Boy oh boy do we have some things to discuss in this week’s Campus Sports College Basketball Power Rankings!
Like who is the most overrated team in the AP Top 25 right now and who needs to get some love but isn’t. And don’t forgot who is the best conference and our own Campus Sports Power 25!
(take easy breaths… inhale… exhale… slowly… slowly)
Sorry…
Got a little excited.
So let’s do this!
Power Team on the Rise
First and foremost, when will the Georgetown Hoyas get some love from the voters and the rest of the college basketball world? The Hoyas have the seventh toughest schedule in the nation and an RPI of 15 to go along with five losses. Their recent win over the No. 4 ranked Villanova Wildcats should have pushed them well into every poll, but it didn’t. Not only is this baffling, but it is a key reminder why your team will not want to see Georgetown on your side of the bracket come March.
Most Overrated Team
Let’s start this discussion without singling out just one team at the moment. But instead, let’s look at the five teams that are thought of highly in the polls but don’t have quite the bite when it comes to the numbers.
| CS Power | Team | Avg | AP |
| NR | Maryland | 25.25 | 13 |
| NR | W. Virginia | 25.25 | 18 |
| NR | Louisville | 26.5 | 10 |
| NR | Indiana | 38.75 | 23 |
| NR | Notre Dame | 49.75 | 8 |
The team that really stands out in this is the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. With just two losses, the boys from South Bend seem all that and a legit No. 8 team. But as you dig closer and you see they have an SOS 0f 145 and an RPI 44. One has to wonder if they will survive the upcoming Atlantic Coast Conference slate or be exposed as a product of their soft schedule. The next few weeks will tell us everything you need to know with the Irish and these other four teams.
Conference Power Rankings
Once again this honor goes to the Big East. A title that will be tough for any other conference to dethrone them with thanks to their stellar non-conference record. Plus it’s easy to get the most powerful conference when seven of your 10 teams all post an average of 21.50 or less. Leading the way is not No. 4 Villanova though; in fact, the Wildcats are statistically third in the conference behind the Butler Bulldogs and the Hoyas.
Playing catch up to the Big East is the Big 12, SEC, Pac-12, ACC and the Big 10.
| Big East | Losses | SOS | RPI | Rank | Average |
| Butler | 6 | 8 | 16 | 10.00 | |
| Creighton | 10 | 78 | 151 | 79.67 | |
| DePaul | 9 | 115 | 164 | 96.00 | |
| Georgetown | 5 | 7 | 15 | 9.00 | |
| Marquette | 7 | 79 | 106 | 64.00 | |
| Providence | 5 | 21 | 22 | 16.00 | |
| St. John’s | 5 | 17 | 34 | 18.67 | |
| Seton Hall | 4 | 40 | 18 | 24 | 21.50 |
| Villanova | 2 | 36 | 5 | 4 | 11.75 |
| Xavier | 6 | 22 | 35 | 21.00 | |
| 59.00 | 42.30 | 56.60 | 34.76 |
| Big 12 | Losses | SOS | RPI | Rank | Average |
| Baylor | 4 | 37 | 19 | 21 | 20.25 |
| Iowa State | 3 | 49 | 14 | 9 | 18.75 |
| Kansas | 3 | 1 | 3 | 11 | 4.50 |
| Kansas State | 8 | 55 | 91 | 51.33 | |
| Oklahoma | 6 | 9 | 21 | 19 | 13.75 |
| Oklahoma State | 5 | 33 | 32 | 23.33 | |
| Texas | 4 | 20 | 16 | 17 | 14.25 |
| TCU | 4 | 287 | 150 | 147.00 | |
| Texas Tech | 8 | 128 | 182 | 106.00 | |
| West Virginia | 3 | 61 | 19 | 18 | 25.25 |
| 48.00 | 68.00 | 54.70 | 42.44 |
| SEC | Losses | SOS | RPI | Rank | Average |
| Alabama | 5 | 52 | 53 | 36.67 | |
| Arkansas | 4 | 54 | 31 | 29.67 | |
| Auburn | 7 | 76 | 107 | 63.33 | |
| Florida | 8 | 23 | 72 | 34.33 | |
| Georgia | 5 | 16 | 26 | 15.67 | |
| Kentucky | 0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1.50 |
| LSU | 4 | 89 | 42 | 45.00 | |
| Mississippi | 7 | 25 | 56 | 29.33 | |
| Mississippi State | 9 | 146 | 220 | 125.00 | |
| Missouri | 10 | 10 | 140 | 53.33 | |
| South Carolina | 7 | 77 | 121 | 68.33 | |
| Tennessee | 5 | 46 | 43 | 31.33 | |
| Texas A&M | 5 | 39 | 40 | 28.00 | |
| Vanderbilt | 7 | 75 | 99 | 60.33 | |
| 83.00 | 52.29 | 75.07 | 44.42 |
| Pac 12 | Losses | SOS | RPI | Rank | Average |
| Arizona | 2 | 38 | 6 | 7 | 13.25 |
| Arizona State | 9 | 63 | 143 | 71.67 | |
| California | 7 | 97 | 120 | 74.67 | |
| Colorado | 8 | 30 | 79 | 39.00 | |
| Oregon | 6 | 74 | 92 | 57.33 | |
| Oregon State | 5 | 33 | 32 | 23.33 | |
| Stanford | 4 | 72 | 28 | 34.67 | |
| UCLA | 7 | 19 | 59 | 28.33 | |
| USC | 8 | 71 | 125 | 68.00 | |
| Utah | 3 | 26 | 12 | 12 | 13.25 |
| Washington | 4 | 92 | 54 | 50.00 | |
| Washington State | 8 | 94 | 119 | 73.67 | |
| 71.00 | 59.08 | 72.42 | 45.60 |
| ACC | Losses | SOS | RPI | Rank | Average |
| Boston College | 9 | 35 | 125 | 56.33 | |
| Clemson | 8 | 42 | 97 | 49.00 | |
| Duke | 2 | 26 | 9 | 5 | 10.50 |
| Florida State | 9 | 82 | 132 | 74.33 | |
| Georgia Tech | 8 | 29 | 80 | 39.00 | |
| Louisville | 3 | 64 | 29 | 10 | 26.50 |
| Miami | 5 | 51 | 52 | 36.00 | |
| North Carolina | 4 | 5 | 11 | 15 | 8.75 |
| NC State | 6 | 7 | 37 | 16.67 | |
| Notre Dame | 2 | 145 | 44 | 8 | 49.75 |
| Pitt | 6 | 88 | 70 | 54.67 | |
| Syracuse | 5 | 93 | 58 | 52.00 | |
| Virginia | 0 | 11 | 2 | 2 | 3.75 |
| Virginia Tech | 9 | 194 | 228 | 143.67 | |
| Wake Forest | 9 | 58 | 130 | 65.67 | |
| 85.00 | 62.00 | 73.60 | 45.77 |
| B1G | Losses | SOS | RPI | Rank | Average |
| Illinois | 7 | 57 | 65 | 43.00 | |
| Indiana | 4 | 81 | 47 | 23 | 38.75 |
| Iowa | 6 | 28 | 41 | 25 | 25.00 |
| Maryland | 2 | 73 | 13 | 13 | 25.25 |
| Michigan | 7 | 44 | 68 | 39.67 | |
| Michigan State | 6 | 12 | 38 | 18.67 | |
| Minnesota | 8 | 80 | 115 | 67.67 | |
| Nebraska | 7 | 95 | 109 | 70.33 | |
| Northwestern | 8 | 102 | 136 | 82.00 | |
| Ohio State | 5 | 84 | 60 | 49.67 | |
| Penn State | 6 | 140 | 103 | 83.00 | |
| Purdue | 7 | 69 | 100 | 58.67 | |
| Rutgers | 10 | 18 | 83 | 37.00 | |
| Wisconsin | 2 | 23 | 7 | 6 | 9.50 |
| 85.00 | 64.71 | 70.36 | 46.30 |
The CS Power Top 25
So if you are looking for some sleeper teams to go ahead and do some research on for your bracket, you’ve found the only list you will need.
At this point in the season, a lot can be determined by a team based on their SOS, RPI and losses. Those three things can tell you if a team is battle-tested or if they are just going through the motions.
The Kentucky Wildcats, Virginia Cavaliers and Kansas Jayhawks are the top three teams to keep your eye on for the rest of the season. If they keep winning they are going to be a tough out in the NCAA tournament.
The same holds true for the rest of the Power Top 25. But the difference is that this ranking is going to give you all a lot to discuss and debate.
| CS Power | Team | Avg | AP |
| 1 | Kentucky | 1.5 | 1 |
| 2 | Virginia | 3.75 | 2 |
| 3 | Kansas | 4.5 | 11 |
| 4 | UNC | 8.75 | 15 |
| 5 | Georgetown | 9 | NR |
| 6 | Wisconsin | 9.5 | 6 |
| 7 | Butler | 10 | NR |
| 8 | Duke | 10.5 | 5 |
| 9 | Villanova | 11.75 | 4 |
| 10 | Arizona | 13.25 | 7 |
| 11 | Utah | 13.25 | 12 |
| 12 | Oklahoma | 13.75 | 19 |
| 13 | Texas | 14.25 | 17 |
| 14 | UGA | 15.67 | NR |
| 15 | Providence | 16 | NR |
| 16 | NC State | 16.67 | NR |
| 17 | Michigan St | 18.67 | NR |
| 18 | St. John’s | 18.67 | NR |
| 19 | Iowa St | 18.75 | 9 |
| 20 | Baylor | 20.25 | 21 |
| 21 | Xavier | 21 | NR |
| 22 | Seton Hall | 21.5 | 24 |
| 23 | Oregon St | 23.33 | NR |
| 24 | Oklahoma St | 23.33 | NR |
| 25 | Iowa | 25 | 25 |
If you are keeping count that is ten teams ranking in the Campus Sports Power Rankings that are not in the AP Poll. In other words, keep an eye on these teams cause they will make a run at the conference crown.
The Worst
It takes a lot to be the worst team in college hoops. You have to have some losses and you have to have a pretty miserable SOS and RPI.
This week’s award of the worst team in the game goes to…
(drum roll)
The TCU Horned Frogs…
The Horned Frogs than thank this honor to a SOS of 287 which the worst one of any team in these major conference by 97 spots. Add that to an RPI 182 and it’s clear to see why TCU only has four losses including one in the Big 12.
But the good news is that there are some teams will vie for this honor as the season plays out.
*Section Photo credit to The Hoya; Featured Photo (above) credit to Jonathan Newton, Washington Post
