Stadium Rant’s College Basketball Top-Ten (Week One)
Updated: Nov 20, 2023
The first whole week of college basketball is officially behind us. After a great week of basketball, we will review our rankings.
The Rankings
Let's go ahead and start from the top.
Kansas Jayhawks
Purdue Boilermakers
Arizona Wildcats
Marquette Golden Eagles
Connecticut Huskies
Tennessee Volunteers
Houston Cougars
Duke Blue Devils
Creighton Bluejays
Kentucky Wildcats
The Top Five
1. Kansas Jayhawks (4-0) - No Change
Previous Games:
17 Kentucky - W (89-84)
Manhattan - W (99-61)
Up Next:
Chaminade - 11/20
The Kansas Jayhawks are returning multiple starters from last year and added the best transfer in the portal with Hunter Dickinson. Kansas already has an impressive win over a young but good Kentucky team. We don't have to mention that Bill Self is still the coach of this team. Kansas will head to Maui in a few weeks to put their skills to the test once again.
2. Purdue Boilermakers (3-0) - No Change
Previous Games:
Xavier - W (83-71)
Morehead State - W (87-57)
Up Next:
11 Gonzaga - 11/20
The Purdue Boilermakers are looking to bounce back after a tough March Madness. Zach Edey, the reigning Player of the Year, has returned, along with the young starting lineup with at least a year under their belts. They next have a very tough task with Gonzaga in the Maui Invitational!
3. Arizona Wildcats (5-0) - ⬆️9
Previous Games:
Southern University - W (97-59)
Belmont - W (100-68)
Up Next:
UT Arlington - 11-19
The Arizona Wildcats have already one of the best resumes in college basketball with the win against Duke in Cameron. The one knock on Arizona this year is the need for more chemistry with this lineup. Only one starter is returning from the Wildcats incredible season last year
4. Marquette Golden Eagles (3-0) - No Change
Previous Games:
23 Illinois - W (71-64)
Rider - W (95-65)
Up Next:
UCLA - 11/20
The Marquette Golden Eagles won the most games in program history last year and are looking to build upon their historic season. The Golden Eagles return four starters from last year's team. They look to make a deeper push than the previous year's second round when they ran into Tom Izzo and the Michigan State Spartans.
5. Connecticut Huskies (3-0) - No Change
Previous Games:
Mississippi Valley - W (87-53)
Stonehill - W (107-67)
Up Next:
Indiana - 11-19
UCONN. The only thing to say about them last year is Champion. That incredible Huskies team from last year is gone. This team only has two returning starters. However, they brought in a star-studded top-five recruiting class that looks to build on that impressive UCONN resume.
The Top Ten
6. Tennessee Volunteers (3-0) - No Change
Previous Games:
Wofford - W (82-61)
Wisconsin - W (80-70)
Up Next:
Syracuse - 11/20
The Volunteers only have a few starters returning, but they do have a lot of experience coming back. Tennessee is poised for a late tournament push if they can stay healthy. Tennessee also brings in a top-20 recruiting class to join the veterans.
7. Houston Cougars (5-0) - No Change
Previous Games:
Utah - W (76-66)
Towson - W (65-49)
Up Next:
Dayton - 11/19
The Houston Cougars have been very good in recent years due to the leadership of Kelvin Sampson. The Cougars lost a valuable piece in Marcus Sasser but returned multiple veterans from last year's team. We will get a good read on them once they enter Big-12 play this year.
8. Duke Blue Devils (3-1) - ⬇️6
Previous Games:
Bucknell - W (90-60)
18 Michigan State - W (74-65)
Up Next:
La Salle - 11/21
Not much needs to be said about Duke. Year in and year out, they will contend for championships. Scheyer has four starters returning from his previous season, so they were ranked so high to start the year. With the early loss to Arizona, they find themselves in the bottom half of the top ten. Don't be discouraged; Duke will be there at the end of the year when it's all said and done.
Creighton Bluejays (4-0) - No Change
Previous Games:
Texas Southern - W (82-50)
Iowa - W (92-84)
Up Next:
Loyola Chicago - 11/22
The Creighton Bluejays are another team that returns a ton of talent. Four starters are returning to this experienced Bluejays team; the lone starter not there is Arthur Kaluma, who is leaving for Kansas State. With the amount of experience returning, the Bluejays hope to make a deeper run in the NCAA tournament. Creighton will have many good tests early on, even in the Big East.
10. Kentucky Wildcats (4-0) - ⬆️7
Previous Games:
Stonehill - W (101-67)
1 Kansas - L (89-84)
Up Next:
Saint Joseph's - 11/20
Usually, when a team loses, they go backward in the poll. Not this Kentucky team. We saw enough against Kansas, and they should still be higher regardless of a loss. The Wildcats lead a tough Kansas team for most of their game before giving it up at the end. This team will go as far as Cal will let them. His mediocre coaching will give the Wildcats plenty of wins with the talent. However, they will need to avoid an all-time Calipari collapse.
Top-Ten Wrap Up
College Basketball is one of my favorite sports to watch. Anybody can beat anyone on any given day. Michigan State lost to James Madison in their first game of the year.
While I understand things can change, I am confident about this list. I do think your National Champion is on this list somewhere. All of these teams will have plenty of tests to prove they belong and to secure top seeds in the greatest tournament in the history of sports.
Use code STADIUMRANT20 for a 20% discount at, Bulletproof Coffee, SwingJuice for your golf apparel needs, and Performix for protein and health supplements. If you're a fan of shotgunning beers, use code STADIUMRANT10 at Wild Man Drinking Company.
If you enjoyed this article, try Stadium Rant Original shows on our Youtube channel, and subscribe!