Men’s College Basketball: NET Top 10 Snapshot and Bubble Watch Through Dec. 29

Why NET matters in men’s college basketball

The top 25 rankings are a familiar way to track who is thriving in men’s college basketball, but the NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET) offers another lens—one that can be extended beyond the top tier and into the teams fighting for postseason positioning. NET is a rankings system used in Division I basketball to help determine which teams participate in March Madness.

As described by the NCAA, NET takes into account game results, strength of schedule, game location, net offensive and defensive efficiency, and the quality of wins and losses. The “quality” component is built around quadrants, with every Division I matchup categorized into Quad 1 through Quad 4. Quad 1 represents the strongest opponents and Quad 4 the weakest, with a key nuance: quadrants are influenced not only by opponent quality but also by whether a game is played at home, on the road, or at a neutral site.

Because NET is updated daily, it can capture movement quickly. Tracking it on a weekly cadence, however, makes it easier to understand why teams rise, fall, or hold steady—especially when schedule strength and game location can matter as much as the final score.

The NET top 10 through Dec. 29

Through Dec. 29, the NET top 10 reflects both performance and context—who teams played, where they played, and how results compare across the country. Some teams maintained their positions despite inactivity, while others moved because of the quality of the game on their schedule rather than a dramatic on-court change.

• Illinois: Illinois played once during the week, defeating Southern U 90-55 on Monday. The team is off until 2026, when it returns to Big Ten play against Penn State.
• BYU: BYU did not play during the past week due to the break and will return Jan. 3 against Kansas State. Despite the inactivity, it held its position.
• UConn: Like BYU, UConn did not play since the prior update. It is scheduled to face Xavier (116 in NET) in Big East conference action on Wednesday.
• Vanderbilt: Vanderbilt won 96-53 against Division II New Haven. Despite the convincing margin, the opponent’s classification meant the result did not help the Commodores’ NET ranking.
• Purdue: Purdue and Vanderbilt flipped positions in the rankings. Purdue’s 101-60 win against Kent State mattered more in NET terms because Kent State is a Division I opponent (153rd in NET).
• Iowa State: Iowa State defeated Houston Christian 89-61 on Monday. Its position changed largely due to other teams’ movement and the relative strength of opponents involved in the reshuffling.
• Arizona: Arizona handled San Diego State (85th in NET entering Monday) by a 99-71 final. Any slip in placement was described more as a product of movement around the Wildcats than a poor result.
• Duke: Duke did not have a game scheduled. The Blue Devils will close out 2025 against Georgia Tech (178 in NET) on Wednesday.
• Gonzaga: Gonzaga jumped three spots after a 96-56 win over Pepperdine. A key detail in the NET context: the victory came on the road, and road results can strengthen quadrant value. The Bulldogs’ road performance contributed to having more Quad 2 victories than some nearby teams in the rankings.
• Michigan: Michigan strengthened its hold on the top spot with a 112-71 win over McNeese, a team ranked 48th in NET. The Wolverines are undefeated at 12-0, have played the fourth-toughest schedule per NET, and have seven games with at least 100 points scored.

How weekly movement happens: schedule context and opponent quality

One of the most revealing aspects of NET is that teams can move even when they win—or when they do not play at all. Vanderbilt’s win over a Division II opponent is one example of a result that did not translate into NET value. Meanwhile, Purdue’s win against a Division I opponent helped it in a way a non-DI game cannot.

Location can also shape how a result is interpreted. Gonzaga’s rise illustrates how a road win can carry additional weight in the quadrant framework, influencing the profile beyond the raw margin of victory.

The biggest risers in the past week

NET movement is not limited to the top of the board. In the span of a week, several teams made notable jumps based on a small number of games, including upsets and results against well-regarded opponents.

• Campbell (271 to 244): Campbell beat Green Bay and then lost to Hofstra, which was ranked 86th in NET prior to an 86-72 win over Campbell.
• Jacksonville State (288 to 258): Jacksonville State upset Western Kentucky 78-67. Western Kentucky was ranked 124 in NET prior to the game and later slipped to 152.
• Tarleton State (169 to 136): Tarleton State moved up after defeating UT Arlington 69-63 on Monday.
• New Orleans (236 to 198): New Orleans beat Texas-Rio Grande Valley 85-69 behind a 32-point night from senior guard Jakevion Buckley, narrowing the NET gap between the teams significantly.
• Missouri State (277 to 235): Missouri State went 2-0 with wins against Lindenwood and Delaware. Lindenwood was a top-200 team prior to the loss.

The biggest fallers in the past week

Just as teams can climb quickly, they can also slide after a single lopsided loss or a damaging result against a team with a weak quadrant profile.

• Norfolk State (251 to 276): A loss to Louisiana stung, with Louisiana having lost more Quad 4 games than it has won even after beating Norfolk State.
• Lipscomb (112 to 137): Lipscomb fell after being hammered by Cincinnati in a game that included a 21-rebound double-double from Baba Miller.
• Oregon State (177 to 204): Oregon State lost 102-64 to Santa Clara.
• Western Kentucky (123 to 152): Western Kentucky dropped after the loss to Jacksonville State.
• Green Bay (216 to 253): Green Bay’s slide followed a 23-point loss to Campbell after a three-game win streak.

Bubble watch: NET 64–73

March Madness includes 68 teams. Of those, 31 are conference champions who receive automatic entry, leaving 37 at-large bids. With that in mind, the teams ranked 64 through 73 in NET are a useful weekly reference point for the bubble conversation.

• 73. Oklahoma State (previous: 72): Oklahoma State moved to 73rd after sitting at 72 the previous two weeks. The Cowboys face Texas Tech on Jan. 3.
• 72. Nevada (previous: 76): Nevada entered the bubble range despite not playing since Dec. 20. It faces Colorado State (74th) on Tuesday.
• 71. William & Mary (previous: 68): William & Mary beat Towson 84-70, but has had limited Quad 1 opportunities so far, with just one such matchup.
• 70. Murray State (previous: 70): Murray State and William & Mary each have three losses, but Murray State has two losses in Quad 1 matchups.
• 69. Northwestern (previous: 75): Northwestern did not play during the past week. It is 7-5, with all losses coming in Quad 1 and Quad 2 games.
• 68. South Florida (previous: 64): South Florida slipped, with the note that a win against a Division II opponent is not enough to hold position.
• 67. Wake Forest (previous: 67): Wake Forest was inactive and will open 2026 against Virginia Tech on Jan. 3.
• 66. Wisconsin (previous: 69): Wisconsin was inactive and will play Milwaukee (185th in NET) on Tuesday.
• 65. Santa Clara (previous: 89): Santa Clara made a major jump after crushing Oregon State in its lone game.
• 64. Texas A&M (previous: 65): Texas A&M edged up after defeating Prairie View 111-82, a result framed as “taking care of business” to avoid sinking.

What to watch next

As conference play ramps up, NET movement can accelerate because teams see more games that qualify as higher-impact quadrant opportunities. Upcoming matchups such as UConn vs. Xavier, Duke vs. Georgia Tech, and Oklahoma State vs. Texas Tech are examples of games that can influence weekly positioning—especially for teams clustered near the bubble range.