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Mike's college basketball rankings for Week 4 of the 2025 season. Where are Duke, Houston, Arizona, and Gonzaga ranked?
College Basketball Top 25 Power Rankings Week 4, 2025-26
We had a lot of big-time matchups during “Feast Week,” the name ESPN gave to all of these tournaments around Thanksgiving. We get some more this week with the ACC-SEC Challenge taking place. This is the most fun time of the college basketball season before March. Let’s see who shook up the rankings the most during one of the most active college basketball weeks of any given season.
25. USC (7-0)
Last week: NR
Results: W 70-67 vs. Boise State, W 83-81 vs. Seton Hall, W 88-75 vs. Arizona State
That’s three strong wins for USC to take down the Maui Invitational crown. The Trojans will have a chance to prove this ranking with games against Washington and Oregon this week.
24. Arkansas (5-2)
Last week: 21 (⇓3)
Results: L 71-80 vs. (4) Duke
We gave the Hogs the benefit for losing to a good Michigan State team last week. We can’t really penalize them for hanging with Duke.
23. Nebraska (8-0)
Last week: 22 (⇓1)
Results: W 80.73 vs. Winthrop, W 72-63 vs. South Carolina Upstate
Nebraska keeps winning, but loses Connor Essegian for the season with an ankle injury.
22. Indiana (7-0)
Last week: 20 (⇓2)
Results: W 86-69 vs. Kansas State, W 100-56 vs. Bethune-Cookman.
A win is a win, but when other teams are getting bigger wins, you fall.
21. TCU (5-2)
Last week: NR
Results: W 84-80 vs. (12) Florida, W 74-63 vs. Wisconsin
TCU beat good Florida and Wisconsin teams to win the Rady’s Children’s Invitational. Staying within four points of Michigan looks like a monumental feat this season. What’s holding TCU back is a loss on its home court to New Orleans in the opener. Ouch…
20. Vanderbilt (8-0)
Last week: 23 (⇑3)
Results: W 83-78 vs. Western Kentucky, W 89-74 vs. Virginia Commonwealth, W 96-71 vs. St. Mary’s
Vanderbilt won the Battle 4 Atlantis to move up the list this week. The Commodores are 8-0 for the first time since 2007-08, and have scored 80 or more points in the first eight games for the first time since 1932-33.
19. Texas Tech (6-2)
Last week: 16 (⇓3)
Results: W 82-50 vs. New Orleans, W 76-72 vs. Wyoming
This is Texas Tech’s participation trophy for playing good teams, namely top-ranked (in the AP) Purdue. They have no wins of substance otherwise, but they do get a crack at Arkansas in a week.
18. Tennessee (7-1)
Last week: 25 (⇑7)
Results: W 76-73 vs. (6) Houston, L 76-81 vs. Kansas
That was a huge win over Houston, so it was still a big week for the Vols. With the loss to Kansas, Tennessee falls to 79-8 against non-conference opponents under Rick Barnes. That’s how good Tennessee has been under Barnes.
17. Florida (5-2)
Last week: 12 (⇓5)
Results: L 80-84 vs. TCU, W 90-78 vs. Providence
The loss to TCU is ugly when you’re the defending national champions with several key pieces of the team back.
16. Kansas (6-2)
Last week: NR
Results: W 71-60 vs. Syracuse, W 81-76 vs. (25) Tennessee
Kansas went 2-0 at the Player’s Era, including a big win over Tennessee to get them back to the land of the ranked. Kansas is surviving without super freshman Darryn Peterson on the back of its defense. The Jayhawks have held every opponent to under 30% shooting from beyond the arc this year.
15. North Carolina (6-1)
Last week: 18 (⇑3)
Results: W 85-70 vs. St. Bonaventure, L 58-74 vs. (4) Michigan State
Yes, Carolina lost to Michigan State, but everyone else around them lost, and Kansas is back in the rankings. Things are very fluid in the college basketball rankings this time of year.
14. Auburn (6-2)
Last week: 14 ⇔
Results: L 72-102 vs. (24) Michigan, W 85-74 vs. (17) St. John’s
Michigan put on a show at the Player’s Era. Auburn was able to follow up its blowout loss with a win over St. John’s, which turned out to be a way to break even for the week.
13. Illinois (6-2)
Last week: 10 (⇓3)
Results: L 61-74 vs. (5) Connecticut
The win over Texas Tech is keeping the Illini afloat, but both losses coming to top 10 teams don’t hurt.
12. Alabama (5-2)
Last week: 11 (⇓1)
Results: W 115-76 vs. UNLV, W 105-72 vs. Maryland
The Player’s Era actually hurt Alabama’s strength of schedule. The Tide had played four straight games against teams in the top 12. They celebrated the “off” week by scoring 220 points. This team is going to be fun to watch once again.
11. Houston (7-1)
Last week: 6 (⇓5)
Results: L 73-76 vs. (25) Tennessee, W 66-56 vs. Notre Dame
Tennessee got Houston out of its usual game and was able to get the win. Tennessee grabbed 13 offensive rebounds against Houston, which is something that just does not happen.
10. Iowa State (7-0)
Last week: 13 (⇑3)
Results: W 78-60 vs. Creighton, W 95-64 vs. Syracuse
The Cyclones looked good in the Player’s Era Tournament in Vegas, avenging an exhibition blowout loss to Creighton. They did have Tamin Lipsey this time, who avoided serious injury against St. John’s.
9. BYU (6-1)
Last week: 9 ⇔
Results: W 72-62 vs. Miami (FL), W 83-79 vs. Dayton
That’s two more quality wins for BYU. Neither team was ranked, but both of them are going to be in the NCAA Tournament conversation come March. Freshman AJ Dybantsa has scored at least 15 points in every game for the Cougars, tying Kevin Durant for the second-longest streak to start a Big 12 career. He still has a way to go to catch the leader (Trae Young with 26).
8. Gonzaga (7-1)
Last week: 3 (⇓5)
Results: W 100-61 vs. Maryland, L 61-101 vs. (24) Michigan
I underrated Michigan, but only because they hadn’t played anyone. They were appropriately awarded this week. Gonzaga drops a little more. Not because they lost to a bad team, but because they lost by 40. The last team to beat Gonzaga by 40 points was Loyola Marymount in 1990. Hank Gathers scored 28 points in that game.
7. Louisville (7-0)
Last week: 7 ⇔
Results: W 104-47 vs. NJIT
The Cardinals have multiple wins by more than 50 points for the first time in 21 years. Louisville has scored more than 100 points in four of seven games, and nearly hit that mark against Kentucky (96)
6. Connecticut (6-1)
Last week: 8 (⇑2)
Results: W 74-61 vs. (10) Illinois
A big win over Illinois moves UConn up a couple more spots. The Huskies already have wins over Illinois and BYU, but the loss at home to Arizona keeps them down the list a little bit.
5. Duke (8-0)
Last week: 5 ⇔
Results: W 80-71 vs. (21) Arkansas
Duke gets another win over a ranked team. Only three Duke players have recorded multiple 35-point games at Duke since 1990. J.J. Redick didn’t get his second until his 99th game. Jay Williams didn’t get his second until his 83rd game. Cameron Boozer has already done this by his eighth game.
4. Michigan State (7-0)
Last week: 4 ⇔
Results: W 89-56 vs. East Carolina, W 74-58 vs. (18) North Carolina
Michigan State collected a third win against a ranked team already this season. Arizona is the only other team to do that so far.
3. Purdue (7-0)
Last week: 2 (⇓1)
Results: W 109-62 vs. Eastern Illinois
Purdue didn’t go anywhere during Feast Week. All that we saw from them was Braden Smith continuing to climb the all-time assists list in the Big Ten. He passed Michigan State great Mateen Cleaves in the win over Eastern Illinois. Smith is 69 assists from tying Cassius Winson’s record of 890. At Smith’s current assist rate (7.0 per game in his career), he should reach that mark in the next 10 games.
2. Arizona (7-0)
Last week: 1 (⇓1)
Results: W 98-61 vs. Norfolk State
Arizona didn’t go anywhere for a Thanksgiving tournament, so they didn’t add another impressive win to the resumé. They get chances this week and next week with games against Auburn and Alabama.
1. Michigan (7-0)
Last week: 24 (⇑23)
Results: W 102-72 vs. (14) Auburn, W 101-61 vs. (3) Gonzaga
Michigan blew out two top-15 teams at the Player’s Era Tournament in Las Vegas. Add that to the win at TCU (who just beat Florida), and the Wolverines already have three Quad-1 wins. That will move them to the top of my rankings. No other team has as many.
