College Basketball Rankings: ESPN updates Top 25 with new No. 1 after Tennessee, Kentucky losses

ESPN has updated their Basketball Power Index (BPI) Top 25 rankings with a new No. 1 following Tennessee and Kentucky suffering losses on Tuesday evening.

To separate the best from the rest, ESPN has their own metrics, such as strength of schedule, offensive and defensive rankings, and chances to win a conference that they consider. With that, the latest rankings are here, and there’s a myriad of teams making a climb up the ladder.

Let’s dive into ESPN’s latest Top 25 in college basketball, ranked through BPI. They may not exactly mirror the AP or Coaches Poll Top 25, but they provide a fascinating look at the top teams in the sport at the moment.

1. Duke (+1)

Duke is coming off an 89-62 win over SMU over the weekend, and they followed it up with a drubbing of Pittsburgh on Tuesday by 29 points. Not too shabby for their record.

Evidently, the Blue Devils did enough to move to the top spot in ESPN’s BPI Top 25. They’ll look to keep the good times rolling in their next couple of games, with Notre Dame and Miami on the docket at home.

2. Houston (+1)

Houston may not be in the Top 10 in either the AP or Coaches Poll Top 25, but the BPI favors them. They’re No. 2, following a massive win over TCU on Monday evening.

With that, it’s the Cougars’ sixth win in a row, and they’re definitely starting 2025 in a positive way. Next up for Houston is a trip to play Kansas State on Saturday.

3. Auburn (-2)

Auburn is 14-1, but they’ve dropped two spots in the BPI. That’s despite a seven-game winning streak, but ESPN has their metrics, and evidently they don’t favor the Tigers.

Auburn beat Missouri 84-68 over the weekend, and they followed that up with a trip to Texas to take on the Longhorns, which ended in a five-point win. They’ll travel to face South Carolina in their next contest on Saturday afternoon.

4. Tennessee

Tennessee is No. 1 in the AP Poll, but they’re No. 4 in the BPI rankings from ESPN. Their undefeated season came to an end on Tuesday, as they suffered a demoralizing defeat at the hands of the Florida Gators.

Perhaps the Volunteers can bounce back in a big way this weekend. They’ll travel to take on Texas on Saturday evening.

5. Iowa State

Iowa State is rolling at 12-1, fresh off a win over Baylor over the weekend. The dominating affair ended 74-55 over the Bears. Then, the Cyclones followed it up with a win over Utah on Tuesday by 23 points.

While Iowa State won’t see a ranked opponent until Kansas on Jan. 15, they’re still in tremendous shape, receiving a ton of respect from ESPN, as well as the AP and Coaches Polls.

6. Kansas (+2)

Kansas took down UCF 99-48 on Sunday, improving to 10-3 on the season. The Jayhawks haven’t played since, but they moved two spots in the latest update from ESPN regardless.

Their win over the weekend was great for bouncing back from an upset loss to West Virginia. Next up is a Wednesday game at home vs. Arizona State, and we’ll see if they can keep up their solid play.

7. Arizona (+2)

Despite their 9-5 record, Arizona is still in the Top 10 of the BPI. The Wildcats have also won five games in a row, following five losses in seven games, so maybe there’s some merit.

They’re still projected to win 20+ games, per ESPN’s metrics. Arizona defeated West Virginia on Tuesday, and their next game will come on Saturday against UCF.

8. Alabama (-2)

Alabama has won six games in a row, which included a ranked win this past weekend over Oklahoma. And the Crimson Tide handled them, 107-79.

Bama didn’t move in the BPI rankings though — in fact, they fell two spots. Next up is South Carolina on Wednesday on the road, and a ranked matchup on Jan. 11 at Texas A&M to follow.

9. Gonzaga (-2)

Gonzaga is now 12-4 on the season after the weekend, but they moved down one spot to No. 9 in the BPI. The Bulldogs are winners of three in a row, and the good times seem to be rolling.

However, as it stands of course, Gonzaga does not have an AP ranked team remaining on the schedule. In fact, as BPI ranks it, Gonzaga’s strength of schedule is 109th, as far as remaining opponents. Not exactly stiff competition.

10. Illinois (+1)

Illinois moved up into the Top 10 of the ESPN BPI, and they’re now 11-3 on the season. The Fighting Illini have won four games in a row.

Illinois has Penn State, USC and Indiana coming up before a road date with a ranked Michigan State team. Expect them to be favored moving forward, as they continue their strong play.

ESPN updated BPI Top 25 — Nos. 11-25:

11. UConn (-1)
12. Baylor
13. Florida (+1)
14. Marquette (-1)
15. Texas A&M (+1)
16. Michigan (+4)
17. Texas Tech (+4)
18. Purdue (+9)
19. Kentucky (-4)
20. Michigan State (+3)
21. Mississippi State (+8)
22. Texas (-5)
23. Maryland (-4)
24. North Carolina (-2)
25. St. John’s (+1)

On3’s Nick Kosko contributed to this article.