NCAA Basketball Rankings: Heavy’s Top 30 for January 4

The Kansas basketball team is rising up the rankings after another strong performance last week. (Getty)

Welcome to 2016 and conference play, everybody!

If we’re being honest, we’re a little bit more excited for conference play than any sort of resolution we’ve made – or thought about making. Whatever, college basketball is more important and things are really starting to get fun now.

There are still a handful of undefeated teams in the country, but Michigan State is no longer one of them. The absence of Denzel Valentine is still hurting the Spartans and that means we’ve got a brand-new No. 1 squad in our Top 30. We’ve also got a brand-new No. 2. See, exciting!

Read on to check out the latest round of Heavy’s Top 30 teams in the country. Let’s all start mentally preparing for conference games. It’s only going to get more fun.

30. Cincinnati

Record: 11-4; Last Week: 29

The Bearcats have stumbled a bit in the last week, dropping two of their last three. The Iowa State loss on December 22 was understandable. Or as understandable as losses can be. The loss to Temple on December 29? Not so much. Cincinnati needs to play more consistent defense and it needs to happen sooner rather than later.

Next Game: Thursday, January 7 at SMU, 7 p.m. ET

29. Vanderbilt

Record: 8-5; Last Week: 21

The Commodores could not stop Ben Simmons. The LSU star racked up 36 points and 14 rebounds as Vanderbilt fell 90-82 on Saturday night. It’s the second loss in three games for Vanderbilt after last Tuesday night’s loss at Purdue. It doesn’t get any easier either with two road games this week.

Next Game: Tuesday, January 5 at Arkansas, 9 p.m. ET

28. Gonzaga

Record: 12-3; Last Week: 27

Bad news, Zags fans. Przemek Karnowski is out. For the season. The consistently dominant big man missed the WSU game with back soreness and was officially declared out for the rest of 2016 after he underwent back surgery. He won’t be healthy for, at least, six to nine months and it’s a major hit to Gonzaga’s frontcourt. It’s also not the only injury the team is dealing with. Kyle Wiltjer and Domantas Sabonis are also nicked up.

Next Game: Saturday, January 9 vs. Portland, 8 p.m. ET

27. Dayton

Record: 11-2; Last Week: Not Ranked

Don’t look now, but the Flyers have won four straight. Dayton opened up league play with a 66-48 at Duquesne on Saturday night, but the squad’s recent performance is more than just that. Dayton notched an 85-81 OT win over Arkansas last Wednesday and one of the team’s two losses is to Xavier. If the Flyers can get some league momentum going, they could be a tournament threat again.

Next Game: Wednesday, January 6 vs. Massachusetts, 8 p.m. ET

26. Iowa

Record: 11-3; Last Week: Not Ranked

Iowa may have surprised more than a few people with Saturday night’s victory over Purdue, but there are plenty of reasons why the Hawkeyes are a real contender now that league play has started. The defense is on lockdown mode and, as a team, Iowa is averaging 6.2 blocks per game.

Next Game: Tuesday, January 5 vs. Nebraska, 9 p.m.

Read on for the next group of squads, No. 25 – 21:

Scott Drew and the Baylor men’s basketball team sputtered a bit this week with a league loss. (Getty)

25. Utah

Record: 11-4; Last Week: 24

The Runnin’ Utes are confusing. They notch major upset victories on neutral courts. They look dominant on the offensive side of the ball. Then they drop two straight to open league play. See, confusing. And frustratingly inconsistent.

Next Game: Friday, January 8 at Colorado, 9 p.m. ET

24. Connecticut

Record: 10-3; Last Week: 29

UConn has won five straight since that Maryland loss on December 8 and while the AAC opener against Tulane wasn’t always pretty on Saturday night, it was still a win. And right now, that’s good enough. If Sterling Gibbs can come into his own with the Huskies, and maybe step into a leadership role a bit more, UConn could turn into a dangerous squad.

Next Game: Tuesday, January 5 vs. Temple, 8 p.m. ET

23. Baylor

Record: 10-3; Last Week: 20

Oof. That was not the way Baylor wanted to start Big 12 play. The Bears dropped their sixth straight game against Kansas, falling 102-74 on Saturday night. Baylor allowed four different players to place in double digits as the zone defense didn’t do all that much defending.

Next Game: Tuesday, January 5 vs. Oklahoma State, 8 p.m. ET

22. George Washington

Record: 12-2; Last Week: 25

Tyler Cavanaugh is a good basketball player. In fact, he might even be a star with George Washington this season. The junior forward is averaging just over 15 points and seven rebounds a game this season, but he had one of his best games on Sunday night with a double-double of 21 and 10 as the Colonials defeated Fordham in their A-10 opener. GW needs Cavanaugh to be that guy every night.

Next Game: Wednesday, January 6 at St. Louis, 7 p.m. ET

21. Purdue

Record: 13-2; Last Week: 16

Remember when Purdue was undefeated? The Boilermakers dropped their second game of the season in surprising, and particularly disappointing, fashion on Saturday, falling 70-63 to Iowa at home. There’s good news, though! Purdue held its 13th straight opponent below its scoring average. It’s something, right?

Next Game: Thursday, January 7 vs. Michigan, 7 p.m. ET

We’ve got teams 20 through 16 on the next page.

SMU, led by Nic Moore on the offensive side, is still perfect after opening league play with a victory last week. (Getty)

20. South Carolina

Record: 13-0; Last Week: Not Ranked

Welcome to the rankings, South Carolina! The Gamecocks are still undefeated, still scoring a vaguely ridiculous amount of points and, finally, starting to impress the rest of the country. The last time South Carolina was this dominant? When the 1933-34 team opened 17-0. So, yeah, it’s been awhile.

Next Game: Tuesday, January 5 at Auburn, 7 p.m. ET

19. SMU

Record: 13-0; Last Week: 22

Larry Brown is back. The Mustangs are still undefeated. And SMU fans are pretty happy with how their team has looked so far this season. Don’t let the offensive numbers fool you though, this is a good defensive team as well. In fact, SMU held USF to a nine-minute scoring drought on Saturday.

Next Game: Thursday, January 7 vs. Cincinnati, 7 p.m. ET

18. Butler

Record: 11-3; Last Week: 12

Butler had two very difficult opponents to start Big East play last week; Providence at home and on the road against Xavier. They weren’t easy games, but even splitting them might have been considered a success. The Bulldogs didn’t do that. They lost both. Badly. It made everyone start to think twice about putting Butler in the Big East final already. This is is a team that needs to win this week. Badly.

Next Game: Tuesday, January 5 at DePaul, 8 p.m. ET

17. Texas A&M

Record: 11-2; Last Week: 19

Alex Caruso entered Texas A&M history books on Saturday night. The senior guard set the school record for career steals with 230, including two in the Aggies’ 92-69 victory over Arkansas. He entered the game tied with former guard David Edwards. Watch out for Caruso. He’s got fast hands and a defensive-mind that could help spark Texas A&M on both sides of the ball.

Next Game: Wednesday January 6 at Mississippi State, 8:30 p.m. ET

Let’s break down 16 through 13, just click that next page arrow.

Georges Niang was a bright spot for Iowa State in an otherwise disappointing week. (Getty)

16. Louisville

Record: 12-2 ; Last Week: 18

The Cardinals are still perfect at home. Despite a furious late-game rally by Wake Forest, Louisville managed to hold on for a 65-57 victory on Sunday night. It was the Cards’ first game since their December 26th loss to Kentucky and that rust was apparent throughout the league matchup. Still, Chinau Onuaku made his presence known. He finished with 12 points, 15 rebounds and four blocks. No rust on that one.

Next Game: Thursday, January 7 at North Carolina State, 7 p.m. ET

15. West Virginia

Record: 12-1; Last Week: 17

Most college basketball teams aren’t good on the road. In fact, most college basketball teams are fairly bad on the road. Not WVU. At least not in conference play. The Mountaineers won their 33rd conference road game under Bob Huggins after this weekend’s 87-83 victory over Kansas State. That’s good and makes WVU a threat, no matter where the game is.

Next Game: Monday, January 4 at TCU, 7 p.m. ET

14. Iowa State

Record: 11-2; Last Week: 10

The Cyclones need to get back on track. The same team that was once ranked as high as No. 2 in the country has floundered a bit in recent games and opened league play with an 87-83 loss to Oklahoma. But there’s reason to still feel confident. Georges Niang. He averaged 22 points and 8.5 rebounds in two games last week.

Next Game: Wednesday, January 6 vs. Texas Tech, 9 p.m. ET

13. Duke

Record: 12-2; Last Week: 14

Has anyone noticed that Grayson Allen spends a lot of time on the floor? The Duke guard might just be one of the most physical players in the entire NCAA, so much so that coach Mike Krzyzewski called him “fearless” after the Blue Devils cruised to an 81-64 victory over Boston College. As far as Coach K is concerned, he’s not worried about Allen getting hurt. Flying around, breaking up passes and, yes, sometimes landing on the floor are all part of the Allen-package deal.

Next Game: Wednesday, January 6 at Wake Forest, 7 p.m. ET

There’s more Big East strength in the rankings, click the arrow to check out teams 12 to 9.

Kris Dunn might not just be the best player on Providence, he may be the best player in the Big East. (Getty)

12. Miami

Record: 12-1; Last Week: 15

Miami missed its first 16 tries from 3-point range in Saturday’s tilt against Syracuse. Miami still beat Syracuse. That makes Miami a very dangerous team. The Hurricanes found different ways to score and, perhaps most importantly, a way to adapt when things weren’t working.

Next Game: Saturday, January 9 vs. Florida State, 5 p.m. ET

11. Villanova

Record: 12-2; Last Week: 13

Everyone, relax. Villanova will be ok. The Wildcats had a pretty darn good weekend, opening up Big East play with back-to-back victories, including a 31-point win over Xavier. Then, for good measure, ‘Nova followed up with its best shooting game of the season in Saturday’s 85-71 victory over Creighton. Sometimes it’s nice to just get back to league play – and shooting three’s.

Next Game: Wednesday, January 6 vs. Seton Hall, 7 p.m. ET

10. Xavier

Record: 13-1; Last Week: 6

Xavier’s first loss of the season, a 95-64 performance at Villanova, didn’t do much to deter this squad’s confidence. The Musketeers knew they could still score. They could still play defense. They could still move the ball. The Musketeers did all that, and more, en route to an 88-69 victory over Butler on Saturday. Sure, there are some flaws in this metaphorical armor, but Xavier is still among the top teams in the Big East.

Next Game: Wednesday, January 6 at St. Johns, 9 p.m. ET

9. Providence

Record: 14-1; Last Week: 11

Here’s something you totally haven’t heard before. Kris Dunn is pretty good at this whole playing basketball thing. The redshirt junior had 26 points, nine rebounds and nine more assists on Saturday as he led the Friars to an 83-65 victory over St. John’s. Dunn walked off the court with 2:48 left in regulation to a standing ovation. When he’s on, he’s on and when he’s on, Providence is one of the best teams in the country.

Next Game: Tuesday, January 5 vs. Marquette, 7 p.m. ET

Where does Kentucky land after another strong win? Keep clicking that arrow to find out.

Tyler Ulis became the first UK player since John Wall in 2009 to score 20 points and dish 10 assists in a game last week. (Getty)

8. Arizona

Record: 13-1; Last Week: 9

There’s nothing like a bit of inter-state rivalry to make you feel good about your team. Arizona cruised to a 94-82 victory over Arizona State on Sunday in both teams’ Pac-12 opener. Allonzo Trier scored 20 points, while Ryan Anderson chipped in 10 points and 10 rebounds. It’s another strong win for the Wildcats who haven’t lost since November. November.

Next Game: Thursday, January 7 at UCLA, 9 p.m. ET

7. Kentucky

Record: 11-2; Last Week: 8

Yes, Kentucky destroyed Ole Miss to start league play this weekend. But let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves quite yet. This SEC might not be a cakewalk for Kentucky this season. And this week presents a big test, particularly with Ben Simmons and LSU up next. Add into the mix a strong Texas A&M squad and still perfect South Carolina and, suddenly, this league is looking pretty darn deep.

Next Game: Tuesday, January 5 at LSU, 9 p.m. ET

6. North Carolina

Record: 13-2; Last Week: 5

Hey there, Joel Berry II. It’s nice to meet you. The sophomore scored a career-high 19 points and connected on the go-ahead 3-pointer with 5:07 left to lead UNC to an 86-78 victory over Georgia Tech on Saturday. Don’t expect Berry to be the star of this Tar Heels team, but watch out for him throughout league play. He gives UNC an added scoring threat in the backcourt and that alone is huge.

Next Game: Monday, January 4 at Florida State, 7 p.m. ET

5. Virginia

Record: 12-1; Last Week: 7

We really need to talk about Virginia more. The Cavaliers won their 11th straight game, defeating Notre Dame, on Saturday night and improved to 7-0 in ACC openers under Tony Bennett. That unexpectedly strong UVA offense continued tor roll, breaking the 70-point mark for the ninth time in 113 games. Oh, and did we mention Malcolm Brogdon notched his sixth 20-plus point game? Yeah, let’s talk more about Virginia.

Next Game: Monday, January 4 at Virginia Tech, 9 p.m. ET

Click that arrow in the corner to check out the top four teams in the country.

Buddy Hield and Oklahoma are rolling after yet another victory last week. (Getty)

4. Michigan State

Record: 14-1; Last Week: 1

Perfect no more. The Spartans, still without sparkplug Denzel Valentine, dropped their Big 10 opener on Tuesday, falling to Iowa 83-70 on the road. But – and this is a big but – Michigan State still managed to split the league weekend, responding with a 69-61 win at Minnesota on Saturday. The key will be how the Spartans play next, playing their league home opener on Thursday.

Next Game: Thursday, January 7 vs. Illinois, 9 p.m. ET

3. Maryland

Record: 13-1; Last Week: 3

Alright, so the Big 10 opener wasn’t pretty. The Terrapins trailed Penn State for much of their league opener, but followed up with a dominant 72-59 victory over Northwestern on Saturday. The combo of last Wednesday’s come-from-behind battle and last week’s rout are enough to keep Maryland a serious threat.

Next Game: Wednesday, January 6 vs. Rutgers, 7 p.m. ET

2. Kansas

Record: 12-1; Last Week: 4

The Jayhawks opened conference play in a big way on Saturday afternoon, cruising to a 102-74 victory over Baylor at home. Keep an eye out for Wayne Selden here in 2016. He had a night on Saturday, posting 24 points, hauling in five boards and shooting a blistering 83.3 percent from the floor.

Next Game: Monday, January 4 vs. Oklahoma, 9 p.m. ET

1. Oklahoma

Record: 12-0; Last Week: 2

The Sooners are on a roll. Oklahoma stayed perfect on the season, rallying for an 87-83 victory over Iowa State on Saturday and are now primed for a big-time matchup against Kansas on Monday night. Buddy Hield continues to be one of the best scorers in the country, fresh off a 22-point performance against the Cyclones.

Next Game: Monday, January 4 at Kansas, 9 p.m. ET