What an awesome week of college basketball! We started with five undefeated teams, and now, we are down to three: Arizona, Nebraska, and Miami (Ohio), as Vanderbilt and Iowa State both lost back-to-back games.
Conference play is always more difficult because the coaches and players know each other so well, and the road environments are tougher than those neutral-floor, non-conference games in NBA arenas. Expect to see more chaos in the next six weeks.
Games to mark on your calendar:
- Arizona at BYU on Jan. 26
- Nebraska at Michigan on Jan. 27
With that, here’s the latest edition of my men's college basketball rankings, as of Jan. 18.
![]()
INDIANAPOLIS: Louisville's Mikel Brown Jr. drives to the basket against Indiana's Conor Enright at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on December 6, 2025. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
Everyone is still waiting for when point guard Mikel Brown Jr. will return from a back injury, forcing him to miss eight straight games. Even without him, this Louisville team is very solid and ranked 16th by KenPom. Guard Ryan Conwell had 24 points in a blowout win on the road against Pitt. The Cardinals play Duke in eight days.
The Tigers have won eight straight games and own the 14th most efficient defense in the sport. They are 6-0 in ACC play, with four of those wins coming by double digits. Utah Valley transfer forward Carter Welling (team-high 18 points vs. Miami) has been a solid big man all season.
The Bilikens are 17-1, and that lone loss came off a miracle 3-pointer by Stanford. However, their schedule ranks 300th, and their best win is a neutral-court victory over Santa Clara. I like this group, though, and it has six guys averaging double figures in points, led by their big man, Robbie Avila.
A brutal week for the Tar Heels, as they traveled more than 2,600 miles to get swept by Cal and Stanford. They couldn’t guard anyone all weekend, giving up 179 points combined. The frontcourt duo of forward Caleb Wilson and center Henri Veesaar was good but didn’t have much help.
I’m starting to worry about the Hogs. They are wildly talented, but they're all over the map. They dropped 108 points on South Carolina but then got pushed around in a 90-76 loss to Georgia. They're also 3-2 in SEC play. That’s probably where they'll sit for the rest of the season, right?
![]()
GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA: Florida's Thomas Haugh dunks against the Tennessee Volunteers at Stephen C. O'Connell Center on January 10, 2026. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)
Welcome back, Gators! Wins over Georgia, Tennessee, Oklahoma and Vanderbilt (on the road!) have them safely back in my top 25. Forward Thomas Haugh (pronounced "How-ck") has been an All-American this season, and the Gators can dominate teams on the glass.
Perhaps no team had a more important week than the Jayhawks. Dominant home wins over Iowa State (previously undefeated) and Baylor were exactly what I needed to see to still believe in this team. Freshman guard Darryn Peterson’s scoring performance against Baylor was incredible: 26 points on 11-of-13 shooting in just 23 minutes.
An uneven week saw the Bulldogs lose at home to Ole Miss in overtime, but they rebounded with a 14-point win over a talented Arkansas team. Their 3-point shooting (32.2%) is holding them back a little.
I know five losses in January is a lot for a team ranked this high, but none of the losses are bad (even the one at Minnesota). The Hawkeyes are among the top 30 in both offensive and defensive efficiency, according to KenPom. Point guard Bennett Stirtz controlled Indiana’s defense all day on Saturday (27 points, five assists) for a big road win.
After two losses to Texas and Vanderbilt last week, I had my eye on the Crimson Tide. They didn’t disappoint with a road sweep of Mississippi State and Oklahoma. Sophomore guard Labaron Philon Jr. scored 53 points combined in the wins. He’s a stud.
![]()
DALLAS: Virginia Cavaliers head coach Ryan Odom talks to guard Dallin Hall during a game against SMU on January 17, 2026, at Moody Coliseum. (Photo by Matthew Visinsky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Head coach Ryan Odom has the Cavaliers operating at a high level. Five straight wins, including a road sweep of Louisville and SMU, sent a clear statement that they are a true ACC contender. Unfortunately, Duke and Virginia only play one time this season, Feb. 28 in Durham.
Texas Tech’s performance on Saturday night against BYU was a great example of what this team can do. Guard Christian Anderson’s 22 points and seven assists, combined with forward JT Toppin’s 27 points and 12 rebounds, gives the Red Raiders the sport’s top duo. Defensively, their defense made one of the game's best players, BYU forward AJ Dybantsa, work for every sliver of space (13 points on 6-of-17 shooting).
Since losing at home to Nebraska way back on Dec. 13, Illinois has not lost a game. Freshman guard Keaton Wagler continues to be the team's best, most consistent player, and he led again on Saturday against Minnesota with 17 points and five assists.
Not surprisingly, the Spartans continued to pick up wins this week over Indiana and Washington. Surprisingly, point guard Jeremy Fears Jr. led them in scoring both games with 21 points per game. There is a logjam in the Big Ten behind Nebraska.
The Zags received terrible news this week when second-leading scorer and forward Braden Huff got hurt in practice and will be out four to eight weeks. Then, leading scorer and fellow forward Graham Ike sat out their game on Saturday at Seattle U with a foot issue. I was worried they might lose, but then freshman guard Mario Saint-Supery dropped 20 points off the bench in a blowout win. Gonzaga’s roster is always one of the deepest in the nation.
![]()
AUSTIN: Vanderbilt's Tyler Tanner drives to the basket against the Texas Longhorns at Moody Center on January 14, 2026. (Photo by Scott Wachter/Getty Images)
It was a terrible week for the Commodores, as they were blown out by Texas on the road and then lost at home to a re-surging Florida squad, 95-90. Vandy’s offense still ranks fourth in the country (that gets you bonus points with me!), but they got dominated on the glass this week.
The Cougars lost their second game of the season on Saturday night to a fantastic Texas Tech team. The atmosphere in Lubbock was awesome, and BYU’s potent offense could only muster 71 points. Superstar wing AJ Dybantsa looked normal (13 points, three rebounds, one assist) and forward Keba Keita was a non-factor (zero points and four rebounds in 21 minutes).
The undefeated Cornhuskers keep destroying everyone in their path. A 35-point beatdown of Oregon followed by a 19-point road win at Northwestern was impressive. So why aren’t they ranked higher than seventh? Nebraska ranks 13th in KenPom, a metric that I weigh heavily. It is sixth in the NET. The Cornhuskers' best wins are at Illinois and home against Michigan State. On a neutral floor, they would be significant underdogs against every other team in my top seven.
How is a 17-1 Houston team flying under the radar? I have no idea. Last Saturday, the Cougars blasted Baylor by 22 on the road and then smashed West Virginia at home by 29 on Tuesday. Sunday, they beat Arizona State, 103-73. Their offense still needs work — especially with 3-point shooting and ball movement — but that defense is no fun to play against.
The Cyclones went from undefeated to a two-loss team in the blink of an eye. That could be life in the Big 12 for many teams. Iowa State was blown out in Allen Fieldhouse (understandable), but then it couldn’t recover in a 70-79 loss at Cincinnati. The Bearcats are better than their 10-8 record, and Iowa State’s defense could only force eight turnovers.
![]()
STANFORD, CA: Duke's Isaiah Evans and Cameron Boozer react to a basket from the bench during a game against the Stanford Cardinal on January 17, 2026 at Maples Pavilion. (Photo by Matthew Huang/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
While their rival Tar Heels couldn’t breathe in the California air, the Blue Devils cruised through Cal and Stanford by a combined 45 points. Forward Cameron Boozer had 30 points against the Cardinal, and Duke’s defense limited their top scorer, point guard Ebuka Okorie, to just nine points. Impressive two-way showing.
The Boilermakers did not look very impressive for the first 38 minutes of their game at USC. But when it came down to the final minutes, they showed their true character. Guard Braden Smith’s steal and layup with fewer than 10 seconds to go capped his 22-point effort. Trey Kaufman-Renn hasn’t looked like himself, lately, but they are still winning.
The Wolverines swept the Pacific Northwest road trip (Oregon and Washington), but I’d still give them a B+ for the week. My personal expectations are sky-high for this group, though. Point guard Elliot Cadeau had 17 points at Oregon, and center Aday Mara had 20 points at Washington. It’s a different Wolverine almost every night.
In a Big East Conference that isn’t what it’s been in recent years, I expect the Huskies to annihilate their competition. The last four games, they’ve been seriously tested by Providence, DePaul, Seton Hall and then a bad Georgetown team Saturday. They escaped the Hoyas by two points, and center Tarris Reed Jr. looked good (15 points, 12 rebounds), but UConn hasn’t put together a great performance in three weeks.
![]()
TUCSON, ARIZONA: Wildcats' Koa Peat celebrates after scoring against the Arizona State Sun Devils at McKale Center on January 14, 2026. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
I was on the call for Arizona's game last Wednesday against their in-state rival, Arizona State. The Sun Devils had a chance in the final minutes to get the upset, but the Wildcats wouldn’t let it happen. Forwards Koa Peat and Tobe Awaka combined for 49 points and 15 rebounds. Awaka has cemented himself as the top sixth man in the country. After sharing one vote with Iowa State last week, the Wildcats will be the unanimous No. 1 team in the country this week.
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.
Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!
FOLLOW Follow your favorites to personalize your FOX Sports experience 
