For much of the past two months, there has been a tier of teams atop the national rankings and leading the race for the 1-seeds. But Florida's loss at Georgia on Tuesday night opened up the discussion to figure out which of that group is best positioned to end up on the top line come Selection Sunday -- and helped us settle the top five in this week's Power Rankings.
Auburn and Duke are No. 1 and No. 2, respectively. The Tigers likely have a sizable cushion for the overall No. 1 seed in a couple weeks, and the Blue Devils are in good shape barring a surprising loss. That leaves three SEC teams -- Alabama, Tennessee, Florida -- and Houston to consider.
From a numbers perspective, Houston has the inside track to a 1-seed. The Cougars are in the top four of six of the seven metrics used by the selection committee. Their quality wins have increased recently, too, with wins over Texas Tech, Iowa State and Arizona over the past two weeks.
Alabama, despite back-to-back losses to Auburn and Missouri, would be a surefire 1-seed if it finishes the regular season with two more wins. The Crimson Tide face perhaps the most difficult three-game stretch in recent memory: at Tennessee, vs. Florida and at Auburn. They rank No. 2 in the three résumé-based metrics, with 10 Quadrant 1 wins.
Tennessee and Florida would get a boost by beating Alabama down the stretch. The Gators have the slightest metrics edge over the Vols, and they split their two head-to-head meetings. Tennessee has nine Quadrant 1 wins to Florida's five, while the Gators have 14 combined Quadrant 1 and 2 wins compared to Tennessee's 13. Florida does have arguably the best win of the season, beating Auburn at Auburn.
Let's see where we landed and dive into the full top 25.
1. Auburn Tigers (26-2)
Previous ranking: 1
Auburn answered Duke's obliteration of Illinois at Madison Square Garden with its own dominant performance, posting its best offensive showing of the season in Wednesday's 30-point win over Ole Miss. The Tigers scored 1.49 points per possession, their best offensive performance in KenPom's database that dates back to the 1996-97 season. They shot 64% inside the arc and made 11 shots from deep at a 52.4% clip from 3 while also getting to the free throw line 33 times.
Next seven days: at Kentucky (March 1), at Texas A&M (March 4)
2. Duke Blue Devils (25-3)
Previous ranking: 3
Duke had one of the most dominant performances of the season on Saturday, beating Illinois by 43 points at Madison Square Garden, then followed that up with a 37-point road win at Miami on Tuesday. But there's concern over starting guard Tyrese Proctor, who left Tuesday's game with a knee injury. Jon Scheyer said Wednesday that Proctor has a bone bruise, but there isn't an exact timetable moving forward. As a result, a bigger role could be looming for freshman Isaiah Evans. Evans is playing his best basketball of the season, averaging 16.7 points and shooting 68.4% from 3 over his past three games.
Next seven days: vs. Florida State (March 1), vs. Wake Forest (March 3)
3. Houston Cougars (24-4)
Previous ranking: 4
It's easy to keep discussing how good Milos Uzan has been, but the run he has been on since mid-January is truly remarkable. He was objectively struggling at that point in the season, coming off a five-game stint in which he averaged 8.0 points and shot 26.7% from 3. But the script has since flipped, as the Oklahoma transfer is averaging 14.6 points and 4.4 assists over his past 11 games, shooting 52.3% from 3. He's playing aggressively, with more confidence, and has been the catalyst for the Cougars.
Next seven days: vs. Cincinnati (March 1), vs. Kansas (March 3)
4. Alabama Crimson Tide (23-5)
Previous ranking: 5
Alabama's shooting performance against Mississippi State on Tuesday was historic. The Crimson Tide's 22 3-pointers made are tied for the most by any Division I team against a ranked opponent over the past 25 seasons -- and they own the other instance, with 22 against Auburn in an overtime game in February 2020. It was also their fourth 100-point game against a top-25 team this season, which ties 1989-90 Loyola Marymount for the most 100-point games against a ranked opponent in the regular season, according to ESPN Research.
Next seven days: at Tennessee (March 1), vs. Florida (March 5)
5. Florida Gators (24-4)
Previous ranking: 2
Florida struggled at both ends of the floor in Tuesday's loss at Georgia, a game in which the Gators trailed by as many as 26 points. It was their third-worst defensive performance of the season, allowing 1.15 points per possession with the Bulldogs shooting 56% from 3-point range. It was also Florida's least efficient offensive effort since a 44-point showing against Tennessee in early February. Alijah Martin struggled inside the arc, while Alex Condon wasn't at his best in his first game back from injury.
Next seven days: vs. Texas A&M (March 1), at Alabama (March 5)
6. Tennessee Volunteers (23-5)
Previous ranking: 6
Tennessee has won six of its past seven games since a lull in January, when the Vols lost four of seven. Zakai Zeigler has been terrific, but Chaz Lanier regaining a level of consistency has also been key to the turnaround. Lanier went for 30 points and eight 3s against Texas A&M on Saturday, then made another three 3s against LSU on Tuesday. Felix Okpara has also quietly been a factor on offense of late, scoring in double figures three times over his past seven games, including 15 points on 6-for-6 shooting on Tuesday.
Next seven days: vs. Alabama (March 1), at Ole Miss (March 5)
7. St. John's Red Storm (25-4)
Previous ranking: 9
St. John's officially clinched at least a share of its first Big East regular-season title since the 1991-92 season with Wednesday's win over Butler -- and can clinch its first outright championship since 1985 with a home win over Seton Hall this weekend. It was good to see RJ Luis Jr. bounce back after missing one game with injury before struggling offensively against UConn last weekend. He continued to build his Big East Player of the Year case with 24 points on 9-for-16 shooting against the Bulldogs.
Next seven days: vs. Seton Hall (March 1), at Marquette (March 8)
8. Michigan State Spartans (23-5)
Previous ranking: 10
Michigan State lost three of four to start the month of February, seemingly leaving the Spartans' Big Ten title hopes on life support, especially entering what appeared to be a five-game gauntlet. But Tom Izzo's team has won the first four games of that stretch: at Illinois, vs. Purdue, at Michigan and at Maryland -- with the win over the Terps coming on one of college basketball's shots of the year by Tre Holloman.
Next seven days: vs. Wisconsin (March 2), at Iowa (March 6)
Tre Holloman calls game for Michigan State with a stunning heave from beyond half court against Maryland.
9. Wisconsin Badgers (22-6)
Previous ranking: 8
Wisconsin's surprising home loss to Oregon last weekend snapped a five-game winning streak and was arguably the Badgers' worst offensive game of the season. They had just 66 points at the end of regulation, which would have been their fewest since scoring 64 in a loss to Michigan in early December. They also scored fewer than one point per possession for just the second time all season. The primary culprit? Wisconsin made single-digit 3-pointers for the first time in the month of February, shooting just 25% from behind the arc.
Next seven days: at Michigan State (March 2), at Minnesota (March 5)
10. Iowa State Cyclones (21-7)
Previous ranking: 7
After Milan Momcilovic's return seemed to right the ship offensively for Iowa State, the Cyclones have now struggled at that end of the floor in their past two games -- and this time, it's with Keshon Gilbert on the sideline. (Curtis Jones also missed the loss at Houston.) Gilbert was one of the country's elite guards for the first half of the season, averaging 15.6 points and 4.6 assists through 20 games. He then averaged just 9.5 points over his next six games before sitting out the past two. T.J. Otzelberger desperately needs a fully healthy group in time for the postseason.
Next seven days: vs. Arizona (March 1), vs. BYU (March 4)
11. Missouri Tigers (21-7)
Previous ranking: 12
We're not giving Missouri enough credit for what it is doing on the offensive end. The Tigers have been flat-out elite at that end of the floor, ranking sixth nationally in adjusted offensive efficiency and second in the SEC in conference play, behind only Alabama. That's right, Dennis Gates' team has been more productive on a point per possession basis than Florida, Auburn and Kentucky. Missouri has scored at least 80 points in each of its past eight wins and totaled 211 points in wins over Alabama and South Carolina. The Tigers get to the free throw line at an incredibly high rate and have been outstanding from 3.
Next seven days: at Vanderbilt (March 1), at Oklahoma (March 5)
12. Texas Tech Red Raiders (21-7)
Previous ranking: 18
It's hard to take anything too noteworthy from Tech's loss to Houston on Monday, given the Red Raiders were without Chance McMillian and Darrion Williams, although they did hang with the Cougars before running out of steam in the final minutes. Elijah Hawkins has continued to emerge as a reliable scorer in the backcourt, hitting double figures against Houston for the seventh time in his past nine games after doing it just six times in his first 17 games. He is averaging 10.7 points and 7.0 assists over this stretch, shooting nearly 39% from 3.
Next seven days: at Kansas (March 1), vs. Colorado (March 5)
13. Michigan Wolverines (21-6)
Previous ranking: 13
This stat really caught my eye after Michigan's 49-46 win at Nebraska on Monday night.
Michigan has still not won a game by more than 4 points since January 12.
— Ky (@Ky_3MW) February 25, 2025
They are 8-3 over that span.
The Wolverines have been very good in close games this season, ranking second to Oregon among Big Ten teams in KenPom's "luck factor" metric. While that theoretically bodes well for March, the fact they haven't been able to beat the likes of Penn State, Rutgers and Northwestern by more than a few points isn't ideal.
Next seven days: vs. Rutgers (Feb. 27), vs. Illinois (March 2), vs. Maryland (March 5)
14. Kentucky Wildcats (19-9)
Previous ranking: 15
Wednesday's game at Oklahoma clearly meant a little more to Otega Oweh, who transferred from the Sooners last spring and ended up in Lexington. Oweh carried the Wildcats to a win over Oklahoma with 23 of his 28 points coming in the second half, including the game-winning bucket with six seconds left. He scored Kentucky's last 18 points, with Amari Williams the only Wildcat not named Oweh to make a field goal within the last 12:51. It was an unbelievable second-half performance for Oweh against his former team.
Next seven days: vs. Auburn (March 1), vs. LSU (March 4)
Kentucky's Otega Oweh, a former Sooner, drops in a go-ahead layup in the final seconds as the Wildcats hold on to defeat Oklahoma.
15. Texas A&M Aggies (20-8)
Previous ranking: 11
A&M's losing streak extended to three games on Wednesday with a home loss to Vanderbilt, arguably the Aggies' worst loss since the season opener at UCF. They have had two of their five worst defensive performances in their past two games, allowing 1.17 points per possession to both Tennessee and Vandy. Their 3-point defense has been an issue for much of conference play, ranking 13th in the SEC -- and the Vols and Commodores made a combined 23-for-51 from the perimeter.
Next seven days: at Florida (March 1), vs. Auburn (March 4)
16. Clemson Tigers (23-5)
Previous ranking: 20
Since Brad Brownell moved Dillon Hunter into the starting lineup before the Feb. 8 game against Duke, Clemson has been playing its best basketball of the season. The Tigers are 5-0 since, ranking No. 2 nationally at BartTorvik.com in adjusted efficiency margin as well as top 10 at both ends of the floor over that span. Hunter isn't a big scorer (although he did have 17 points against Florida State), but he has totaled 21 assists to just three turnovers over his past five games.
Next seven days: at Virginia (March 1), at Boston College (March 5)
17. Arizona Wildcats (19-9)
Previous ranking: 16
Tommy Lloyd has gone through several different looks with his frontcourt this season, but he has opted for Henri Veesaar and Tobe Awaka in the starting lineup over the past three games. And so far, both players have backed up that decision. In those games, Veesaar is averaging 12.3 points and 5.7 rebounds, while Awaka is playing the best basketball of his career. He's tallied three consecutive double-doubles and has reached double figures in seven of his past nine games.
Next seven days: at Iowa State (March 1), vs. Arizona State (March 4)
18. Saint Mary's Gaels (25-4)
Previous ranking: 25
There's something about facing Gonzaga that makes guard Mikey Lewis play his best games of the season. In the first meeting against the Zags, he went for 16 points off the bench, making four 3s. In last weekend's win on the road in Spokane, he came off the bench and finished with 18 points and five 3s. That's not a far cry from his previous games against top-50 KenPom opponents; Lewis had 23 points and five 3s in a November win over Saint Mary's then 12 points and three 3s against Utah State in December.
Next seven days: at Loyola Marymount (Feb. 27), vs. Oregon State (March 1)
19. Maryland Terrapins (21-7)
Previous ranking: 21
The Terps saw their four-game winning streak snapped in heartbreaking fashion on Wednesday, with Tre Holloman's 50-footer at the buzzer winning it for Michigan State. Derik Queen and Julian Reese simply couldn't get it going around the rim, combining to shoot 4-for-16 from the field, while nobody besides Rodney Rice was able to make a 3-pointer. Despite the loss, Maryland is still one of just five teams to rank in the top 20 at KenPom in both offensive and defensive efficiency.
Next seven days: at Penn State (March 1), at Michigan (March 5)
20. Purdue Boilermakers (19-9)
Previous ranking: 14
Purdue has plummeted in the rankings over the past two weeks, with Sunday's 15-point loss at Indiana marking the fourth loss in a row. The Boilermakers' defense has completely disappeared, after being so effective during the first half of conference play. We've highlighted their lack of rim protection before, but teams are scoring at will against them inside the arc in recent weeks. As Brian Rauf of Heat Check CBB noted, Purdue has the worst 2-point defense in the country during its losing streak, while also ranking near the bottom of Division I in foul rate and defensive turnover percentage.
Next seven days: vs. UCLA (Feb. 28), vs. Rutgers (March 4)
21. Louisville Cardinals (22-6)
Previous ranking: 24
Louisville has now won 16 of its past 17 games since a loss at Kentucky in mid-December, with the lone defeat coming at Georgia Tech to open February. Twelve of the Cardinals' 15 ACC wins have come by double digits, although two of their three single-digit wins have come in their past two games. They beat Florida State by eight over the weekend, then struggled mightily offensively on the road against Virginia Tech on Tuesday. They have to get the 3-point shooting back on track; they went just 13-for-44 in those two wins.
Next seven days: vs. Pitt (March 1), vs. California (March 5)
22. Memphis Tigers (23-5)
Previous ranking: 22
Dain Dainja continues to be a force down low, going for 25 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks against Rice on Wednesday, three days after finishing with 22 points, 11 rebounds, 4 blocks and 3 steals against Florida Atlantic. Now Penny Hardaway just needs to get his perimeter group back on track. Colby Rogers has been inconsistent in conference play, scoring in double figures just five times after doing it nine times in nonconference play. Meanwhile, Tyrese Hunter totaled just 14 points and went 2-for-8 from 3 in the two recent wins.
Next seven days: at UAB (March 2), at UTSA (March 4)
23. Mississippi State Bulldogs (19-9)
Previous ranking: 19
After seemingly turning around its defense in mid-February wins over Ole Miss and Texas A&M, Mississippi State has once again fallen off a cliff at that end of the floor. The Bulldogs gave up a combined 204 points in losses to Oklahoma and Alabama, with the Sooners and Tide combining to make 33 3-pointers at a 46.5% clip. Dating back to the Jan. 11 loss to Kentucky, Mississippi State has allowed at least 1.09 points per possession in 10 of 13 games, ranking 10th in the SEC in defensive efficiency and 14th in 3-point percentage defense.
Next seven days: vs. LSU (March 1), vs. Texas (March 4)
24. Marquette Golden Eagles (21-7)
Previous ranking: 17
Marquette has plenty to prove over its final few games of the season. After heading to Georgetown this weekend, the Golden Eagles play at UConn and then host St. John's. They have struggled against the best teams in the Big East so far, losing three straight in early February to UConn, St. John's and Creighton -- and they have beaten only one surefire NCAA tournament team since Dec. 8. Their Selection Sunday seeding is slipping despite early-season wins over Maryland, Purdue and Wisconsin. Another résumé-boosting win could be key heading into the postseason.
Next seven days: at Georgetown (March 1), at UConn (March 5)
25. BYU Cougars (19-8)
Previous ranking: unranked
I moved BYU into my AP poll ballot after its controversial win at Arizona over the weekend, and the Cougars made me look good by then going to Tempe and knocking off Arizona State. Kevin Young's team has scored at least 91 points in three straight games, making at least 14 3s in each. Richie Saunders has been one of the best scorers in the Big 12 all season, but he's taking his game to another level recently, averaging 23.7 points and shooting 56.5% from 3-point range in his past three games.
Next seven days: vs. West Virginia (March 1), at Iowa State (March 4)
Dropped out: Ole Miss Rebels (No. 23)