 


The reason I still don’t buy Purdue is a combination of the eye test along with what transpired with this team in the NCAA Tournament last year. My belief for the past few years was that Purdue is a good regular season team, but that the talking heads really overrate Zach Eddy. Yes, he’s massive, and he’s got good touch around the rim. He’s also a very good free throw shooter (Elite for someone that big). But he’s a defensive liability against any team with a stretch-five, he’s unable to defend in the pick and roll against quick & athletic bigs, and he can be neutralized by stronger bigs despite his height advantage against every matchup he sees. Combine that with the fact that Purdue has a multitude of very average guards. Braeden Smith has definitely improved since last season, and he has played outstanding so far this season. But, he’s not good enough to outweigh the lack of talent around him. All of those were the big issues last year, and they are why they lost to a bad Fairleigh Dickinson team in round one of the NCAA Tournament. I don’t see this version of Purdue as much different than last year’s team. Maybe I’m being a bit harsh, but for now I’ve got Purdue at #4, although I don’t disagree with their current #1 ranking, as their resumé speaks for itself. 

#5 Kansas Jayhawks

  • Record: 10-1 

  • AP Poll Rank: #2

  • KenPom Rank: #14 

Summary: 

The Jayhawks come in at #5 largely because of their resumé, along with the fact that there just aren’t many elite teams this season, because from the eye test alone I don’t believe that they are an elite team. Dejuan Harris, their starting PG from last year’s team returns, and so does his inconsistent play. Harris can be an elite point guard when he wants to be, and when he’s good, he’s REALLY good. But when Harris gets in a slump, he can bring the whole team down with him. So far this season he’s played quite well, but we will see if he keeps that up. Obviously the Jayhawks got a key transfer in 7’0 center Hunter Dickinson (Michigan). Dickinson can stretch the floor with his three-point shooting ability, he can play down low in the post with his back to the basket, and he can face up in the mid-range and get to the rim. He’s been really good so far for Kansas. The problem with the Jayhawks roster is after those two guys I’m not quite sure what they have. Kevin McCullers is good at times, but he tends to shrink in big games. He also has not proven to be a consistent shooter over the course of his career, and he relies far too much on getting to the free throw line. The Jayhawks are not deep at all, and that has shown in some of their closer games this season. 

Resumé wise, the Jayhawks have had a heck of a start. Their lone loss came to a top 10 team on a neutral floor in the semi-finals of the Maui Invitational (Marquette). They beat UCONN early in the season, albeit in a home game. The Jayhawks nearly gave the game away late, as UCONN had a good look at a three to win it late, but the Jayhawks survived, and it was still a very good win. Kansas also has wins over Tennessee and Kentucky on neutral floors, both of which are currently ranked in the top 9. As of right now, I don’t see the Jayhawks as a team better than anyone in the top 4. They are very similar to Purdue in terms of my projection for them. That said, they are still a very talented team at the top of their roster, with one of the best coaches in the game, and they’ve had a heck of a start to the season. Thus, they cap off my top five teams. 

#6-#10

#6 Kentucky Wildcats: This is by far the best shooting team Coach Cal has EVER had during his time at Kentucky. When the Wildcats are this good early, it usually bodes well for UK, as they tend to improve as the season goes on, considering they are usually very young. It wouldn’t surprise me if they were a team we saw in a Final Four late in the season. They have wins over #9 North Carolina on a neutral floor last Saturday, as well as a 20-point dismantling of then #8 Miami. Their first loss of the season came against the #1 Kansas Jayhawks, which was by just 4 points. That’s nothing to scoff about, and if that was the only blemish on the resumé I would have them in my top 5. But a baffling loss at home to UNC Wilmington last week knocked them out of my top 5. In a normal year this loss would be a big concern for me, but in a season of crazy upsets, and in this day and age of college basketball the parody makes this loss more explainable. UNC Wilmington is 8-2 so far this season, and is currently in first place in their conference. If the Wildcats get it together late in the season, they could be a dangerous out with their athleticism, talent, and shooting prowess. 

#7 Tennessee Volunteers: The Volunteers would be in my top 10 if I was basing this on what I’ve seen this season or resumé, however Tennessee was not nearly close to full health in two of their three losses this season. First they have guard Zakai Ziegler, a guy who was the Volunteers BEST player last season, returning from a major knee injury last season that caused him to miss the NCAA tournament. As Ziegler gets healthier, this Tennessee team will launch itself to one of the top rankings in the country. That’s why they are still ranked in the top 10, despite 3 losses. They have a legit NBA prospect in Dalton Knecht. He’s been outstanding so far this season, averaging nearly 17 PPG and shooting close to 40% from downtown. When this team is rolling lae in the season, look for them to be at least an elite 8 team if at full health. 

#8 BYU Cougars: This is the team with the worst resumé in terms of quality wins so far this season, but they are an offensive juggernaut. This team is elite at scoring the ball, and they’ve got a ton of dudes who can stretch the floor. Their lone loss came against their in-state rival in the Utah Utes, on the road, in a sold out arena. And it came down to the final few possessions. This is by far the best BYU team I’ve seen since Jimmer Freddette. It will be very interesting to see how they perform against Big 12 Competition night in and night out this season. If they can show they are for real against good competition consistently, they have a shot to be a deep tournament team. 

#9 Florida Atlantic Owls: The loss early in the year to Bryant is absolutely head scratching, however this is still a team that is uber talented. Nearly the entire roster from their final four team a year ago returns. They have elite scorers, athleticism, and toughness. They can defend at a high level. And, most impressively, they can win games in a variety of ways. They are a team who can run and get up and down, and win a game in the 90s. They can also win a grinded out game in the 60s. So this is a team that will be dangerous come tournament time. They’ve lost 5 regular season games in the past two seasons. They have a few quality wins against Texas A&M (who was undefeated at the time), and Butler. However, we will get to see if the Owls are a legit contender again this season soon, as they take on #4 Arizona this weekend. That matchup will tell us a lot about whether the Owls are for real. 

#10 Marquette Golden Eagles: The Golden Eagles have some big time wins this season, including double digit victories over #2 Kansas and #12 Texas. They’ve even gone on the road and won in a hostile environment against a top 20 team in Illinois. Their two losses before conference play came in the Maui Invitational against #1 Purdue, a game that the Golden Eagles did not play very well, and still only lost by 3 points. The other loss was on the road against a top 25 team in Wisconsin, albeit I don’t think Wisconsin is all that good. Still, a very tough place to play, especially if you aren’t used to going there. The most recent loss at Providence dropped them down for me. Before that I had them at #6, but now I’ve got them at #10.

Dylan Lieck