Kenpom – Syndication Server

Comparing Wisconsin basketball’s NCAA NET Ranking, resume with its upcoming opponent’s

Wisconsin is set for a season-defining road trip on Wednesday

Wisconsin basketball (16-4, 6-3 Big Ten) hits the road on Wednesday for a massive showdown against Maryland (16-5, 6-4 Big Ten).

The Badgers sit at No. 17 in both the AP and USA TODAY Coaches Poll after a recent 1-1 week. They are also up to No. 15 in KenPom and No. 22 in ESPN’s BPI. By all metrics, Wisconsin has emerged as a legitimate contender to both win the Big Ten and make a deep run in March.

Maryland does not enter Wednesday’s game with an AP ranking. That is somewhat of a surprise, given the team’s current form. The Terrapins have won five of their last six, including a 21-point road win at Illinois and a road win at Indiana. That stretch elevated the team to No. 20 in both KenPom and the BPI.

On paper, the Terrapins are Wisconsin’s toughest opponent since its December road trip to Illinois. That makes Wednesday’s matchup a potential resume-defining result as the Badgers look to elevate further into Big Ten contention. The same can be said for a Maryland team that still needs defining victories despite its recent surge.

Each team’s NCAA NET Ranking and resume displays the importance of Wednesday’s result:

Wisconsin NET Resume: No. 18 overall (No. 4 Big Ten). 4-4 vs. Quad 1, 5-0 vs. Quad 2, 2-0 vs. Quad 3 and 5-0 vs. Quad 4

Maryland NET Resume: No. 19 overall (No. 5 Big Ten). 3-4 vs. Quad 1, 3-1 vs. Quad 2, 2-0 vs. Quad 3 and 8-0 vs. Quad 4

Wednesday’s matchup is a clear Quad 1 game for both teams. The winner will rise closer to the top tier that Purdue (NET No. 9) and Illinois (NET No. 10) currently occupy. The victor will almost assuredly jump up to a No. 3-seed in most NCAA Tournament bracket projections.

One big trend to note, Wisconsin is just 2-3 in true road games this season, including Big Ten losses to Illinois and UCLA. Maryland, meanwhile, is 12-1 at home. But the Badgers do enter with similar momentum to Maryland’s. The team has won seven of eight, including blowout victories of 31 points vs. Iowa, 12 Rutgers, 21 vs. Minnesota, 12 vs. USC and 28 vs. Nebraska. Its one loss, meanwhile, was a two-point defeat at UCLA.

KenPom displays where the game may be decided: Wisconsin enters with the No. 8 offensive efficiency in the country, while Maryland sits at No. 24 defensively. The winner of that strength vs. strength matchup will likely finishing on the right end of the scoreboard.

Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET, 6 p.m. CT from the XFINITY Center in College Park, Maryland. ESPN’s matchup predictor gives Wisconsin just a 35.9% chance to exit with a much-needed victory.

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Duke basketball drops two spots in KenPom rankings after second straight close call

The Duke Blue Devils flirted with an upset loss for the second straight game on Monday, and the KenPom rankings knocked them for it.

The Duke Blue Devils won their 14th straight game on Monday night, a home victory over the NC State Wolfpack to partially avenge last year’s Elite Eight loss, but it admittedly wasn’t the team’s prettiest game.

The 9-10 Wolfpack built a 13-point midway through the opening half thanks to an 8/30 (26.7%) start from the floor by the Blue Devils. Freshman superstar [autotag]Cooper Flagg[/autotag] still put 28 points on the board in the victory, but the KenPom efficiency metrics no longer consider Duke the best team in the nation.

As of Tuesday morning, the Blue Devils sit No. 3 in the rankings behind the Auburn Tigers and Houston Cougars. The margins are still narrow with those three teams, separated by 0.66 points per 100 possessions, but Duke now trails the other two.

All three have won at least 11 straight games with no losses between them since December 4, and the gap between the Blue Devils and the fourth-ranked Florida Gators is larger than the gap between Florida and the Alabama Crimson Tide in ninth.

With back-to-back games below 75 points, Duke slipped back to seventh in the offensive efficiency metrics with 122.9 points per 100 possessions. The Blue Devils still sit third on the defensive end, allowing 87.6 points, and they’re still the only team within the top nine in both categories.

Wisconsin basketball surges in KenPom, ESPN’s BPI after win over Nebraska

Wisconsin basketball surges in KenPom, ESPN BPI after win over Nebraska

Wisconsin basketball notched an important win on Sunday. After the team’s seven-game winning streak was recently snapped on the road at UCLA, it bounced back with a dominant 83-55 win over Nebraska.

The Badgers improved to 16-4 (6-3 Big Ten) with the triumph. The result importantly held the team’s spot at No. 4 in the Big Ten standings, still 2 1/2 games behind first-place Michigan State.

The 28-point triumph also adds to Wisconsin’s growing list of dominant conference victories. That resume now includes wins of 31 points (Iowa), 12 (Rutgers), 21 (Minnesota), 12 (USC) and 28 (Nebraska).

Wisconsin’s win-loss record will matter far more for March Madness seeding than how those games are specifically decided. But the team finding dominant wins over inferior competition, plus only losing narrowly to top teams, continues to raise what was already a sky-high ceiling.

Importantly, results like Sunday’s win continue to raise the team’s ranking in predictive metrics, including KenPom and the ESPN BPI. Here is where the Badgers now rank, both nationally and in the 18-team Big Ten:

KenPom: No. 14 overall (up from No. 21) and No. 3 in the Big Ten, with the No. 7 offense and No. 50 defense in the country.
ESPN BPI: No. 22 overall (up three spots) and No. 5 in the Big Ten, with a projected record of 22.6 – 8.4 and a 10.5% chance to win the Big Ten.

The Badgers’ most notable jump is on the defensive side of the court. Top-end offensive efficiency has defined the team’s season to date. A return to the program’s classic defensive dominance is what was needed for the team to reach contention. Its standing in KenPom reflects that improvement, as Wisconsin is up more than 30 spots in defensive efficiency compared to where it stood earlier in the season. That boosted the team’s overall ranking up to No. 14, just six spots behind Purdue (No. 8 overall, No. 1 Big Ten).

Wisconsin is back on the court on Wednesday on the road at Maryland (KenPom No. 21). Another signature victory could send the Badgers closer to KenPom’s top 10 and, more importantly, closer to the top of the Big Ten standings.

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How far did Kentucky drop in the KenPom rankings after the Vanderbilt loss?

Kentucky lost to Vanderbilt on Saturday, which affected their KenPom ranking.

Kentucky basketball suffered a second consecutive loss on Saturday, losing an ugly affair to the Vanderbilt Commodores on the road. They looked bad in the first half especially, and had to play catch-up, and weren’t able to pull it off.

The Wildcats are now 14-5 on the season, and an even 3-3 in the SEC. Where did the loss put them in the updated KenPom rankings?

Previously, Kentucky was 19th overall, but dropped to 22nd after Saturday’s defeat with a +23.02 adjusted efficiency margin. That’s seventh among teams from the SEC.

Related: Common themes in Kentucky losses this year

Offensively, the Cats still rank very well. Their 124.3 adjusted offensive efficiency comes in as the fifth best in the country.

On defense, however, they come in much lower. With a 101.3 adjusted defensive efficiency rating, Kentucky ranks 82nd overall.

Mark Pope and the Wildcats have played better than many people thought they would before the season. The offense is one of the country’s best when they’re on their game. If they can iron out the slow starts, and inconsistencies, they will keep winning and rise in the KenPom rankings.

Duke basketball stays first in the KenPom rankings despite Wake Forest upset scare

Despite a near-upset in Winston-Salem on Saturday afternoon, the Duke Blue Devils are still KenPom’s No. 1 team in the country.

It didn’t always look pretty, and some basketball fans in Durham probably picked up some grey hairs before the final buzzer, but the Duke basketball team took down Wake Forest on the road on Saturday afternoon for its 13th consecutive win.

Now 17-2 for the season after the 63-56 victory, the Blue Devils sit atop the KenPom efficiency rankings as of Sunday morning.

Duke dropped back slightly in the offensive and defensive standings with the underwhelming game. Despite 24 points from freshman sensation [autotag]Cooper Flagg[/autotag], the Blue Devils shot 36.8% from the field and 28.1% from 3-point range for their lowest-scoring outing of the season.

Head coach [autotag]Jon Scheyer[/autotag]’s team entered the weekend fourth in KenPom’s adjusted offensive metrics, but the Blue Devils are sixth after the Wake Forest win. Despite holding the Demon Deacons under 60 points, something Duke has done 10 times this season, the team dropped from second to third in defensive efficiency.

Despite the small slips, however, Duke is still the only team in the top 10 on both ends of the floor. The Blue Devils’ +36.20 differential is the best around, and the gap between the Blue Devils and Iowa State in fourth is larger than the gap between the Cyclones and the Alabama Crimson Tide in ninth.

Florida rejoins KenPom top 5 after win over South Carolina

A pair of wins over Texas and South Carolina has Florida back into the top five of the latest KenPom college basketball ratings.

The Florida Gators are once again a top-five program in the KenPom College Basketball Ratings, after improving to 17-2 with a one-point win over South Carolina.

A plus-29.82 adjusted efficiency margin puts Florida 0.22 points ahead of Tennessee and 1.06 points behind Iowa State at No. 5 in Friday’s KenPom ratings. Passing the Vols means the Gators are now the second-highest-rated team in the SEC, per efficiency metrics.

Gators Wire last checked in on these ratings eight days ago on Jan. 16, following a Florida loss to Missouri. Since then, the Gators have triumphed over Texas (by 24 points) at home and South Carolina on the road to improve to 17-2 overall and 4-2 in conference play.

Breaking down the KenPom ratings

Date	Nov. 12 (Week 1)	Nov. 26 (Week 3)	Dec. 9 (Week 5)	Dec. 18 (Week 6)	Dec. 31 (Week 8)	Jan. 16 (Week 10)	Jan. 24 (Week 11)
W-L	3-0	6-0	9-0	11-0	13-0	15-2	17-2
NetRtg	+19.83 (20)	+21.86 (18)	+25.30 (8)	+26.50 (7)	+27.63 (6)	+29.34 (6)	+29.92 (5)
ORtg	117.2 (13)	119.5 (8)	121.9 (5)	122.8 (7)	121.8 (8)	123.6 (6)	124.3 (5)
DRtg	97.4 (49)	97.6 (49)	96.6 (29)	96.3 (21)	94.2 (11)	94.3 (16)	94.4 (15)
AdjT	73.2 (47)	70.4 (93)	69.0 (131)	70.1 (83)	70.9 (78)	69.9 (85)	69.2 (81)
Luck	+.000 (117)	+.000 (188)	+.002 (187)	+.010 (178)	+.029 (143)	-.032 (249)	-0.13 (221)
SOS Net	-4.16 (237)	-3.79 (252)	-1.28 (208)	+2.11 (102)	-1.05 (208)	+4.18 (64)	+5.74 (52)
SOS ORtg	100.8 (265)	101.4 (303)	102.6 (319)	105.6 (230)	105.0 (249)	108.1 (84)	108.7 (69)
SOS DRtg	105.0 (198)	105.2 (164)	103.9 (87)	103.5 (45)	106.0 (151)	103.9 (65)	102.9 (38)
NCSOS Net	-4.16 (237)	-3.79 (252)	-1.28 (209)	+2.11 (98)	-1.05 (201)	-1.98 (232)	-1.63 (218)

Florida’s adjusted offensive efficiency continues to climb past 100 points per 100 possessions, now at 124.3 – good for fifth overall in the country. Alabama (125.1), Kentucky (124.8) and Duke (124.4) are within range of Florida, but Auburn (131.0) has a firm grip on the top spot.

The Gators also have a top-15 adjust defensive efficiency rating, allowing just 94.4 per 100 possessions. Florida has boasted a top-25 defensive since the middle of December, and the shift to the SEC schedule hasn’t changed too much. Only Duke, Houston and Iowa State have top-15-ranked programs on both sides of the ball — with the Blue Devils being ranked inside the top 5 each way.

Two more games of slightly slower-paced basketball have Florida’s adjusted tempo down to 69.2 possessions per 40 minutes after topping out around 70.9 at the end of the non-conference schedule. Conference play is slowing everyone done a bit, allowing Florida to climb to No. 81 despite the dip. The Gators are still playing far slower than the top-50 tempo expected ahead of the season, but it’s the only disappointing metric of the bunch.

Luck has not been a relevant metric all year for Florida, which is a good thing. If luck deviates too far from triple zeroes, it means someone is getting hosed. High luck can mean a lower rating than a record suggests and negative luck often means underperforming. Florida’s luck trended closer toward .000 this week.

Strength of Schedule according to KenPom

Florida faced a relatively easy non-conference slate, but the jury remains out until all the games are played. The non-Power Four teams that come to the O’Dome and get crushed often end up the most competitive in conference play, when the playing field evens up. Florida’s non-conference strength of schedule (SOS) jumped from No. 232 to No. 218 in this week’s rankings.

The Gators’ overall SOS rating is now up to 52nd overall at +5.74 net. That number should only grow as SEC play continues. KenPom says Florida’s opponents average 108.7 points (69th) and allow 102.9 (38th) per 100 possessions.

Looking back at Florida’s 13 non-conference wins: four came against top-100 programs, North Carolina (32nd), Arizona State (55th), Florida State (67th) and Wake Forest (75th); four have come against opponents rated between 100 and 200, Virginia (126th), Wichita State (140th), Jacksonville (157th) and South Florida (183rd); and five have come against opponents rated outside of the top 200, Southern Illinois (201st), North Florida (207th), Grambling State (320th), Stetson (342nd) and Florida A&M (351st).

In conference play, Florida has beaten Tennessee (6th), Texas (39th), Arkansas (54th) and South Carolina (80th) with losses to Kentucky (19th) and Missouri (31st).

SEC KenPom ratings

All 16 SEC programs are rated inside the top 80 this week, with 13 inside the 50, eight inside the top 25 and four inside the top 10.

Auburn (+36.36, 2nd) leads the SEC net efficiency rating but no trails Duke (+36.66, 1st) nationally.

Florida (+29.82, 5th) and Tennessee (+29.60, 6th) are the other two heavy hitters in the conference, with Alabama (+27.40, 8th) back in that conversation.

Texas A&M (+24.20, 15th), Ole Miss (+23.59, 18th)and Kentucky (+23.50, 19th) make up the next tier of SEC teams, with Mississippi State (+21.85, 23rd) close behind.

Missouri (+19.00, 31st), Georgia (+18.26, 36th), Texas (+17.51, 39th), Oklahoma (+16.61, 41st) and Vanderbilt (+15.67, 47th) are all inside the top 50, with Arkansas (+14.51, 54th) just on the outside of that threshold.

LSU (+11.67, 69th) and South Carolina (+10.66, 80th) are at the bottom of the conference but would still be near the top of most others.

Why KenPom matters

Many college hoops experts and oddsmakers consider Pomeroy’s ratings to be the gold standard in the sport, and its reputation has lasted for more than 20 years.

“His ratings are derived from a proprietary algorithm, with the core centered on the Pythagorean calculation for expected winning percentage, made famous by baseball statistician Bill James,” ESPN explains.

“Pomeroy’s formula is designed to be purely predictive, with an emphasis on margin of victory. He factors in offensive and defensive efficiency, tempo and even luck, but does not, however, take into consideration injuries or emotional factors.”

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Where Kentucky is ranked according to KenPom after losing to Alabama

Where does Kentucky basketball rank in the KenPom after losing to Alabama?

In one of the most exciting college basketball games of the season so far, Kentucky basketball dropped a close one to Alabama, 102-97. The Wildcats came up short, but played a great game, and it could have gone either way.

Both teams proved they belong on the list of the best teams in not only the SEC, but in the country. They have both spent a lot of time ranked in the top ten this season.

A loss is a loss, however. So how did it impact Kentucky in the KenPom rankings?

Related: Kentucky in the final three for Caleb Wilson

Kentucky’s net rating is +23.47, which is good for 20th overall. That’s good for seventh in the SEC. The Wildcats are second in adjusted offensive efficiency, but the defense brings down their overall ranking.

With an adjusted defensive efficiency rating of 101.7, Kentucky comes in at 84th in the country. It’s an area the Wildcats have struggled with at times this season, and it’s reflected here.

Up next for Kentucky is the Vanderbilt Commodores. They currently rank 48th overall in the KenPom. They’re 41st on offense, and 69th on defense.

Duke basketball retakes No. 1 spot in the KenPom rankings after Boston College win

Now riding a 12-game win streak, the Duke men’s basketball team returned to the top of the KenPom rankings on Sunday.

The Duke men’s basketball team hasn’t lost since November 26, and with nine of their 12 straight victories coming by at least 20 points, it’s easy to make the argument that the Blue Devils are the best team in the country.

The advanced metrics certainly think so at least. As of Sunday morning, [autotag]Cooper Flagg[/autotag] and the Blue Devils have officially retaken the No. 1 spot in the KenPom efficiency rankings.

Duke beat Boston College in its own building by 25 points on Saturday with Flagg, Tyrese Proctor, and Isaiah Evans combining for 64 points by themselves. The Eagles shot out to an early 18-11 lead, but the Blue Devils outscored the home team by 30 points over the closing 30 minutes for the 88-63 win.

With a stifling second-half performance, Duke has still only let four opponents score more than 65 points. KenPom still tracks the Blue Devils with 88.1 points allowed per 100 possessions, the second-best defense in the nation, and they’re up to third on the offensive end with six 80-point outings in the last seven games.

No other team is within the top 10 in both categories. The top ten. And Duke is inside the top three.

The Blue Devils get a full week off before their next game, a Saturday road test against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons.

Wisconsin basketball’s updated standing in KenPom and ESPN BPI after USC win

Wisconsin basketball’s updated ranking in KenPom and ESPN BPI after USC win

Wisconsin basketball continues to trend toward the top tier of the Big Ten standings. Its latest step forward was Saturday’s 84-69 road win over USC.

The Badgers have turned their season around after a three-game losing streak in early December. They have since won seven straight, including Big Ten wins over Iowa, Rutgers, Minnesota, Ohio State and USC. That surge has the team up to No. 4 (tied with Illinois) in the conference standings, just 1 1/2 games behind the first-place Michigan State Spartans.

Wisconsin’s top-of-the-nation offensive efficiency has been a significant factor in its strong play. The team averages 82.4 points per game (29th in the nation), highlighted by a 116-point outburst against Iowa. It managed 84 points in the win over USC despite leading scorer John Tonje finishing with zero points on 0-of-3 shooting. That output proved its depth of quality contributors: John Blackwell (28 points) and Max Klesmit (18 points) led the way.

Another developing story is the Badgers’ defensive improvement. The team allows an average of 70.3 points per game. That rate is aided by opponents averaging 64.75 points over the last four games.

Wisconsin’s defensive efficiency numbers have jumped during its stretch of Big Ten wins to begin the calendar year. They are a big reason for the team’s current standing in both KenPom and the ESPN BPI:

KenPom: No. 21 overall (same ranking as it held after the Ohio State win) and No. 5 in the Big Ten, with the No. 12 offense and No. 46 defense in the country.
ESPN BPI: No. 25 overall (up three spots) and No. 6 in the Big Ten, with a projected record of 22.6 – 8.4 and a 8.6% chance to win the Big Ten.

That chance to win the conference has been on steady rise the last few weeks. The Badgers are flashing top form as several of the conference’s top contenders are showing signs of weakness. Michigan‘s loss at Minnesota and Illinois’ home loss to USC are two of many examples.

Wisconsin remains in Los Angeles, California, the next few days before a Tuesday night game against UCLA. The Bruins are No. 31 and No. 32 in KenPom and the BPI, respectively. They recently ended a losing streak with a blowout win over Iowa.

The Badgers could take another significant step forward with a win over the Bruins. Not just in the listed predictive metrics, but also in the AP Poll, bracketology and other national rankings.

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SEC wins outweighing losses for Florida in KenPom ratings

The college basketball world has learned a lot about Florida over four conference games. Here’s what the Gators’ KenPom metrics reveal.

A lot has happened since Gators Wire last checked in on Gators Wire’s KenPom College Basketball Ratings, and the good news is that a 2-2 start in conference play has not hurt Florida’s efficiency numbers at all.

The bad news is obviously Florida losing two winnable games — the first a 206-point shootout in Lexington and the second back home against Missouri by a single point Tuesday night — but the Gators still hold a firm claim to the No. 6 spot on Pomeroy’s latest list.

Beating No. 5 Tennessee by 30 points had Florida as the No. 2 team in the conference for a week, but the Volunteers have since reclaimed that title.

With how well the SEC is playing overall, wins and losses will be hard to come by until the end of the season. Learning a few lessons in the form of losses isn’t the worst thing that could happen to a good Gators team.

Breaking down the KenPom ratings

Date	Nov. 12 (Week 1)	Nov. 26 (Week 3)	Dec. 9 (Week 5)	Dec. 18 (Week 6)	Dec. 31 (Week 8)	Jan. 16 (Week 10)
W-L	3-0	6-0	9-0	11-0	13-0	15-2
NetRtg	+19.83 (20)	+21.86 (18)	+25.30 (8)	+26.50 (7)	+27.63 (6)	+29.34 (6)
ORtg	117.2 (13)	119.5 (8)	121.9 (5)	122.8 (7)	121.8 (8)	123.6 (6)
DRtg	97.4 (49)	97.6 (49)	96.6 (29)	96.3 (21)	94.2 (11)	94.3 (16)
AdjT	73.2 (47)	70.4 (93)	69.0 (131)	70.1 (83)	70.9 (78)	69.9 (85)
Luck	+.000 (117)	+.000 (188)	+.002 (187)	+.010 (178)	+.029 (143)	-.032 (249)
SOS Net	-4.16 (237)	-3.79 (252)	-1.28 (208)	+2.11 (102)	-1.05 (208)	+4.18 (64)
SOS ORtg	100.8 (265)	101.4 (303)	102.6 (319)	105.6 (230)	105.0 (249)	108.1 (84)
SOS DRtg	105.0 (198)	105.2 (164)	103.9 (87)	103.5 (45)	106.0 (151)	103.9 (65)
NCSOS Net	-4.16 (237)	-3.79 (252)	-1.28 (209)	+2.11 (98)	-1.05 (201)	-1.98 (232)

Despite holding a 2-2 record, conference play has not hurt the Florida Gators’ efficiency numbers at all. Since Gators Wire last checked in with KenPom, Florida’s adjusted offensive efficiency rating is up 1.8 points per 100 possessions to a season-high 123.6, and the defense is allowing just 0.1 more points per 100 possessions. Those numbers translate to a two-spot rise in the offensive ratings and a five-spot jump on defense.

Adjusted tempo is back down below 70 after steady gains to close 2024. Florida ranks 84th overall in the category after a top-50 projection at the start of the year.

Strength of Schedule according to KenPom

Florida faced a relatively easy non-conference slate, one ranked No. 232 in this week’s KenPom strength of schedule breakdown, but the Gators’ overall SOS rating is now up to 64th overall at +4.18 net through four SEC games. KenPom says Florida’s opponents average 108.2 points (84th) and allow 104.0 (65th) per 100 possessions.

Looking back at Florida’s 13 non-conference wins: four came against top-100 programs, North Carolina (28th), Florida State (61st), Arizona State (63rd) and Wake Forest (76th); four have come against opponents rated between 100 and 200, Virginia (132nd), Wichita State (136th), Jacksonville (165th) and South Florida (169th); and five have come against opponents rated outside of the top 200, Southern Illinois (217th), North Florida (219th), Grambling State (323rd), Stetson (340th) and Florida A&M (356th).

In conference play, Florida has beaten Tennessee (5th) and Arkansas (47th) but lost to Kentucky (16th) and Missouri (33rd).

SEC KenPom ratings

Auburn (+37.08, 1st) leads the entire country in net efficiency rating and sets the standard in the Southeastern Conference. Tennessee (+29.92, 5th) and Florida (+29.34, 6th) are the other to heavy hitters in the conference, with Alabama (+26.63, 10th) slipping to the edge of the top 10.

The Crimson Tide remains one of the best teams in college basketball, but the 3-point difference in net efficiency rating is too significant to ignore at the highest levels of the game. These are rudimentary tiers, or even subtiers, of the conference, though, and keep in mind the gap between Alabama and Kentucky (+23.69, 16th) is even larger than the Big Blue and Florida. Games aren’t won on paper.

Thirteen of the 16 SEC programs are ranked inside the top 50.

Ole Miss (+23.45, 18th), Texas A&M (+23.39, 19th) and Mississippi State (+23.45, 21st) are all within 1.25 points of each other and firm up that second tier that Kentucky heads.

Missouri (+18.52, 33rd) is a big climber so far in the conference play, moving up nearly 20 spots in half a month. Texas (+18.01, 36th) continues to be a team on the periphery of the top 30, Georgia (+17.47, 38th) is on the same upward trajectory as Mizzou, Arkansas (+15.76, 47th) is trending dangerously close to falling outside the top 50 and Oklahoma (+15.61, 50th) is taking that idea to the extreme.

Vanderbilt (+14.85, 54th) is on the hunt for re-entry into the top 50, while LSU (+11.59, 69th) and South Carolina (+10.88, 74th) are falling well behind the rest of the conference.

Why KenPom matters

Many college hoops experts and oddsmakers consider Pomeroy’s ratings to be the gold standard in the sport, and its reputation has lasted for more than 20 years.

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