2024 College Basketball Power Rankings (Dec. 23)

College basketball season is back, which means it’s time to search for betting edges on the hardwood. 

Below, you’ll find FTN’s college basketball power rankings for the 2024 season. These will be updated every week after games, adjusting for results, news and injuries. We can 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.

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

Key Takeaways

• Houston remains the top team in our CBB Power Rankings despite its three losses against a brutal non-conference schedule. The Cougars have posted four straight wins by an average of 28.3 points and open the Big 12 schedule at Oklahoma State next Monday. Houston’s overtime losses to Alabama and San Diego State on neutral courts are very fluky, reinforcing our belief in the Cougars at the top spot. The Cougars still rank fourth-overall, per KenPom. 
• Auburn and Tennessee are now No. 2 and No. 3, respectively, in our FTN CBB Power Rankings, boasting a combined record of 21-2. The Volunteers passed the Blue Devils after a 48-point destruction of Western Carolina. Auburn survived a scare to dominant big man Johni Broome and blowtorched Purdue by 19 points on Saturday. The Tigers open SEC play with a home game against Missouri on Saturday, January 4. 
• Iowa State rose two spots to No. 6 overall after two comfortable home victories over Nebraska Omaha and Morgan State. The defensive-minded Cyclones actually rank fourth in adjusted offensive efficiency, per KenPom, a scary thought for the rest of college basketball. 
• Alabama dropped seven spots to No. 13 overall in our power rankings after a shaky 97-90 victory at North Dakota. The Crimson Tide do not force turnovers and rely very heavily on the 3P shot. Alabama attempts 48.8% of its shots from 3P range, 25th-most in the country. That level of variance is always vulnerable to an upset. 
• The biggest riser overall was UCLA, who moved up eight spots to No. 18 overall in our FTN Power Rankings. The Bruins saw their nine-game win streak end in a tough 76-74 loss to North Carolina at Madison Square Garden. UCLA ranks fourth-overall in adjusted defensive efficiency per KenPom and first overall in defensive turnover percentage. The Bruins get a fantastic chance to offset that loss with a December 28 meeting with Gonzaga, in Inglewood, California.