College Basketball Rankings: Casey Jacobsen Has Michigan on Top, Iowa Out

The college basketball season is a wild ride, and I’m here to sort it out every Sunday.

With new coaches, new stars, deeper conferences and a transfer portal that never stops spinning, trying to make sense of the national picture isn’t easy. That’s why my Top 25 rewards toughness, experience and identity — not preseason hype or brand names. Expect bold calls. Expect surprises. Expect receipts.

Most of all, expect a ranking built for the long haul. Each week, I’ll reset the landscape, cut through the noise and tell you what actually matters as the season evolves.

With that, here’s the third edition of my men's college basketball rankings, as of Dec. 14:

25. Georgia (9-1)

Previously ranked: NR

The Bulldogs' numbers are great; they're ranked 21st overall, according to KenPom. Georgia beat Cincinnati by 18 points on Saturday to improve its record to 9-1, with its lone loss coming against Clemson in overtime last month. Bulldogs guard Blue Cain had 22 points and five assists. They still have a lot to prove, but I’m giving them a shot.

24. Florida Gators (6-4)

Previously ranked: No. 24

Florida beat George Washington by 10 points on Saturday, and Gators guard Xavian Lee had 24 points. The senior has been very inconsistent, but it’s a good confidence booster before SEC play begins. The Gators have more talent than half the teams above them.

23. Virginia Cavaliers (9-1)

Previously ranked: 20

Virginia beat Maryland Eastern Shore by double digits and scored 84 points. Seven different Cavaliers contributed to 13 made 3-pointers. Virginia has the 14th-most efficient offense in the country, per KenPom, but its overall strength of schedule is 264th. I want to see this team perform against a top-20 opponent.

22. Texas Tech Red Raiders (7-3)

Previously ranked: No. 21

Texas Tech lost to Arkansas despite star forward JT Toppin and guard Christian Anderson combining for 56 points. The gap between those two and the rest of this roster is significant, but I still think the Red Raiders are good. They’ll have a chance to redeem themselves next Saturday against Duke.

21. St. John's Red Storm (6-3)

Previously ranked: No. 19

St. John's beat Iona, coach Rick Pitino's former program, by double digits on Saturday. It was the most balanced offensive performance the Johnnies have put together, with six different players reaching double figures in scoring. Guard Oziyah Sellers led the way with 19 points. Turnovers remain an issue, but the Red Storm's potential is so clear.  Next Saturday they take on Kentucky in Atlanta, which feels like a must-win for their résumé.

20. Arkansas Razorbacks (8-2)

Previously ranked: 23

Arkansas defeated Texas Tech in a shootout, 93-86. Both teams shot over 50% from the field, but the Razorbacks had three players go for 20-plus points, led by forward Trevon Brazile’s 24-point, 10-rebound performance. The Razorbacks can score with any team in America.

19. Tennessee Volunteers (7-3)

Previously ranked: No. 18

After a week off to lick their wounds, the Vols are preparing for the huge tilt against Louisville in Knoxville on Tuesday. Tennessee’s offense needs to find a rhythm, averaging just 66 points per game in its past three games (all losses).

18. Nebraska Cornhuskers (11-0)

Previously ranked: No. 22

Nebraska won a huge Big Ten road game vs Illinois, thanks to star forward Pryce Sandford’s 32 points and guard Jamarques Lawrence’s game-winning 3-pointer. The winning streak for the Huskers is now 15 games going back to the 2025 College Basketball Crown championship.

17. Illinois Illini (8-3)

Previously ranked: No. 13

Illinois lost at home to Nebraska on a last-second 3. Illini freshman Keaton Wagler (19 points, 10 assists) is the real deal, but Illinois was largely overpowered. The Illini are hard to guard, but their defense isn’t good enough right now.

16. Auburn Tigers (8-3)

Previously ranked: No. 17

Auburn beat Chattanooga in their lone game of the week. Tigers forward Keyshawn Hall and guard Tahaad Pettiford combined to score 44 points. Next up is a date with Purdue on Saturday.

15. Kansas Jayhawks (8-3)

Previously ranked: No. 16

Kansas took down NC State in overtime on the road. Freshman star Darryn Peterson started but didn’t finish the game, exiting with a hamstring injury. Melvin Council Jr. took over the scoring role and dropped 36, including 9 3s!

14. North Carolina Tar Heels (9-1)

Previously ranked: No. 15

North Carolina beat Georgetown and USC Upstate this week by a combined 38 points. Freshman star Caleb Wilson had back-to-back 20-point outings and fellow big Henri Veesaar averaged 16 points and 12 rebounds this week.

13. Vanderbilt Commodores (10-0)

Previously ranked: No. 14

The Commodores boast a top-five offense in the country, according to Ken Pom. They beat Central Arkansas by 11 points, thanks mostly to forward Tyler Nickel’s 30 points (8-for-15 from deep). I think Vanderbilt relies too much on the 3-ball sometimes, but its 10-0 record is hard to argue with.

12. Alabama Crimson Tide (7-3)

Previously ranked: No. 11

Alabama's schedule has been absolutely brutal. The Crimson Tide got humbled by Arizona, but I still like their roster, with guard Lebaron Philon leading the way. The Wildcats exposed some flaws, but not many teams in the country can do to Alabama what Arizona did.

11. Louisville Cardinals (9-1)

Previously ranked: No. 12

The Cardinals flexed their offensive muscles in a 26-point win over Memphis. Six players reached double figures in scoring, led by guard Ryan Conwell (17 points).  Next up is Tennessee on the road this Tuesday.

10. Michigan State Spartans (9-1)

Previously ranked: No. 10

Michigan State overcame 17 turnovers to beat Penn State on the road, 76-72. Spartans guard Divine Ugochukwu was the star of the show. Don’t feel bad if you don't recognize that name. The budding sophomore star was averaging just 4.0 points per game coming in but dropped 23 against the Nittany Lions, including five buckets from deep.

Michigan State vs. Penn State Highlights | FOX College Hoops

9. Houston Cougars (10-1)

Previously ranked: No. 9

Houston beat Jackson State and New Orleans by a combined 84 points. Next Saturday’s fantastic matchup with Arkansas will be a lot closer — I promise.

8. BYU Cougars (9-1)

Previously ranked: No. 8

After trailing Clemson by 22 in the second half, BYU completed the largest comeback in school history in style. Cougars star forward AJ Dabantsa was sensational, scoring or assisting on 35 of BYU’s 45 second-half points and setting up guard Rob Wright’s buzzer-beating 3. The Cougars are so fun to watch.

7. Purdue Boilermakers (10-1)

Previously ranked: No. 7

The Boilermakers took their frustrations from last week out on Minnesota and Marquette, beating them by a combined 48 points. Purdue's frontcourt trio of Trey Kauffman-Renn, Oscar Cluff and Daniel Jacobsen just keep getting better.

6. Gonzaga Bulldogs (10-1)

Previously ranked: No. 6

We may never forget that Gonzaga lost to Michigan by 40 points last month, but it's a very good team and beat UCLA in Seattle on Saturday night. Zags forward Graham Ike finished with 25 points. Excluding Michigan, Gonzaga has beat every other team it has played by double digits.  

5. Iowa State Cyclones (11-0)

Previously ranked: No. 5

Iowa State hosted in-state rival Iowa and got punched in the face early by the Hawkeyes. The Cyclones responded like a top-five team, though. Led by Josh Jefferson’s 24 points, Iowa State held on down the stretch to get the win, 66-62.

Iowa vs. No. 4 Iowa State Highlights | FOX College Hoops

4. Duke Blue Devils (10-0)

Previously ranked: No. 4

Duke didn't play this week. The Blue Devils' next games are against Lipscomb on Wednesday and Texas Tech on Saturday. That said, the question still remains: offensively, who will become a reliable second and third option to support star forward Cameron Boozer?

3. UConn Huskies (10-1)

Previously ranked: No. 3

It was another uneven performance for UConn but another quality win at home. Huskies guard Solo Ball’s desperation heave from 40 feet with 3:39 to go stopped Texas' momentum. Forward Alex Karaban followed with another clutch shot moments later. I still feel like UConn has so much more room to grow, and that’s scary.

2. Arizona Wildcats (9-0)

Previously ranked: No. 2

Arizona was awesome in the second half against Alabama, turning defense into offense. The Wildcats took advantage of the Crimson Tide's biggest weakness on the glass and outrebounded them by 20. Freshman guard Brayden Burries is coming into his own, averaging 19.8 points per game for Arizona over the past four games. The Wildcats have the best résumé in the sport by a significant margin, but I still believe there's one other team that's better.

1. Michigan Wolverines (10-0)

Previously ranked: No. 1

I now expect the Wolverines to dominate every team they play. That’s unrealistic, though, and Michigan had to battle a struggling Maryland squad for the first 30 minutes of an eventual 18-point win on the road. Wolverines forward Yaxel Lendeborg was sensational with 29 points, eight rebounds and nine assists.

Yaxel Lendeborg Puts on a Primetime Performance in No. 2 Michigan’s Tough Win Over Maryland

Casey Jacobsen is a national college basketball reporter and analyst for FOX Sports. He was a three-time All-Pac-10 selection at Stanford and a First-Team All-American as a sophomore. Follow him at @cjacobsen23.

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