Get caught up on college basketball season with 25 teams to watch that were ranked outside the AP Top 25 when the year began.
WASHINGTON — Preseason college basketball rankings might be the silliest rankings in all of sports. After all, the season has many twists and turns over the roughly 30-game schedule, and even the final rankings don’t really matter when it comes to who does or doesn’t make the NCAA Tournament, the only thing that really matters at the end of the season.
In that spirit, here are 25 teams that weren’t ranked in the preseason AP Top 25 but that have proved themselves worth watching as the season progresses. Some might even crash their way through your bracket come March.
(AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
AP Photo/Michael Conroy
Xavier (12-0)AP Rank: 6KenPom Rank: 8
The X-Men received some preseason votes but largely flew under the radar despite a Sweet 16 appearance last season. All the Musketeers have done this season is win each of their first dozen games, none by fewer than eight points, thanks to the third-best defensive efficiency in the country. And it’s not like their schedule has been soft — they’ve already knocked off Michigan, USC and Dayton, all away from home. Their biggest test yet comes Thursday at Villanova.
(AP Photo/Chuck Burton)
AP Photo/Chuck Burton
Miami (11-1)AP Rank: 13KenPom Rank: 11
Miami announced its presence with authority, toppling ranked Utah and Butler teams in a span of three days in late November, only to follow that up with a loss to Northeastern (more on the Huskies later). But the Hurricanes’ potent offense — the only team other than Maryland to rank in the Top 20 in the country in field goal percentage, three-point percentage and free throw percentage — has led them to six straight wins since.
(AP Photo/Chris Szagola)
AP Photo/Chris Szagola
Texas A&M (10-2)AP Rank: 20KenPom Rank: 24
The Aggies already have staked claim to some Texas bragging rights, knocking off both UT and Baylor. But A&M’s biggest win of the season was their stunning upset of Gonzaga in the Battle for Atlantis. If they can hold onto the ball a little better (221st in turnover percentage), there’s no reason to believe the Aggies can’t contend with a somewhat soft top of the SEC this year.
(Sam Craft via AP)
Sam Craft via AP
Florida (8-4)AP Rank: 39KenPom Rank: 25
Florida doesn’t appear to be built to win in today’s modern game. The Gators are 11th worst in the nation in three-point percentage and in the bottom 50 in free throw percentage. But they get it done with a top-five defense that has held all but one of their opponents to 70 points or fewer and half of them under 60. They have four losses, but all to quality opponents.
(Getty Images/Rey Del Rio)
Getty Images/Rey Del Rio
Valparaiso (10-3)AP Rank: NRKenPom Rank: 31
Maryland fans already know how dangerous Bryce Drew’s Valpo club can be from last year’s tournament, but the Crusaders are at it again this year. They’ve notched road wins over Rhode Island and Oregon State, and their three losses, all on the road, have come by a combined 13 points. They’ll be tested by a good Oakland team in the Horizon League, but this could be another March sleeper.
(AP Photo/Chris Pietsch)
AP Photo/Chris Pietsch
Cincinnati (10-4)AP Rank: 22KenPom Rank: 34
The Bearcats have notched wins over GW and VCU, but suffered a bad conference-opening loss to Temple in which they allowed 77 points. Based on head coach Mick Cronin’s comments, don’t expect the lax defensive effort to persist. Cincinnati should drop from the rankings this week, but will have plenty of chances to improve their standing with tests against Tulsa and SMU around the bend.
(AP Photo/John Minchillo)
AP Photo/John Minchillo
USC (11-2)AP Rank: NRKenPom Rank: 35
Andy Enfield introduced himself to the college basketball world with his Dunk City Florida Gulf Coast team in 2013, which quickly landed him the job at Southern Cal. And while he took his lumps for a couple years, the Trojans look ready to break through. A nice early win over Wichita State was an early feather for a team that will take an 11-2 mark into conference play in a deep PAC-12. Two litmus test games at Washington and Washington State loom before the Arizona schools visit LA.
(AP Photo/Willie J. Allen Jr.)
AP Photo/Willie J. Allen Jr.
Providence (12-1)AP Rank: 12KenPom Rank: 40
If you know anything about Providence, you likely know the name Kris Dunn, and with good reason. Sporting the top assist rate and the third-best steal rate in the country, he’s a likely first-rounder in this summer’s NBA Draft. But the Friars are more than just one man, sporting a top-50 offense and defense. They’ve already toppled Arizona and in-state rival Rhode Island, with their lone loss coming to top-ranked Michigan State. Providence is one of the youngest teams in the country, but with how good they’ve looked already, the Friars could be scary by March.
(AP Photo/Jessica Hill)
AP Photo/Jessica Hill
Texas Tech (10-1)AP Rank: 37KenPom Rank: 41
The Red Raiders’ lone loss of the season was to a Utah team expected to contend for the Pac-12 title. Other than that? A flawless season in Lubbock, including four wins against Top 70 teams, thanks to a stifling defense that ranks among the top 25 in the country in efficiency. But Tech will be tested much more as they begin conference play — their first true road game comes in Ames next week.
(AP Photo/Ricardo Arduengo)
AP Photo/Ricardo Arduengo
Dayton (9-2)AP Rank: 31KenPom Rank: 43
It seems like the quest for respect begins anew each year for Archie Miller’s Flyers. Despite fighting out of the First Four to nearly make the Sweet 16 with an undermanned club last season, Dayton is flying under the radar again despite a neutral court win over Iowa and a victory at Vanderbilt. Don’t be fooled by a two-point loss to Chattanooga, the class of the Southern Conference — Dayton should contend for the A-10 title and is a very real threat to bust some brackets once again.
(AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
AP Photo/Mark Humphrey
Seton Hall (10-2)AP Rank: NRKenPom Rank: 47
The Hall have yet to prove they can win away from home, where they are just 3-2, with their most impressive win is a neutral court victory over Ole Miss. But they’ve beaten Georgia and Wichita State at home to get to double digits in wins before starting conference play. They’ll battle it out in the second tier of the Big East this year, scrapping for an at-large bid.
(AP Photo/Mel Evans)
AP Photo/Mel Evans
Northwestern (12-1)AP Rank: 33KenPom Rank: 48
Could this finally be the year? Northwestern remains one of just five original Division I teams never to have made the NCAA Tournament, but a soft early-season schedule has allowed them to pad their resume with a dozen early wins. The Wildcats all about protecting the ball and playing stout, no-gamble defense (9th in effective FG percentage against, but only 300th in turnover percentage). Will their style hold up well enough in Big Ten play to finish in the top half of the conference? The guard combo of Bryant McIntosh and Tre Demps will decide that.
(AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh
George Washington (11-2)AP Rank: 30KenPom Rank: 57
The Colonials shot out of a cannon and snagged the biggest win in recent program history by taking down Virginia back in November. But a recent drubbing by DePaul raised some eyebrows about a team that had looked to be rolling early. Tyler Cavanaugh’s been a great addition to the returning cast of Kevin Larsen, Patricio Garino and co., and GW will have a couple weeks to fatten up on A-10 bottom-feeders before they hit the meat of their schedule beginning in mid-January.
(AP Photo/Bryan R. Smith)
AP Photo/Bryan R. Smith
Arkansas Little Rock (10-1)AP Rank: NRKenPom Rank: 58
Here’s where the fun begins. You probably know nothing about Arkansas Little Rock unless you’re a San Diego State or Tulsa fan, and watched the Trojans come in and win on your home floor this year. In fact, they’ve lost just once, on the road to a 10-1 Texas Tech club. They play just two players over 6-foot-6, but beat you by winning the turnover battle, where they among the stingiest in giving the ball away and force the third-most in the nation. They only add to what looks to be a highly entertaining Sun Belt Conference.
(AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi)
AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi
South Dakota State (11-3)AP Rank: NRKenPom Rank: 59
The Jackrabbits lost a heartbreaker in the Summit League final last year to miss the NCAA Tournament, but are off to a good start to the 2015-16 campaign. They don’t have a top-100 win to their credit, but have beaten major conference foes like Minnesota and TCU on the road. Their only ticket to the dance will once again be via their conference tournament, but with a top-50 offense and top-100 defense, they appear to be head and shoulders above the rest of their conference.
(AP Photo/Ann Heisenfelt)
AP Photo/Ann Heisenfelt
Monmouth (9-4)AP Rank: 34KenPom Rank: 61
You already know all about the celebrations, but Monmouth has proved itself to be a legit giant-killer, with wins over UCLA, Notre Dame, USC and Georgetown, all away from home. The diminutive Justin Robinson is the perfect point guard to slay Goliaths in March, especially surrounded by a team that defends well across the board and hits its free throws (8th-best in DI). Monmouth may have the resume for a nonconference bid, but they’d better win the MAAC just to be sure we get to see them in March.
(AP Photo/Mel Evans)
AP Photo/Mel Evans
UT Arlington (9-2)AP Rank: NRKenPom Rank: 76
In case you missed it, UT Arlington beat Ohio State in Columbus earlier this year, 30 days before the Buckeyes beat Kentucky. The Mavericks also won at Memphis and took Shaka Smart’s Texas team to overtime in Austin. That gives them two more Top-100 wins than Louisville (and almost three). They have to contend with March darlings Georgia State and the aforementioned Arkansas Little Rock in the Fun Belt, but are a team no major conference favorite wants to see in their bracket.
(AP Photo/Paul Vernon)
AP Photo/Paul Vernon
William & Mary (8-3)AP Rank: NRKenPom Rank: 84
Much like Northwestern, William & Mary is staring down history. The Tribe enter the CAA season with plenty of competition, but will lean on Omar Prewitt and Daniel Dixon to try to deliver the first NCAA Tournament berth in school history. While they don’t have great front-line size, the Tribe have big guards that allow them to switch and play good perimeter defense, where they are top-10 in opponent three-point percentage.
(AP Photo/Ryan M. Kelly)
AP Photo/Ryan M. Kelly
UC Irvine (10-5)AP Rank: NRKenPom Rank: 85
The Anteaters recently made headlines for starting the tallest starting five in NCAA history. That’s something you would expect to hear from a Kentucky or a Kansas, not UC Irvine, but it’s the reason they can give traditional powers fits. 7-foot-6 Mamdou Ndiaye grabs the lion’s share of attention, but 6-foot-10 Mike Best and 7-foot-2 Ioannis Dimakopolous are also on the front line. Irvine has lost to all five top-100 opponents it’s played so far, but ought to challenge for the Big West title and could give whoever they face fits in postseason play.
(AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill
Northeastern (8-5)AP Rank: NRKenPom Rank: 91
Northeastern’s a tough team to figure out. They’re the only team to beat an excellent Miami squad and have also beaten solid Harvard and Stony Brook teams. But they have three losses outside the top 150. Clearly the talent is there to hang with higher level competition, but the Huskies will need to improve their consistency come CAA play, as an automatic bid is their only way in.
(AP Photo/Gerry Broome)
AP Photo/Gerry Broome
Louisiana Tech (11-2)AP Rank: NRKenPom Rank: 108
The Bulldogs were another team that went into Columbus and beat Ohio State early in the season, but they also knocked off UT Arlington at home, giving them a pair of Top 100 wins. They’ll have plenty of competition in Conference USA with Old Dominion, UAB and Middle Tennessee, but they’ve shown the ability to beat higher level competition and could be a team to keep an eye on come March.
(AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)
AP Photo/Jay LaPrete
Grand Canyon (12-2)AP Rank: NRKenPom Rank: 120
Before you scoff, learn these two things about Grand Canyon: they beat San Diego State on the road, and they are coached by former NBA star Dan Majerle. After winning 15 games their first year and 17 last season, the Antelopes appear poised to smash that mark this year, where they could well be the strongest team in the Western Athletic Conference. If they make it in, Grandy Glaze has the perfect combination of legendary sports name and deadly three-point touch (44.1 percent) to ruin somebody’s season.
(AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
AP Photo/Gregory Bull
Houston (10-2)AP Rank: NRKenPom Rank: 133
The Cougars’ overtime win over LSU doesn’t look as good as it did a couple weeks ago, but their highflying offense has dispatched most opponents so far, with their only losses coming to Rhode Island and those Grand Canyon boys. With SMU disqualified from postseason play, the American is wide open. Houston may not be a realistic contender to win the conference, but they could potentially run out the tournament and steal the automatic bid.
(AP Photo/Kathy Willens)
AP Photo/Kathy Willens
Army (9-3)AP Rank: NRKenPom Rank: 135
The Black Knights got their first Top 100 win since 2011 this week, knocking off Monmouth. But Army has bigger designs this year, with four seniors playing heavy minutes, and they may well be the best team in the Patriot League. Army has only four 20+ win seasons in over 110 years of basketball and, like Northwestern and William & Mary, has never been to the NCAA Tournament. Could all that change this year?
(AP Photo/Gerry Broome)
AP Photo/Gerry Broome
NJIT (7-6)AP Rank: NRKenPom Rank: 166
Jim Engles’ squad made headlines last season after beating Michigan for being the lone team in Division I without a conference, and thus no way to earn their way into the NCAA Tournament. That was rectified this offseason, as the Atlantic Sun brought the Highlanders on board. Undersized but experienced, NJIT was hoping for a banner year, but has yet to notch a marquee win this season. None of that will matter if they can win the A-Sun and make it to the dance, though.
(AP Photo/Mel Evans)
