Conference play is officially underway. Whether it’s Penn State grinding out a close, physical battle with Michigan State or Butler and Providence going toe-to-toe in a double-overtime thriller that combined for 123 points, the best action in sports is back.
With that, here is the newest edition of the Torch Top 25, highlighting the biggest risers and fallers in the country.
- Arizona(9-0) (-) – AP Top 25: 1
- Duke(10-0) (-) – AP Top 25: 3
- Michigan(10-0) (-) – AP Top 25: 2
- Purdue(10-1) (-) – AP Top 25: 6
- Iowa State(11-0) (-) – AP Top 25: 4
- Houston(10-1) (+1) – AP Top 25: 8
- UConn(10-1) (-1) – AP Top 25: 5
- Gonzaga(10-1) (+3) – AP Top 25: 7
- Louisville(9-1) (-) – AP Top 25: 11
- BYU(9-1) (-1) – AP Top 25: 10
- Michigan State(9-1) (-) – AP Top 25: 9
- Vanderbilt(10-0) (+3) – AP Top 25: 13
- North Carolina(9-1) (+3) – AP Top 25:12
- Arkansas(8-2) (+5) – AP Top 25: 14
- Nebraska(11-0) (NR) – AP Top 25: 15
- Alabama(7-3) (-4) – AP Top 25: 16
- Tennessee(7-3) (-) – AP Top 25: 20
- Kansas(8-3) (+5) – AP Top 25:17
- Illinois(8-3) (-6) – AP Top 25: 18
- Texas Tech(7-3) (-6) – AP Top 25: 19
- St. John’s (6-3) (+1) – AP Top 25: 22
- Auburn(8-3) (-1) – AP Top 25: 21
- Virginia(9-1) (-) – AP Top 25: 23
- Florida(6-4) (-6) – AP Top 25: 24
- Georgia(9-1) (NR) – AP Top 25: 25
Biggest Riser: Arkansas (+5)
John Calipari’s Razorbacks are starting to look dangerous.
After Calipari’s stunning NCAA tournament upset of Rick Pitino last season, this year’s Arkansas squad has the depth and talent to seriously contend for a top seed come March. The Razorbacks boast legitimate tournament-level depth, led by future first-round pick Darius Acuff Jr., who is averaging 18 points and six assists per game.
Arkansas is loaded with NBA-caliber talent, including Trevon Brazile and Meleek Thomas, while South Carolina transfer Nick Pringle is logging 22 minutes per game as one of the final players off the bench — a luxury few teams in the country can match.
That depth was on full display against Texas Tech, where Arkansas played eight players at least 10 minutes, compared to a six-man rotation for the Red Raiders.
The Razorbacks have a legitimate opportunity to win the SEC this season — and for college basketball fans, they’re becoming a must-watch team.
Biggest Faller: Texas Tech (-6)
Texas Tech’s drop comes amid growing concerns.
The Red Raiders are currently forced to operate with a shortened rotation due to an injury to Luke Bamgboye. Combined with that, Texas Tech has struggled to maintain consistency in the second half of games, as offensive rhythm fades and defensive lapses allow opponents to capitalize.
That trend was evident against Arkansas. Texas Tech carried a 49-43 lead into halftime, only to collapse on both ends of the floor, scoring just 37 second-half points while allowing 50.
Despite the slide, the Red Raiders remain one of the stronger teams in the country. At 7-3, they still feature one of the nation’s best one-two punches in JT Toppin and Christian Anderson.
Their next challenge comes against Duke, one of the most dominant teams in the country, in a primetime 8 p.m. matchup on Dec. 20 — a game that should have college basketball fans locked in.
