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Another week of men’s college basketball action has gone by, and it clearly didn’t disappoint. Arizona is sitting pretty at the top, piling up ranked wins with ease. The Auburn Tigers (97-68) and, most recently, the Alabama Crimson Tide (96-75), while Purdue had a week that provided the much-needed respite after back-to-back wins over the Minnesota Golden Gophers (85-57) and Marquette Golden Eagles (75-59) following a devastating loss to the Iowa State Cyclones.

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A situation that would totally resonate with Louisville, which redeemed itself with victories over the Memphis Tigers (99-73) and Indiana Hoosiers (87-78). Those were team efforts; now let’s talk about some of the individual magic that we got to witness. Graham Ike had a stellar game that would make all the difference against the UCLA Bruins, and Baba Miller hit a picture-perfect slam dunk.

All these teams and individual performances have a significant impact on team standings and help determine which program can be a top-10 prospect as we approach Week 7. So, let’s take a look at the expected/predicted college basketball rankings for the upcoming set of games.

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1. Arizona (9-0)

With an unbeaten run and a record to brag about, the Wildcats have been prowling the NCAA with a point to prove. The team has pretty much found a way to beat any and every team, recently making quick work of the Crimson Tide without breaking much sweat. According to ESPN, the Wildcats have become the first team in 30 years to log five wins over ranked teams in their first nine games to start a season.

The Wildcats are presently at the top of the AP Poll rankings, 3rd on EvanMiya (31.4 NET rate), and 6th on Barttorvik.

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With players like Koa Peat, Tobe Awaka, and Jaden Bradley, this team surely looks like it’s on course to keep its hold on the top spot. Tommy Lloyd’s team presently sits at the top with 1461 points.

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2. Duke (10-0)

Another top team that has kept its undefeated record intact is the Duke Blue Devils. The ACC side is in second place in Barttorvik and EvanMiya’s rankings. According to the latter, the Devils get a NET rating of 34.5.

The team has also accumulated 1,400 points in the AP poll and is issuing a stern challenge to its rivals. With players like Cam Boozer (23 points) and Isaiah Evans (12.2 points), among others, in the program’s ranks, this isn’t the least bit surprising.

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Despite two close games against the Florida Gators and the Michigan State Spartans in the last two outings, the Duke team ideally should have nothing to worry about.

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3. Michigan State (9-1)

The Spartans are actually the second-ranked team on the AP poll with 1440 points, and the top-ranked team on EvanMiya with a relative rating of 37.5. They’ve sprung back on the college basketball rankings with a victory over Penn State Nittany Lions (76-72). This was much needed after their loss against the Devils…

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Out of all teams on the circuit, the Michigan State team has the third-best adjusted defensive efficiency of 92.8, according to Barttorvik, and has the Jaxon Kohler and Jeremy Fears Jr. combination to lead the attack on the other side of the floor.

4. Iowa State (11-0)

The Iowa State Cyclones had a dream week, beating state rivals Iowa Hawkeyes (66-62) and Eastern Illinois Panthers in a blowout (78-53). The team, similar to Michigan, is on a hot streak and has a power rating of .9515 on Barttorvik. EvanMiya puts Iowa State in the 4th spot and gives it a relative rating of 29.5.

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It also gets a net rating of +32.81 as per KenPom. Joshua Jefferson proved to be a star for the team with contributions of 24 and 11 points, respectively, in the last two matchups. Jefferson has also been leaving his mark in capitalizing on rebounds (6.5) and assists (5).

5. UConn Huskies (10-1)

UConn Huskies have had a great run so far, if not for the minor slip-up against the Wildcats (71-67). There’ve been no further hiccups along the way. They have won their last two games against the Gators and the Texas Longhorns and are currently pretty stable. They currently hold 1263 points on the AP Rankings.

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The Connecticut-based team holds a relative rating of 28.7 on EvanMiya, ranking 7th. Barttorvik places it in the 5th.

6. Purdue Boilermakers (10-1)

After an upset loss to the Cyclones, the Boilermakers are slowly returning to their baseline. Getting essential wins over the Golden Gophers and Eagles will help to bring back that confidence. They’re ranked 8th on Barttorvik and 6th on EvanMiya, with a 28.8 relative rating. On the AP rankings, the team ranks 6th with 1173 points.

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7. Houston Cougars (10-1)

The Cougars had an eventful week with blowout victories over the Jackson State Tigers (80-38) and New Orleans Privateers (99-57). More so because of the dominating fashion they displayed. They have a net rating of 28.19 on KenPom and rank 8th. EvanMiya also ranks them 8th, with a relative rating of 28.6.

The team has names like Emanuel Sharp, Chase McCarty, and Kingston Flemings, who are in good touch. While Sharp leads the scoring with 17.2 points per game, Fleming has two steals every night. The Texas team, which is currently 7th, is looking to move up in the AP rankings.

8. Gonzaga Bulldogs (10-1)

The Bulldogs can very well move into the top 5 of the college basketball rankings if they can maintain the skill and grit they displayed against the Bruins. They went past a formidable opponent and beat the No. 25 side (82-72) in a game that many thought wouldn’t go their way.

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This directly means moving up a place or two in their rankings. The team is currently ranked 8th (AP) with 1054 points. KenPom ranks them 2nd with a net rating of +32.99.

9. BYU Cougars (9-1)

BYU Cougars are surprisingly in 9th place on our prediction list. The team has suffered just one loss to the Huskies and has been doing well ever since. In fact, they’ve won their last two games against UC Riverside Highlanders (100-53) and Clemson Tigers (67-64) and have had a decent week.

BYU holds a 9th-place ranking on EvanMiya with a 26.3 relative rating. KenPom also puts BYU in the 9th spot with a 28.04 net rating.

10. Louisville Cardinals (9-1)

With a recent victory against the Memphis Tigers (99-73), the Cardinals are looking good. The team is currently ranked 12th on EvanMiya, with a relative rating of 25.5. KenPom ranks it slightly higher, in 10th place, with a net rating of +27.74.

The Cardinals boast an impressive squad featuring Ryan Conwell, Sananda Fru, and Mikel Brown Jr, who can change the complexion of the game at any given second. They might be in the tenth spot now, but this is one team that has a very good possibility of climbing fast through the college basketball rankings.

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