Coaches Poll Top 25 College Basketball Rankings released after Week 17

The USA TODAY Coaches Poll Top 25 has been updated following one of the final weeks of the regular season for the 2024-2025 men’s college basketball campaign.

February has come and gone, and with March upon us, awesome matchups and intriguing results begin to matter more and more. Many of the top teams in the country were able to stamp their mark on the week, while others fell in the process, leading to some serious changes throughout the Top 25.

With that in mind, the sport’s brightest coaching minds put their brains together to come up with some rankings after Week 17. Check out the Top 25 below, and see if your team made the cut as the season progresses.

1. Auburn

What a week it was for Auburn. The Tigers kept their foot on the gas against their SEC rivals, first defeating Ole Miss by 30 points on Wednesday evening, and then going into Lexington and taking it to Kentucky, where they dropped the Wildcats by 16 points. 

The final week of the season brings more potential statements to Auburn’s doorstep. They’ll face Texas A&M on the road on Tuesday night, before finishing their regular season with their classic rivalry showdown against Alabama, and this time it’ll be at home for the 27-2 Tigers.

2. Duke

Duke is taking names and kicking some butt at this point in the season. Last week, they beat Miami by 37 on Tuesday evening, and then they won over the Florida State Seminoles by 35. It wasn’t exactly a stressful week.

To finish out their regular season, the Blue Devils will face Wake Forest on Monday, before their age-old rivalry showdown with North Carolina takes place this coming Saturday night. They can’t take either team lightly, and Jon Scheyer will have to keep his team on their toes.

3. Houston (+1)

Houston continued their roll over the past couple of days. They advanced to 25-4 on the season, by way of defeating Texas Tech last Monday, and Cincinnati over the weekend. 

Kansas is on the docket for tonight, and then the Cougars will finish out their regular season with a trip to Baylor to take on the Bears. Each of those teams are traditionally some of the best the Big 12 has to offer, but Houston is going to be looking to establish their dominance this time around. 

4. Tennessee (+1)

Tennessee had a fruitful week to strengthen their resume. First, the Volunteers defeated LSU by six this past Tuesday, but the big win came on Saturday, when they were able to defeat Alabama by three in Knoxville. 

At 24-5, Tennessee seems primed to make a run at a championship this season. They’ll finish out their season with a trip to Ole Miss on Wednesday, before welcoming South Carolina to town for a matinee showdown this coming Saturday. 

5. Florida (-2)

Florida suffered a defeat at the hands of their former coach in Mike White, as Georgia sent them packing with a five-point loss last Tuesday. However, they bounced back in a nice way over the weekend, beating Texas A&M by 19 on Saturday. 

The Gators will travel to Alabama to face the Crimson Tide on Wednesday in a doozy of a game. Then, their final game of the regular season will be this coming Saturday, with Ole Miss coming to Gainesville. 

6. St. John’s (+1)

St. John’s continues to roll under Rick Pitino. The Red Storm clinched the Big East regular season title over the weekend, as they were able to celebrate following their 10-point win over the Seton Hall Pirates inside Madison Square Garden.

At 26-4, St. John’s feels like a real contender, with the NCAA Tournament looming large in the distance. Their final game of the season will against Marquette on Saturday afternoon, as the Red Storm hopes to finish their campaign with only four losses.

7. Michigan State (+1)

Michigan State notched two major Big Ten victories over the past week. First, they went on the road and defeated the Maryland Terrapins. Then, the Spartans took care of business, beating Wisconsin by nine inside the Breslin Center.

At 24-5, it’s been a heck of a season for Tom Izzy’s bunch. They’ll be looking to finish out the season in a strong fashion, with the Iowa Hawkeyes and Michigan Wolverines on the schedule this week.

8. Alabama (-2)

Alabama started off their week with a bang, defeating Mississippi State by 38 points. However, they were tripped up on Saturday, as Tennessee defeated the Crimson Tide in Knoxville by three. 

At 23-6, Alabama is still among the best teams in the nation, but they certainly have the most difficult schedule in the country during the final week of the regular season. First, they’ll welcome Florida to Tuscaloosa on Wednesday, and then they’ll have to travel to face Auburn on the road this coming Saturday. 

9. Texas Tech (+1)

Texas Tech suffered some serious disappointment to start the week, as they couldn’t overcome the vaunted Houston Cougars in Lubbock. However, they bounced back over the weekend, beating Kansas by six in Lawrence. 

At 22-7, the Red Raiders gave a shot to advance to 24 wins during the final week of the season. They’ll face Colorado and Arizona State this week, and both teams are bringing up the rear in the Big 12 at the moment. 

10. Iowa State (-1)

Iowa State suffered a disappointing loss to Oklahoma State to start their week. They bounced back in a nice way though, taking care of business against Arizona back in Ames over the weekend.

This week they’ll welcome BYU to the Hilton Coliseum on Tuesday, and then they’ll finish out their regular season on the road, facing Kansas State on Saturday. We’ll see if they can get to 24 wins by the end of their scheduled contests.

Coaches Poll Top 25 — Nos. 11-25:

11. Clemson (+3)
12. Wisconsin
13. Louisville (+4)
14. Maryland (+1)
15. Michigan (-2)
16. Memphis (+2)
17. Saint Mary’s (+3)
18. Purdue (+1)
19. Missouri (-3)
20. Marquette (+2)
21. Texas A&M (-10)
22. BYU (NR)
23. Arizona (-2)
24. Kentucky (-1)
25. VCU (NR)

Schools Dropped Out: No. 24 Mississippi State; No. 25 Creighton

Others Receiving Votes: Mississippi State 38; New Mexico 24; Creighton 24; UC San Diego 21; Vanderbilt 17; Gonzaga 17; Oregon 14; UConn 10; Drake 10; UCLA 9; Illinois 6; Ole Miss 2; Boise State 1

As you can tell, this is where college basketball’s top coaches landed this week on their rankings. Check back next week to find out if your team made a move up the ladder in the USA TODAY Coaches Top 25 Poll, which is bound to fluctuate throughout the season.