Guy’s Basketball Power Rankings: How far does Tennessee fall after
Tuesday night brought the most eye-popping result of the 2024-25 males’s basketball season: Florida 73, Tennessee 43.
The Volunteers, who got in the game as the only team in the nation without a loss, gave up the first 12 points and were essentially never ever in the game. Florida didn’t even play its A-game– and ran Tennessee out of the building.Auburn was already No.
1, so the top didn’t change. It does seem there’s a leading tier developing, with the Tigers followed by Iowa State and Duke– none of those three has actually suffered anything looking like a 30-point loss yet this season and they have actually regularly looked a cut above over the previous month.Tennessee is still 14-1 with roadway wins at Illinois and Louisville,
a neutral-site win over Baylor and a home blowout over Arkansas, so the Volunteers can’t drop too far. However that efficiency against the Gators on Tuesday will be a rough spot on their résumé all season– and could turn up in conversation on Selection Sunday. Previous ranking: 1 Auburn had its closest win considering that November on
Tuesday, when it won at Texas by five regardless of leaping out to a 21-point lead. Texas scored 42 points in the final 12:30 to get within 3, but Auburn made clutch totally free throws down the stretch. It was the Tigers’ worst protective efficiency because the loss to Duke and their second-worst defensive efficiency of the season. Texas took 30 free throws and shot 50%inside the arc.Next 7 days: at South Carolina( Jan. 11 ), vs. Mississippi State(Jan. 14
) Previous ranking: 3 After permitting more than one point per possession in the Big 12 opener against Colorado, Iowa State’s normal defense has actually returned. The Cyclones limited Baylor to 29.7%shooting
from the field and 24.1 %from 3, holding the Bears to just 25 first-half points. Baylor scored less than 0.85 points per belongings, as did Utah on Tuesday night. Iowa State forced the Utes into comparable struggles, but this group also turned them over 18 times.Next 7 days: at Texas Tech(Jan. 11), vs. Kansas (Jan. 15 ) Previous ranking: 4
Duke moved into the No. 1 spot at KenPom after the Blue Devils ‘blowout of Pitt on Tuesday night, and they now inhabit the leading area at both KenPom and in ESPN’s Guy’s College Basketball Power Index. Jon Scheyer’s team is unlikely to
be checked all that often in ACC play, so let’s simply watch Cooper Flagg’s dunk a couple of more times.Next 7
days: vs. Notre Dame( Jan. 11 ), vs. Miami(Jan. 14) Previous ranking: 6 When it pertains to statement success, it’s difficult to envision a larger one than taking down the formerly unbeaten No. 1 group in the nation by 30, holding it to 43 points. Florida had actually looked the part all season, however it required a marquee win
to back it up– which’s what the Gators got against Tennessee on Tuesday. Perhaps the most remarkable part?
They did it in spite of leading scorer and All-America prospect Walter Clayton scoring just 7 points.Next seven days: at Arkansas (Jan. 11 ), vs. Missouri( Jan. 14) Previous ranking: 5 Mark Sears’November struggles seem like a distant memory, as the All-American guard is back to playing his finest basketball. He scored 22 points in each of Alabama’s very first 2 SEC games, likewise amounting to 16 helps. Since scoring 11 points and shooting 3-for-14 in a loss to Oregon on Nov. 30, Sears is averaging 21.4 points,
3.0 rebounds and 5.6 assists in his past 7 games, shooting 48.4%from the field and 41.5 %from 3. Next 7 days: at Texas A&M (Jan. 11), vs. Ole Miss (Jan. 14 )
Previous ranking: 2 Tennessee will have to hope Tuesday was a blip, as the Volunteers’ loss to Florida will go down in the record books.
According to ESPN Research, Tennessee’s 30-point margin of defeat was
the third-most all time by an unbeaten AP No. 1 team and the most given that Houston in 1968. The Vols
’43 points were likewise the third-fewest points scored in a game by an AP No. 1 team in the shot clock era.Next seven days: at Texas(Jan. 11), vs. Georgia( Jan. 15) Previous ranking: 9 Marquette was pushed to the verge by Georgetown on Tuesday, but the Golden Eagles eliminated a 14-point deficit to move to
5-0 in the Big East. And this time, the hero wasn’t
All-American guard Kam Jones. Chase Ross scored a career-high 27 points, striking four 3-pointers, while
likewise acquiring six steals. Jones had a hard time to end up for most of the night, with Thomas Sorber causing issues on the interior, but Ross stepped up to lead the return win.Next 7 days: at DePaul(Jan. 14)