Kentucky is still the only team without a single loss in college basketball. There wasn’t a much shake up in this week’s rankings despite Louisville falling after an embarrassing loss. SMU has jumped into the rankings as they are right there with Tulsa in the AAC rankings. Here is the rest of Vavel’s college basketball rankings and how they stack up.

  1. Kentucky Wildcats (AP #1) – No one has proved yet that they even should be in the same conversation as the Wildcats. Cauley-Stein has been the leader of their team on the defensive side and is throwing nasty dunks on the competition on a daily basis. Karl Towns and Devin Booker have also emerged as go to players down the stretch. The backcourt of Ulis and Booker would be top five in the country if they attended a different college. Don’t expect this team to lose anytime soon. This week at Tennessee and - Auburn.

  2. Gonzaga Bulldogs (AP #2) – They are the best offensive team in the country without any question. Yes, Duke could question that but the combination of Wiltjer and Pangos is hard to beat. The Zags are still undefeated in conference play and won’t face a tough team until March which happens every season. This team is a lot better than the recent Zags because their post-game is a lot better. Wiltjer has jelled so perfectly with this team that he has become a player of the year candidate by most analysts. This week at Pacific and at Saint Mary’s.

  3. Virginia Cavaliers (AP #2) – Malcolm Brogdon has filled in nicely for the injured Justin Anderson regaining his primary scorer status. He came into the season an all-American and hasn’t been able to play like one until Anderson’s injury. It looks like Virginia will go on to claim the ACC regular season crown. UVA will have to survive the ACC tournament with Anderson which might be an issue after seeing how good they are now. They are still offensively challenged but their defense will help ease the pain for the most part. Duke is the only team who can still really challenge UVA for an ACC tournament crown. This week - Pittsburgh and - Florida State.

  4. Duke Blue Devils (AP #4) – Jahlil Okafor is still the most dominant player in the nation with no surprise. Kennedy Meeks should have tons of fun guarding Okafor as he will have to play him outside of the basket to force him to shoot jumpers. Tyus Jones has become the point guard that Duke needs as he is finding his teammates first before settling for his own shot. Quinn Cook has also taken the role of the team’s marksman who just waits for an open shot to strike. North Carolina will prove to be a big test for Duke but they shouldn’t have much trouble against the weak Tar Heel defense. This week - North Carolina and - Florida State.

  5. Wisconsin Badgers (AP #5) – There is no team that can matchup physically with the Badgers in the Big Ten. Frank the Tank is the best player in college basketball and is going to lead this team to the promise land. Sam Dekker isn’t too bad of a player either for Bo Ryan becoming their primary scorer. Ohio State might be able to give the Badgers a fight in the Big Ten tournament but there is no chance really for any other team. Also, congratulations to getting picked in the final group who could be in the HOF this season Bo Ryan! Their schedule this week isn’t too rigorous as they are making their finishing touches on a big for a top NCAA seed. This week at Penn State and - Minnesota.

  6. Arizona Wildcats (AP #7) – The Wildcats are the only team to defeat Gonzaga and are the outside looking in for a top seed. The Pac-12 won’t be much of a task to win unless Utah decides to overtake Arizona in the tournament. Stanley Johnson should without a doubt be an all-American after the season is all said and done. He is their best player on offense and defense and is starting over Hollis-Jefferson the best 6 man of college basketball. This isn’t the same great defensive team from last year but it’s pretty dang close. This week - USC and - UCLA.

  7. Villanova Wildcats (AP #6) – Nova had a scare against Butler last week but survived to prove that are legitimate title contenders. All five of their starters are great players that are a threat every time on the court. Butler isn’t good enough to contend with Villanova in the Big East tournament like most people thought. Nova is very deserving for a one seed in the NCAA tournament but unless some things happen it’s unlikely they will get it. This week - Seton Hall and at Marquette.

  8. Utah Utes (AP #9) – There is no better guard in the country than Delon Wright. Arizona has been the only team to spoil their incredible season so far. Poeltl is a great big man leading the team in rebounding proving to be a key piece. Wright might beat out Johnson for Pac-12 POTY but he will have to win a matchup individually to do so. If Arizona can lose a few games down the stretch if Utah wants a shot at the Pac-12 title. This week at Oregon State and at Oregon.

  9. Kansas Jayhawks (AP #8) – The Jayhawks play in the toughest conference in the nation and also play the toughest schedule in the country. Kelly Oubre has come on to play like one of the top freshman in the country. Frank Mason might win POTY in the conference for very good reason as he has stepped up big to lead the team. The loss to West Virginia stung for the Jayhawks last week but hasn’t brought their quest for a Big 12 title to a halt. Iowa State is the only team that could challenge Kansas for the title. This week at West Virginia and - TCU.

  10. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (AP #10) – Despite recent struggles Notre Dame sits comfortably towards the top of the ACC standings. Jerian Grant has calmed down in his pursuit of an ACC POTY award but is still the anchor of the team. Pat Connaughton would very well be the vocal point of any offense in the country except for Notre Dame. We won’t know how good this team really is until they travel to Louisville toward the end of the season. This week - Wake Forest and at Boston College.

  11. Northern Iowa (AP #11) – This team has always been very good in recent years. But this year they took a leap forward and came onto the national stage as a great team. Seth Tuttle has turned this program around into a conference title contender and a possible final four team. Wichita State is still standing in the way but they should walk away with an automatic tournament bid. This week at Loyola (IL) and - Bradley.

  12. Wichita State Shockers (AP #13) – Ron Baker is playing fantastic basketball but it might not be enough for the Shockers. Not playing a tough schedule is where it really hurts Wichita State the most because they don’t have a signature win. No one even knows if they are capable of beating a high powered team. This week at Southern Illinois and - Evansville.

  13. Iowa State Cyclones (AP #14) – They have become the second best team in the Big 12 and it might not be close. You could give an argument for Baylor or West Virginia but they don’t have a game changer like Georges Niang. The Cyclones will challenge Kansas in the Big 12 tournament but will have to go through stiff competition first. This week at Oklahoma State and at Texas.

  14. Louisville Cardinals (AP #12) – The Cardinals suffered a tough loss on Saturday to a decent N.C State team. Harrell only took 5 shots in the game for some odd reason and that’s mainly why they lost the game. Rozier fouled out with only 7 points, which led to the inevitable defeat at home for Louisville. This week at Syracuse and - Miami (FL).

  15. Baylor Bears (AP #20) – Baylor leads the country in offensive rebounding percentage largely on part of Rico Gathers. Gathers is a gigantic human being that can grab a rebound over anyone in the nation. Baylor has been better than most people believed this season and has been a major factor in the Big 12. This week at Texas Tech and - Kansas State.

  16. Maryland Terrapins (AP #16) – The Terrapins are facing a great Big Ten season ahead of them. Ohio State could challenge them for the 2nd best team in the conference since Wisconsin is the overwhelming favorite. Melo Tremble is one of the elite freshman guards in the country and has given Dez Wells an excellent backcourt partner. Still, the Terrapins don’t stand a chance against Wisconsin. This week - Nebraska.

  17. Oklahoma Sooners (AP #17) – Playing in the Big 12 has saved their season so far because of how many losses they have. The Sooners won’t be able to contend with Kansas or Iowa State for the Big 12 title but could make a small push for the tournament title. The Big 12 is so good that they might have to play in the first few days of the conference tournament because there are so many good teams. This week - Texas and at Texas Tech.

  18. SMU Mustangs (AP #21) – SMU is right there with Tulsa in the AAC rankings and are coming in hot into tournament week. Nic Moore has a great chance to win the POTY of the conference when being the best guard of the conference. It also helps that you have a hall of fame coach on your staff while you play in a fairly week conference. This week - Temple.

  19. Arkansas Razorbacks (AP #18) – Kentucky is by far the top team in the SEC but the Razorbacks are the 2nd best without a doubt. The SEC is fairly week but they will be a solid NCAA tournament team that could turn a few heads. Arkansas travels to Kentucky very soon in a huge matchup for both teams that should be a closer game than most expect. This week - Missouri and at Mississippi State.

  20. Butler Bulldogs (AP #19) – Butler had a chance to really climb the rankings if they were able to pull off the upset against Villanova but they fell short. They will obtain the 2nd seed in the Big East tournament and try to upset the giant of Villanova. This team isn’t as good as the final four Butler teams of old though. Don’t be surprised if they finish the season with a great conference record. This week at Creighton and at Xavier.

Other teams obtaining votes: VCU, Murray State, West Virginia, UNC, Ohio State