College Basketball Rankings: CBS Sports shakes up Top 25 and 1 after nine ranked teams fall

The penultimate Saturday of the men’s college basketball regular season saw five matchups contested between ranked teams. Through all of it, the Duke Blue Devils has maintained their spot on top of the college basketball rankings after a 77-51 win over No. 11 Virginia.

Elsewhere around the country, No. 16 Texas Tech upset No. 4 Iowa State 82-73 on the road, No. 2 Arizona took care of business against No. 14 Kansas with a 23-point win, No. 17 Alabama beat No. 22 Tennessee 71-69 in Knoxville and No. 7 Florida blew out No. 20 Arkansas 111-77. Other upsets from around the country include No. 25 Vanderbilt losing to Kentucky in Rupp Arena 91-77, No. 24 Louisville falling to unranked Clemson, No. 19 BYU dropped a game to West Virginia 79-71 and Saint Mary’s beat No. 9 Gonzaga 70-59.

That’s good for nine total upsets on Saturday. With those outcomes in mind, CBS Sports has overhauled its Top 25 and 1 with just two weeks to go until Selection Sunday. Here’s how the new rankings shake up:

1. Duke (27-2) —

Duke solidified it’s status as the No. 1 team in the country following its 68-63 win over then top-ranked Michigan 68-63. Since then, the Blue Devils have turned in a 46-point win over Notre Dame and a 26-point win against an 11th-ranked Virginia team.

At 27-2 overall, Duke has two games left on its regular season schedule. They’ll face NC State on the road Monday night before hosting No. 18 North Carolina in the regular season finale Saturday. Duke will be looking to avenge one of their two losses this season by defeating the Tar Heels in Cameron Indoor.

2. Michigan (27-2) —

Michigan currently leads the Big Ten by three games heading into the final week of the regular season. Most recently, the Wolverines defeated a top-10 Illinois team 84-70 on the road Friday night.

Like Duke, Michigan will travel to take on an unranked opponent mid-week (Iowa on Thursday) before facing their ranked in-state rival (No. 13 Michigan State on Sunday) this weekend. The Wolverines previously defeated Michigan State 83-71 in East Lansing on Jan. 30.

3. Arizona (27-2) —

Arizona picked up a pivotal victory at home against No. 14 Kansas, blowing out the Jayhawks 84-71. This victory avenged the loss the Wildcats suffered earlier in the month vs. KU.

They win improves Arizona to 9-2 against AP Top 25 opponents and 27-2 overall. However, they’ll host No. 4 Iowa State on Monday as the Cyclones look to bounce back after losing two of their last three.

4. Florida (23-6) +1

Florida has looked every bit the part of the national championship contender many believed them to be in the offseason. While the Gators got off to a bumpy start, Todd Golden’s crew has come into their own boasting an SEC-best 14-2 conference record.

That was evident when Florida ran Arkansas out of the gym with a 34-point win against a good Arkansas team. The Gators have now won their last nine games heading into the final week of the regular season.

5. UConn (27-3) +1

UConn regained the top spot in the current Big East standings after outlasting Seton Hall 71-67 on Saturday afternoon. For now, the Huskies remain 0.5 games ahead of St. John’s.

The Huskies only have one game left on their schedule before the Big East Tournament — a road trip to Marquette on March 7. For now, it’s unclear whether they’ll be a No. 1 or No. 2 seed in the conference tournament.

6. Houston (24-5) +1

Houston found itself back in the win column, defeating Colorado 102-62 after losing three-straight games against ranked opponents. The Cougars previously lost to top 10 Iowa State and Arizona teams, as well as No. 14 Kansas on the road.

They round out their season at home vs. Baylor on Wednesday before rounding out their regular season slate at Oklahoma State on Saturday. Despite Houston’s recent losing streak, the Cougars are still slotted second in the current conference standings.

7. Nebraska (25-4) +1

Nebraksa is 5-4 after beginning the season 20-0. Still, Fred Hoiberg’s squad has won their last three games including wins vs. Penn State and Maryland. Most recently, Nebraska traveled to USC where they defeated the Trojans, 82-67.

They can try to improve that streak to five before the Big Ten Conference Tournament with matchups vs. UCLA (road) and Iowa (home) to complete the regular season. After Sunday, Nebraska is tied with Michigan State for the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament.

*Correction: Article edited to reflect Nebraska’s current record.*

8. Iowa State (24-5) -4

Iowa State can silence the doubters in a big way with a victory over Arizona on the road Monday night. The Cyclones went 5-3 during the month of February, more than doubling their loss total on the season and knocking them to a potential five-seed in the Big Ten Tournament.

If Iowa State is the No. 5seed, the Cyclones would be missing out on the double-bye. That makes their matchup vs. the Wildcats must-win, along with their regular season finale vs. Arizona State on Saturday.

9. Illinois (22-7) +1

Illinois has lost their last two games — a buzzer-beating loss to UCLA last week in overtime — before falling to Michigan at home this past Friday. Despite this, the Illini hold the fourth spot in the current Big Ten Conference standings ahead of the conference tournament.

The Illini take on Oregon at home Tuesday before traveling to Maryland next Sunday. Both the Ducks and Terrapins have a combined record of 22-35, which bodes well for Illinois’ chances to finish the regular season on a high note.

10. Michigan State (23-5) +3

Michigan State’s regular season finale at in-state rival Michigan will serve as a pivotal game for many reasons. It could also greatly impact the Spartans’ seeding in the Big Ten Tournament.

Currently, the Spartans hold the No. 3 seed heading into Sunday’s game vs. Indiana. With 1.5 games separating the No. 2 through No. 5 seeds — anything could happen in the final week of the regular season.

CBS Top 25 & 1: No. 11-26

11. Alabama (22-7) +4
12. Kansas (21-8) -3
13. Texas Tech (22-7) +4
14. Purdue (22-6) —
15. Virginia (25-4) -3
16. Gonzaga (28-3) -5
17. St. John’s (23-6) +1
18. North Carolina (23-6) +3
19. Miami (OH) (29-0) —
20. Arkansas (21-8) -4
21. Saint Mary’s (27-4) NR
22. Vanderbilt (22-7) -2
23. Miami (FL) (23-6) +3
24. Tennessee (20-9) —
25. BYU (20-9) -3
26. Louisville (20-9) -3