College basketball rankings: Tennessee and Auburn battle for No. 1 spot, Kansas returns to top 10

Who deserves to be number one?

That debate lies in the Southeastern Conference, which has had a historic non-league season that will surely see it land a double-digit number of teams in the NCAA Tournament. Yes, we got to see 12-13 SEC teams make it to the Big Dance, as the league rocketed at a breakneck pace on Saturday, going 13-1 on a basketball-heavy day.

Tennessee or Auburn?

Well, let’s start with the team we had at No. 1 last week, and who will remain at No. 1 this week. The Volunteers saw their top two guards commit fouls in Champaign on Saturday, with Chaz Lanier coming out with 3:40 left and Zakai Zeigler committing his fifth foul on Kasparas Jakucionis with five seconds left.

So who was Tennessee going to turn to at Illinois in a 64-64 game? Jordan Gainey answered the bell, making a coast-to-coast drive and throw-in to silence Champaign and lead Tennessee to an incredible 66-64 victory.

Gainey, an Upstate transfer from South Carolina now in his second year with the program, finished with 23 points in the win. Lanier, a transfer from North Florida, continued his All-American caliber play with 17. Notice a trend? Rick Barnes knows how to recruit in the portal. He has found gems in recent years, with now-Los Angeles Laker Dalton Knecht, who had an incredible college season last year and led the Volunteers to the Elite Eight. Tennessee is 10-0 and should enter conference play at 13-0. What a start.

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As for Auburn, the Tigers may not be number one right now, but if you make the case that Bruce Pearl’s team is the better in the country, you will not get any opposition from me. I’m serious: I’m 51-49 for Tennessee right now for my number one team, and it’s really because the Vols have no flaws and just won an incredible road game against a good Illinois team.

As for Auburn, Johni Broome continued his bid for national player of the year on Saturday, showing why he is the favorite right now. The fifth-year senior totaled 21 points, 20 rebounds, six assists and three blocks in a 91-53 win over Ohio State, posting the Tigers’ first 20-20 game since Kevin Ardister in 1989. What makes Auburn so powerful? Broome is surrounded by a flurry of explosive guards, with Denver Jones contributing 14 points and freshman Tahaad Pettiford hitting three 3-pointers. In all, Auburn shot 13 of 30 from beyond the arc. This team has the number one offense in the country according to KenPom and ranks 12th in defense. You’ll never have to worry about defense on Pearl’s teams, but this one does it at a high rate.

Here are five more quick takeaways from a crazy basketball weekend.

Another freshman star is born

Liam McNeeley showed America that he is the third-best freshman in the country, behind only Duke’s Cooper Flagg and Rutgers superstar Dylan Bailey, who beat Seton Hall on Saturday with a wild 3-pointer. McNeeley’s 26-point, 8-rebound, 4-assist performance with no turnovers was a masterclass at Madison Square Garden on FOX Primetime Hoops, as UConn beat Gonzaga 77-71 for a resume-enhancing third straight victory.

McNeeley’s 25-plus-point, turnover-free performance was the first by a Connecticut freshman since Shabazz Napier in 2012, and it’s what vaults the Huskies back into my top 15 this week after his performance 0-3 at the Maui Invitational.

Thanks to Dan Hurley and his team for evolving as quickly as they have. They lost starting center Samson Johnson early Saturday (concussion protocol). Tarris Reed got into foul trouble and Alex Karaban was 0 for 7 from 3-point range. And yet, they found a way with Jaylin Stewart and Reed in double figures, and the defense showing material growth once again. Connecticut has regained its charm.

The Aggies are tough!

Texas A&M showed me a lot on Saturday in the 70-66 win over Purdue. The Aggies, playing a pseudo road game in Indianapolis, got Trey Kaufman-Renn to work on the interior and totally outscored the Boilermakers with a 34-23 lead on the glass. Minnesota transfer Pharrel Payne was excellent, with 16 points on 6-of-6 shooting from the floor to go along with nine points. Buzz Williams’ team is in my top 15 this week after five straight wins over high-level opponents.

Mark Pope has the Wildcats going

In the first Kentucky-Louisville game since 2001 without John Calipari or Rick Pitino, Big Blue Nation can rejoice. The Wildcats beat the Cardinals for the 14th time in 17 meetings, winning 93-85 in Lexington to improve to 10-1 on the season. What a difference Mark Pope is already making with a revamped offense that can handle a different hand each time. On Saturday it was Lamont Butler. Get this: The San Diego State transfer scored 33 points on a perfect 10-of-10 from the floor (he shot 7-of-12 from the line, but 6-of-6 from 3), and six assists! Butler is my national player of the week.

Dayton is real, folks.

How about a surprise in Dayton? The Flyers, who made my Top 25 last week but they were not in the AP Top 25, proved us right with a comeback from 13 down to upset No. 6 Marquette, 71-63. That’s an outstanding win for Anthony Grant, who also owns a win over UConn. UD is a top 20 team in my opinion and an overall gem of a team for the Atlantic 10.

Is it time to get nervous in Tucson?

The Arizona Wildcats are 4-5 and it’s panic time in Tucson. UCLA rallied from down 13 with 10 minutes left to stun Tommy Lloyd’s team and improve to 9-1 on the season. Tyler Bilodeau was key down the stretch and finished with 17 points, and Mick Cronin’s team is off to its best start since 2021. Of the four West Coast additions to the Big Ten, two of them are conference title contenders, the Bruins and Oregon. .

Let’s get to our Top 25!

1. Tennessee Volunteers (10-0)

The Volunteers are the best defensive team in the country, but it’s usually taken for granted that Rick Barnes has a team that protects you when you get off the bus. This team is top 15 nationally in KenPom offense and Chaz Lanier is one of the top five players in the United States.

2. chestnut tigers (9-1)

The Tigers’ next big game will be Saturday in Birmingham against Purdue. If they can win that one, they’ll enter SEC play having only lost at Duke. There is no shame in that.

3. Iowa State Cyclones (9-1)

The Cyclones proved themselves once again on Thursday, coming back from a 13-down deficit to beat archrival Iowa, 89-80. Saint Mary’s transfer Joshua Jefferson continued to show why he was a portal gem, with 19 and 10.

4. Kentucky Wildcats (10-1)

If you predicted Mark Pope would have a top-4 team in the country just six weeks into his first season, we’ll let you pick our lottery numbers too. Big Blue Nation is dreaming big and this feels different, with one of their own leading them into a new era.

5. Duke blue devils (8-2)

The Blue Devils defeated Incarnate Word 72-46 last week, with Khaman Maluach adding 17 points and seven rebounds. The freshman is a game-changer, specifically on defense, when he’s not in foul trouble. Next up: George Mason on Tuesday. \

6. florida crocodiles (10-0)

The Gators defeated Arizona State, 83-66, on Saturday to remain undefeated on the season. Walter Clayton continues to play like one of the top 7-8 players in the game, if not better, scoring 25 points in the win.

7. Alabama Crimson Tide (8-2)

The Crimson Tide led Creighton, 83-75, in Tuscaloosa on Saturday to get another quality win on their resume. Mark Sears is one of America’s best players, posting 27 points, six rebounds and four assists in the win, while Kansas transfer Labaron Philon scored 16 and 5.

8. Marquette Golden Eagles (9-2)

I’m not going to blame the Golden Eagles too much for losing on the road to a very good Dayton team.

9. houston cougars (6-3)

Houston is ranked #15 in the AP because they have three losses, but I’m not going to let that affect my thinking at all! They are in the top 4 in the KenPom and Torvik metric systems and are still as tough as any team in America, with LJ Cryer and Emanuel Sharp leading the way.

10. Kansas Jayhawks (8-2)

The Jayhawks dominated NC State, 75-60, on Saturday with a strong comeback performance behind Hunter Dickinson, who had 21 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists. It was South Dakota State transfer Zeke Mayo’s best act as a Jayhawk, as he scored 26 points and was 9 of 14 from the floor. That’s what Bill Self thought he was getting in his transfer class: shooters. Mayo provided it on Saturday and Kansas is back in my top 10.

11. University of Connecticut Huskies (8-3)

12. Texas A&M Aggies (9-2)

13. old miss rebels (9-1)

14. Oklahoma Early (10-0)

15. UCLA Bruins (9-1)

16. Oregon ducks (9-1)

17. Purdue Boilermakers (8-3)

18. Gonzaga Bulldogs (7-3)

19. Dayton Flyers (9-2)

20. Memphis Tigers (8-2)

21. San Diego State Aztecs (7-2)

22. Arkansas Razorbacks (9-2)

23. Michigan Wolverines (8-2)

24. Michigan State Spartans (8-2)

25. Cincinnati Bears (8-1)

John Fanta is a national college basketball broadcaster and writer for FOX Sports. He covers the sport in a variety of capacities, from calling games on FS1 to serving as a lead anchor on the BIG EAST Digital Network and providing commentary on The Field of 68 Media Network. follow him on @John_Fanta.

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