College basketball Power Rankings return, and with them, Purdue at

For the first time given that UConn rose to the top spot in early December, the 2022-23 males’s college basketball Power Rankings has a new No. 1 group. The Huskies suffered their very first loss of the season Saturday, falling by 10 at Xavier, but there’s really little argument about which group will take their place.We moved Purdue to No. 1 after Thanksgiving, when the Boilermakers beat West Virginia, Gonzaga and Duke en route to the Phil Knight Tradition title. Matt Painter’s group has struck a few speed bumps because, with closer-than-expected wins over Nebraska and Davidson, but it remains one of 2 unbeaten teams in college basketball– the other is New Mexico– and looks every bit a championship game competitor. Zach Edey is still the Wooden Award front-runner, Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer are still perhaps the best freshman backcourt in the country and the Boilermakers still have a variety of role players and shot-makers around them.As the calendar turns to 2023, Purdue is the best team in college basketball.As you were, in other words.On to today’s awards and rankings– and remember, we didn’t post a Power Rankings update last week, so the” previous ranking “describes what we had the teams at 2 weeks earlier. 2 Associated Beat the No. 1 group in our rankings and possibilities are a Team of the Week honor is soon to follow. Ever since a number of narrow losses in Portland to Duke and Gonzaga, Xavier

has actually appeared like a legitimate second-weekend NCAA competition team– however the Musketeers needed a big-game efficiency to back that up. That came Saturday, against formerly unbeaten UConn, with Xavier completing the game on a 12-2 run in the last 3:33 to win by 10. Zach Freemantle was the team’s anchor in the first half, going toe-to-toe with Adama Sanogo on the interior. In the second half, Colby Jones scored 10 points, Jerome Hunter and star guard Souley Boum made prompt plays and Jack Nunge played through a disease to complete with 15 points. Xavier required UConn into its worst efficiency at both ends of the floor all season.It capped a good week for Sean Miller’s group, who earlier had a road win at St. John’s after going out to an early double-digit lead and holding on to complete 84-79. Nunge had 23 and 12 because game. play 2:06 Kobe Brown’s 2nd straight 30-point outburst leads the Tigers to a persuading 89-75 win over the No. 19 Wildcats.Brown’s back-to-back efforts against Illinois and Kentucky are unmatched by anyone this season, when thinking about the top-25 opposition in both games. Against the Illini in the Tigers’blowout win, Brown

completed

with 31 points, five rebounds, 8 helps and four steals. And after that in Missouri’s 89-75 win over Kentucky, Brown ran it back with 30 points and 6 rebounds. In the two games, he balanced 31.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 3.0 takes, 61.9 FG %, 58.3 3PT%, 87.5 FEET%. Brown stuck it out in Columbia through the training modification from Cuonzo Martin to Dennis Gates, and he’s playing the best basketball of his career.Via @ESPNStatsInfo: Missouri’s Kobe Brown is simply the third D1 player in the last 25 seasons with back-to-back 30-point games, both in wins vs. ranked groups. The only player who has done it in three straight games vs. ranked teams? Stephen Curry in the 2008 NCAA Tournament.– Jeff Borzello( @jeffborzello)December 29, 2022 It was impossible to predict what kind of campaign LSU would have this season. The Tigers underwent one of the biggest rebuilds in the country, with the entire group getting in the transfer portal at one point. LSU went 11-1 in the nonconference schedule, with the only loss

visiting 2 against Kansas State. However a two-point win over

Wake Forest was the team’s only top-150 KenPom win. After Wednesday, however, we have a better idea about Matt McMahon’s program.LSU handed Arkansas its second loss of the season, coming back in the second half to pull out a three-point win. The Razorbacks could not deal with Trae Hannibal (19 points )late in the game, and it was two transfers with SEC experience– Hannibal and Derek Fountain( 14 points, 10 boards)– who were the difference-makers. McMahon’s decision to switch to a zone defense was also a masterstroke, as the Razorbacks could not figure it out en path to a 4-for-25 3-point shooting effort. There were a number of excellent prospects for today, with Charleston and Pat Kelsey knocking off preseason CAA preferred Towson on the roadway to relocate to 14-1 and Dusty Might and Florida Atlantic winning at North Texas to improve to 12-1. But what Tim Miles is doing at San José State up until now this season

is absolutely nothing short of remarkable. The Spartans are already 11-4– just the second time given that 2011 that the team has actually won double-digit games. They’re 2-0 in the Mountain West after handing UNLV its second loss of the season, and after that winning at 2022 NCAA competition individual Colorado State.Just look at this stat: Crazy but real: For the first time EVER, San Jose State will awaken tomorrow morning with a winning record in the Mountain West.Tim Miles and the Spartans upset UNLV in overtime in the league opener. pic.twitter.com/srHyJ4QkWV!.?.!— Heat Check CBB(@HeatCheckCBB )December 29, 2022 3 groups with concerns

St. John’s Red Storm: After beginning the season 11-1, St. John’s has now lost three in a row, including 2 blowouts at the

hands of Villanova and Seton Hall. On Saturday against the Pirates, the Red Storm got out to an early 10-point lead prior to being outscored by 32 points over the last thirty minutes. NC State Wolfpack: NC State revealed promise in the nonconference part of the season, beating Dayton, Butler and Vanderbilt, but has now dropped to 1-3 in the ACC with a 14-point loss at Clemson. It does not get simpler any time quickly either, with Duke, Virginia Tech and Miami next on the schedule. Iowa Hawkeyes: A potentially appealing season for the Hawkeyes has actually gone entirely off the rails. Before Christmas, they had the incredibly awkward home loss to Eastern Illinois– and followed that up with losses this previous week to Nebraska and Penn State. They’re now 0-3 in the Big 10 and have lost 6 of 9 overall.Power Rankings< img height=" 320"width

=”570 “src=”https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/35359966/”/ > Trey Kaufman-Renn has actually proved himself as a strong shooting choice for Matt Painter and Purdue. AP Photo/Michael Conroy 1. Purdue Boilermakers(13-0)

Previous ranking: 2 Today: vs. Rutgers (Monday), at Ohio State(Thursday), at Penn State(Sunday)Former ESPN 100 hire Trey Kaufman-Renn drew favorable praise while redshirting last season, and started this campaign as a rotation piece in the frontcourt. With Zach Edey(one game)and Mason Gillis(3 games)missing time just recently, though, he has actually seen his minutes increase– and he

has actually reacted well. The 6-foot-9 forward has scored in double figures in four of his previous 6 games, consisting of 24 points versus New Orleans prior to Christmas and

11 points and six boards against Florida A&M on Thursday. He’s yet another choice for Matt Painter and the country’s No. 1 team. 2. Arizona Wildcats(13-1 )Previous ranking: 3 Today: vs. Washington (Thursday), vs. Washington State(Saturday)Beyond Zach Edey and, lately, Drew Timme, there aren’t numerous players performing more consistently than Azuolas Tubelis. The 6-11 forward from Lithuania has scored in double figures in every game this season(20 or more on eight occasions), tallied 3 double-doubles and grabbed a minimum of nine rebounds in each of his previous 4 games. He has actually jumped from 13.9 points, 6.2 rebounds, 54%from the field and 26.3

%from 3 last season to 20.1 points, 8.7 rebounds, 61.4%from the field and 42.9 %from 3 up until now in 2022-23. He’s likewise doing things like this

: We can’t stop thinking about this play by @azuolaz10 #BearDown #RunWithUs pic.twitter.com/b6HwcILMJU!.?.!— Arizona Basketball (@ArizonaMBB)December 23, 2022 3. Houston Cougars(14-1 )Previous ranking: 4 This week: vs. SMU (Thursday), at Cincinnati(Sunday )While Houston’s defense struggled in the win over UCF on Saturday, the Cougars will seek to get freshman Jarace Walker out of his mini depression on the offensive end moving forward. He had his breakout efficiency in the win over Virginia in mid-December, going

for 17 points, 7 rebounds and four assists versus the Cavaliers, however in the 3 games since he has amounted to simply 12 points, 11 rebounds and seven helps. Offered his size, strength and playmaking ability, Walker is a ruthless match for a lot of defenders and adds a measurement to Houston’s offense that it hasn’t had in current years. 4. UConn Huskies(14-1 )Previous ranking: 1 This week: at Providence (Wednesday ), vs. Creighton (Saturday)UConn’s worst offensive and protective efficiency of the season came at the incorrect time, resulting in the Huskies’ first loss of 2022-23. They got to the free throw line just nine times– making just 4– while Xavier went 23-for-28 from the stripe. UConn had success in the very first half getting points off turnovers, however eventually coughed it up 16 times. And while they made 10 of their very first 21 efforts from 3, the Huskies made 3 of their last 16 attempts. In addition to the free throw differential, Xavier had a lot

of success around the rim
, shooting 61.5%on twos and scoring 48 points inside the arc. 5. Kansas Jayhawks (12-1 )Previous ranking: 5 This week: at Texas Tech (Tuesday ), at West Virginia(Saturday )Kansas had a closer-than-expected win to open Huge 12 play against Oklahoma State, needing a K.J. Adams Jr. layup in the last seconds and a couple game-saving defensive plays to hold off the Cowboys. Despite shooting battles from Gradey Dick and Kevin McCullar Jr., Kansas’offense wasn’t the primary issue Saturday. The Jayhawks had their worst protective efficiency of the season by far, permitting Oklahoma State to make 13 threes on 44.8 %shooting. The only other time a Kansas opponent shot 40%from 3 or made double-figure threes was Nov. 25 versus Tennessee– the Jayhawks

‘lone loss of 2022-23. 6. Alabama Crimson Tide(11-2 )Previous ranking: 9 Today: vs. Ole Miss(Tuesday), vs. Kentucky( Saturday) play 0:22 Mark Sears drops in smooth layup It was uncertain what Mark Sears ‘function would be when Alabama was at complete strength. The box-score-stuffing Ohio transfer can playing both guard spots, however with Jahvon Quinerly returning quicker than gotten out of his ACL injury and first-class recruit Jaden Bradley forcing his way into the beginning lineup, would Sears’numbers come anywhere near to last season’s? Not quite, however he’s still averaging 16.0 points,

2.4 helps and shooting 48.9%from 3 over his past 7 games,
and simply had 20 points at Mississippi State and 24 in the November win over North Carolina.

7. Texas Longhorns(12-1)Previous ranking: 7 This week: vs. Kansas State (Tuesday), at Oklahoma State(Saturday)Kobe Brown’s historical back-to-back efficiencies kept Marcus Carr from earning Player of the Week honors, however we couldn’t go without showing the previous Minnesota move some love. Carr opted for 41 points, 10 threes and 4 helps versus Texas A&M Commerce on Tuesday. He had a hard time shooting the ball versus Oklahoma on Saturday however still finished with a team-high 13 points and four takes. Over his past five games, Carr has actually taken his offending game to a brand-new level, averaging 23.2 points and 3.6 assists and shooting

a ridiculous 61.8%from 3. 8. Tennessee Volunteers(11-2 )Previous ranking: 10 This week: vs. Mississippi State( Tuesday), at South Carolina (Saturday) When Olivier Nkamhoua went down with a season-ending ankle injury last February, Tennessee’s frontcourt depth took a substantial hit. He began the very first 22 games of last season, and he stepped right back into that area at the start of this campaign. After a month getting up to speed, Nkamhoua struck his stride in December. Over the previous six games, the 6-9 forward is balancing 13.7 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists– with 2 20-point games against Alcorn State and Austin Peay. Integrated with Jonas Aidoo’s recent surge– 18 points and 22 rebounds

in his previous two games– head coach Rick Barnes might have discovered his interior tandem moving on. 9. Gonzaga Bulldogs(12-3)Previous ranking: 8 Today: at San Francisco(Thursday), at Santa Clara (Saturday ) play 0:20 Ben Gregg gets the hoop and the harm for Gonzaga Drew Timme has been producing at an incredible clip in current weeks, scoring at least 22 points in 6 of his previous 7 games, consisting of two 30-point efforts. However it’s another frontcourt player who appears poised to become an appealing weapon in conference play. Ben Gregg, a former ESPN 100 recruit in the 2020 class, didn’t score in double figures in his very first 44

college games, and played more
than 10 minutes only three times. However over his past 5 games, Gregg is averaging 9.0 points

and 4.0 rebounds,

and shooting much better than 57% from the field, highlighted by 18 points and seven rebounds versus Northern Illinois. 10. UCLA Bruins(13-2) Previous ranking: 13 Today: vs. USC (Thursday )With Amari Bailey missing the past 2 games because of a foot injury, Mick Cronin has relied on senior guard David Singleton in the beginning lineup, and the Bruins haven’t missed a beat. Singleton had actually been playing well prior to the change, scoring 18 points versus Maryland earlier this month and making numerous 3s in 5 straight games in general. He produced in both games he has started, scoring 14 and making a pair of threes in each. He has actually been among the very best shooters in the Pac-12 given that showing up in Westwood back in 2019, and was shooting a career-best 52.5%from 3 going into Sunday. 11. Virginia Cavaliers (10-2) Previous ranking: 6 This week: at Pittsburgh (Tuesday ), vs. Syracuse(Saturday) The Cavaliers will be hoping Saturday’s win over Georgia Tech triggers an offense that has just recently looked lackluster. The Cavaliers made 10 threes, the first time given that Nov. 18 they made more than 6 in a game. They likewise had their most efficient offensive efficiency in more than a month. Jayden Gardner and Armaan Franklin have actually formed a strong inside-outside duo, Kihei Clark has 18 helps to five turnovers over the past two games, and Isaac McKneely has supplied some boundary pop off the bench. A completely healthy Reece Beekman ought to likewise be a boost for Tony Bennett; he went back to the lineup versus Tech after missing out on the game versus Albany. 12. TCU Horned Frogs(12-1 )Previous ranking: In the waiting space Today: at Baylor (Wednesday ), vs. Iowa State( Saturday)After erasing a 13-point deficit to come back to beat Texas Tech on Saturday, TCU has now rattled off 10 wins in a row since losing by one to Northwestern State on Nov. 14. The Horned Frogs are unbeaten at full strength, as Mike Miles Jr. has actually missed 3 games and Damion Baugh has only played seven of 13 games. Emanuel Miller has actually also missed out on three games this season, although he did match up against the Satanic forces. Miles, Baugh and Miller are TCU’s top 3 scorers, and they appear to be discovering their type as Big 12 play gets underway.

This team looks like the top-20
group all of us expected in the preseason. 13. Miami Hurricanes(13-1 )Previous ranking: Unranked Today: at Georgia Tech (Wednesday) play 0:21 Nijel Load hits a huge 3-pointer for the Hurricanes Miami has won 9 games in a row and is now 4-0 in ACC play after beating Virginia at home and Notre Dame in South Bend in its previous two games. Isaiah Wong has actually looked like an elite guard in college basketball this season, balancing 26.0 points, 5.8 rebounds and 7.3 helps in his past four games prior to the win over Notre Dame, shooting nearly 46%from 3

. Versus the Fighting Irish
, Wong didn’t shoot the ball well from the border, but Kansas State transfer NijelPack

had arguably his best game in a Hurricanes uniform, completing with 21 points and five threes. Coach Jim Larrañaga has himself another terrific backcourt. 14. Wisconsin Badgers(10-2)Previous ranking: In the waiting room This week: vs. Minnesota(Tuesday ), at Illinois (Saturday)The Badgers are one of the bigger surprises of the very first half of the season, with just 2 losses through 12 games: a one-point overtime defeat to Kansas in the Bahamas and a three-point home loss to Wake Forest. The most significant bright spot for the Badgers in recent weeks has been the introduction of 7-foot junior Steven Crowl. After scoring in double figures two times in the very first 8 games

of the season, averaging 9.3 points during that period, Crowl has notched at least 12 points in each of his past 4 games, consisting of a 25-point, eight-rebound effort against Western Michigan on Friday. 15. Baylor Bears(10-3)Previous ranking: 12 Today: vs. TCU(Wednesday), vs. Kansas State(Saturday) Monday through Friday, host Pablo Torre brings you an inside look at the most fascinating stories at ESPN, as informed by the top reporters and experts on earth. Listen Scott Drew needs all 3 of his star guards, Adam Flagler, LJ Cryer and Keyonte George, to be healthy and efficient for the Bears to reach their complete capacity– and lately, that simply hasn’t happened. Flagler missed
two of 3 games before Christmas, and Cryer has actually missed 3 of the previous 5, including the past two. When any of the 3 players is out, particularly versus formidable opposition and particularly thinking about Jalen Bridges’disparity, it puts a lot of pressure on the other two offensively. Versus Iowa State (an outstanding defensive group), Baylor had its second-worst offensive efficiency of the season, and its worst 3-point-shooting effort.

16. Arkansas Razorbacks(11-2) Previous ranking: 11 Today: vs. Missouri(Wednesday), at Auburn(Saturday )Arkansas had its worst offensive trip of the season in the loss at LSU recently, which is likewise its second worst over the past 2 seasons. The Razorbacks had significant problems finding out the Tigers’zone, and their 3-point shooting issues pertained to the leading edge. They ultimately went 4-for-25 from behind the arc against LSU– the seventh time in eight games in which the Razorbacks have made 5 or fewer 3s. Arkansas wasn’t expected to be an excellent shooting team getting in the season, however the injuries to Trevon Brazile and Nick Smith Jr., have worsened the issue. Only 2 players on the roster have actually made more than one 3 per game: Brazile and Smith.Dropped out: Duke Blue Devils (No. 14
), Illinois Combating Illini (No. 15 ), Mississippi State Bulldogs (No. 16)

In the waiting space Duke Blue Devils: Although Dereck Lively II went back to the lineup Saturday against Florida State Seminoles, he rapidly got into foul problem. Thankfully for Jon Scheyer, Ryan Young had his best game in a Duke uniform. The Northwestern transfer ended up with 20 points and 12 boards and didn’t miss a single shot from the field or the totally free throw line. Xavier Musketeers: The Musketeers have just three losses on the season: Indiana Hoosiers by

2 in your home, and neutral-site defeats to Duke and Gonzaga. Their win over UConn on Saturday provides a marquee win, and they have an opportunity to strengthen themselves as the second-best group in the Big East with Villanova, Creighton and Marquette up next. Iowa State Cyclones: We have actually been a bit greater on the Cyclones for the previous month than the AP poll, however T.J. Otzelberger’s group made us look excellent Saturday by damaging Baylor by 15. Gabe Kalscheur has scored double figures in 4 straight games, including 23 versus the Bears

, while freshman Tamin Lipsey has 21 helps in the Cyclones’three-game winning streak.