Power Rankings: Miami (Ohio) debuts, Nebraska rises

Before this season tipped off, it would have seemed equally unlikely that this late-January edition of Power Rankings would feature Nebraska in the top five or Miami (Ohio) at all. And yet, that's where things stand after two of the three remaining unbeatens survived another week without a loss. (Arizona is the third.)

Looking purely at efficiency-based metrics, which tend to be more predictive than résumé-based metrics, neither team fits the bill on paper. Nebraska entered Wednesday ranked No. 12 in KenPom and No. 19 in the ESPN's BPI, while Miami (Ohio) was No. 90 at KenPom and No. 89 in the BPI. But the actual results tell a different story.

Nebraska has one of the best résumés in the country. The Cornhuskers rank top five nationally in both strength of record and wins above bubble. They also possess fantastic top-line victories over Illinois and Michigan State, with the former coming on the road.

Miami (Ohio), meanwhile, entered Wednesday ranked No. 21 in strength of record and No. 28 in wins above bubble. We so often see how difficult it is for teams to win on the road in conference play, making the RedHawks' away victories at Kent State, Bowling Green and Toledo -- three of their biggest competitors in the Mid-American -- notable. They already beat MAC preseason favorite Akron and won at Horizon favorite Wright State in nonconference play, too.

With Arizona heading to BYU on Monday and Nebraska traveling to Michigan on Tuesday, there's a good chance Miami (Ohio) is the last remaining unbeaten.

Now let's see where both land in this week's top 25.

1. Arizona Wildcats (19-0)

Previous ranking: 1

It's almost like Tommy Lloyd's team decides to feature a new top performer each week. This time, it was junior big man Motiejus Krivas. The Lithuania native, whom scouts have pegged as a breakout performer entering each of the past two seasons, put together maybe the best two-game stretch of his college career over the past week. He had 17 points and 12 rebounds in Saturday's win at UCF -- even making an uncharacteristic 3-pointer (the second of his career) -- then put up 17 points and 9 rebounds in Wednesday's win over Cincinnati.

Next seven days: vs. West Virginia (Jan. 24), at BYU (Jan. 26)

2. UConn Huskies (18-1)

Previous ranking: 2

Silas Demary Jr.'s return to form has been a massive development for UConn since the start of Big East play. The Georgia transfer was expected to upgrade the Huskies at both ends of the floor but hit a lull during most of November. Over his past five games, though, he has been one of the best point guards in the conference. During that stretch, he's averaging 14.2 points, 3.0 rebounds, 6.8 assists and 2.6 steals, shooting 57% from the field and 62.5% from 3-point range. And in eight conference games this season, he has totaled 60 assists to just 16 turnovers.

Next seven days: vs. Villanova (Jan. 24), vs. Providence (Jan. 27)

3. Michigan Wolverines (17-1)

Previous ranking: 3

After a lull offensively to start January, Aday Mara appears to be back to his efficient self. The UCLA transfer has scored in double figures in each of his past three games -- only the third time in his college career he has had such a streak. Over this three-game span, Mara is averaging 15.0 points and shooting 75%, highlighted by his 20-point performance on 10-for-11 shooting at Washington last week. Mara has also blocked three shots in each, proving his worth at both ends of the floor.

Next seven days: vs. Ohio State (Jan. 23), vs. Nebraska (Jan. 27)

4. Duke Blue Devils (17-1)

Previous ranking: 4

The ways in which Maliq Brown contributes to winning are incredibly unique for someone his size. The most obvious is on the defensive end, where he leads the ACC in steal percentage and is averaging 2.5 steals over his past four games. He ranks seventh in steals percentage. Nobody taller -- he's 6-foot-9 -- ranks ahead of him. He's also just outside the top 25 in the ACC in assist rate, and the only player taller than Brown inside the top 25 is do-it-all top-five draft pick Caleb Wilson. On top of that, he ranks among the conference leaders in offensive rebounding and is fourth nationally in 2-point percentage, shooting nearly 79% inside the arc.

Next seven days: vs. Wake Forest (Jan. 24), vs. Louisville (Jan. 26)

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Duke Blue Devils vs. Stanford Cardinal: Game Highlights

Duke Blue Devils vs. Stanford Cardinal: Game Highlights

5. Nebraska Cornhuskers (19-0)

Previous ranking: 7

Entering a critical stretch of their unbeaten campaign, the Cornhuskers will hold their collective breaths as they await the status of freshman guard Braden Frager, who left the first half of Wednesday's win over Washington and returned to the bench with a boot on his left foot. Frager had been playing like one of the best freshmen -- and one of the best sixth men -- in the country in recent weeks, including 23 points against Oregon and 20 points against Northwestern in his last two games before the injury. Coach Fred Hoiberg will need Pryce Sandfort to continue his ridiculous play; Sandfort is averaging 24.3 points and shooting 57.1% from 3 in his past three games.

Next seven days: at Minnesota (Jan. 24), at Michigan (Jan. 27)

6. Gonzaga Bulldogs (20-1)

Previous ranking: 8

Gonzaga's edge over nearly every team in the country is its post tandem of Graham Ike and Braden Huff. Already without Ike (ankle) for the past two games, the Zags are also losing Huff for 1-2 months to a left knee injury suffered last week. Ismaila Diagne has gone from seeing barely any minutes to starting two games in place of Ike, totaling 19 rebounds, while Jalen Warley has scored in double-figures in his first starts without Huff. Warley in particular brings a different level of versatility.

Next seven days: vs. San Francisco (Jan. 24)

7. Houston Cougars (17-1)

Previous ranking: 9

Kingston Flemings is still the Houston freshman getting the most national attention, and his production hasn't slowed down in Big 12 play, but another first-year player is surging as a consistent offensive option for coach Kelvin Sampson. The 6-11 Chris Cenac Jr. came out of high school as a top-10 recruit and projected lottery pick, but a stellar first five games were followed by a slow in production for the next six weeks. In his past four games, though, he has scored in double figures three times -- including Sunday's 18-point, 8-rebound, 5-assist performance against Arizona State. Over that stretch, he's averaging 11.8 points and 8.3 rebounds, and shooting 42.9% from 3.

Next seven days: at Texas Tech (Jan. 24), at TCU (Jan. 28)

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Don't forget about the Houston Cougars

Joe Lunardi breaks down why the Houston Cougars can be a championship team.

8. Michigan State Spartans (17-2)

Previous ranking: 11

Michigan State has the best defense in the country according to KenPom's adjusted defensive efficiency numbers. The Spartans usurped in-state rival Michigan for the No. 1 spot with two more lockdown defensive performances in the past week. They have now held six straight opponents to under one point per possession, and only four opponents all season have hit that threshold (oddly enough, Cornell on Dec. 29 was the best offensive performance against Michigan State this season). Michigan State leads the Big Ten in defensive rebounding percentage and 3-point defense and is second in 2-point percentage.

Next seven days: vs. Maryland (Jan. 24), at Rutgers (Jan. 27)

9. Iowa State Cyclones (17-2)

Previous ranking: 5

When looking at statistical anomalies in Iowa State's two-game losing streak compared to the rest of the Cyclones' season, one obvious area stood out: defensive turnover percentage. Kansas coughed it up just nine times, and Cincinnati gave it away just eight. Both of those were the two lowest opposing turnover percentages of any Iowa State opponent this season. The Cyclones righted the ship against UCF, though, forcing 19 turnovers and turning them into 31 points. Joshua Jefferson also became the first Iowa State player to have two triple-doubles, posting 17 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists in the win against the Knights.

Next seven days: at Oklahoma State (Jan. 24)

10. Purdue Boilermakers (17-2)

Previous ranking: 6

Purdue suffered its second loss of the season Tuesday, falling in the final seconds to UCLA. The Boilermakers led by 12 in the first half and held a six-point lead with under two minutes left in the second but allowed the Bruins to go on an 8-0 run to close the game out. While the offense hasn't been firing on all cylinders the past couple of games -- the Boilermakers scored just under one point per possession against USC, and Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer shot a combined 7-for-23 against UCLA -- the defense really struggled against the Bruins, especially down the stretch. The Bruins shot 65.2% from the field and 62.5% from 3 after halftime, and they had a stretch spanning both halves when they missed just one of 12 shots. That has to tighten up in Purdue's next game against Illinois, which entered Wednesday with the nation's most efficient offense.

Next seven days: vs. Illinois (Jan. 24), at Indiana (Jan. 27)

11. Illinois Fighting Illini (16-3)

Previous ranking: 13

Illinois will be without starting guard Kylan Boswell for the next month after he suffered a fractured hand earlier this week. In the Illini's first game without him, Brad Underwood opted for a bigger starting lineup, using 3-point specialist Jake Davis in Boswell's place. Davis responded with 12 points and four 3s in his first start, while freshman Keaton Wagler (8 assists) continued to excel as the team's primary playmaker at 6-foot-6. Saturday's matchup against Purdue will feature the two best offenses at KenPom.

Next seven days: at Purdue (Jan. 24)

12. Texas Tech Red Raiders (15-4)

Previous ranking: 15

Texas Tech is playing some of the best basketball in the country, and the best one-two punch in the country has a lot to do with it. Christian Anderson has been terrific since he struggled in the Red Raiders' loss to Houston in early January. Over his past three games, he's averaging 24.7 points and 8.3 assists, shooting 58.1% from 3 on more than 10 attempts per game. JT Toppin, no stranger to remarkably productive games, has also been on a tear lately. In that same three-game stretch, Toppin is posting 26.7 points, 10.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists, shooting better than 61% on 19 attempts. Tech is giving Anderson and Toppin all the usage they can handle.

Next seven days: vs. Houston (Jan. 24)

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BYU Cougars vs. Texas Tech Red Raiders: Game Highlights

BYU Cougars vs. Texas Tech Red Raiders: Game Highlights

13. BYU Cougars (16-2)

Previous ranking: 10

AJ Dybantsa's struggles in the loss to Texas Tech -- 13 points on 6-for-17-shooting -- are worth noting, but BYU's defense is the bigger discussion point. The Cougars have allowed three straight opponents to score at least one point per possession, with Utah and Tech scoring 84 points apiece. According to CBB Analytics, the Cougars' defensive rating in nonconference play was 26th in the country; in conference play, it's 101st. They're forcing fewer turnovers against Big 12 opponents and turning those into fewer easy baskets (CBB Analytics has them at 16.8 points off turnovers per game in nonconference play and just 11.4 in Big 12 games).

Next seven days: vs. Utah (Jan. 24), vs. Arizona (Jan. 26)

14. Kansas Jayhawks (14-5)

Previous ranking: 16

If there's a potential positive to Darryn Peterson's absences earlier this season, it's the confidence gained by Peterson's supporting cast in big moments. Sure, there will be games like the one Peterson had against Baylor -- 26 points in 23 points, just two missed shots -- when he's enough to carry the team for long stretches. But there will also be games like the one the Jayhawks had against Colorado, which focused its entire defensive plan around Peterson and forced Tre White (17 points, 15 rebounds) and Melvin Council Jr. (18 points, 7 rebounds) to make big plays. Those veterans were more than happy to step up, something we've seen time and time again from them.

Next seven days: at Kansas State (Jan. 24)

15. Florida Gators (14-5)

Previous ranking: 18

Rueben Chinyelu's emergence as one of the most dominant big men in college basketball over the past four games makes one of the sport's elite frontcourts even better. Chinyelu has notched four consecutive 15-point, 10-rebound double-doubles, including Tuesday's 15-point, 21-rebound performance against LSU, when he became the first Florida player in at least 30 seasons to post 15 points and 20 rebounds in a game. In that four-game span, Chinyelu is averaging 17.8 points and 14.8 rebounds -- and has had three of the four highest-scoring outings of his college career.

Next seven days: vs. Auburn (Jan. 24), at South Carolina (Jan. 28)

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LSU Tigers vs. Florida Gators: Game Highlights

LSU Tigers vs. Florida Gators: Game Highlights

16. Virginia Cavaliers (16-2)

Previous ranking: 17

It's a new era in Charlottesville, but Ryan Odom has the Cavaliers playing a defense that would have made Tony Bennett plenty proud. They're 17th nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency, and even better in ACC play, ranking second in the league in giving up just 0.97 points per possession. Louisville and SMU were the first teams to score more than one point per possession against Virginia since before Christmas, but the Cavaliers held Louisville to 26% shooting from 3 and SMU to just five made 3s. Only two opponents have made double-digit 3s against Virginia, and only one opponent has shot 40% from 3 since Thanksgiving. Combine that with elite shot blocking on the interior, and Virginia's defense is stifling.

Next seven days: vs. North Carolina (Jan. 24), at Notre Dame (Jan. 27)

17. Arkansas Razorbacks (14-5)

Previous ranking: 14

It's hard to remember a more physically dominant recent performance than the one Arkansas had against Vanderbilt on Tuesday night. The Razorbacks imposed their will, and the Commodores countered with absolutely zero resistance, particularly in the paint. Arkansas had 13 dunks and nine layups, accounting for more than half of the team's field goals. And as Lukas Harkins of Basket Under Review pointed out, the above-the-rim finishing is not necessarily a new thing for the Razorbacks -- they set the record for the most (16) and tied for the second-most (13) dunks by any team in a single game this season.

Next seven days: vs. LSU (Jan. 24), at Oklahoma (Jan. 27)

18. Alabama Crimson Tide (13-5)

Previous ranking: 19

Alabama could receive an unexpected boost this Saturday with the potential addition of Charles Bediako, who played for the Crimson Tide in 2022 and 2023 before turning pro. Bediako was granted a temporary restraining order on Wednesday that allows him to play for the next 10 days, with a hearing on his request for a preliminary injunction scheduled for Tuesday. It will be interesting to see if and how much Bediako plays against Tennessee, given the recent performances from starting big man Aiden Sherrell. The 6-foot-10 sophomore played perhaps the two best games of his college career to help spark the Crimson Tide's current two-game winning streak. Sherrell had 22 points, 5 rebounds and 2 blocks against Mississippi State, then followed it up with 21 points and 9 rebounds against Oklahoma.

Next seven days: vs. Tennessee (Jan. 24), vs. Missouri (Jan. 27)

19. Vanderbilt Commodores (16-3)

Previous ranking: 12

Vanderbilt has lost three in a row since its 16-0 start, with Tuesday's 25-point loss at Arkansas highlighting some real deficiencies on the defensive end of the floor. Through six league games, Vanderbilt ranks 16th out of 16 teams in points per possession allowed. It is also last in the SEC in 2-point percentage defense, with opposing teams shooting better than 59% inside the arc. During their three-game losing streak, the Commodores are giving up 1.32 points per possession (for context, North Florida gives up the most raw points per possession in the country, and that's 1.27 per possession) and allowing opponents to shoot nearly 63% from 2 and 40% from 3.

Next seven days: at Mississippi State (Jan. 24), vs. Kentucky (Jan. 27)

20. St. John's Red Storm (14-5)

Previous ranking: Unranked

St. John's came back from a 15-point second-half deficit to beat Seton Hall on Tuesday, the Red Storm's fifth straight win to improve to 7-1 in the Big East. They've taken dramatic strides on offense during this recent winning streak, taking care of the ball much better than they did in the first 14 games of the season (12.6% turnover rate compared to 17.3%), while also crashing the offensive glass and getting to the free throw line. They've grabbed at least 36.4% of their missed shots in each of their past three games and shot 61 free throws in the past two games combined.

Next seven days: at Xavier (Jan. 24), vs. Butler (Jan. 28)

21. Clemson Tigers (16-4)

Previous ranking: 23

Clemson's nine-game winning streak was snapped Tuesday when NC State came to town and handed the Tigers their first ACC loss of the season. It was a difficult night for the ACC's most efficient defense. The Tigers allowed 1.12 points per possession, the most an opponent has scored against them since Alabama back on Dec. 3. NC State also turned the ball over just seven times in 45 minutes, the lowest turnover percentage anyone has had against Clemson all season.

Next seven days: at Georgia Tech (Jan. 24)

22. Louisville Cardinals (13-5)

Previous ranking: 25

There might not have been a team in the country that needed a breakout performance more than Louisville on Saturday -- and Pitt was willing to oblige. The Cardinals had their best offensive performance under coach Pat Kelsey, in a 41-point road win; in fact, it was the team's second-best offensive performance of the KenPom era (since 1997). They scored 1.53 points per possession, went 15-for-29 from 3-point range and had 24 assists on 36 field goals. And on Monday, star guard Mikel Brown Jr. announced he was returning to practice this week after missing the team's past eight games. Things could be looking up.

Next seven days: vs. Virginia Tech (Jan. 24), at Duke (Jan. 26)

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Louisville Cardinals vs. Pittsburgh Panthers: Game Highlights

Louisville Cardinals vs. Pittsburgh Panthers: Game Highlights

23. North Carolina Tar Heels (15-4)

Previous ranking: 20

After three losses over four straight abysmal defensive performances, Carolina finally had a get-right game against Notre Dame on Wednesday and responded with a 21-point win. Hubert Davis has made a couple of lineup changes in the past week in an attempt to shift the momentum. Freshman Derek Dixon has started the past two games at point guard, averaging 12.5 points and 2.5 assists while shooting 7-for-13 from 3. And on Wednesday, Davis went with Jaydon Young instead of Jarin Stevenson on the wing. Young didn't produce much, but it's clear Davis isn't afraid to make sweeping changes in order to get Carolina back in the wins column.

Next seven days: at Virginia (Jan. 24)

24. Georgia Bulldogs (16-3)

Previous ranking: Unranked

Georgia has been in and out of the rankings the past few weeks, but back-to-back wins over Arkansas and Missouri -- with the latter coming on the road -- is enough to get the Bulldogs back in the mix again. While Marcus Millender was the standout against the Tigers, hitting the game winner with 5.5 seconds left, the recent emergence of BYU transfer Kanon Catchings has been a boost for coach Mike White's Bulldogs. Catchings, who struggled for much of his freshman season, has scored in double-figures in five straight games after doing it just four times in the first two months of the season. Over that stretch, he is averaging 15.2 points and shooting 40% from 3.

Next seven days: at Texas (Jan. 24), vs. Tennessee (Jan. 27)

25. Miami (Ohio) RedHawks (20-0)

Previous ranking: Unranked

Miami (Ohio) became the first team to reach the 20-win mark with its second consecutive overtime victory. On Saturday, the RedHawks hit a late 3 to force overtime against Buffalo before winning, and then scored in the final seconds of regulation again Tuesday before beating Kent State in overtime. Travis Steele's team has now scored 100 points in three straight games, becoming the first Division I team to achieve this feat since Gonzaga did it in 2021-22, per ESPN Research. Perhaps the biggest storyline after Tuesday's game? According to KenPom, that was Miami's most difficult remaining regular-season game.

Next seven days: vs. UMass (Jan. 27)

Dropped out: Tennessee Volunteers (No. 21), Utah State Aggies (No. 22), Villanova Wildcats (No. 24)