College Basketball Rankings: ESPN releases updated BPI Top 25 after Auburn, Duke upsets with new No. 1

Following upsets of Auburn and Duke, the ESPN college basketball BPI rankings were updated throughout the top 25 going into Sunday.

So even with those upsets at the hands of Florida and Clemson, respectively, you might be surprised at the rankings. No really. These are some intriguing ratings.

Without further ado, let’s dive into ESPN’s latest BPI rankings with some shakeups.

1. Duke (+1)

That’s right, Duke moved up a spot despite its loss to Clemson Saturday. Don’t worry, the Tigers are also in the top 25 of the BPI.

The loss dropped the Blue Devils to 20-3 on the season and will be back in action on February 12th against Cal. So after a 16-game winning streak was snapped, surely Duke is due for a bounce back.

2. Houston (-1)

Houston got the win over Colorado, 69-59, but still fell a spot in the BPI. Hey, the metrics did their thing, not us.

The Cougars are 19-4 on the season and rolling right now. As of right now, they’re a top five team in the AP Poll as well, firmly in the title mix.

3. Auburn

Auburn hasn’t lost since December, ironically to Duke. But the Tigers, who were 9.5 point favorites over Florida Saturday, lost 90-81 on their home floor.

In only their second loss, Auburn couldn’t keep up. Still, the Tigers didn’t budge in the BPI during the latest update.

4. Tennessee

Winners of three in a row, Tennessee stood at No. 4 in the BPI after beating Oklahoma. Their win streak includes wins over Florida and Missouri and will get Kentucky on Tuesday.

In the win over Oklahoma, Chaz Lanier led the way with 21 points, five rebounds and two assists. Zakai Zeigler added 17 points himself.

5. Arizona (+1)

Arizona has now won six in a row to improve to 17-6 on the season. The Wildcats beat Texas Tech 82-73 at home to move up one spot in the BPI.

Caleb Love and Jaden Bradley each scored 16 points to lead the team. Henri Veesaar added 15 points off the bench in some high quality minutes.

6. Alabama (-1)

Alabama just keeps winning, but the Crimson Tide dropped a spot in the BPI rankings Sunday. They beat Arkansas on the road, 85-81.

In the win, Chris Youngblood was one player who led the way with 15 points, three rebounds and one assist. Grant Nelson also put up 15 points, four rebounds and three assists.

7. Iowa State

The Cyclones snapped their three-game losing streak with a win over TCU on the road. And this one wasn’t even close!

Iowa State won 82-52 in front of the home crowd to get back on the positive side of things. However, they did not shift in the BPI rankings Sunday.

8. Kansas

Kansas didn’t shift in the BPI rankings on Sunday despite an upset loss to Kansas State Saturday. The Jayhawks have traded wins and losses over the last six games.

Hunter Dickinson had 21 points, nine rebounds and four assists in the loss. Zeke Mayo added 15 points, seven rebounds and five assists.

9. Florida

How about the Gators? They were nearly double digit underdogs to Auburn on the road and all Florida did was win outright.

Despite that, Florida did not move up or down in the BPI Sunday. Walter Clayton Jr. led the way with 19 points, six rebounds and nine assists. 

10. Purdue (+3)

The Boilermakers won their fourth game in a row to improve to 19-5 on the season. They dominated USC at home 90-72 to move up three spots in the BPI.

Trey Kaufman-Renn put up 24 points, 10 rebounds and one assist. Fletcher Loyer added 14 points, two rebounds and one assist in the win.

ESPN BPI Top 25 after Duke, Auburn upsets

11. Texas Tech (+1)
12. Gonzaga (-1)
13. Illinois (-3)
14. Baylor
15. Michigan State (+1)
16. Texas A&M (-1)
17. UConn
18. Marquette
19. Maryland
20. St. John’s (+2)
21. Wisconsin (+2)
22. Kentucky (-2)
23. Creighton (+3)
24. Clemson
25. Michigan