College basketball rankings: CBS Sports shakes up Top 25 and 1 after multiple upsets

On Tuesday, CBS Sports’ Gary Parrish released his latest Top 25 and 1 college basketball rankings. He had no shortage of wild outcomes to consider, following an exhilarating week of jaw-dropping action across the country.

It’s officially “Feast Week” in college basketball. The week, which normally coincides with Thanksgiving, often marks the start of early season showcases and tournaments such as the Maui Invitational. Fans enjoyed a taste of the spectacular slate of non-conference matchups this past week, as well.

With so many teams to examine, let’s dive into Parrish’s Top 25 and 1 rankings.

1. Kansas Jayhawks

Previous Ranking: 1
Kansas maintained its No. 1 spot in Parrish’s rankings this week, thanks to wins over Oakland and UNC Wilmington. In the Jayhawks’ 84-66 victory over UNC Wilmington, Hunter Dickinson continued to look like a frontrunner for the Naismith Player of the Year Award.

The 7-foot-1 center tallied 15 points and 15 rebounds while shooting 7-11 from the field. With other options around Dickinson such as Dajaun Harris Jr. and Zeke Mayo, Kansas won’t be easy top this season. Alas, the Jayhawks will face their toughest challenge yet on Tuesday as they square off against No. 11 Duke.

2. Auburn Tigers

Previous Ranking: 2
Auburn already boasts one of the most impressive résumés in college basketball. On Nov. 9, the Tigers delivered a statement win over Houston at a neutral site. On Monday evening, Auburn put on a show again, downing No. 5 Iowa State 83-81.

In the win, Johni Broome was dominant, recording a game-high 21 points and 10 rebounds while shooting 7-13 from the floor. Broome was far from the only player for the Tigers who stepped up. Including Broome, Auburn had five players score double figures.

3. North Carolina Tar Heels

Previous Ranking: 3
The Tar Heels aren’t undefeated like some of the ensuing teams on Parrish’s list but their loss was nothing to hangs their heads at. North Carolina’s only loss this season was a 92-89 nail-biter against Kansas.

Since then, Tar Heels have played with a chip on their shoulder, most recently defeating Dayton 92-90 in the Maui Invitational. It was a comeback effort for North Carolina, which trailed Dayton by 18 points at halftime. On Tuesday, North Carolina will an opportunity to send shockwaves through the college basketball landscape as it squares off against Auburn.

4. Gonzaga Bulldogs

Previous Ranking: 6
Gonzaga has looked like an unstoppable force this season, thus far. After kicking off its 2024-25 campaign, with a 101-63 shellacking of Baylor, the Bulldogs haven’t looked back, rattling off another four wins.

Arizona State is the only team that has come within double digits of Gonzaga this season. Even then, the Sun Devils couldn’t contain the Bulldogs’ electric offense, which racked up 88 points on 57.1% shooting. On Tuesday, Gonzaga will face another difficult test as it faces off against West Virginia.

5. Iowa State Cyclones

Previous Ranking: 5
Iowa State was unable to defeat Auburn on Monday night but it certainly made the Tigers earn the win. In the loss, the Cyclones shot 7-18 (38.9%) from beyond the arc while wreaking havoc on the other end of the court.

Iowa State squeezed 12 turnovers out of the Tigers, scoring 19 points off of Auburn’s mishaps. Iowa state guard Keshon Gilbert was particularly excellent, notching 23 points while connecting on 8-of-his-10 field-goal attempts.

6. Houston Cougars

Previous Ranking: 7
As always, Houston’s defense has looked formidable early this season, only allowing 50.8 points per game — the least in the nation. Nonetheless, the Cougars’ stellar defense wasn’t enough to boost them to a win against Auburn earlier this season.

In the 74-69 loss, Houston forced Auburn to commit 12 turnovers but struggled to find its own offense rhythm, shooting just 41.4% from the field. Houston will have a chance to redeem itself on Tuesday as it takes on No. 11 Duke.

7. Marquette Golden Eagles

Previous Ranking: 8
Marquette has looked like the Big East favorite through the first month of the season. This past week was no exception. On Nov. 19, the Golden Eagles blew out defending national runner-up Purdue 76-58.

Marquette followed up the fantastic performance with a comfortable 80-69 triumph over Georgia. Teams have had no answers for Marquette guard Kam Jones, who’s averaging 20.5 points, 4.8 assists and 6.2 rebounds per game this season.

8. Tennessee Volunteers

Previous Ranking: 9
Despite several question marks entering this season, Tennessee has started its year with nothing but exclamation points. Most recently, the Volunteers dominated Baylor from start to finish, resulting in a 77-62 victory and the Baha Mar Hoops Championship trophy.

North Florida transfer Chaz Lanier looked like the best player in the country during the first half against the Bears, amassing 25 points and draining seven 3-pointers. Tennessee will enjoy a well-earned break this week, with its only matchup being against UT Martin.

9. Kentucky Wildcats

Previous Ranking: 10
Tennessee has looked like the best team in the SEC thus far, but Kentucky isn’t far behind. First-year head coach Mark Pope jumpstarted the new Kentucky era with a win over Duke in the Champions Classic.

While UK hasn’t had a chance to face off against such high-level competition since, their analytics have continued to be among the best. The Wildcats boast a 61.3% effective field-goal percentage, the third-highest in the country.

10. Duke Blue Devils

Previous Ranking: 11
Due to their loss, Duke can’t be ranked higher than Kentucky. However, there’s no denying the Blue Devils’ talent. Last week, Duke looked like a Final Four contender in its 69-55 triumph over Arizona.

Cooper Flagg led the charge, erupting for 24 points and six rebounds against the Wildcats. Fellow freshman Kon Kneuppel had a solid outing as well, collecting 13 points, seven rebounds and three assists. Duke has the opportunity to secure an even greater win tonight as it clashes against No. 1 Kansas.

11. Purdue (+1)
12. Alabama (+1)
13. Memphis (Previously unranked)
14. UConn (-10)
15. Indiana (-1)
16. Wisconsin (-1)
17. Baylor (-1)
18. Arkansas (-1)
19. Pittsburgh (-1)
20. Texas A&M (-1)
21. Ohio State (-1)
22. Texas (-1)
23. Arizona (-1)
24. Florida (-1)
25. Cincinnati (-1)
26. Ole Miss (-1)