College Basketball Rankings: ESPN releases updated BPI Top 25 with big changes

We’re nearly two months into the 2024-25 college basketball season and the top teams are beginning to make themselves known. With some exciting games over the past week, ESPN has updated its Basketball Power Index (BPI) rankings.

The BPI is a predictive ratings system based upon several factors, including strength and schedule and offensive and defensive efficiency. That in mind, it often differs from traditional polls such as the AP and Coaches poll.

For example, while Tennessee is the No. 1 team in the AP poll, the Vols come in at No. 4 in the BPI. It’s another SEC team, Auburn, that claims the top spot on ESPN’s list.

You can view the full updated ESPN BPI rankings below.

1. Auburn Tigers

Auburn has played the toughest schedule of any team in the country and still it stands tall with an 11-1 record. The Tigers have six wins against quadrant 1 teams thus far and are quickly putting together a strong NCAA Tournament resume.

They earned another quality victory over the weekend, rolling to an 87-69 win against No. 16 Purdue. Johni Broome recorded his eighth double-double of the season to finish with 23 points and 11 rebounds.

2. Houston Cougars

Houston is 0-3 in games against quadrant 1 opponents, but has won all of its other matchups. The Cougars played Auburn earlier this season in a close 74-69 loss, their widest margin of defeat all year.

Houston is an experienced group led by seniors LJ Cryer and J’Wan Roberts and ranks as the top defensive team in the country according to ESPN. That’s a recipe for another deep NCAA Tournament run, and it will have plenty of opportunity to beef up its resume once Big 12 play begins.

3. Duke Blue Devils

Duke is the only team in the country that can say it has beat Auburn, having claimed an 84-78 victory against the Tigers on Dec. 4. Freshman phenom and projected No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg led the effort in that win with 22 points and 11 rebounds.

Flagg has looked every bit the part of his lofty recruiting ranking, leading the Blue Devils with 16.3 points, 8.6 rebounds and 3.5 assists. He’ll hope to take Duke on a March Madness run before turning pro in 2025.

4. Tennessee Volunteers

Tennessee has an unbeaten 12-0 record and have the No. 2 strength of schedule in the country behind only Auburn, yet the Vols come in at No. 4 in ESPN’s BPI rankings. Three of their wins are against quadrant 1 opponents, but the other nine come against teams in quadrants 3 and 4.

Dalton Knecht might be gone to the NBA, but North Florida transfer Chaz Lanier has stepped up in his place and leads the team with 19.3 points per game. Additionally, veteran point guard Zakai Zeigler provides a poised presence in the back court with an SEC-leading 8.3 assists per game.

5. Kansas Jayhawks (+3)

Kansas saw a big jump this past week to move up three spots after taking care of business against Brown to win 87-53. The Jayhawks are an even 2-2 against quadrant 1 teams so far, including a victory against Duke.

This is a senior-laden team led by Hunter Dickinson and Zeke Mayo, and Bill Self’s squad should once again be in position to make a run in March. Kansas opens up Big 12 play on New Year’s Eve against West Virginia.

6. Gonzaga Bulldogs (-1)

Gonzaga drops just outside the top five this week with a 9-3 overall record on the season. The Bulldogs are so far 2-3 in games against quadrant 1 opponents, but have just the 106th hardest remaining schedule in college basketball.

An matchup coming up against UCLA will be a critical opportunity to add another quality win to the resume. Tip-off for that game is set for 1 p.m. PT on Saturday.

7. Arizona Wildcats (+6)

Arizona jumped up six spots into the top 10 after a 94-41 rout of Central Michigan over the weekend. Still, the Wildcats being this high up feels a bit strange given their 6-5 record.

Arizona has still yet to beat a team from a Power 4 conference and has a lot to prove as it enters Big 12 play. The back court duo of Caleb Love and Jaden Bradley will look to get them rolling for a strong finish.

8. Iowa State Cyclones (-2)

Iowa State’s lone loss this season comes against Auburn, and the Cyclones also already have a quality win against Marquette. They find themselves as one of three Big 12 teams ranked inside the top 10 of ESPN’s BPI rankings, so that should be a conference to watch in January and February as always.

Keshon Gilbert and Curtis Jones are averaging more than 30 points combined and have ISU ranked as one of the top five offenses in the country. The Cyclones should have a chance to challenge for a top seed if they can continue at this pace.

9. Alabama Crimson Tide (-2)

Alabama has put together a strong nonconference resume with wins against Houston, North Carolina and Illinois. They played the third-toughest out of conference schedule of any team in the country and emerged with 10-2 record as a force to be reckoned with in SEC play.

Senior guard Mark Sears is the heartbeat of the team, averaging 17.8 points and 3.9 assists per game. He helped the Crimson Tide to a Final Four appearance last season and will look to take them even further this year.

10. UConn Huskies (-1)

The defending national champions hit a bit of a speed bump last month with a three-game losing streak, but have since won six straight. That includes victories against Texas and Gonzaga before a narrow 78-74 win against Butler over the weekend.

Alex Karaban has taken on the role of leading scorer this season with 16.5 points per game, while freshman Liam McNeely has also been impressive. Look for the Huskies to once again be in the hunt for a third straight national title come tournament time.

The rest of ESPN’s BPI top 25

11. Baylor Bears (-1)
12. Illinois Fighting Illini
13. Florida Gators (+3)
14. Maryland Terrapins (+6)
15. Texas Tech Red Raiders (+3)
16. Cincinnati Bearcats (+5)
17. Marquette Golden Eagles (-3)
18. Texas Longhorns (-1)
19. Kentucky Wildcats (-8)
20. North Carolina Tar Heels (-5)
21. Michigan State Spartans (-2)
22. Texas A&M Aggies
23. St. John’s Red Storm (+5)
24. Mississippi State Bulldogs (+5)
25. UCLA Bruins (-1)