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ESPN updates BPI Top 25 rankings after upset-filled Saturday of college basketball

275133747_4796292347117549_592518599057046758_nby:Jonathan Wagner02/12/23

Jonathan Wagner

ESPN BPI
G Fiume via Getty Images.

Saturday’s college basketball slate was a great one, and the day delivered with plenty of upsets inside the AP Top 25. After eight AP-ranked teams fell on Saturday, including six to unranked opponents, ESPN has again updated its BPI Top 25 rankings with a lot of movement.

No. 4 Arizona was the highest-ranked team to fall on Saturday, as the Wildcats were defeated 88-79 against Stanford. No. 6 Tennessee also continued its recent slide, as the Vols fell to Missouri, 86-85, on a buzzer-beater. No. 8 Virginia likely would have lost against Duke, but a controversial call sent the game to overtime, which the ACC later admitted was the incorrect ruling. Virginia went on to win, 69-62.

A pair of Big 12 teams also lost on Saturday. Oklahoma State defeated No. 11 Iowa State, 64-56. Texas Tech also knocked off No. 12 Kansas State, with the Red Raiders winning 71-63.

Additionally, St. John’s won over No. 20 Providence, 73-68. Illinois also knocked off No. 24 Rutgers, 69-60.

No. 23 Creighton also defeated No. 21 UConn, 56-53, in one of two top 25 matchups on Saturday. In the other, No. 14 Baylor won 72-68 over No. 17 TCU.

With less than a month before the end of the regular season, time is running out for teams looking to bolster their NCAA Tournament resumes. The final weeks of the season, and the ensuing conference tournaments, will loom large for many teams across the country, with the projected field continuing to take shape as the year progresses. ESPN’s BPI Top 25 rankings give a glimpse into where teams stand entering the pivotal stretch.

Updated ESPN BPI Top 25 rankings

  1. Houston Cougars (23-2) (–)
  2. Tennessee Volunteers (19-6) (–)
  3. Alabama Crimson Tide (22-3) (–)
  4. UCLA Bruins (21-4) (–)
  5. Texas Longhorns (20-5) (+1)
  6. Purdue Boilermakers (23-2) (-1)
  7. UConn Huskies (19-7) (–)
  8. Baylor Bears (19-6) (–)
  9. Creighton Bluejays (17-8) (+2)
  10. Kansas Jayhawks (20-5) (+3)
  11. Virginia Cavaliers (19-4) (+1)
  12. Arizona Wildcats (22-4) (-3)
  13. Rutgers Scarlet Knights (16-9) (-3)
  14. Indiana Hoosiers (18-7) (+1)
  15. Gonzaga Bulldogs (21-5) (-1)
  16. Saint Mary’s Gaels (22-5) (+1)
  17. Marquette Golden Eagles (20-6) (-1)
  18. Arkansas Razorbacks (17-8) (+2)
  19. Iowa State Cyclones (16-8) (-1)
  20. Illinois Fighting Illini (17-7) (+5)
  21. Maryland Terrapins (17-8) (+1)
  22. TCU Horned Frogs (17-8) (-3)
  23. West Virginia Mountaineers (15-10) (-2)
  24. Texas A&M Aggies (18-7) (+5)
  25. Oklahoma State Cowboys (16-9) (+7)

Texas A&M and Oklahoma State are new entrants in the latest ESPN BPI Top 25 rankings. They take the places of Ohio State (previously No. 23) and Kentucky (previously No. 24), both of which now sit on the outside looking in.

Auburn sits in the No. 26 spot, just barely missing out on cracking the top 25. San Diego State, Xavier, and Kansas State also sit right on the cusp of entering the rankings.