After the first week of the 2024-25 season, Duke sits behind only the Auburn Tigers and Houston Cougars in the site’s net rating. The Cougars began the season atop the KenPom rankings, but Auburn (who comes to Cameron Indoor Stadium in December) dethroned them with a head-to-head victory on Saturday.
Those three teams are also the only ones within the top five in both offensive and defensive efficiency ratings. According to KenPom’s advanced metrics, the Blue Devils have the fourth-best offense and fifth-best defense in the nation.
The Kansas Jayhawks, another upcoming Duke opponent, are No. 8 in the KenPom rankings despite sitting atop both the coaches poll and the AP Poll. The North Carolina Tar Heels, who lost to the Jayhawks, slid all the way down to No. 16.
The Kentucky Wildcats, whom the Blue Devils play on Tuesday, sit 30th in the KenPom rankings ahead of this week’s battle.
No longer having to deal with the likes of the Kansas Jayhawks, who come in at No. 1 in this week’s coaches poll, one would think the schedule might look lighter. As the great Lee Corso would say, “Not so fast, my friend.” Big-time challenges await the Sooners in the SEC.
Coming in just behind Kansas at No. 2 are the Alabama Crimson Tide. At No. 4 are the Auburn Tigers who picked up a huge win over the Houston Cougars over the weekend. Also in the top 10 are the Tennessee Volunteers, coming in at No. 9.
The Sooners will open SEC play with a matchup in Tuscaloosa against Alabama on Jan. 4. They won’t play Auburn until Feb. 4 and will Tennessee four days later on Feb. 8. That will be the only time the Sooners face the SEC’s top 10 teams in this week’s coaches poll.
Oklahoma isn’t receiving any votes and will likely be a long shot to land in the Coaches Poll until they face better competition. Their first big test comes when they take on Providence on Nov. 27 in Norman. They’ll also host Georgia Tech at the beginning of December.
Full USA TODAY Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll
Ranking
Team
Record
Points
1
Kansas
2-0
759 (21)
2
Alabama
2-0
724 (4)
3
UConn
2-0
702 (3)
4
Auburn
2-0
660 (2)
5
Gonzaga
2-0
651 (1)
6
Duke
2-0
608
7
Iowa State
1-0
576
8
Arizona
2-0
516
9
Tennessee
2-0
502
10
Houston
1-1
488
11
North Carolina
1-1
456
12
Purdue
2-0
437
13
Creighton
2-0
385
14
Baylor
1-1
328
15
Marquette
2-0
308
16
Indiana
2-0
234
17
Cincinnati
2-0
230
18
Kentucky
2-0
182
19
Florida
2-0
179
20
Illinois
2-0
151
21
Arkansas
1-1
150
22
Ohio State
1-0
148
23
Texas A&M
1-1
99
24
Rutgers
1-0
84
25
St. John’s
2-0
79
Schools Dropped Out
No. 19 Texas; No. 22 UCLA; No. 25 Ole Miss;
Others Receiving Votes
Texas Tech 75; Ole Miss 60; Texas 54; Xavier 38; Oregon 37; Michigan State 29; BYU 29; UCLA 18; UCF 17; Wake Forest 12; Saint Mary’s 12; Kansas State 9; Clemson 9; New Mexico 8; Dayton 8; North Florida 7; Maryland 5; Providence 4; Mississippi State 4; Nevada 2; San Francisco 1; Grand Canyon 1;
List Of Voters
The USA TODAY Sports Board of Coaches is made up of 31 head coaches at Division I institutions. All are members of the National Association of Basketball Coaches. The board for the 2024-25 season: Tobin Anderson, Iona; Adrian Autry, Syracuse; John Becker, Vermont; Randy Bennett, Saint Mary’s; Jeff Boals, Ohio; Alvin Brooks, Lamar; Scott Drew, Baylor; Matt Driscoll, North Florida; Dan Earl, Chattanooga; Jonas Hayes, Georgia State; Alan Huss, High Point; Donte’ Jackson, Grambling; Ben Jacobson, Northern Iowa; James Jones, Yale; Greg Kampe, Oakland; Brad Korn, Southeast Missouri State; Greg McDermott, Creighton; Nick McDevitt, Middle Tennessee; Mike McGarvey, Lafayette; Niko Medved, Colorado State; Dan Monson, Eastern Washington; Chris Mooney, Richmond; Nate Oats, Alabama; Eric Olen, UC San Diego; Matt Painter, Purdue; Michael Schwartz, East Carolina; Patrick Sellers, Central Connecticut State; Zach Spiker, Drexel; Brett Tanner, Abilene Christian; Stan Waterman, Delaware State; Jeff Wulbrun, Denver.
The Tigers’ plane turned around barely 45 minutes after takeoff
The Auburn basketball team’s flight to Houston for a showdown between the No. 11 Tigers and No. 4 Cougars barely made it the 55 miles to Montgomery, Alabama when it abruptly started heading back to campus on Friday night.
Reportedly, a scuffle had broken out among unnamed players in the cabin and head coach Bruce Pearl did not hesitate to turn this plane around.
The flight map is pretty wild. The audio between the air traffic controllers and the cockpit of Auburn’s plane is even more bizarre. You can hear the pilot struggle to describe exactly what happened as he tells the tower the flight deck is secure amid a “passenger disturbance.”
CBS Sports reports the incident involved freshman forward Jahki Howard and senior forward Ja’Heim Hudson.
You can’t make this stuff up. The pilot audio is both bizarre and hilarious on the now infamous team flight from Auburn to Houston. pic.twitter.com/qacIQ8KZPI
MORE: ATC audio includes pilot saying “flight deck is secure the threat level is contained. We just had—we’ll have police on the ground, we had 2 players that got into a physical altercation, clothes were ripped.” And appears to say one of the players was bloody https://t.co/orsMUytM5w
Both Howard and Hudson were reportedly barred from getting on Auburn’s second flight to Houston on Friday night and will not rejoin the team for Saturday evening’s game, according to CBS Sports. The two bench players each saw at least 15 minutes of action in Auburn’s season-opening victory against Vermont.
We’ll learn more about what exactly occurred when Pearl and Auburn meet with the media after facing the Cougars.
The former Alabama transfer is reportedly no longer with the Tigers.
According to multiple reports, Auburn Tigers defensive back Antonio Kite has been dismissed from the team following a violation of team rules.
Kite, a former transfer from the Alabama Crimson Tide, was currently in his first season with the Tigers program. Appearing in eight games, Kite had a combined stat line of six tackles, one interception, and one fumble recovery, which he returned for a touchdown, while also playing a role on special teams.
As mentioned previously, the defensive back originally began his collegiate career at Alabama where he was a four-star prospect in the 2022 class out of in-state Anniston High School.
Kite did not play much with the Crimson Tide however across his two seasons in Tuscaloosa, not recording any stats during either the 2022 or 2023 campaigns prior to entering the transfer portal this past January. Once entering the transfer portal, Kite would go on to commit to Auburn shortly after.
🚨 KITE DISMISSED 🚨
Auburn defensive back Antonio Kite has been dismissed from the team for missing practice on multiple occasions, AuburnSports has learned.https://t.co/HImHNT5UTx
It’s shaping up to be the tightest race for a PGA Tour card in the history of PGA Tour University.
In 2023, Ludvig Aberg dominated his competition en route to becoming the first college player to earn a PGA Tour card via PGA Tour U. Last year, after dealing with an injury in the fall, Michael Thorbjornsen also had a relatively straight path to earning his card.
This time, it’s all up for grabs.
The race for the top spot in the PGA Tour University Class of 2025 standings has numerous players in position to earn a PGA Tour card, which is awarded after the final stroke-play round of the 2025 NCAA Men’s Golf Championship. And this week, the top three players in the standings got a first-hand look at their competition in North Carolina.
The Tar Heels men’s golf team is hosting the Williams Cup at Eagle Point Golf Club in Wilmington, North Carolina, featuring some of the top teams from across the country in one of the last events this fall.
Included on those teams are some of the top players, like the top four in the PGA Tour University standings.
And Nos. 1, 2 and 3 were grouped together Sunday in the first round.
Auburn’s Brendan Valdes, North Carolina’s David Ford and Arizona State’s Josele Ballester played their opening 18 holes together in the Williams Cup. As if the three of the top amateurs in the world didn’t have enough pressure to perform for their teams, there’s also the competition for guaranteed job security straight out of college.
Arizona State’s Preston Summerhays is also competing, sitting at No. 4 in the standings. He debuted at No. 1 when the Class of 2025 rankings were announced this summer. Also in the field is Louisville’s Sebastian Moss, who’s No. 8.
With roughly seven months remaining until one of them earns his PGA Tour card, every tournament, round and stroke matters. And at the Williams Cup, the top three are paired together have a little extra pressure than being a counting score for their team Sunday.
Watch Auburn quarterback Payton Thorne return after taking a big hit to throw a 47-yard touchdown pass to take a lead over Missouri in a crucial SEC matchup.
The Auburn Tigers came into Saturday’s matchup against the Missouri Tigers 2-4 on the season and 0-3 in SEC play, but are holding their own thanks to strong play on the defensive side of the ball.
Neither team scored a touchdown in the first half, but Auburn managed to find the end zone on its first drive in the third quarter, thanks to a remarkable sequence of events from quarterback Payton Thorne.
Thorne advanced the ball 16 yards on a pair of completions to Robert Lewis before a nine-yard gain on the ground ended with a vicious hit – sending the quarterback to the sideline.
Many thought he would be out for the rest of the game, but instead he returned just a few plays later and immediately completed a 47-yard touchdown pass to Cam Coleman to give the Tigers a 10-3 lead with 12:34 remaining in the third quarter.
Missouri is 5-1 on the year and 1-1 in conference play, suffering a 41-10 road loss to Texas A&M two weeks ago. The team’s slim chances of making the College Football Playoff drop to 0.0% if they can’t find a way to come back and knock off Auburn in this one.
“Obviously a disappointing season,” said Freeze. “And today is another step that, not in the direction that we had hoped.”
Freeze gave Georgia credit. The Bulldogs played a clean game with no turnovers and prevented Auburn from having much of a chance to make things interesting in the fourth quarter.
“Georgia is a good football team, Kirby (Smart) and them do a great job. And obviously they recruited a roster that’s really talented from top to bottom and deep, and I think they get really good quarterback play who understands the game. They’ve got a really good team. Just we’re not playing winning football,” said Freeze.
Freeze and Auburn have been effective on the recruiting trail in the 2025 cycle. The Tigers have the No. 4 recruiting class in the country, which is ahead of Georgia. However, Georgia is gaining ground. The Bulldogs beat out Auburn to gain a commitment from four-star star running back Ousmane Kromah on Saturday to add to the Tigers’ misery.
Why is Hugh Freeze turning Georgia into the SEC office?
“I thought their stemming was too aggressive,” said Freeze. “We get told that all the time by the officials and it got us twice. But I don’t know, I’ll turn them in and see what they say. But we get warned all the time that a linebacker can’t shouldn’t step up and be aggressive in getting them to move with them raising up. And I thought that’s what was happening.”
Freeze can turn Georgia into the SEC office all he wants, but Auburn still lost by a wide margin. The Tigers are still 0-2 against Georgia during the Freeze era. Freeze faces immense pressure from an Auburn fan base that is not known for being patient with coaches.
Georgia’s crowd certainly had some effect on Auburn’s false starts, but Georgia coach Kirby Smart did not like the atmosphere in Sanford Stadium. Numerous Georgia fans left the Auburn game very early when it was still within reach for the Tigers.
Georgia has not lost in Athens since 2019 and has won eight straight games over Auburn dating back to 2017.
The Auburn Tigers entered the Georgia game as unranked team. However, the Tigers have shown some flashes and Kirby Smart insists they are better then their record.
The Bulldogs did what they were looking to do: rebound from the Alabama loss by rummaging Auburn 31-13. Georgia did not force any turnovers against Auburn, but was in control of the rivalry game throughout the entire second half.
Here are some takeaways from the Georgia-Auburn game:
This is the second time UGA Wire has written about Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins in takeaways and it’s for a very good reason. A few weeks after a monstrous performance against Kentucky, the junior outdid himself against Auburn.
Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins sacked Payton Thorne twice and pressured him almost all of the game. It’s a great performance, especially with the defensive line losing Christen Miller to a knee injury. The junior defender has 10 tackles and three sacks to start the year.
Georgia’s offense solid, not great
After the loss to Alabama ended their 42-game regular season winning streak, Georgia was looking to carry its offensive momentum from the second half of the Alabama game.
Georgia was strong on the defensive side of the ball, but their offense was still not as good as people expected. While Georgia scored 31 points, they only gained 44 more yards than Auburn. Seven of those points also came off of a short field from a failed fourth-down play.
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Georgia currently ranks 70th in points scored, but 20th in points allowed per game, so they’ve had to rely on their elite defense to achieve victory at times.
The SEC is wide open
Many fans that went to the Georgia football game were also vicariously enjoying the Alabama at Vanderbilt matchup from their cars in the parking lot. With Alabama losing 40-35, many fans cheered because it boosts Georgia’s chances at winning the SEC.
That means only Texas is ahead of them in the rankings, and if Georgia can win their matchup that takes place in two weeks, then the Bulldogs could see themselves in the top three, if not in the number one spot.
The Georgia Bulldogs continue to dominate the rivalry series with the Auburn Tigers
The Georgia Bulldogs have defeated the Auburn Tigers eight consecutive times. Georgia topped Auburn 31-13 behind a strong showing from running back Trevor Etienne, who recorded two touchdowns.
Georgia, unlike Alabama, did not have a let down following last week. Georgia quarterback Carson Beck had an efficient performance, completing 23 of 29 passes for 240 yards and two touchdowns as Georgia moved to 4-1.
Georgia avoided an upset at home on a week of upsets in college football. Four top 10 teams in the US LBM Coaches Poll lost in Week 6. Alabama, Tennessee, Michigan and Missouri all lost in conference games.
Georgia and Auburn both played a clean game with no turnovers. Georgia slightly outgained Auburn, but dominated in the most important situations.
Georgia defensive lineman Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins and safety Malaki Starks both had strong games for the Georgia defense, which limited Auburn’s offense, but allowed the Tigers to have success on the ground.
Georgia football fans are fired up on social media after UGA’s win over Auburn
Diego Pavia masters upsets of football teams from Alabama
The state of Alabama missed a good one in quarterback Diego Pavia.
Auburn and Alabama have learned that lesson painfully.
Pavia, a 6-foot-200-pounder, has quarterbacked teams that defeated the Tigers and Crimson Tide in consecutive seasons … at different schools.
The Pavia magic started in 2023 when he was the quarterback for New Mexico State. The Aggies went into Auburn and pummeled the Tigers, 31-10.
Pavia passed for 201 yards and three touchdowns in November when New Mexico State earned its first win over an SEC team in 28 tries.
Fast forward to October 2024. Pavia had transferred to Vanderbilt via the portal and was facing an Alabama team that had not lost to the Commodores since 1984.
Pavia did it again with his stirring performance against the top-ranked team in the country.
He was 16-of-20 passing for 252 yards and two touchdowns. Pavia added 56 rushing yards on 20 attempts as Vanderbilt downed Alabama, 40-35, in an all-time stunner.
Pavia was beyond jubilant in a salty interview after the game.
