College Basketball Rankings: CBS updates Top 25 and 1 after season openers

CBS has updated its college basketball rankings now that all of the preseason talk is over and actual games have been played. Some teams opened with tough opponents right out of the gate, while others played tune-up games before their schedule gets more difficult.

CBS has Kansas at No. 1 ahead of a huge showdown with North Carolina on Friday. The Tar Heels are also ranked in the top 5, coming in at No. 4. Here is the full updated College Basketball Top 25 and 1 from CBS:

1. Kansas Jayhawks

Kansas took care of business in its opener against Howard, pounding the Bison 87-57. Veteran Hunter Dickinson finished with 16 points and 6 rebounds for Kansas in the win, while Zeke Mayo came off the bench to pour in 19 points.

We will learn a lot more about the Jayhawks on Friday when they host North Carolina in one of the most highly-anticipated games of the early part of the college basketball season.

2. Alabama Crimson Tide

Alabama advanced all the way to the Final 4 last season and returns several important pieces for 2024-25, led by point guard Mark Sears. The senior scored 20 points in only 25 minutes on Monday in a 110-54 win over UNC Asheville.

Alabama is talented and deep and won’t face a real challenge until it plays at Purdue on Nov. 15. After making the Final 4 last year, Alabama appears to be a real threat to win it all this season.

3. Houston Cougars

Speaking of deep and talented teams, Houston had 11 players get on the scoreboard in a 97-40 season-opening win over Jackson State. Houston is known for its defense, but there are some excellent scorers on this year’s team, too.

The Cougars have a big-time test coming up this weekend against an Auburn team that also earned a 50-plus point win in its opener.

4. North Carolina Tar Heels

North Carolina let Elon hang around for a while on Monday, before eventually pulling away for a 90-76 win. Veteran guard RJ Davis led the way for UNC with 24 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists, despite struggling from the field against the Phoenix.

North Carolina will face Kansas in a huge college basketball showdown on Friday. The Tar Heels will need to be better than they were in their opener if they’re going to pull off the upset.

5. UConn Huskies

The two-time defending national champions opened the season with an impressive showing against Sacred Heart on Wednesday, blasting the Pioneers 92-56.

UConn is somehow flying a little bit under the radar this year, despite winning back-to-back national titles. The Huskies have a fairly easy schedule in November, before opening December with a big-time matchup against Baylor.

6. Iowa State Cyclones

There are high expectations for Iowa State in 2024-25. The Cyclones are living up to them thus far. Iowa State pounded Mississippi Valley State 83-44 on Monday to open the season.

Iowa State has a couple of other nonconference games that should be easy to win coming up, before the Cyclones take on Auburn on Nov. 25.

7. Gonzaga Bulldogs

Gonzaga opened the 2024-25 college basketball season with a statement, pounding Baylor 101-63 on Monday. The Bulldogs led by 19 at the half and were never in danger of allowing a comeback.

It was an impressive performance by Gonzaga against a preseason top 10 Baylor team. Up next, Gonzaga will face Arizona State on Sunday.

8. Duke Blue Devils

Duke is young but talented, led by arguably the most hyped freshman in years in Cooper Flagg. The projected No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft scored 18 points with 7 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals in his Duke debut.

Fellow freshman Kon Knueppel also had a big game with 22 points in Duke’s 96-62 win over Maine. The Blue Devils will play Army on Friday before a big test with Kentucky next week.

9. Auburn Tigers

Auburn had a really good 2023-24 season, but it came to a disappointing end in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Tigers are working to get back to the Big Dance and have a stronger showing in 2024-25.

Auburn is certainly off to a strong start after earning a 51-point win in its opener against Vermont on Wednesday. The Tigers will now face Houston in a top 10 college basketball showdown on Saturday.

10. Purdue Boilermakers

There are some question marks about Purdue after the Boilermakers lost two-time National Player of the Year Zach Edey to the NBA this offseason. Purdue got off to a solid start on Monday, though, beating Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 90-73.

Everything will run through point guard Braden Smith this season and he had an impressive stat line in the opener with 12 points, 8 rebounds and 15 assists. Purdue has upcoming games against Northern Kentucky and Yale, before hosting Alabama next Friday.

Rest of College Basketball Top 25 and 1 after season openers

11. Arkansas Razorbacks
12. Tennessee Volunteers
13. Ohio State Buckeyes
14. Arizona Wildcats
15. Marquette Golden Eagles
16. Indiana Hoosiers
17. Baylor Bears
18. UCLA Bruins
19. Texas Longhorns
20. Creighton Bluejays
21. Texas A&M Aggies
22. Florida Gators
23. Rutgers Scarlet Knights
24. Cincinnati Bearcats
25. Ole Miss Rebels
26. St. John’s Red Storm