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Jeff Borzello, ESPN Staff Writer
A week ago, we had Tennessee No. 1 and Auburn No. 2. The Volunteers then went out and beat Illinois on the road … and we’re dropping them to No. 2.
So what’s the reasoning?
Simply put, Auburn has been far more dominant than Tennessee, despite the Vols being undefeated and Auburn suffering a loss to Duke earlier this month. The Tigers have been the most dominant team through six weeks in the history of KenPom’s database, and they rank No. 1 in every efficiency-based metric. They also own wins over Iowa State, Houston, Memphis, North Carolina and Ohio State — all away from home — and have the most Quadrant 1 wins in the country with five.
Tennessee is terrific and it’s not a surprise to see the Vols sit at No. 1 in the AP poll. They will very likely enter SEC play at 13-0. But they haven’t beaten anyone ranked inside the top 20 of the Power Rankings yet.
While it’s close, Auburn has a superior résumé, superior metrics — and we would take the Tigers on a neutral court. If Tennessee beats Florida on the road on Jan. 7 — or Auburn falls to Purdue this weekend — we will revisit this debate.
1:23
Auburn’s Johnson explains offensive outburst coming off the bench
Stepping up after an injury to Johni Broome, Chaney Johnson reflects on his mindset as his role changes and he scores 26 points on 12-of-14 shooting.
Previous ranking: 2
All eyes are on the availability of Johni Broome, who played just three minutes against Georgia State on Monday before leaving with a shoulder injury. He sat on the bench in the second half with his arm in a sling. The school announced Wednesday that Broome didn’t need surgery, but he will be reevaluated on a daily basis. Bruce Pearl replaced Broome on Tuesday with Chaney Johnson, who had the best game of his career: 26 points on 12-for-14 shooting, eight rebounds and four assists.
Next seven days: vs. Purdue in Birmingham (Dec. 21)
Previous ranking: 1
Tennessee’s defensive performance against Western Carolina was the program’s best in the history of the KenPom database, limiting the Catamounts to 0.49 points per possession (36 points on 73 possessions). Given the Volunteers have ranked in the top five in adjusted defensive efficiency in each of the past five years, it’s a tremendously impressive record. Oddly enough, Tennessee’s previous record for fewer points per possession allowed? Nov. 30, 1998, against … Western Carolina.
Next seven days: vs. Middle Tennessee (Dec. 23)
Previous ranking: 3
It’s hard to understate the impact that Saint Mary’s transfer Joshua Jefferson has had on the Cyclones. He was considered a perfect pickup in the portal given his track record for defense and toughness with the Gaels, but Jefferson has dramatically improved Iowa State on the offensive end. He went for 19 points, 10 rebounds and 7 assists against Iowa, has scored in double-figures in five straight games and gives the Cyclones’ offense different looks due to his versatility.
Next seven days: at Morgan State (Dec. 22)
Previous ranking: 4
Lamont Butler missed two games, including Kentucky’s win in Seattle over Gonzaga, and wasn’t even a lock to suit up against Louisville on Saturday. Not only did he suit up, but he also started and put up an eye-popping stat line: 33 points on 10-for-10 shooting, 6-for-6 from 3, and six assists. He was only the second SEC player in the past 20 years to finish with 30-plus points on 100% field goal shooting, according to ESPN Research.
Next seven days: vs. Ohio State in New York (Dec. 21)
1:44
No. 5 UK’s Butler ecstatic after career-high 33 points vs. Louisville
Following his perfect shooting performance including six threes in the rivalry win, Lamont Butler says Mark Pope helped the Wildcats form strong connections in the preseason.
Previous ranking: 6
Jon Scheyer made a lineup change heading into the Auburn game Dec. 4, moving Caleb Foster to the bench and slotting Sion James into the starting five. James, the fifth-year Tulane transfer, has brought a different level of physicality and two-way ability, while also allowing Foster to be a spark offensively off the bench. In his four games as a starter, James is averaging 8.3 and 4.3 rebounds, including 11 points in the win over Louisville.
Next seven days: at Georgia Tech (Dec. 21)
Previous ranking: 7
Full credit to Nate Oats for going on the road to North Dakota to play a homecoming game for Grant Nelson, but it was nearly a catastrophic trip for the Crimson Tide. They barely got out of Grand Forks with a win, surviving a 40-point effort from North Dakota sharpshooter Treysen Eaglestaff. It was fitting that Nelson made three huge plays down the stretch and finished with 23 points and 10 boards, while Mark Sears has now hit 20-plus points in five of his past six games.
Next seven days: vs. Kent State (Dec. 22)
Previous ranking: 8
Next seven days: vs. North Florida (Dec. 21)
Florida had its two toughest games of the season in the past week, dominating Arizona State in Atlanta over the weekend and then surging late to beat North Carolina in Charlotte after blowing a 17-point first-half lead. In addition to the usual suspects on the perimeter — Walter Clayton Jr., Will Richard and Alijah Martin — Todd Golden has gotten good mileage recently out of Denzel Aberdeen. He’s scored 12 points in two of the past three games and is shooting 40% from 3 on the season.
Previous ranking: 10
Oregon at No. 8 in the country might feel high — but the résumé speaks for itself. The Ducks have neutral-court wins over Alabama, Texas A&M and San Diego State — three teams in the top 20 of the Power Rankings. Their only loss is by two points to UCLA, another team in the top 20 of the Power Rankings. Whether Dana Altman’s team is a legitimate Big Ten title contender in its first season in the league will be tested by its next five conference games: vs. Illinois, vs. Maryland, at Ohio State, at Penn State, vs. Purdue.
Next seven days: at Stanford in San Jose (Dec. 21)
Previous ranking: 5
Marquette opened Big East play with a 10-point win over Butler on Wednesday, but the Golden Eagles’ defensive issues are continuing to crop up. After allowing just one team to score more than one point per possession in their first eight games, they’ve now allowed four straight opponents to hit at least 1.11 points per possession. According to CBB Analytics, Marquette ranks outside the top 140 nationally in 2-point percentage defense, fast-break points allowed and paint points allowed.
Next seven days: at Xavier (Dec. 21)
Previous ranking: 11
After one of the least productive five-game stretches of his college career, Hunter Dickinson has been far dominant in Kansas’ past two games. He’s coming off a 21-point, 14-rebound, 7-assist performance against NC State and had 19 points, 14 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 blocks in the loss to Missouri. In the five games before the defeat, he was averaging 10.4 points and 8.8 rebounds — capped by just six points in the loss at Creighton. He’s up to No. 4 in KenPom’s Player of the Year standings.
Next seven days: vs. Brown (Dec. 22)
Previous ranking: 17
Texas A&M added to its incredibly strong away-from-home résumé last weekend, beating Purdue in Indianapolis — meaning the Aggies have beaten the Boilermakers, Texas Tech, Creighton and Rutgers outside of College Station. Minnesota transfer Pharrel Payne had his best game in an A&M uniform, finishing with 16 points and nine rebounds. Payne has been noticeably more productive coming off the bench, averaging 8.8 points and 3.6 boards in five games as a reserve, compared to 5.8 points in six games as a starter.
Next seven days: vs. Houston Christian (Dec. 20)
Previous ranking: 19
UConn’s win over Xavier was more difficult than expected, especially since the Musketeers were without Zach Freemantle. But the Huskies pulled it out in overtime, somehow it’s their first conference-opening win in Hartford since 1995. Tarris Reed Jr. has been stellar during the recent winning streak, highlighted by his 20-point, 13-rebound performance against the Musketeers. It was needed given Samson Johnson‘s absence due to a concussion suffered against Gonzaga.
Next seven days: at Butler (Dec. 21)
Previous ranking: 13
Sean Pedulla was one of the more intriguing transfers to monitor entering this season. After earning All-ACC honors at Virginia Tech, Pedulla opted for a completely different system and style when he ended up at Ole Miss. But the Oklahoma native is thriving in Oxford. He’s having the most efficient offensive season of his career, while also making his biggest defensive impact. After scoring at least 16 points in three straight games, Pedulla was held to nine points against Southern but dished out seven assists and totaled seven blocks and steals.
Next seven days: vs. Queens (Dec. 21)
Previous ranking: 22
Another team that’s gotten back to playing the staunch defense normally associated with its head coach is UCLA, which is now third nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency. The Bruins have allowed just two teams to score more than one point per possession, and they won both of those games. They lead the nation in defensive turnover percentage, and opponents are shooting just 29.1% from 3-point range against them.
Next seven days: vs. North Carolina in New York (Dec. 21)
Previous ranking: Unranked
Tuesday’s game against UNLV had all the hallmarks of a classic trap game. Dayton was coming off a huge home win over Marquette and the Flyers head to Cincinnati to play the in-state rival Bearcats on Friday. UNLV, meanwhile, had lost three of its past four games. And if not for Malachi Smith‘s bucket-and-foul with eight seconds left, Dayton would have dropped a stunner at home. But the Flyers came out with the win and have a chance to add a fourth victory over a power conference opponent this weekend.
Next seven days: at Cincinnati (Dec. 20)
Previous ranking: 9
Mark Few has a balanced eight-man rotation that seems to feature a different player or two every game in a starring role (outside of Ryan Nembhard, who shoulders a heavy role every night). According to EvanMiya.com, the Zags have five different lineups they have used for at least 45 possessions. Their most effective, both offensively and defensively, is one that features all three key reserves — Braden Huff, Ben Gregg, Dusty Stromer — plus Nembhard and Khalif Battle. Something to monitor moving forward.
Next seven days: vs. Bucknell (Dec. 21)
Previous ranking: 18
Jeremiah Fears‘ incredible freshman campaign had its biggest moment Wednesday night. The 18-year-old, who was still playing AAU in the summer and didn’t reclassify until July, finished with 30 points, including 20 in the second half and a stunning four-point play with 11 seconds left to beat Michigan. He was averaging 16.7 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.7 assists entering the game, scoring in double figures in every contest.
Next seven days: vs. Central Arkansas (Dec. 22)
Previous ranking: 14
A name to watch for San Diego State is freshman forward Pharaoh Compton, who recently earned back-to-back Mountain West Freshman of the Week honors. Compton hasn’t started a game yet for the Aztecs, but he had 13 points in the overtime win over Houston in Las Vegas and then had 12 points and six rebounds in a victory over San Diego. And most importantly for Brian Dutcher, he’s active defensively and on the offensive glass.
Next seven days: at California in San Jose (Dec. 21)
Previous ranking: 15
The emergence of Joseph Tugler as a legitimate NBA prospect has been a fascinating storyline for the Cougars this season. He’s averaging just 5.8 points, but he’s skyrocketed up NBA draft boards — just outside the top 30 in ESPN’s latest 2025 rankings — because of his elite defensive ability and offensive rebounding prowess. Against Toledo on Wednesday, he also showed some offensive pop, scoring 13 points (while also totaling five blocks and steals).
Next seven days: vs. Texas A&M Corpus Christi (Dec. 21)
Previous ranking: 25
Outside of Kam Jones, there’s a case to be made that PJ Haggerty has been the best guard in college basketball this season — and he showed it again against Virginia on Tuesday. He finished with 27 points, five rebounds and five assists. According to ESPN Research, it was the 37th straight game Haggerty has scored in double figures, the second-longest active double-digit scoring streak in Division I. He was averaging 21.9 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists entering the game.
Next seven days: vs. Mississippi State (Dec. 21)
Previous ranking: 12
Against power conference competition, perhaps Purdue’s biggest predictor of success has been its ability to take care of the ball. The Boilermakers turned it over 13 times against Marquette, 22 times against Penn State and 16 times against Texas A&M — all losses. In their biggest wins — over Alabama, NC State, Ole Miss and Maryland — they coughed it up fewer than seven times per game. Auburn doesn’t turn teams over a ton, but Purdue is in trouble Saturday if it can’t deal with the Tigers’ aggressiveness and physicality.
Next seven days: at Auburn in Birmingham (Dec. 21)
Previous ranking: 20
After a pair of less-than-impressive performances against Prairie View A&M and McNeese, Chris Jans made a lineup change, replacing Riley Kugel with Claudell Harris Jr. Harris, a Boston College transfer, responded with 19 points and five 3-pointers in a win over Central Michigan. He’s averaging 14.8 points and shooting 44.4% from 3 in his past four games. Kugel, meanwhile, is averaging 5.5 points on 37.5% shooting in his past four games since dropping 22 in the loss to Butler.
Next seven days: at Memphis (Dec. 21)
Previous ranking: 21
Michigan State pulled away in the second half against Oakland on Tuesday, with the Spartans running their winning streak to four games behind 18 points off the bench from Xavier Booker, who has hit double-figures in four straight. But the funniest part of the night came from Tom Izzo and Greg Kampe wearing matching sweaters.
Next seven days: Florida Atlantic (Dec. 21)
Previous ranking: 24
Baylor is in the midst of a 16-day break between games — and a 20-day break between games against Division I opponents. While most of the attention on the Bears has been for their explosive perimeter group or Miami transfer Norchad Omier, the surprise for Scott Drew’s unit is junior big man Josh Ojianwuna. The Nigeria native scored in double figures five times total in his first two seasons in Waco; he’s already matched that number this season. He’s been a real asset on the offensive glass, too.
Next seven days: None
Previous ranking: Unranked
St. John’s has yet to notch a marquee win this season, losing in double overtime to Baylor and by three to Georgia in a four-day span in late November. But the Red Storm have elite metrics, ranking in the top 25 in the NET, while sitting in the top 15 at KenPom and Bart Torvik. Rick Pitino is getting breakout seasons from Zuby Ejiofor and Simeon Wilcher; the latter is averaging 13.3 points and shooting 40% from 3 over his past four games.
Next seven days: at Providence (Dec. 20)
Dropped out: Clemson Tigers (No. 16), Illinois Fighting Illini (No. 23)