BOISE, Idaho — The chaos continues in college basketball.
Twelve teams in the Associated Press Top 25 lost last week, nine of which were defeated by an unranked team. That included 2nd-ranked Alabama, who was blown out by 24 at home against Oklahoma.
Once again, there will be plenty of shuffling when the official AP Top 25 poll is released at 10 a.m. MT on Monday. In the meantime, here is my ballot.
Top Team in the NCAA
- Purdue: This was by far the easiest decision of the week. Following their lone slip-up of the season against Rutgers on Jan. 2, the Boilermakers have won eight straight. They're 7-1 in Quad 1 games and possess both an offense and a defense that each rank as one of the most efficient in the country.
Biggest Jump
- Baylor (Up 7): The Bears have rattled off six straight wins, which includes a victory over 9th-rank Kansas last week.
Biggest Drop
- Charleston (Down 8): The Cougars finally lost, and it happened on their home floor. Of their 21 wins, 14 are against Quad 1 teams and another is against a non-Division I school. Every metric suggests that Charleston isn’t a top 25 team, yet their impressive winning streak was impossible to ignore. Now that it’s over, the Cougars have fallen all the way outside of my top 25.
Teams Entering My Top 25
- Boise State: The Broncos are 7-2 in a tough Mountain West this season. They're only losses are by two at Nevada, and by two in overtime at New Mexico. Their starting five is as good as it's ever been with all five players averaging double figures in conference play.
- Clemson: The Tigers are taking advantage of a down year for the ACC. They've won 10 of their last 11 games, are in first place in the conference, but are only ranked 58th in the NET.
- Indiana: The Hoosiers are hot. They've won five straight, and four of those wins are by at least 13 points.
- NC State: I was really close to ranking the Wolfpack last week. They’ve won 9 of their last 11 games, but their success should continue this week when they face Florida State and Georgia Tech, two programs that are struggling.
- San Diego State: A perennial power in the Mountain West, the Aztecs are rolling right now. They’ve won 10 of 11, with their last three victories all coming by double-digits. Always stout on defense, SDSU can really score the basketball this season.
My AP Top 25 Ballot
1. Purdue (21-1)
2. Tennessee (18-3)
3. Alabama (18-3)
4. Houston (20-2)
5. Kansas State (18-3)
6. Virginia (16-3)
7. Arizona (19-3)
8. Iowa State (15-5)
9. Kansas (17-4)
10. Texas (17-4)
11. Baylor (16-5)
12. Xavier (17-5)
13. UCLA (17-4)
14. Gonzaga (18-4)
15. Marquette (17-5)
16. TCU (16-5)
17. Providence (17-5)
18. Saint Mary's (19-4)
19. Clemson (18-4)
20. Florida Atlantic (21-1)
21. Indiana (15-6)
22. NC State (17-5)
23. Boise State (17-5)
24. San Diego State (17-4)
25. UConn (16-6)
Also in consideration: Duke, Creighton, Memphis, Miami, Missouri, New Mexico, Rutgers
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