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Mike's college basketball rankings for Week 3 of the 2025 season. Where are Duke, Houston, Arizona, and Gonzaga ranked?
College Basketball Top 25 Power Rankings Week 3, 2025
More big matchups are in store for college basketball during “Feast Week.” The Player’s Era Tournament in Vegas is underway. Unlike the AP and Coaches Polls, my rankings are after the games that took place last night. I’m not going to pretend that they didn’t happen. You will likely see some teams in different spots due to that.
25. Tennessee (6-0)
Last week: 24 (⇓1)
Results: W 89-60 v. Tennessee State; W 85-60 vs. Rutgers
The Vols smashed Rutgers in the opening of the Player’s Era. They’ll get a chance for a couple of big wins in the desert to try and move them up the rankings next week. Tennessee facing Houston tonight promises to be one of the better contests out there in Vegas.
24. Michigan (5-0)
Last week: 23 (⇓1)
Results: W 94-54 vs. San Diego State
The Aztecs are not a bad team, but Michigan sure made them look like it. We’ll find out what Michigan is made of this week with Auburn coming up tonight.
23. Vanderbilt (5-0)
Last week: 22 (⇓1)
Results: W 109-74 vs. Texas Southern
The lowest point total in a game this year for Vandy is 92 points. They have scored at least 104 points in the other four games. I know that they haven’t played anyone, but this offense has been electric so far. All five starters average double figures, with Frankie Collins and Devin McGlockton doing the same off the bench.
22. Nebraska (6-0)
Last week: 21 (⇓1)
Results: W 84-72 vs. New Mexico; W 86-85 vs. Kansas State
That’s two more wins against two quality teams for Nebraska. What’s the holdup in the AP? Nebraska has a potentially tough game with Winthrop this week, and faced Creighton early next month in the battle for Nebraska.
21. Arkansas (5-1)
Last week: 20 (⇓1)
Results: W 84-83 vs. Winthrop; W 115-61 vs. Jackson State
I should probably move the Hogs down since they should have lost to Winthrop. Most people will forget that game soon enough. Arkansas can make a statement when they play Duke later this week and Louisville early next week.
20. Indiana (5-0)
Last week: 17 (⇓3)
Results: W 73-53 vs. Lindenwood
Struggling with Incarnate Word is concerning. Marquette is only a win over a name right now. Indiana has a couple of prove-it games with Louisville and Kentucky coming up that will determine if I am right in having them ranked. Tucker DeVries makes me look right every time he takes the court.
19. UCLA (5-1)
Last week: 19 ⇔
Results: W 79-48 vs. Sacramento State; W 86-46 vs. Presbyterian
UCLA reasserted dominance after the loss to Arizona, and more importantly, got its confidence back. UCLA has some tough conference games coming up and faces Gonzaga next month. This is a talented team, but they still haven’t really learned to play together.
18. North Carolina (5-0)
Last week: 18 ⇔
Results: W 73-61 vs. Navy
The Tar Heels have some big ones coming up against Michigan State and Kentucky. They already knocked off Kansas. Freshman Caleb Wilson has been better than advertised, and Henry Veesaar is a force in the middle. This Carolina team is a better shooting team than in years past.
17. St. John's (3-2)
Last week: 15 (⇓2)
Results: W 97-49 vs. Bucknell; L 82-83 vs. (25) Iowa State
St. John’s still has lapses, which could become a problem. Iowa State got its best, and it still wasn’t good enough for the Johnnies. I likely had Iowa State too low, but they hadn’t played anyone. This shouldn’t be considered a bad loss for St. John’s. Iowa State is a team that could make a run this year.
16. Texas Tech (4-2)
Last week: 13 (⇓3)
Results: W 84-83 vs. Wake Forest; L 56-86 vs. (1) Purdue
Getting blown out by Purdue isn’t a good look, and I probably should move the Red Raiders down further. It’s still a loss to a top team, but the Red Raiders have no good wins to speak of and won’t get a chance until they face Arkansas in mid-December. JT Toppin is one of the better players in college, but he needs someone to step up around him.
15. Kentucky (4-2)
Last week: 12 (⇓3)
Results: L 66-83 vs. (14) Michigan State; W 88-46 vs Loyola (MD)
The loss to Michigan State should be a bit of a concern for Kentucky. Otega Oweh and Denzel Aberdeen were a combined 5-for-20 from the floor. The frontcourt is strong defensively, but they aren’t great scorers. If the guards go cold or run into another strong defense, the same thing will happen.
14. Auburn (5-1)
Last week: 16 (⇑2)
Results: W 112-66 vs. Jackson State; W 84-73 vs. Oregon
Auburn is getting credit for hanging around with a Houston team that has been ranked No. 1 already this season and beating a solid Oregon team. I’m glad that Tahaad Pettiford came back, and he should be, too. Pettiford would have likely been a second-round pick in the 2025 Draft. He could be a lottery pick in the 2026 Draft.
13. Iowa State (5-0)
Last week: 25 (⇑12)
Results: W 83-82 vs. (14) St. John’s
Iowa State saw Tamin Lipsey go down with an ankle injury in the last two minutes of the win over St. John’s, but he isn’t expected to miss a lot of time. He could end up playing in this one, but with another game in Vegas on tap for the Cyclones and Purdue coming up next week, he might not. How’s that for luck for Creighton? They didn’t have to face Lipsey in the exhibition game at the Birdcage in Omaha, and may not have to face Lipsey in Vegas in one that counts.
12. Florida (4-1)
Last week: 11 (⇓1)
Results: W 80-45 vs. Merrimack
Florida is taking it easy right now, but they’ll get tested a lot in December. They have games against Duke and Connecticut coming up before winter break. That’s when we’ll learn about this team of veterans.
11. Alabama (3-2)
Last week: 8 (⇓3)
Results: W 90-86 vs. (6) Illinois; L 85-95 vs. (9) Gonzaga
The only unranked team that Alabama has played this season is North Dakota. Of the other four opponents, only St. John’s is not currently in the top 10. It’s another murderer’s row schedule for Alabama in the early going. It’s not done yet. This team still has to face Arizona and Clemson before conference play begins.
10. Illinois (6-1)
Last week: 6 (⇓4)
Results: L 86-90 vs. (8) Alabama; W 98-58 vs. Long Island; W 87-73 vs. UTRGV
Illinois got in a couple of scrimmages after the loss to Alabama. They need the rest. The Illini have games with Connecticut coming up this week and Tennessee next week.
9. BYU (4-1)
Last week: 10 (⇑1)
Results: W 98-70 vs. Wisconsin
The Badgers were just outside of my rankings, but were ranked in the AP and Coaches polls. That was a statement win, and it answered the question of how BYU would respond to a gut-wrenching loss to UConn in Boston. Freshman AJ Dybantsa and Baylor transfer Robert Wright III have been excellent with Richie Saunders. It’s not a stretch to say that this could be the best BYU team ever.
8. Connecticut (5-1)
Last week: 4 (⇓4)
Results: W 71-67 vs. (2) Arizona; W 72-49 vs. Bryant
We’re not going to knock the Huskies too much for losing to what looks like a dominant Arizona team. UConn has Illinois and Kansas coming up this week, so we’re going to learn a lot about this team. UConn is one of the more veteran teams around. That should help them in these big early matchups.
7. Louisville (6-0)
Last week: 5 (⇓2)
Results: W 74-64 vs. Cincinnati; W 87-46 vs. Eastern Michigan
The offense has slowed down a little, but you can’t expect the Cardinals to throw in 100 every game. Mikel Brown Jr. has been outstanding this year. The supporting cast of veterans Ryan Conwell (Xavier) and Isaac McKneely (Virginia) has Louisville looking like a contender in the early going.
6. Houston (6-0)
Last week: 3 (⇓3)
Results: W 91-45 vs. Rider; W 78-74 vs. Syracuse
While we really don’t know a lot about Syracuse yet, Houston should still not be struggling with them. The Cougars are thought to be a Final Four contender again, thanks to the usual lockdown defense and a couple of exciting freshmen. Houston will be fine, but Duke has looked the part a little more in the early going.
5. Duke (7-0)
Last week: 7 (⇑2)
Results: W 78-66 vs. Kansas; W 100-42 vs. Niagara; W 93.56 vs. Howard
Duke is not only winning, but they are blowing out the teams that they are expected to blow out. Not every team can do that. As crazy as it sounds, Duke might be even better than last year. Cameron Boozer is every bit as good as Cooper Flagg, and he might have an even better supporting cast.
4. Michigan State (5-0)
Last week: 14 (⇑10)
Results: W 83-66 vs. (12) Kentucky; W 84-56 vs. Detroit Mercy
The win over Kentucky was Michigan State’s second win over a ranked team already this year in just five games. That’s a big-time statement win for the Spartans. The improvement shown by Jaxon Kohler, Jeremy Fears Jr., and Coen Carr already is very impressive.
3. Gonzaga (6-0)
Last week: 9 (⇑6)
Results: W 122-50 vs. Southern Utah; W 95-85 vs. (8) Alabama
Unlike some other iterations of Gonzaga, this team can score. The lowest output for the Bulldogs so far this season was 77 points against Arizona State. They have cleared 90 in four of the six games. Tyon Grant-Foster adds an element that Gonzaga has never had.
2. Purdue (6-0)
Last week: 1 (⇓1)
Results: W 80-71 vs. Memphis; W 86-56 vs. (13) Texas Tech
The obliteration of Texas Tech proves a point. It also means that Purdue could have stayed at the top, and no one would have complained. I’m a little more impressed by Arizona’s wins over Florida and UConn, the UConn win on the road.
1. Arizona (6-0)
Last week: 2 (⇑1)
Results: W 71-67 at (4) Connecticut; W 103-73 vs. Denver
The Wildcats got another top 5 win this week by taking down UConn in Storrs. Not in the Garden, not in Hartford…Storrs. Like on campus and everything. That will move them above Purdue for now. Both teams are playing very well right now.
