Jay Bilas releases updated Top 25 college basketball rankings

ESPN’s Jay Bilas released his updated top 25 college basketball rankings as we get closer and closer to the conference tournaments and March Madness.

What he dubbed as the “Bilas Index, Vol. II,” the long time ESPN analyst ranked his field of 68. Basically, a de facto look at the NCAA Tournament.

But, we’ll dive into his top 25 teams as of Wednesday, February 19th!

1. Auburn

Auburn is back in action Wednesday against Arkansas at home, coming off a win over rival Alabama when the two were the top two teams in the country. As of now, the Tigers are Bilas’ top team.

As he pointed out, Auburn has been battle tested this season, so they’ve proven their status as the best. They’ll look to keep it rolling against the Razorbacks.

2. Duke

Duke has one of the best players in the nation and this draft’s projected No. 1 pick in Cooper Flagg. Bilas called the Blue Devils the most talented team in the country, despite being young in some spots.

Is this team ready to challenge Auburn for the top spot? Maybe so! It’s just up to Jon Scheyer and crew to prove it and make a deep run in March.

3. Houston

Houston kept its winning ways going with an 8-065 win over Arizona State Tuesday night. A nice road win for the Cougars.

As Bilas pointed out, this team flat out plays hard every night. Good luck catching them on an off night without getting into theoretical ‘fisticuffs’!

4. Florida

Florida is really, really good. Their roster just screams all-star caliber players up and down the lineup and it’s a credit to Todd Golden’s work as the head coach.

The Gators dominated Oklahoma 85-63 on Tuesday night to improve to 24-3 on the season. While they’re ranked No. 2 in the AP Poll, Bilas has them only slightly lower.

5. Alabama

The Crimson Tide might have the most lethal offense in the country, according to Bilas. Nate Oats and company just couldn’t get it done over the weekend to become the AP’s No. 1 team.

Still, they’re top five in these rankings. They’ll be back in action against Missouri Wednesday night on the road before hosting Kentucky this weekend and can certainly make a statement.

6. Tennessee

The comeback Saturday against Vanderbilt was a massive relief for the Vols, but surely Rick Barnes doesn’t want to win that way every time. Tennessee comes in at No. 6 for Bilas.

This coming Saturday is a massive game though. It’s also against another top 10 team in the AP and in Bilas’ rankings: Texas A&M on the road.

7. Texas Tech

Bilas still has the Red Raiders in his top 10 despite a loss to TCU Tuesday night. Ranked No. 9 in the AP Poll, they dropped a Big 12 win on the road 69-66.

But hey, don’t write this tea off yet. There’s still plenty of basketball to play to finish out the regular season and of course, March Madness.

8. Iowa State

Iowa State broke its three game losing streak with a win over Colorado and it was much needed. The Cylcones controlled the game with a 79-65 win at home Tuesday.

Bilas loves the tenacity of Iowa State’s defense, especially at forcing turnovers. Curtis Jones might be the Big 12 Player of the Year when it’s all said and done.

9. Texas A&M

Bilas called Texas A&M “amazing” when ranking his top teams in the country. While the offense can be inconsistent, this team could definitely beat you to a pulp.

But that inconsistency showed up against Mississippi State, a 70-54 loss on the road. Only three guys were in double figures in that game and the Aggies scored just 23 points in the second half.

10. Purdue

Purdue really picked it up in Big Ten play but fell short to Michigan State Tuesday night. Still, this is Bilas’ No. 10 team and it’s not far off from the AP.

The Boilermakers are No. 13 in the country and 19-9 on the season. Just because they lost this one doesn’t mean you should count them out in the Big Ten Tournament or NCAAs.

Jay Bilas Top 25 rankings

11. Wisconsin
12. Arizona
13. Michigan
14. Missouri
15. Kansas
16. Marquette
17. Kentucky
18. Michigan State
19. UConn
20. Maryland
21. St. John’s
22. Ole Miss
23. Louisville
24. Memphis
25. Baylor