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The new year marks the beginning of the end of the NFL season, but it's when college basketball starts to heat up. Conference play has arrived for nearly every team across the nation, and it's where contenders emerge and pretenders are exposed.
The top three teams remain unchanged with Purdue, Kansas, and Houston still holding down the podium, but the rest of the top 25 experienced some shake-up. Heavyweight Arizona experienced the biggest drop out of the top 10, falling all the way back to 10. FAU and Gonzaga both experienced massive dips after some big losses.
It's time for the next article of a year-long series: Overrated and Underrated College Basketball Teams after the release of the weekly Associated Press Poll. All rankings listed are based on the Week 9 AP Poll.
Overrated College Basketball Teams For Week 9
Wisconsin Badgers: #23 to #21
The Badgers have been hard to pin down this year. Marred by inconsistency but sporting a talented roster, this team has double-digit wins over #24 Virginia, #3 Marquette, and at Michigan State, but has some duds. Their resume also includes double-digit losses to Providence and #9 Tennessee, with a blowout loss to top-ranked Arizona.
I don't think anyone expected them to beat the Wildcats, but losing by 25 against a 10-point spread isn't exactly what you call competitive. Their 24-point drubbing of Virginia was impressive, holding the Cavs to 41 total points on 32% from the field, but Tony Bennett's squad doesn't seem to be the ACC contender many thought them to be.
I've seen a lot of Wisconsin love from the college basketball media lately and I'm just not buying it. This past week, they took care of Jacksonville State and Chicago State, teams ranked 151 and 311 in KenPom. These wins are not quality enough to move them up in the rankings. While this is definitely a tournament team, I'm not a believer in them competing for a Big Ten title.
Ole Miss Rebels: #24 to #22
One of the three remaining unbeaten teams in the country, the Rebels have been one of the biggest surprises in college basketball this season along with Oklahoma and BYU. While Ole Miss hasn't had the toughest of schedules -- their best win is against Memphis -- they have still taken care of business thus far.
It's honestly a small miracle that the Rebs are still undefeated. Here are a few of their close calls already this season: One-point wins over 0-15 Detroit Mercy (+23.5) and Temple, and a two-point victory over UCF. Winning close games is an art form and I don't want to discount their ability to survive, but this is going to catch up to them in a really tough SEC.
I actually do like this roster a lot. Matthew Murrell, Allen Flanigan, and Jaylen Murray are the highest-scoring backcourt trio in the conference. Jaemyn Brakefield is a former highly touted recruit who couldn't find his way at Duke and is now thriving in Oxford. There are a bunch of other talented pieces like Brandon Murray, Jamarion Sharp, and Moussa Cisse that are going to be key down the stretch. However, given the tight results we've seen, I'm not sure conference play is going to be very kind to this team.
Underrated College Basketball Teams For Week 9
Duke Blue Devils: #16 to #14
After dropping back-to-back contests against Arkansas and Georgia that sank them to #22, the Blue Devils have ripped off four straight wins, highlighted by their MSG victory over #10 Baylor. Freshman SG Jared McCain has been on fire of late, hitting 20+ points in three of four after failing to hit that mark in any of his first eight games.
Most of Duke's wins during this streak came against weaker opponents, with 110-ranked Hofstra the highest-ranked team besides Baylor, but they are finding their groove at the right time as conference play begins. This team was picked to win the ACC and while Carolina is currently ranked higher, my money would still be on the Blue Devils to take the crown.
San Diego State Aztecs: Unranked (First in Others Receiving Votes)
Double-digit wins over Stanford (a team that just beat #4 Arizona by 18) and at #13 Gonzaga were not able to get the Aztecs a spot in the top 25. The 2023 national runner-up has only lost two games on the season and one of them was to a now top-15 BYU squad. I guess the AP voters are really holding that Grand Canyon loss over their heads because I don't understand putting teams like Wisconsin and Gonzaga above them.
Jaedon LeDee is a legitimate first-team All-American candidate and easily the most improved player in the country. He's the Mountain West's version of PJ Hall. Brian Dutcher has a deep backcourt with four guards averaging between 8.0 and 14.0 points. This team can match up with just about anybody and start four upperclassmen. SDSU doesn't have another true test until traveling to New Mexico in about two weeks, so they will likely slither into the 20-25 range soon, but this team definitely deserved a spot in the national rankings this week.
