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Mike's college basketball rankings for Week 8 of the 2025-26 season. Where are Duke, Houston, Arizona, and Gonzaga ranked?
College Basketball Top 25 Power Rankings Week 8, 2025-26
There weren’t many teams that played more than one game during the holiday week, so there wasn’t a lot of movement this week. Call it the calm before the conference storm. Every team begins conference play in earnest this week. A few teams gained some ground heading into conference season. Others got right after tough losses in the middle of December. Let’s see where the chips fell in the final ranking of the 2025 calendar year.
25. California (12-1)
Last week: 24 (⇓1)
Results: W 97-50 vs. Morgan State
This program was left for dead just three short years ago. I’m ranking them because of the comeback. Being 12-1 in the ACC with a win over UCLA doesn’t hurt either.
24. Florida (9-4)
Last week: 23 (⇓2)
Results: W 894-72 vs. Dartmouth
Why do I have a four-loss team ranked? Because the four losses are to three teams currently in the top 5 and to TCU. I would like to see Florida beat a decent team from outside the state, but one thing at a time, I guess.
23. Clemson (10-3)
Last week: NR
Results: W 68-65 vs. Cincinnati
Wins over Georgia, South Carolina, and Cincinnati make up for the loss to Georgetown. I’ll take a 10-3 team with some good wins and a couple of good losses over a team that is 12-1 on the backs of average teams.
22. Auburn (9-4)
Last week: NR
Results: W 106-65 vs. Queens
All four of Auburn’s losses are to teams currently in the top 10. They also have solid wins over St. John’s and North Carolina State. They are a ways ahead of Florida right now in any truly good ranking.
21. Georgia (12-1)
Last week: 21 ⇔
Results: W 89-74 vs. Long Island
Georgia is Alabama circa 2022. Xavier is the only team to hold Georgia under 80 points in a game this year, and they have broken 100 points six times before the end of December. That’s already a school record. This team can score with anyone. Will Georgia separate itself from the Tide by playing some defense?
20. Tennessee (9-3)
Last week: 20 ⇔
Results: N/A
I didn’t give Tennessee as much credit for beating a Louisville team without Mikel Brown Jr. We’ll see if they deserve more since the Vols open SEC play on Saturday against Arkansas.
19. Vanderbilt (13-0)
Last week: 19 ⇔
Results: W 96-53 vs. New Haven
Yes, I’m much lower on Vanderbilt than the national polls are. Nebraska beat a known — and ranked — commodity on the road. Vanderbilt won the Battle 4 Atlantis, but didn’t beat anyone of substance. Beating St. Mary’s and VCU on neutral courts doesn’t count nearly as much as beating Power 5 teams on the road or at neutral sites.
18. Kansas (10-3)
Last week: 17 (⇓1)
Results: W 90-61 vs. Davidson
There has been a lot of discourse involving Darryn Peterson and his injuries, but the important part is this: Kansas is learning how to play and win without him. That should make the Jayhawks even better when he gets back. We haven’t seen the last of Peterson, despite some people shooting their mouths off for clicks.
17. Texas Tech (10-3)
Last week: 16 (⇓1)
Results: W 87-57 vs. Winthrop
Don’t judge. This is the same Winthrop team that should have beaten Arkansas and pushed still-undefeated Nebraska. A 30-point win here is kind of a big deal.
16. Illinois (10-3)
Last week: 18 (⇑2)
Results: W 91-48 vs. Missouri, W 90-55 vs. Southern
All that Illinois has done since losing at home to Nebraska is make Nebraska look better. Missouri is not a bad team, but Illinois made them look like a high school team. This defense still has a brutal streak to it.
15. Arkansas (10-3)
Last week: 15 ⇔
Results: W 103-74 vs. James Madison
Conference play begins next year for the Hogs. They lost the head-to-head to Louisville, so they still find themselves behind the Cardinals.
14. Louisville (10-2)
Last week: 14 ⇔
Results: N/A
The Cardinals will be well-rested heading into ACC play. Mikel Brown Jr. reportedly doesn’t have any lingering effects from the injury. It’s as if the loss to Tennessee never happened, right?
13. Nebraska (12-0)
Last week: 12 (⇓1)
Results: N/A
Fred Hoiberg has led Nebraska to uncharted waters. Anything this team does from here on out will be historic. He is to Nebraska basketball what Bob Devaney was to Nebraska football.
12. Alabama (10-3)
Last week: 13 (⇑1)
Results: W 102-78 vs. Yale
Alabama gets to move up a slot since this was only Yale’s second loss of the season. Aden Holloway had a career game in this one. If it’s a sign of things to come, Alabama still has to be the favorite in the SEC.
11. North Carolina (12-1)
Last week: 11 ⇔
Results: W 99-51 vs. East Carolina
Surprisingly, that was North Carolina’s highest scoring output of the season so far. They’ll break 100 at some point, especially if Caleb Wilson keeps playing like he’s playing.
10. BYU (12-1)
Last week: 10 ⇔
Results: W 109-81 vs. Eastern Washington
Mom! AJ Dybantsa is doing things that a freshman shouldn’t be capable of again! This week, Dybantsa dropped the first triple-double for BYU since Kyle Collinsworth dropped one on UAB in the NIT in 2016. Even the fabled Danny Ainge didn’t do that during his time at BYU!
9. Houston (12-1)
Last week: 9 ⇔
Results: W 69-60 vs. Middle Tennessee State
I don’t know about you, but I was hoping to see a little more out of Houston after jumping BYU with a win over a ranked Arkansas team. Houston felt flat in this one. The defense is still fantastic, but offensive lapses could hurt this team.
8. Michigan State (12-1)
Last week: 8 ⇔
Results: W 114-97 vs. Cornell
I don’t know what to think of this game. A team that prides itself on defense, as Michigan State does, should not be allowing 97 points to ANYONE, let alone an Ivy League school. On the other hand, I didn’t think this team had it in them to score 100 points.
This tells us that Michigan State may be a little more well-rounded than we thought. They can play in and win a paced-up game. Michigan State couldn’t do that last year.
7. Gonzaga (13-1)
Last week: 7 ⇔
Results: W 96-56 at Pepperdine
The WCC opener went about as we would expect. The wins over Oklahoma, Creighton, Kentucky, and UCLA don’t mean much anymore, but the win over Alabama is better than any win Michigan State has. That will change in conference play. How long can Gonzaga hold on to this spot?
6. Duke (11-1)
Last week: 6 ⇔
Results: N/A
The lasting image of Duke right now is blowing a massive lead to a Texas Tech team battling injuries and foul trouble. That’s all the team has heard over the last 10 days. I pity the fool (Georgia Tech) who steps on the court with the Blue Devils next.
5. Purdue (12-1)
Last week: 5 ⇔
Results: W 101-60 vs. Kent State
Wins over Alabama and Texas Tech almost make us forget about the Boilermakers getting embarrassed on their home court by Iowa State. Almost. Purdue gets to ease into Big Ten play. They play three ranked teams in January, but all three are ranked 20th or lower.
4. Connecticut (12-1)
Last week: 4 ⇔
Results: N/A
UConn already has two conference wins, and they weren’t tested in either game. That’s going to be a theme this year. The Big East was a bear last year. This year, it’s an overweight cow. You have to cut through a lot of fat to get to the meat. The Huskies are the only currently ranked team in the conference.
3, Iowa State (13-0)
Last week: 3 ⇔
Results: W 89-61 vs. Houston Christian
The Cyclones demolished a highly-ranked Purdue team to make them an unquestioned top 5 team. Can they hold this ranking until Big 12 play gets tough for the Cyclones in another six weeks? The schedule, like last year’s, is heavily backloaded.
2. Michigan (12-0)
Last week: 2 ⇔
Results: W 112-71 vs. McNeese State
Michigan notched its sixth win of the season by more than 40 points. That sets a new Big Ten record, and it’s not even January.
1. Arizona (13-0)
Last week: 1 ⇔
Results: W 107-71 vs. Bethune-Cookman, W 99-71 vs. South Dakota State
While some teams didn’t play a game since last week, the Wildcats hit the court hard for two more blowout wins. Life will be tougher in the Big 12, but this Arizona team looks capable of handling it. Every starter averages in double figures despite most not playing huge minutes.
