Tag: NET rankings

Duke basketball drops to third in NET rankings despite Monday win over NC State

The Duke Blue Devils won their 14th consecutive game on Monday, but they still slipped down a spot in the NET rankings.

The Duke men’s basketball team won, albeit in a slightly ugly fashion, on Monday night. The 74-64 home victory over NC State included a 19-0 run around the halftime break, helping to overcome an early 35-22 deficit, to give the Blue Devils their 14th consecutive win.

However, as of Tuesday morning, head coach [autotag]Jon Scheyer[/autotag] and his team dropped from second to third in the men’s basketball NET rankings.

The Blue Devils have battled back an upset scare in two straight games now, letting Wake Forest start the second half on a 23-4 run to build a six-point lead with 10 minutes left on the clock on Saturday. Freshman superstar [autotag]Cooper Flagg[/autotag] scored 24 points against the Demon Deacons and 28 more against NC State to save both games.

The Houston Cougars, who came back to beat the Kansas Jayhawks in thrilling fashion on the road on Saturday, jumped above the Blue Devils with their second Quad 1 victory. Houston, despite a perfect 4-0 road record, has also lost three Quad 1 games while the Blue Devils are 5-2 against top-tier opponents, but the Cougars have five Quad 2 triumphs to Duke’s two.

The Cougars and Blue Devils are both still staring up at the Auburn Tigers with their 11 Quad 1 victories and 18-1 record.

Gators back in top 5 of NET Rankings after three-game win streak

Florida’s winning ways continued this week and the Gators moved back into the No. 5 spot on the NET rankings after beating Georgia.

Florida has spent the second half of January bouncing between the No. 5 and 6 spots on the NCAA NET rankings, but Saturday’s 30-point win over Georgia has the Gators back inside the top five to close out the month.

Gators Wire last checked in on the NET on January 15, just one day following an unexpected loss to Missouri. Since then, Florida has won three straight games against Texas, South Carolina and Georgia.

The Bulldogs and Longhorns both got blown out inside the O’Connell Center, but South Carolina nearly pulled off the upset at home Tuesday. Florida snuck by on a go-ahead bucket with five seconds left, preserving a shot at the top five.

The win over Texas moved Florida back up to No. 5 for four days, but the near miss at South Carolina knocked UF back down a spot for three days. Saturday’s results have the Gators in line to end the month at No. 5 with no midweek game, but No. 6 Iowa State or No. 7 Alabama could make a jump with Quadrant 1 games on the schedule.

Florida has just 11 games left in the regular season: eight Quadrant 1 matchups, two Quad 2s and a Q3 rematch against South Carolina. The Gators remain the third-highest-rated team in the Southeastern Conference behind No. 1 Auburn and No. 4 Tennessee. Duke and Houston are the other two top-five programs right now.

It’s important to remember that while they are called “rankings” the NET is an evaluation tool at heart — that’s what the E and T stand for. It’s not a hard list and is more of a sorting tool for the selection committee come bracket time.

“The 2024-25 men’s basketball season marks the seventh season of the NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET) rankings, which replaced the RPI prior to the 2018-19 season as the primary sorting tool for evaluating teams,” according to the NCAA.

The rankings rely on a quadrant system (below), where Quadrant 1 (Q1) wins and Q3/Q4 losses matter the most.

Breaking down Florida’s wins by Quadrant

Before going into Florida’s resume, it’s important to understand how the quadrants are divided. Where a game is played has as much to do with the quadrant as the quality of the opponent. As the rankings change, so do the quality of the wins.

For example, Florida’s win over Florida State was a Q1 victory when the game was played but spent most of the non-conference slate as a downgraded Q2 win. Now that FSU has stabilized and climbed back to No. 73 in the NET, the Seminoles are once again Q1 quality at home.

  • Quadrant 1: Home 1-30, Neutral 1-50, Away 1-75
  • Quadrant 2: Home 31-75, Neutral 51-100, Away 76-135
  • Quadrant 3: Home 76-160, Neutral 101-200, Away 135-240
  • Quadrant 4: Home 161-353, Neutral 201-353, Away 241-353

Florida split its first four conference games, all of which were Q1 opportunities, and a pair of non-conference wins over No. 75 Florida State and No. 40 North Carolina put Florida at a 66% win rate against the SEC. The Seminoles are on the borderline and could slip back into Q2 without losing. (Florida vs. Q1: 4-2)

All three of Florida’s most recent wins — No. 35 Georgia, No. 90 South Carolina and No. 32 Texas — are Q2 victories, and the Gators also beat  No. 59 Arizona State and No. 71 Wake Forest. The wins against Georgia and Texas came in Gainesville, so a top-30 ranking is needed to move into Q2; both are close. The two non-conference wins came on a neutral court, putting the Sun Devils in shouting distance of reclassification. (Florida vs. Q2: 5-0)

Florida’s win over No. 148 Jacksonville keeps looking better by the week, and there’s a real chance at becoming a Q2 victory. No. 199 South Florida is holding onto its Q3 listing by a thread, though. No. 138 Virginia and No. 164 Wichita State (neutral site) are both settling into place here, too. (Florida vs. Q3: 4-0)

Florida’s win count against Quadrant 4 opponents has dwindled to five. There’s little hope for Florida A&M (No. 345), Grambling (No. 324) and Stetson (No. 348), but North Florida (No. 239) might have a chance to reclassify and Southern Illinois (No. 207) has climbed 60 spots in two weeks.  (Florida vs. Q4: 5-0)

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Despite losing to Texas, Texas A&M has risen in the latest NET rankings

Texas A&M has risen one spot in the NET rankings after falling to rival Texas on Saturday afternoon

No. 13 Texas A&M (15-5, 4-3 SEC) held a 22-point lead over rival Texas inside a packed Moody Center, but thanks to Longhorns freshman guard Tre Johnson, who scored a career-high 30 points, including 22 in the second half.

While the Aggies were on the wrong side of history after allowing Texas to mount the largest comeback on the season, basketball is a game of momentum.

Texas A&M’s inability to maintain offensive consistency following a dynamic first half hindered their chances of sweeping their rival. Although star guard Wade Taylor IV’s return has been beneficial, the senior’s choices during the Aggies’ last possession raised eyebrows, to say the least.

Still, this game meant much more for Texas in terms of the NCAA Tournament, while the loss barely moved the needle for the Aggies, who rose one spot in the all-important NET rankings on Sunday morning.

Texas A&M’s 6-5 Quad 1 record and 10-5 Quad 1 & 2 combined record is ranked third nationally, at No. 12 for the first time in the program ahead of hosting Oklahoma on Tuesday night.

Within the loaded SEC, Texas A&M is the fifth-ranked conference team in the NET, below Auburn (No. 1). Tennessee (No. 4), Florida (No. 5), and Alabama (No. 7).

Texas A&M will return to Reed Arena to host Oklahoma on Jan. 28 at 8:00 p.m. CST. The game can be watched on the SEC Network.

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Duke basketball stays second in NET rankings with Wake Forest victory on Saturday

The Duke Blue Devils held firm at No. 2 in the NET rankings after their Saturday victory over the Wake Forest Demon Deacons.

It certainly didn’t look pretty for the Duke Blue Devils on Saturday afternoon, giving up a 23-4 run to open the second half against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons, but [autotag]Cooper Flagg[/autotag] and his teammates got it done for the 63-56 victory.

The win, Duke’s 13th in a row, kept the Blue Devils undefeated in their six road games so far this year. It also kept them No. 2 in the men’s basketball NET rankings as of Sunday morning, still trailing only the Auburn Tigers.

Duke now has five Quad 1 victories on the season, tied for the sixth-most of any program, and both of its losses came at neutral sites. While Saturday’s game took some white-knuckled stress, nine of the Blue Devils’ 13 consecutive victories have come by at least 20 points.

The Tigers, thanks to some remarkable depth in the SEC and a strong run through the Maui Invitational, have a staggering 11 Quad 1 victories on the year. No other team has more than eight, and the Oregon Ducks are the only other squad with more than six.

The Blue Devils still hold a massive advantage over the rest of the ACC. The Louisville Cardinals, 15-5 on the year, are second among conference teams at No. 25, and the Clemson Tigers (No. 30) are the only other ACC school in the top 35.

Texas A&M rises in the NET rankings after comeback win over No. 16 Ole Miss

Texas A&M is now a Top 15-ranked team in the latest NET rankings after defeating Ole Miss on the road

No. 13 Texas A&M (15-4, 4-2 SEC) took a huge step forward on Wednesday night, as the Aggies, through massive late-game adversity, defeated No. 16 Ole Miss 63-62 after the Aggies outscored the home team 11-2, including the go-ahead 3-pointer from senior guard Manny Obaseki.

In a match where star guards Wade Taylor IV and Zhuric Phelps managed only 8 out of 31 shooting from the field, and the team recorded 20 turnovers, A&M’s defense performed well, providing the offense with a chance to either clinch a victory or force the game into overtime.

Phelps, who was dealing with illness-based symptoms throughout the game, took over late in the final 30 seconds, scoring consecutive jumpers before finding Obaseki on a perfect pass with 14 seconds left, as the Aggies took their first and final lead in one of the best comebacks in program history.

Following the victory, Texas A&M holds a 4-2 conference record, tying for third place in the SEC alongside No. 22 Missouri and No. 5 Florida. The most notable change, however, is in the critical NET rankings, where they jumped four spots to reach No. 14.

In terms of NCAA Tournament seeding, Texas A&M boasts a combined record of 10-4 in Quad 1 and Quad 2, which features six Quad 1 wins and three notable Quad 1A victories (road wins). This places their overall record and Quad 1 position tied for third in the nation.

Under coach Buzz Williams’ this is the highest NET ranking for the Aggies during SEC play.

Texas A&M will stay on the road when they travel to Austin to face Texas on Jan. 25 at 1:30 p.m. CST. The game can be watched on ESPN2.

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Texas A&M earned Quad 1 and Quad 2 wins after past opponents rise in NET rankings

After defeating LSU, Texas A&M earned more good news after past wins against Creghton and Wake Forest resulted in Quad 1 & 2 wins

Texas A&M (14-4, 3-2 SEC) earned a much-needed victory over one of the bottom feeders in the SEC, holding the LSU Tigers (12-5, 1-4 SEC) to a season-low 57 points in one of the Aggies best defensive performances on the year.

Forcing 18 turnovers on the night, the offense also showed improvement in the second half, led by the return of star point guard Wade Taylor IV (12 points), who slowed things down and allowed the rest of the team, especially fellow senior guard Zhuric Phelps, who led the Aggies with 13 points including several late buckets to put the game away.

With the victory, Texas A&M is above .500 in conference play and should only improve with Taylor’s return. But before the Aggies hit the road to face Ole Miss on Wednesday night, coach Buzz Williams received good news after early-season wins over Creighton and Wake Forest resulted in Quad 1 and Quad 2 boosts.

Creighton’s win over Connecticut rose the Bluejays’ NET ranking to No. 44, making Texas A&M’s win over the program a Quad 1 victory. In contrast, Wake Forest’s win over Virginia Tech moved the Deamon Deacons to No. 76, which now qualifies as a Quad 2 win for the Aggies.

As TexAgs’ Luke Evangelist points out, Texas A&M’s combined Quad 1 and Quad 2 record, 8-4, is tied for the fourth-best record nationally.

Texas A&M will face No. 21 Ole Miss on the road on Jan. 22 at 8:00 p.m. CST. The game can be watched on ESPN2.

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Where are the Duke Blue Devils in the men’s basketball NET rankings after Saturday’s win?

The Duke Blue Devils, now 16-2 with 12 straight victories, are hovering near the top of the men’s basketball NET rankings.

The Duke basketball team has blown out most of its recent competition, winning nine of their last 12 games by at least 20 points. Even without adjusting for the margin of victory, however, the Blue Devils have put together one of the nation’s best resumes.

As of Sunday morning, [autotag]Cooper Flagg[/autotag] and his teammates sit second in the men’s basketball NET rankings thanks to four early Quad 1 victories.

The Blue Devils took on some of the nation’s best teams in the first month of the season, defeating the Arizona Wildcats in their own building before handing the Auburn Tigers their first (and so far only) loss of the season at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Even with a weaker ACC than year’s past, those statement wins and a perfect 8-0 run through conference play thus far keep Duke near the top of the board.

The Tigers, with a staggering 10 Quad 1 wins amid a deep SEC, still have a firm grip on the top spot. The Houston Cougars, Tennessee Volunteers, and Florida Gators follow behind Duke to make up the top five.

Home loss to Missouri has Florida back outside the top 5 in NET Rankings

An unexpected loss to Missouri in Gainesville, has Florida back outside the NET rankings top 5. Both of the Gators’ losses have come against Quadrant 1 opponents.

Florida basketball dipped out of the NCAA NET rankings top five on Wednesday following a one-point loss to Missouri at the O’Connell Center the night before.

The Gators held the No. 5 spot from Jan. 6 to 14 and dropped down to No. 7 after the Quadrant 1 loss. The Tigers are up to No. 27 in the NET thanks to the big road win but need to stay inside the top 30 to retain the Q1 classification. As the rankings stand, Florida’s 14 remaining games are a 9-4-1 split from Q1 to Q3.

The Gators remain the third-highest-rated team in the SEC. Auburn and Tennessee bookend the top four, and No. 9 Alabama is still inside the top 10 despite a home loss of its own. Duke and Houston are the new staples of the top three.

It’s important to remember that while they are called “rankings” the NET is an evaluation tool at heart — that’s what the E and T stand for. It’s not a hard list and is more of a sorting tool for the selection committee come bracket time.

“The 2024-25 men’s basketball season marks the seventh season of the NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET) rankings, which replaced the RPI prior to the 2018-19 season as the primary sorting tool for evaluating teams,” according to the NCAA.

The rankings rely on a quadrant system (below), where Quadrant 1 (Q1) wins and Q3/Q4 losses matter the most.

Breaking down Florida’s wins by Quadrant

Before going into Florida’s resume, it’s important to understand how the quadrants are divided. Where a game is played has as much to do with the quadrant as the quality of the opponent. As the rankings change, so do the quality of the wins.

For example, Florida’s win over Florida State was a Q1 victory at the time the game was played but spent most of the non-conference slate as a downgraded Q2 win. Now that FSU has stabilized and climbed back to No. 73 in the NET, the Seminoles are once again Q1 quality at home.

  • Quadrant 1: Home 1-30, Neutral 1-50, Away 1-75
  • Quadrant 2: Home 31-75, Neutral 51-100, Away 76-135
  • Quadrant 3: Home 76-160, Neutral 101-200, Away 135-240
  • Quadrant 4: Home 161-353, Neutral 201-353, Away 241-353

Florida’s win over No. 37 North Carolina took a nice step away from the downgrade threshold, which is No. 50, not No. 75 even though the game was played in the Tar Heel State. The Florida State game is a Q1 win this week but could do a back-and-forth on that threshold without cementing a spot further up the rankings.

All four of Florida’s conference games have been Q1 matchups, so a 2-2 record isn’t the worst thing to happen from a Selection Sunday perspective. (Florida vs. Q1: 4-2)

With Florida State moving up to Q1, Florida has just two matchups against Q2 opponents. No. 61 Arizona State and No. 88 Wake Forest are trending in opposite directions on the NET but aren’t quite nearing an intersection. With both games being neutral-site wins, neither is in danger of crossing the top-100 threshold. (Florida vs. Q2: 2-0)

It was a good week for non-Power Four college basketball teams from the state of Florida, which helped the Gators’ Q3 record. Both No. 159 Jacksonville and No. 164 South Florida (neutral site) moved into Q3 territory, joining No. 137 Virginia and No. 155 Wichita State (neutral site). (Florida vs. Q3: 4-0)

Florida’s win count against Quadrant 4 opponents has dwindled to five, and more could be on the way. All five wins have come at home for UF — Florida A&M (No. 352), Grambling (No. 326), North Florida (No. 224), Southern Illinois (No. 267) and Stetson (No. 351). Only one of those wins is within 100 spots of promotion to Q3, so things look set here for now.  (Florida vs. Q4: 5-0)

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Where are the Duke Blue Devils in the men’s basketball NET rankings after the Miami win?

See where the Duke Blue Devils are in the NET rankings after Tuesday’s victory over the Miami Hurricanes.

Duke won’t get additional credit for Tuesday’s 35-point margin of victory over the Miami Hurricanes in the men’s basketball NET rankings, but the Blue Devils did stay No. 2 in the rankings with their 11th straight victory.

As of Wednesday morning, Duke only trails the Auburn Tigers in the NCAA’s calculations.

The Blue Devils have a 5-2 record against Quad 1 opponents, tied for the fourth-most victories in that category so far this season, and they’re undefeated in four true road games. The SEC’s strength of schedule could be worth monitoring down the line on this leaderboard as Auburn’s already amassed nine Quad 1 victories, but the Blue Devils should be heavily favored in every remaining conference game.

The Houston Cougars, Tennessee Volunteers, and Iowa State Cyclones finished out the top five in order. The Pittsburgh Panthers (No. 28) and Louisville Cardinals (No. 29) are the only other ACC teams in the top 35 as of Wednesday, and the Blue Devils have already played them both. Outside of a neutral-site game against Illinois in February, it seems the Blue Devils will aim to avoid embarrassment rather than stacking signature victories from here on out.

Where are the Duke Blue Devils in the basketball NET rankings after the Notre Dame win?

See where the Duke Blue Devils are in the NCAA men’s basketball NET rankings after the Notre Dame victory.

The Duke Blue Devils outlasted a tenacious Notre Dame Fighting Irish team at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Saturday, pulling out an 86-78 victory thanks to a 42-point afternoon from freshman superstar [autotag]Cooper Flagg[/autotag].

While the Irish entered the weekend with a 7-8 record and a three-game losing streak, a conference win is still a conference win, and the Blue Devils lost no ground in the men’s basketball NET rankings with another tally in the victory column.

As of Sunday morning, the Blue Devils sit second behind the Auburn Tigers in the standings. Duke has five Quad 1 victories in its first 16 games, the third-most in the nation behind Auburn (seven) and the Oregon Ducks (six).

The top two spots in the rankings reflect the KenPom metrics, which consider Auburn and Duke the best teams in the nation within their own tier. The NET standings consider the Houston Cougars, Tennessee Volunteers, and Florida Gators as the other top-five teams.

The Pittsburgh Panthers are the second-highest ACC team on the board as of Sunday morning, but they sit all the way down at No. 27. No other team from the conference is within the top 35.