With a month or so of the 2019-20 season in the books, we examined the current men's and women's college basketball rankings and projected NCAA brackets to identify the schools trending toward two special seasons on the hardwood. The Louisville Cardinals -- one of two teams in the top 10 in both men's and women's hoops -- have supplanted former No. 1 Maryland since our previous update, and a total of 10 teams are new to our fresh rankings.
Women: One loss shouldn't change the opinion that the Ducks are still the favorite this season. But in their 72-62 defeat to Louisville in the Virgin Islands in a Thanksgiving tournament, Oregon scored 27 points below its average. Admittedly, it was the Ducks' third game in three days, and Louisville is known for its strong defensive schemes. But it showed that even an offense as potent as Oregon's can be stifled. The Ducks also got the news Wednesday that 6-foot-7 post player Sedona Prince, a Texas transfer who would have provided more depth inside, won't get a waiver to play this season. -- Mechelle Voepel
3 -- Maryland
Previous rank: 1
Rankings: AP No. 4 (men), AP No. 12 (women)
Men: Maryland never looked the part of a potential Big Ten champion as it committed 10 turnovers in the first 10 minutes of a 76-69 loss at Penn State on Tuesday. The fine print? The Terrapins ran into a good Nittany Lions squad that was actually favored by two points at tipoff. They should get used to the uptick in competition. After Thursday's game against Seton Hall, the Terps will face Indiana, Ohio State, Iowa and Purdue over the next month in a league slate that looks like a two-month headache for its members. We'll soon find out if a good Maryland squad has the potential to be a great one. -- Myron Medcalf
Women: The Big Ten is off to a strong start, but the league-favorite Terps have already lost twice -- to current top-10 teams South Carolina and NC State. So they're not bad losses, but Maryland scored in the 50s in both of those games, and that's a concern. So far, sophomore forward Shakira Austin leads the Terps in scoring at 13.9 PPG, and they have a balanced attack. Maybe they are still adjusting to that, as opposed to senior guard Kaila Charles, their leading scorer last season, being the primary go-to player. -- Mechelle Voepel
4 -- Baylor
Previous rank: 6
Rankings: AP No. 11 (men), AP No. 6 (women)
Men: If Baylor hadn't collapsed in the final few minutes against Washington back on Nov. 8, the Bears would be in the top five nationally on the men's side. They've beaten Villanova, Arizona and Butler in the past couple weeks, and have one of the best backcourts in the country, led by Jared Butler. Scott Drew's team will enter Big 12 play as the biggest threat to Kansas. -- Jeff Borzello
Women: The biggest question still remains: When will senior Lauren Cox return from the stress reaction that has limited her to two games? The Lady Bears have lost just once without her -- 74-59 to South Carolina in the Virgin Islands on Nov. 30 -- and responded to that four days later by dismantling Georgia 72-38. Baylor plays just twice more this month before starting Big 12 play against Oklahoma on Jan. 4, and then has a final nonconference game, at UConn, on Jan. 9.
If the injury is mostly a rest issue, Baylor definitely can rest Cox the rest of this month. In her absence, sophomore post players NaLyssa Smith and Queen Egbo are combining to average 30.8 points per game. -- Mechelle Voepel
5 -- Kentucky
Previous rank: 3
Rankings: AP No. 8 (men), AP No. 14 (women)
Men: Everything was going according to plan: The Wildcats upended Michigan State by seven at the Champions Classic, Tyrese Maxey looked like the latest in a line of extraordinary UK freshmen and John Calipari's team earned the No. 1 ranking in the second week of the season. Then Evansville came to Rupp Arena and shocked Kentucky with a 67-64 victory. The Wildcats have coasted ever since against a series of overmatched opponents, but tests against Ohio State and Louisville await this month. -- John Gasaway
Women: The Wildcats have gotten off to a good start against a middling schedule, but the competition gets much tougher in the next three weeks with games against Louisville, Cal, South Carolina and Tennessee. The offense has shown steady improvement, but it relies heavily on sophomore guard Rhyne Howard, a leading contender for SEC player of the year who is averaging 20.4 PPG. -- Charlie Creme
6 -- Gonzaga
Previous rank: 9
Rankings: AP No. 6 (men), AP No. 17 (women)
Men: Gonzaga's lone blemish this season is a neutral-site loss to a Michigan team that made 52% of its 3-point attempts. That's no typo. Per the norm, Mark Few has put together a roster that's generated top-10 efficiency on offense. Since Killian Tillie returned from knee surgery, the team has committed turnovers on just one-tenth of its possessions with the veteran forward on the floor, per HoopLens.com. Surprise, surprise. Gonzaga is really good again. -- Myron Medcalf
Women: Shooting is the name of the game in Spokane. The Zags rank 10th in the country with a 47.7 field goal percentage and seventh with a 40.8 3-point field goal percentage. Leading scorer Jill Townsend makes 96% of her free throws. Their only loss was in overtime to then-No. 3 Stanford, and Gonzaga might not lose again for an extended period if it survives a marquee mid-major matchup with No. 20 Missouri State on Dec. 20. -- Charlie Creme
T-7 -- Florida State
Previous rank: 8
Rankings: AP No. 21 (men), AP No. 8 (women)
Men: The Seminoles have struggled to find consistency through the first six weeks of the season. They lost to Pittsburgh in the opener, then turned around and won at Florida. They beat Tennessee and Purdue on a neutral court, then got blown out at Indiana. There's enough talent and experience on the roster to figure things out in ACC play. -- Jeff Borzello
Women: The Seminoles, with wins over ranked foes Texas A&M and Michigan State, are among three unbeaten teams in the ACC, along with North Carolina and NC State. Florida State plays the Tar Heels and the Wolfpack back to back on Jan. 12 and 16. The Seminoles have three more nonconference games and four in the ACC before that, but that mid-January matchup with NC State, particularly, could be one of the key games in the ACC this season. Senior forward Kiah Gillespie is averaging nearly a double-double (16.2 points, 9.7 rebounds per game). -- Mechelle Voepel
T-7 -- Michigan
Previous rank: T-12
Rankings: AP No. 5 (men), AP No. 24 (women)
Men: The Wolverines were the biggest surprise of the first month of the season, going from unranked to the top five after beating Iowa State, North Carolina and Gonzaga to win the Battle 4 Atlantis. Juwan Howard has been highly impressive in his first season as a head coach, with Michigan not missing a beat despite the departure of three starters and coach John Beilein. A road trip to Michigan State as the team's first game of 2020 will be telling. -- Jeff Borzello
Women: The Wolverines needed a marquee win in the nonconference and got it with a comeback overtime victory over Syracuse last week. An even tougher test awaits with a meeting versus Florida State three days before Christmas, prior to Big Ten play. Senior forward Kayla Robbins averaged 4.0 points per game over her first three seasons but is scoring at a 11.7 PPG clip this season after a 23-point performance against the Orange. -- Charlie Creme
9 -- Arizona
Previous rank: T-12
Rankings: AP No. 15 (men), AP No. 18 (women)
Men: Sean Miller has two of the best freshmen in the country in guard Nico Mannion and big man Zeke Nnaji, while top-10 recruit Josh Green has also started all 10 games for the Wildcats. Despite the youth movement in the lineup, Arizona has lost just one game all season -- a close defeat at Baylor. Barring the newcomers hitting the freshman wall, this team has the pieces to push for a Pac-12 title. -- Jeff Borzello
Women: Every season it seems there is that one team destined to be make a huge jump. Arizona is that team this season. Dating back to last season's WNIT championship, the Wildcats have won 15 consecutive games. Junior guard Aari McDonald (20.1 PPG) still leads the way, but she isn't having to do as much with sophomore Cate Reese averaging 14.3 points and 9.0 rebounds per game. -- Charlie Creme
10 -- Michigan State
Previous rank: 5
Rankings: AP No. 16 (men), AP No. 19 (women)
Men: The preseason No. 1 team has not yet lived up to that billing. Tom Izzo's squad lost close games to Kentucky and Virginia Tech, both on neutral floors, and was handed an 87-65 defeat by Duke in East Lansing. Josh Langford is still out due to injury, the NCAA ruled against immediate eligibility for Marquette transfer Joey Hauser, and the Spartans' interior defense has been surprisingly kind to opponents. Nevertheless, Cassius Winston is as potent as ever and MSU most certainly knows how to score. Stay tuned. -- John Gasaway
Women: Balance and contributions up and down the roster have gotten the Spartans off to a solid start, but their backcourt will lead the way if they are going to challenge for a top-three finish in the Big Ten. Nia Clouden (16.3 PPG) and Taryn McCutcheon (11.6 PPG) are the only two averaging double-digit scoring. A trip to Orlando, Florida, just before Christmas for games against Syracuse and West Virginia should prove whether Michigan State is ready for Big Ten play. -- Charlie Creme
11 -- Tennessee
Previous rank: 18
Rankings: AP No. 19 (men), AP No. 23 (women)
Men: No Grant Williams, no Admiral Schofield, no Jordan Bone ... no problem for Rick Barnes. The Volunteers have lost just one game all season heading into Saturday's rivalry showdown with Penny Hardaway and Memphis. Lamonte Turner and Jordan Bowden have been stalwarts in the starting lineup, but it's been the development up front of Yves Pons and John Fulkerson that has been the biggest key in Tennessee's hot start. -- Jeff Borzello
Women: The Lady Vols suffered their first loss this season Sunday at home against Texas 66-60. They won the rebounding battle (plus-14) but struggled offensively, shooting 30.6% from the field and 57.9 from the foul line. They bounced back with a 79-41 victory over Colorado State on Wednesday, and have another big nonconference test -- at Stanford on Dec. 18 -- before beginning SEC play. Of course, their first meeting with UConn since 2007 -- on Jan. 23 in Hartford, Connecticut -- looms.
Junior guard/forward Rennia Davis is the only Tennessee player scoring in double figures (16.7 PPG), with five Lady Vols averaging 7-9 points per game. Will one emerge as the best complement to Davis? -- Mechelle Voepel
12 -- Ohio State
Previous rank: 23
Bracketology seeds: No. 1 (men), No. 11 (women)
Men: The Buckeyes have been the most impressive team in men's college basketball this season, bar none. They've blown out Villanova, North Carolina and Penn State, with the win over the Tar Heels coming in Chapel Hill, and also defeated Cincinnati. Ohio State is unbeaten and has the look of a surefire Final Four contender due to its consistency and defensive prowess. -- Jeff Borzello
Women: This looked like another rebuilding year in Columbus -- and then Ohio State upset then-No. 2 Louisville last week. Now the possibilities look bigger for the young Buckeyes. Coach Kevin McGuff starts three freshmen and a sophomore, so growing pains are expected. Another could be coming Sunday against No. 1 Stanford. Ohio State plays exceptional defense for such a young team; four of its nine opponents have been held to 60 or fewer points. -- Charlie Creme
13 -- Indiana
Previous rank: 25
Bracketology seeds: No. 10 (men), No. 3 (women)
Men: It wasn't always pretty for an Indiana team that finished 2-for-13 from the 3-point line in a 57-54 win over UConn at the Jimmy V Classic in New York, but the Hoosiers played with a toughness Archie Miller has tried to inject into his team throughout his turbulent tenure. It's not fair to blame a 20-point loss to Wisconsin on the absence of Rob Phinisee, because the Hoosiers beat Florida State by double-digits without him. The point guard's presence (he played 13 minutes against UConn) and return to full health, however, will certainly boost the program's prospects in a strong Big Ten. -- Myron Medcalf
Women: With victories over South Carolina and Miami in the past two weeks, the Hoosiers received their highest ranking in the AP Top 25 (12th). And given a couple of stumbles by Maryland, Indiana might also be the best team in the Big Ten. With a defense that is holding opponents to just 51.9 PPG, the Hoosiers were able to dominate the Hurricanes despite missing leading scorer Grace Berger, who is now back. One more big test, against UCLA, awaits before Big Ten play begins. -- Charlie Creme
T-14 -- Arkansas
Previous rank: Unranked
Bracketology seeds: No. 9 (men), No. 5 (women)
Men: New coach Eric Musselman has the Razorbacks shutting down opponents on defense yet still flying a bit under the radar. The nonconference schedule has been relatively soft for Arkansas, and overtime games against Georgia Tech (a win for the Hogs) and at Western Kentucky (a loss) suggest that this team is still a work in progress. Isaiah Joe appears to be still adjusting to the new 3-point line as a sophomore after draining 113 3s on 41% shooting as a freshman. -- John Gasaway
Women: Chelsea Dungee has scored 20 or more points in five straight games and has hit double-digits in 26 consecutive games after 32 points in a victory over Kansas State. She ranks seventh in the country in scoring at 22.7 PPG. The junior guard is the catalyst on a team that leads all Power 5 schools in made free throws. The Razorbacks are also averaging 10.7 turnovers per game, good for second-fewest in the country. -- Charlie Creme
T-14 -- NC State
Previous rank: 10
Bracketology seeds: No. 11 (men), No. 3 (women)
Men: Few teams are more enigmatic than the Wolfpack. With losses to Georgia Tech (at home) and Memphis (on a neutral floor), Kevin Keatts' men never got to play the "stay undefeated" game that draws national attention early in the season. Then again, NC State hammered Wisconsin by 15 in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, this offense takes outstanding care of the ball, and C.J. Bryce is one of the most underrated players in the ACC. The enigma might turn out to be pretty good. -- John Gasaway
Women: The unbeaten Wolfpack are the best team in the Research Triangle; might they also be the best in the ACC? They will have the chance to prove that in league play. Ranked ninth, they are just behind No. 7 Louisville and No. 8 Florida State in the AP poll. Their best victory was against Maryland, but they might not face another ranked team until Jan. 16 against Florida State (unless North Carolina moves into the poll). Sophomore center Elissa Cunane, who was on the ACC all-freshman team last season, is averaging a double-double (14.9 points, 10.4 rebounds). -- Mechelle Voepel
T-14 -- Purdue
Previous rank: Unranked
Bracketology seeds: No. 6 (men), No. 8 (women)
Men: It's a safe bet that Texas, Marquette and Florida State will be bragging all season long about beating Purdue. The truth about this team might be closer to what we saw when the Boilermakers dismantled Virginia 69-40 at Mackey Arena. In retrospect, the Longhorns might have been fortunate to have played in West Lafayette, Indiana, early in the season. No Purdue opponent in the past month has scored better than a point per possession against this defense. -- John Gasaway
Women: The Boilermakers are a prime example of the Big Ten's depth. Not considered an NCAA tournament team in the preseason, Purdue beat Drake and Arizona State at the Gulf Coast Showcase. Defense has been the primary reason, as it's holding opponents to 33.2 field goal percentage. A good showing at South Carolina on Sunday would be enough to keep the Boilermakers in the tournament conversation before conference play. -- Charlie Creme
T-17 -- DePaul
Previous rank: Unranked
Bracketology seeds: No. 11 (men), No. 4 (women)
Men: The fighting Blue Demons! Strong start for Dave Leitao's squad. DePaul finished 7-11 in the Big East last season. Its season ended with a loss in the championship game of ... the CBI. And yet, the Blue Demons kicked off this season with a top-50 defensive effort that's fueled wins over Iowa and Texas Tech, the same Jahmi'us Ramsey-less Texas Tech squad that upset No. 1 Louisville this week. Charlie Moore (15.1 points, 6.9 assists per game) seems comfortable back home in Chicago after stints at Cal and Kansas. Yes, a Sunday loss to Buffalo (DePaul committed 18 turnovers) was unexpected, but when was the last time we even placed expectations on DePaul? -- Myron Medcalf
Women: Doug Bruno once again oversees one of the country's best offenses. The Blue Demons rank fourth in scoring and third in assists. Sophomore guard Sonya Morris is the latest to elevate her game, moving from 4.9 PPG last season to 16.5 through eight games this season. DePaul was the overwhelming preseason favorite in the Big East and has played like it. -- Charlie Creme
T-17 -- West Virginia
Previous rank: Unranked
Bracketology seeds: No. 9 (men), No. 6 (women)
Men: Oscar Tshiebwe leads four West Virginia players who are averaging double digits for Bob Huggins' squad. After last season's 15-21 tally, West Virginia has kicked off the 2019-20 campaign with victories over Akron, Pitt, Wichita State and Rhode Island. Last season, the Mountaineers had four sub-100 KenPom.com losses. But they're back to playing the respectable defense that's anchored Huggins' success during his time with the program. -- Myron Medcalf
Women: One of the few Big 12 teams that has been able to at least somewhat rattle Baylor in recent years, the Mountaineers have a victory over Mississippi State on their résumé already this season. Their one loss -- in Cancun, Mexico, on Thanksgiving -- was to Creighton. West Virginia still has to face Michigan State and Syracuse before starting Big 12 play; the first of its two meetings with Baylor is Jan. 18. Guards Kysre Gondrezick (18.7 PPG) and Tynice Martin (12.4) are leading the way. After WNIT appearances the past two seasons, West Virginia hopes to be back in the NCAA tournament this season. -- Mechelle Voepel
19 -- North Carolina
Previous rank: Unranked
Bracketology seeds: No. 5 (men), No. 12 (women)
Men: Is the North Carolina offense really as bad as people are saying? It certainly didn't look that way when the Tar Heels opened their season with Cole Anthony scoring 34 points in a 76-65 win at home over Notre Dame. Since then, however, points have been scarce for Roy Williams' team. Playing against and losing to Ohio State and Virginia and their great defenses helped those numbers along, certainly, but the search for points continues in Chapel Hill. -- John Gasaway
Women: The schedule has been soft, but it's just what the Tar Heels needed during the transition to new coach Courtney Banghart. Junior Janelle Bailey is learning to be dominant in the post and is averaging nearly a double-double. Senior Taylor Koenen is easily playing the best basketball of her career. North Carolina has a good chance to remain unbeaten until a Jan. 9 showdown with rival NC State. -- Charlie Creme
20 -- LSU
Previous rank: 15
Bracketology seeds: No. 11 (men), No. 7 (women)
Men: With one-possession losses to VCU and Utah State, the Tigers might remain a mystery all the way to conference play. A trip to Staples Center in Los Angeles to face USC does await later this month, but it might be January before we feel like we have a true read on Will Wade's team. Meanwhile, Emmitt Williams and Darius Days look more than ready to share the limelight with veteran teammates Skylar Mays and Javonte Smart (as well as with highly rated freshman Trendon Watford). -- John Gasaway
Women: The Tigers have victories over Rutgers and Michigan State, and their 70-62 loss to Florida State wasn't bad. But they have to be concerned with their 90-68 Big 12/SEC Challenge loss to Oklahoma on Dec. 7. When they resume play Dec. 19, it will be an important potential bounce-back game against a traditionally good mid-major foe: Florida Gulf Coast. Khayla Pointer (15.0 PPG) and Ayana Mitchell (13.4 PPG) lead the way for LSU, and Mitchell is 19-of-19 from the field over her past two games. -- Mechelle Voepel
21 -- Iowa State
Previous rank: Unranked
Bracketology seeds: No. 11 (men), No. 9 (women)
Men: Entering Thursday's matchup at Iowa, Tyrese Haliburton had justified all of the offseason buzz about his NBA future by averaging 16.2 points, 6.0 rebounds, 8.2 assists and 2.7 steals. The Cyclones already own a 1-1 split with Seton Hall, but a strong schedule ahead could have a serious affect on their Selection Sunday experience. By the end of January, they will have faced Kansas, Baylor (twice), Auburn and Texas Tech. -- Myron Medcalf
Women: The Cyclones are adjusting to losing Bridget Carleton, one of the best players in program history, to graduation. Sophomore guard/forward Ashley Joens (22.4 PPG, 10.4 RPG ) has stepped up as Iowa State's new go-to player, but she needs more help. Iowa State's two losses were against in-state rivals Drake and Iowa, the latter on Wednesday. The Cyclones played with heavy hearts in that 75-69 loss to the Hawkeyes, as Iowa State coach Bill Fennelly's father died earlier that day. Joens had 26 points and 12 rebounds. -- Mechelle Voepel
22 -- South Dakota
Previous rank: Unranked
Bracketology seeds: No. 15 (men), No. 6 (women)
Men: After a transition season following the departure of Craig Smith to Utah State, Todd Lee has the Coyotes back in position to make a run in the Summit League. They already own four wins away from home and will likely enter conference play as the favorites. The duo of Tyler Hagedorn and Stanley Umude is enough to carry South Dakota back to the NCAA tournament. -- Jeff Borzello
Women: The Coyotes have moved ahead of South Dakota State for Summit League supremacy, and with an outstanding November and December are primed for good NCAA tournament seed. They have beaten Power 5 teams Missouri, Ohio State and Utah, along with other prominent mid-majors Green Bay and Drake. A Dec. 22 visit to South Carolina might be the opportunity for the rest of the country to take notice. -- Charlie Creme
23 -- Colgate
Previous rank: Unranked
Bracketology seeds: No. 15 (men), No. 15 (women)
Men: The Raiders might look so-so in terms of wins and losses in December, but this team has a good shot at winning the Patriot's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. Matt Langel's men devote nearly half of their shot attempts to tries from beyond the arc, Jordan Burns scored 40 in a true road win at Green Bay, and 6-foot-5 sophomore Tucker Richardson's connecting on 87% of his (very) low-volume 2s. Udoka who? -- John Gasaway
Women: The Raiders, with all five starters returning, have played the toughest schedule in the Patriot League thus far, and have managed a league-best seven wins. Their only NCAA tournament appearance came in 2000. -- Charlie Creme
24 -- Texas Southern
Previous rank: Unranked
Bracketology seeds: No. 16 (men), No. 16 (women)
Men: It's impossible to truly judge Texas Southern -- or any team in the Southwestern Athletic Conference -- until conference play, given all the "buy" games the teams play in the nonconference, but Johnny Jones should have the most depth in the league. The Tigers already won at Northern Kentucky in double overtime, which could be one of just two Division I wins entering league play. -- Jeff Borzello
Women: The Lady Tigers didn't play a home game until last Saturday, when they upset Conference USA preseason favorite Rice behind 20 points from Rutgers graduate transfer Ciani Cryor. -- Charlie Creme
25 -- Stanford
Previous rank: Unranked
Bracketology seeds: First four out (men), No. 1 (women)
Men: Jerod Haase is still seeking his first NCAA tournament appearance at Stanford. A one-point, neutral-site loss to Butler last month suggested the Cardinal could crack the field. Haase's squad will have an abundance of résumé-boosting opportunities once Pac-12 play begins, especially with Oscar da Silva (16.6 PPG, 5.3 RPG), who is high on the list of the nation's most improved players. -- Myron Medcalf
Women: The Cardinal are still unbeaten. And thanks to losses by Oregon and Baylor on Nov. 30, while Stanford beat Mississippi State that day, the Cardinal elevated to the top spot in the rankings. Stanford hasn't played as the No. 1 team yet; the Cardinal haven't played since Nov. 30. Next up is Ohio State on Sunday, then longtime rivalry games against Tennessee (Dec. 18) and Texas (Dec. 22). For all the talk of the Cardinal's freshman class -- and they are good -- sophomore guard Lexie Hull is leading Stanford in scoring (14.8 PPG). -- Mechelle Voepel
Dropped out: Duke (No. 7), Texas (No. 11), Auburn (No. 14), Notre Dame (No. 16), VCU (No. 17), Missouri State (No. 19), New Mexico State (No. 20) Belmont (No. 21), UC Irvine (No. 22), Mississippi State (No. 24)
