With a trivial event like the Super Bowl finally over, much of the American sports public can fixate their attention on a sport that truly deserves it: college basketball.
The 2025-26 men’s college basketball season has been one of the best in recent memory, with a pair of undefeated teams entering February, a handful of elite teams behind them and arguably the best freshman class in decades.
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Adding to the excitement are what some of the teams outside the sport’s five power conferences are doing.
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Though it suffered a stunning loss last week, No. 11 Gonzaga is once again a bona fide Final Four threat. No. 19 Saint Louis and college basketball folk hero Robbie Avila continue to plow through the Atlantic 10. After Monday, No. 24 Miami (Ohio) has improbably outlasted No. 1 Arizona as the lone remaining unbeaten team at the Division I level.
Where do things stand for teams outside of the ACC, Big Ten, Big East, Big 12 and SEC? Here’s a look at the latest power rankings:
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College basketball mid-major power rankings
1. Gonzaga (23-2)
The Bulldogs were on the losing end against one of the best stories in college basketball this season, falling on the road as a 21.5-point favorite against a Portland team whose coach, Shantay Legans, was immobilized after tearing his Achilles with the Pilots’ scout team in practice because it was missing too many of its players due to illness. The loss snapped a 15-game win streak, but Gonzaga still has a resume no other team on this list can match.
2. Saint Louis (23-1)
While Avila gets many of the headlines, the Billikens’ dominant run this season has been fueled by a remarkably balanced and selfless offense. Five Saint Louis players are averaging double figures in scoring this season while two others are averaging at least 9.5 points per game this season. The Billikens don’t have quite as many top-tier wins as Gonzaga, which is why they’re just behind them, but that doesn’t take anything away from what they’ve managed to do the past three months.
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3. Miami (Ohio) (24-0)
The RedHawks haven’t gotten to 24 wins and no losses without a few tense moments, as four of their past six wins were decided either by a basket or in overtime. The latest of those came in a 73-71 win at Buffalo, a game in which Luke Skaljac had 19 points and five steals. How much longer can the run keep going? As of Monday night, KenPom gave Miami at least a 67% chance of winning each of its final seven regular-season games.
4. Utah State (20-3)
The Aggies picked up one of their most impressive wins of the season last week, going to The Pit and putting an 86-66 stomping on a New Mexico team that had won 15 of its past 17 games. In two wins last week, guard Mason Falslev averaged 25 points, five rebounds and four assists per game.
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5. Santa Clara (21-5)
Few teams in the country have been playing as well since Christmas as the Broncos, who have won 12 of their past 13 games (with the lone loss coming on the road to Gonzaga). The most recent of those victories, a 96-92 win at Washington State, was made possible by a career-high 30 points and 13 rebounds from freshman forward Allen Graves.
6. Saint Mary’s (21-4)
The Gaels are making a Division I-best 81.4% of their free throws this season, with their top three scorers all making at least 83% of their attempts from the charity stripe. It has only meant so much to a team that has won seven of its past nine games by at least 10 points, but late in a tight NCAA Tournament game, it could be the decisive factor.
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7. San Diego State (17-6)
As they have for so much of coach Brian Dutcher’s tenure, the Aztecs have a suffocating defense, one that ranks 15th in adjusted defensive efficiency, according to KenPom. In each of the past six seasons, they’ve never finished worse than 21st among all Division I teams in that category.
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8. VCU (18-6)
Under first-year head coach Phil Martelli Jr., the program’s third head coach in the past four years, the Rams continue to do what they’ve done for most of this century: win. After an 11-6 start, VCU has reeled off seven victories in a row, a run capped off by a 26-point drubbing of Dayton at home last Friday.
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9. New Mexico (18-6)
After winning their first 12 home games of the season, the Lobos stumbled last week, dropping back-to-back home contests to Utah State and Boise State. The 91-90 loss to the Broncos came despite a 30-point outburst from guard Luke Haupt, nearly tripling his previous season high.
10. George Mason (20-3)
The Patriots have been faltering a bit of late, with two losses in their past five games after a blistering 18-1 start to the season. The latest of those setbacks came last Wednesday in a 71-65 loss at home against Duquesne, which got 25 points off 17 George Mason turnovers.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mid-major basketball power rankings: Gonzaga remains No. 1 as VCU enters top 10
