2024-25 College Basketball Power Rankings (Feb. 17)

College basketball season is on the precipice of March Madness, which means it’s time to plan for tournament betting edges on the hardwood.

Below, you’ll find FTN’s college basketball power rankings for the 2024-2025 season. These have been updated every week after games, adjusting for results, news and injuries. We use these ratings to create a point spread between any two teams in the country on a neutral court. Just subtract the lower team’s rating from the higher-ranked team’s rating. If you compare that number to the spread of a particular game, you can find situations where FTN identifies a betting edge. We will also keep track of teams that are trending up or down, helping to further identify value compared to the public’s perception on media polls.

Here is the latest iteration of the FTN College Basketball Power Rankings for the 2024-2025 season! 

Key Takeaways 

• It’s fascinating to observe the disconnect between the AP rating and our FTN Power Ranking of the Houston Cougars. The Cougars still rank third overall in KenPom, including third-best in adjusted defensive efficiency. They are 13-1 in the Big 12 and in sole possession of first place after a brilliant comeback victory at Arizona. Since joining the conference prior to last season, the Cougars are an astounding 28-4 against Big 12 opponents. The only concern is the lingering injury to forward Emanuel Sharp, who has failed to score more than 10 points since Jan. 15. 
• Auburn rebounded from its first SEC loss at home to Florida with a very impressive road win at No. 2 Alabama. The Tigers are 23-2 overall and 11-1 in the SEC, while ranking first overall in adjusted offensive efficiency, per KenPom. 
• Despite the loss, Alabama is our big riser of the week, up three spots to No. 4 overall in our FTN Power Rankings. Prior to the loss to Auburn, the Crimson Tide had won 15 of their prior 16 games, and they are the second-most efficient offense in the nation behind the rival Tigers. 
• Purdue was the surprising faller of the week, dropping five spots to No. 16 overall in our power rankings. The Boilermakers dropped two key Big Ten games to Michigan and Wisconsin. Matt Painter’s squad lacks depth and struggles to defend inside the arc, allowing opponents to shoot 54.9% from that area (317th in the nation). 
• There is concern for Michigan State. The Spartans dropped seven spots to No. 20 overall in our power rankings, having lost three of their last five contests. Tom Izzo is a brilliant coach, but the Spartans lack the NBA talent of other top-25 teams. The remaining six regular-season games will be critical for Michigan State. Do the Spartans have enough talent for a deep run in March? 
• One of our biggest risers of the week was Clemson, which returns inside the top 25 of our FTN Power Rankings. The Tigers rose eight spots to No. 23 overall after three fantastic wins over Duke, North Carolina and on the road at Florida State. The Tigers rank inside the top 30 in both offensive and defensive efficiency, per KenPom.