John Fanta
College Basketball Broadcaster and Reporter
Who deserves to be No. 1?
That debate lies in the Southeastern Conference, which has had a historic out-of-league season that will certainly see it get a double-digit number of teams in the NCAA Tournament. Yes, we could see 12-13 teams from the SEC make the Big Dance, as the league soared at a wild rate on Saturday, going 13-1 on a loaded day of basketball.
Tennessee or Auburn?
Well, let’s start with the team we had at No. 1 last week, which is going to stay at No. 1 this week. The Volunteers saw their best two guards foul out in Champaign on Saturday, with Chaz Lanier exiting with 3:40 on the clock and Zakai Zeigler committing his fifth foul on Kasparas Jakucionis with five seconds left.
So, who was Tennessee going to turn to at Illinois in a 64-64 game? Jordan Gainey answered the bell, delivering a coast-to-coast drive and a lay-in to silence Champaign and lift Tennessee to an incredible 66-64 victory.
Jordan Gainey’s coast-to-coast game-winner secures Tennessee’s win
Gainey, a South Carolina Upstate transfer now in his second year with the program, finished with 23 points in the win. Lanier, a North Florida transfer, continued his All-American-caliber play with 17. Notice a trend? Rick Barnes knows how to recruit in the portal. He’s found gems in recent years, with now-Los Angeles Laker Dalton Knecht coming off an amazing college season last year and charging the Volunteers to the Elite Eight. Tennessee is 10-0 and should enter conference play at 13-0. What a start.
[Read more: Ranking the top 50 players and coaches in the country]
As for Auburn, the Tigers may not be No. 1 right now, but if you argued that Bruce Pearl’s team is the best in the country, you’ll get zero opposition from me. I’m serious: I’m at 51-49 in favor of Tennessee right now for my No. 1 team, and it’s really because the Vols have no blemishes and just won an incredible road game against a good Illinois team.
As for Auburn, Johni Broome continued his national player of the year candidacy on Saturday, showing why he is the front-runner at the moment. The fifth-year senior totaled 21 points, 20 rebounds, six assists and three blocks in a 91-53 win over Ohio State, notching the Tigers’ first 20-20 game since Kevin Ardister in 1989. What makes Auburn so potent? Broome is surrounded by a flurry of explosive guards, with Denver Jones pouring in 14 points and freshman Tahaad Pettiford drilling three triples. In total, Auburn shot 13-for-30 from beyond the arc. This team has the No. 1 offense in the country according to KenPom and ranks 12th defensively. You never have to worry about Pearl’s teams guarding, but this one scores it at a high rate.
Here are five other rapid fire takeaways from a crazy weekend of hoops.
Another freshman star is born
Liam McNeeley showed America that he’s the third-best freshman in the country, trailing only Duke’s Cooper Flagg and Rutgers superstar Dylan Bailey, who beat Seton Hall at the buzzer Saturday with a wild triple. McNeeley’s 26-point, 8-rebound, 4-assist performance with no turnovers was a master class at Madison Square Garden on FOX Primetime Hoops, as UConn beat Gonzaga 77-71 for a third straight résumé-boosting win.
No. 8 Gonzaga Bulldogs vs. No. 18 UConn Huskies Highlights
McNeeley’s performance of 25-plus points and no turnovers was the first by a Connecticut freshman since Shabazz Napier in 2012, and it’s what leads the Huskies back into my top 15 this week after their 0-3 performance at the Maui Invitational.
Credit to Dan Hurley and his team for evolving as quickly as they have. They lost starting center Samson Johnson early on Saturday (concussion protocol). Tarris Reed got into foul trouble and Alex Karaban was 0-for-7 from 3-point land. And yet, they found a way with Jaylin Stewart and Reed in double-figures, and the defense showing material growth yet again. Connecticut has regained its mojo.
The Aggies are tough!
Texas A&M showed me a lot on Saturday in a 70-66 win over Purdue. The Aggies, playing a pseudo road game in Indianapolis, made Trey Kaufman-Renn work on the interior and totally outmuscled the Boilermakers with a 34-23 advantage on the glass. Minnesota transfer Pharrel Payne was terrific, with 16 points on 6-of-6 from the floor to go along with nine points. Buzz Williams’ team is in my top 15 this week after five straight victories over high-major opponents.
Mark Pope has the Wildcats rolling
In the first Kentucky-Louisville game since 2001 without John Calipari or Rick Pitino, Big Blue Nation can rejoice. The Wildcats beat the Cardinals for the 14th time in 17 meetings, winning 93-85 in Lexington to improve to 10-1 on the season. What a difference Mark Pope is already making with a new-look offense that can ride a different hot hand every time out. On Saturday, it was Lamont Butler. Get this: The San Diego State transfer had 33 points on a perfect 10-of-10 from the floor (he shot 7-for-12 at the line, but 6-for-6 from 3) — and six assists! Butler is my national player of the week.
Dayton is for real, folks
How about an upset in Dayton! The Flyers, who entered my Top 25 last week but were not in the AP Top 25, proved us right with a comeback from 13 down to stun No. 6 Marquette, 71-63. That’s an outstanding win for Anthony Grant, who also owns a win over UConn. UD is a top 20 team in my book and a gem of an at-large squad for the Atlantic 10.
Time to get nervous in Tucson?
The Arizona Wildcats are 4-5, and it’s panic time in Tucson. UCLA rallied from 13 down with 10 minutes on the clock to stun Tommy Lloyd’s team and improve to 9-1 on the season. Tyler Bilodeau was key down the stretch and finished with 17 points, and Mick Cronin’s team is off to its best start since 2021. Out of the four West Coast additions to the Big Ten, two of them are conference title contenders, the Bruins and Oregon.
Let’s get to our Top 25!
1. Tennessee Volunteers (10-0)
The Volunteers are the best defensive team in the nation, but it’s normally a given that Rick Barnes has a squad that guards you when you get off the bus. This team is top-15 nationally in KenPom offense and Chaz Lanier is one of the five best players in America.
2. Auburn Tigers (9-1)
The Tigers’ next marquee game comes Saturday in Birmingham against Purdue. If they can win that one, they’ll go into SEC play having only lost at Duke. No shame in that.
3. Iowa State Cyclones (9-1)
The Cyclones proved themselves yet again on Thursday, rallying from 13 down to beat archrival Iowa, 89-80. Saint Mary’s transfer Joshua Jefferson continued to show why he was a portal gem of a pickup, with 19 and 10.
4. Kentucky Wildcats (10-1)
If you predicted Mark Pope would have a top-4 team in the country just six weeks into his first season, we’ll let you pick our lottery numbers, as well. Big Blue Nation is dreaming big and this feels different, with one of their own leading them into a new era.
5. Duke Blue Devils (8-2)
The Blue Devils blew out Incarnate Word 72-46 this past week, with Khaman Maluach going for 17 points and seven rebounds. The freshman is such a game-changer, specifically defensively, when not in foul trouble. Up next: George Mason on Tuesday.
6. Florida Gators (10-0)
The Gators thumped Arizona State, 83-66, on Saturday to stay undefeated on the season. Walter Clayton continues to play like one of the top 7-8 players in the sport, if not better, delivering 25 points in the victory.
7. Alabama Crimson Tide (8-2)
The Crimson Tide commanded Creighton, 83-75, in Tuscaloosa on Saturday to notch yet another quality win to their résumé. Mark Sears is one of America’s best players, delivering 27 points, six rebounds and four assists in the victory, while Kansas transfer Labaron Philon had 16 and 5.
8. Marquette Golden Eagles (9-2)
I’m not going to heavily fault the Golden Eagles for losing on the road to a very good Dayton team.
9. Houston Cougars (6-3)
Houston is ranked No. 15 in the AP because they have three losses, but I am not letting that impact my thinking at all! They’re top-4 in both KenPom and Torvik metric systems and still as tough as any team in America, with L.J. Cryer and Emanuel Sharp leading the way.
10. Kansas Jayhawks (8-2)
The Jayhawks commanded NC State, 75-60, on Saturday with a nice bounce-back performance behind Hunter Dickinson, who tallied 21 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists. It was South Dakota State transfer Zeke Mayo’s finest act as a Jayhawk, as he had 26 points on 9-of-14 from the floor. That’s what Bill Self thought he was getting in his transfer class: shotmakers. Mayo supplied it Saturday and Kansas is back in my top 10.
11. UConn Huskies (8-3)
12. Texas A&M Aggies (9-2)
13. Ole Miss Rebels (9-1)
14. Oklahoma Sooners (10-0)
15. UCLA Bruins (9-1)
16. Oregon Ducks (9-1)
17. Purdue Boilermakers (8-3)
18. Gonzaga Bulldogs (7-3)
19. Dayton Flyers (9-2)
20. Memphis Tigers (8-2)
21. San Diego State Aztecs (7-2)
22. Arkansas Razorbacks (9-2)
23. Michigan Wolverines (8-2)
24. Michigan State Spartans (8-2)
25. Cincinnati Bearcats (8-1)
John Fanta is a national college basketball broadcaster and writer for FOX Sports. He covers the sport in a variety of capacities, from calling games on FS1 to serving as lead host on the BIG EAST Digital Network to providing commentary on The Field of 68 Media Network. Follow him at @John_Fanta.
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