College Basketball Rankings: ESPN shakes up BPI Top 25 on Selection Sunday

Selection Sunday has arrived, and teams are making one final push to win conference championships and punch their bids to the NCAA Tournament. First, however, ESPN has made some adjustments to its BPI Top 25 ahead of Sunday’s bracket reveal.

Considering that conference championship week has brought with it its fair share of excitement, high-profile matchups and upsets, these rankings have been adjusted accordingly. Following another exciting weekend around the country, here’s how the BPI top 25 rankings have shaken before the start of the NCAA Tournament. Notably, the top four teams in the BPI remain the same after last week.

1. Duke Blue Devils

Duke won the ACC Tournament championship, and they did it without their star forward Cooper Flagg. Defeating Louisville 73-62 on Saturday night, the Blue Devils outs scored the Cardinals 40-24 in the second half to capture its 28th conference tournament title in the ACC.

The win likely cements Duke as a 1-seed in the NCAA Tournament. Duke expects to have Flagg back in the lineup in time for March Madness.

2. Houston Cougars

If defense wins championships, Houston proved it this week at the Big 12 Tournament. In three games this week, the Cougars allowed their opponents to score 62 points on average. This included holding an AP ranked BYU team to 54 points in the semifinals.

The Cougars will head into the NCAA Tournament with a 30-4 record. Houston is on a 13-game winning streak heading into the Big Dance.

3. Auburn Tigers

Auburn might not have won the SEC Tournament, but they’re widely projected to be a No. 1 seed. Many experts and bracketologists have the Tigers as the likely the No. 1 overall seed in the tournament as well.

With a 16-4 record against Quad 1 opponents, the Tigers have cemented themselves as one of the top contenders in the country. They head into March Madness 28-5 overall.

4. Florida Gators

Florida head coach Todd Golden said the Gators came to Nashville to win a championship and cement their status as a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. After they defeated Alabama 104-82 to advance to the finals of the SEC Tournament on Saturday — they may have accomplished one of those two goals.

They’re one win away from accomplishing the other. Not to mention, the Gators boast the best overall record in the SEC at 29-4.

5. Tennessee Volunteers (+1)

Tennessee stunned Auburn in the semifinals of the SEC Tournament on Saturday. They held the top-seeded Tigers to 65 points during the winning effort.

They have an opportunity to win their sixth conference tournament all-time, and the second since 2022 under head coach Rick Barnes. They’ll have to go through Florida, first. Tennessee and Florida split the two-game season series during the regular season.

6. Alabama Crimson Tide (-1)

Alabama had no answer for Florida down the stretch on Saturday after blowing out Kentucky by 29 points the night before. Despite this, the Crimson Tide are in good shape for a strong seeding in March Madness.

ESPN’s Joe Lunardi has Alabama as a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament after the loss. It remains to be seen if this will be their final designation.

7. Iowa State Cyclones

Iowa State left the Big 12 Tournament a bit earlier than they would have hoped. Still, they remain in the top 10 of ESPN’s BPI after the Cyclones split their two games in Kansas City.

The Cyclones had a stellar start to their season, beginning the year 15-1. However, they are 9-9 in game since. Whether this is cause for concern regarding a potential run in March is up for debate, but Iowa State can prove its doubters wrong with a run in next week’s tournament.

8. Texas Tech Red Raiders

Texas Tech was upset by Arizona in the semifinals of the Big 12 Tournament on Friday. Still, the Red Raiders entered the season as an unranked team and entered the conference tournament as an AP Top 10 team.

In two seasons under head coach Grant McCasland, the Red Raiders have compiled a 48-19 record. They’ll head into March Madness having won seven of its last 10 games.

9. Arizona Wildcats (+1)

Arizona was unable to pull off the upset over Houston in the Big 12 Tournament Championship game on Saturday. They were held to 64 points after averaging 87.5 points per game during the Wildcats’ first two games in Kansas City.

At 22-12 overall, Arizona doesn’t have the prettiest resume in the BPI top 10, but have proven their worth as a team who can beat anyone with a 6-5 record against AP ranked opponents. 10 of their wins have come against Quad 1 opponents, rand currently rank 12th in the NET.

10. Gonzaga Bulldogs (-1)

Gonzaga has quietly pieced together a rather respectable resume in the WCC this season. It culminated with a 58-51 win over Saint Mary’s in the conference title game on Tuesday — a team which beat the Bulldogs twice during the regular season.

Currently ranked No. 8 in the NET, the Bulldogs are only 5-5 against Quad 1 opponents, and are 5-3 against Quad 2 teams. Joe Lunardi currently projects them as a No. 7 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

ESPN BPI No. 11-25

11. Michigan State Spartans (+1)
12. St. John’s Red Storm (+4)
13. Maryland Terrapins (+1)
14. Kansas Jayhawks (-3)
15. Clemson Tigers
16. UConn Huskies (+1)
17. Kentucky Wildcats (-4)
18. Wisconsin Badgers (+5)
19. Baylor Bears (+3)
20. Marquette Golden Eagles (-1)
21. Purdue Boilermakers (-3)
22. Texas A&M Aggies (-2)
23. Illinois Fighting Illini (-2)
24. BYU Cougars
25. North Carolina Tar Heels (NR)