The top 25 rankings are important for understanding just who is killing it in college basketball, but we can go deeper — all the way to the bubble and beyond.
The NCAA Evaluation Tool, or NET, is a rankings system used in Division I basketball to help figure out which teams are going to participate in March Madness for both men’s and women’s basketball. As the NCAA puts it, NET “takes into account game results, strength of schedule, game location, net offensive and defensive efficiency, and the quality of wins and losses,” the latter of which is determined by placing every Division I matchup into different quadrants, ranked 1 through 4, with 1 being the strongest teams and 4 the weakest — Quads aren’t just determined by record, but also whether a game was played at home, on the road or at a neutral site.
Using NET, we can get a sense of which teams on the men’s and women’s side are the best at a given moment, as well as which ones are on the bubble for selection in March — the NCAA sees NET as both “results-driven and predictive,” and we will use it that way, too. While updated daily by the NCAA, we’ll track changes weekly.
With that, here are the top 10 men’s college basketball teams through Dec. 8, according to NET.
The Top 10s
10. Michigan State
Michigan State has been excellent, and certainly been tested — more than one-third of their games in the early going have been against Quad 1 opponents, and they’re 3-1 in those games. However, the Spartans have yet to play a game on the road — they are 3-0 in neutral-site games, and 5-1 at home.
9. Purdue
Purdue slipped from No. 1 in the poll, and NET has the Boilermakers even further back than their new ranking.
8. BYU
BYU has yet to play a road game, as well, with a 5-1 record in neutral-site games, but it has played some tough competition: the Cougars are 2-1 in Quad 1 games, and 3-0 in Quad 2 matchups out of eight total contests.
7. UConn
UConn is 3-1 against Quad 1 teams with its one loss coming against Arizona, but the Huskies have also spent most of the season at home to this point.
6. Arizona
Arizona is No. 1 in the poll, but it was a very split vote with four teams receiving support for the top spot. You can see that lack of unanimity in the Wildcats’ placement here in the middle of NET’s top 10.
5. Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt is No. 15 in the poll, but NET recognizes a 9-0 team that is 4-0 against Quad 1 opponents — just one other team can boast such a record. If they can keep it up, the Commodores might even climb higher in the ranks, especially if they handle business against difficult teams on the road.
4. Gonzaga
Gonzaga has proven itself against tougher teams in the early going, but a Quad 1 loss has the Bulldogs in fourth for now as measured against the three undefeated teams in front of them.
3. Iowa State
You can’t say a bad thing about Iowa State’s 9-0 start, other than that the two teams in front of the Hawkeyes have had slightly more difficult schedules to begin 2025-2026.
2. Duke
Duke has basically faced exceptionally difficult competition — they are 4-0 in Quad 1 games — or its schedule eased off the gas entirely — they are 5-0 in Quad 4 matchups. It’s tough to hold the latter against the Blue Devils considering the former.
1. Michigan
Michigan is 8-0, including wins against three Quad 1 teams, and has done half of that in neutral sites. NET sees them as the best thing going in men’s basketball at the moment.
And here are the top 10 women’s college basketball teams, per NET.
10. Michigan State
It will be worth watching to see just how good Michigan State actually is after getting upset by Wisconsin in its Big Ten opener, and earning 7 of their 8 wins against Quad 4 teams.
9. Iowa
Iowa is 2-0 on the road, 2-0 at neutral sites and undefeated at home, but more than half of its games are against Quad 4 teams at this point, hence the No. 9 ranking.
8. TCU
TCU is right there alongside Iowa, boasting a 10-0 record with an 8-0 mark against Quad 4 teams.
7. Kentucky
Kentucky is No. 15 in the poll, but here, they get extra credit for having a 4-0 record on the road. Its lone loss came against a fellow Quad 1 squad in Maryland (the Terrapins sit just outside NET’s top 10 at No. 11).
6. Texas
You can’t say a thing about Texas’ opponents thus far, as it has taken down South Carolina, UCLA and North Carolina. The Longhorns also haven’t played a road game yet, and just two in neutral sites.
5. South Carolina
The Gamecocks lost at a neutral site, but are 2-0 on the road and have faced as many Quad 1 opponents as Texas. The two just swapped spots, too — this is coin-flip territory.
4. UCLA
UCLA finds itself ahead of both Texas and South Carolina after playing four Quad 1 teams as well as three Quad 2 squads, and going 6-1 in those games.
3. Michigan
The poll sees Michigan as the No. 6 team, but NET likely gives them a bit more credit for having its only loss come against UConn — and for it being a close one, too.
2. LSU
LSU is in a fascinating spot, sitting at 10-0 with four road wins. However, the Tigers have faced a single Quad 1 team, and while they have absolutely destroyed their opponents, eight of them are Quad 4 teams.
1. UConn
UConn has just the two Quad 1 games and victories, including a defeat of Michigan to point to, but it is also 2-0 on the road, 3-0 in neutral sites and 3-0 against the second tier of opponents.
On the Bubble
Of the 68 March Madness teams in the tournament, 31 of them are conference champions who receive automatic entry into the tournament. The other 37 spots, for both men’s and women’s basketball, are at-large bids. With that in mind, we will look at the teams ranked between 64-to-73 in NET each week, as those are the ones who are the most on the bubble for the tourney.
Here are the bubble teams on the men’s side:
73. Sam Houston: The Bearkats are 1-3 on the road, but have also faced two Quad 1 teams in the early going.
72. St. Bonaventure: An 8-1 start, with the lone loss coming against a Quad 1 North Carolina, has the Bonnies on the bubble.
71. Northwestern: The Wildcats are 5-4, but those four losses have come against Quad 1 and Quad 2 teams in equal measure.
70. Wichita State: 5-4 overall, but 1-3 against Quad 1 and 2 teams.
69. Notre Dame: A 7-3 start, where all three losses have come against Quad 1 teams: Ohio State, Kansas and Houston.
68. Washington: The Huskies have faced three Quad 1 teams already, and even defeated one of them (USC).
67. TCU: Upsetting Florida has and will continue to go a long way so long as the Gators don’t bottom out.
66. Wyoming: The Cowboys are 6-2 on the year, with both of their losses coming against top-tier opponents in ranked Texas Tech and Sam Houston on the road.
65. William & Mary: Off to a 6-3 start, with two of those losses coming against Quad 1 opponents.
64. Columbia: The Lions are 8-1 with just one Quad 1 matchup, but they are 3-1 on the road.
And here are the bubble teams for the women’s:
73. Kansas: Boasts a solid 8-2 record, going 2-0 on the road and 1-1 against Quad 1 teams, but a loss against a Quad 4 opponent hurts.
72. UC Santa Barbara: A 7-1 start is buoyed further by NET’s appreciation of road games: the Gauchos are already 5-1 on the road.
71. Marquette: Just 6-3 to start, but two of those losses were against Quad 1 opponents, including ranked Iowa State.
70. Wisconsin: Lost to ranked Ole Miss, but upset No. 25 Michigan State on Sunday — and remember, NET thinks the Spartans are a top-10 team.
69. George Mason: Currently 6-5, but has defeated both of their Quad 2 opponents. Still, a loss to a Quad 4 team will be frowned upon.
68. Penn State: Both losses (6-2) are against Quad 1 teams — Princeton ranks 32nd in NET, while Nebraska is No. 24 in the poll and an even more impressive 12th in NET.
67. Colorado State: 2-0 on the road, but 0-1 against both Quad 1 and Quad 2 teams.
66. Santa Clara: A 6-3 start is cushioned somewhat for NET, thanks to going 3-1 on the road so far.
65. South Florida: Currently 6-4, and scheduled in such a way that you can’t help but be impressed that it has even managed that. The Bulls have already lost to UConn, Vanderbilt and South Carolina just 10 games in.
64. Virginia Tech: Has yet to play in a Quad 1 matchup, but they are 1-3 in Quad 2 games, dropping to Duke (37th in NET), BYU (56th) and James Madison (50th).
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