College Basketball AP Poll vs. KenPom Top 25 data: Which teams rank first and bottom 3?

The preseason AP poll and the Ken Pomeroy (KenPom) rankings released on Monday, setting the tone for the 2024-25 college basketball season.

The preseason AP poll, which is compiled from the votes of 62 sportswriters and broadcasters covering the NCAA beat, listed its top 25 for the upcoming season and placed Kansas as the No. 1 seeded team with 1,449 points.

The Jayhawks, which garnered 30 first-place votes, open the new season boasting one of the strongest lineups on paper. They gained quality players from the transfer portal, including Zeke Mayo, AJ Storr and Rylan Griffen, and five-star recruit Flory Bidunga. Seven-foot-two center Hunter Dickinson is set to lead Kansas' charge along with returning guard Dajuan Harris Jr.

Alabama, which is fresh off a Final Four appearance in the 2024 NCAA Tournament, is second in the AP poll with 1,428 points. The Crimson Tide, which had 14 first-place votes, will have a solid core, led by returning guard Mark Sears, Latrell Wrightsell and Grant Nelson.

The Nate Oats-coached team has also recruited a ton of high-quality players in transfers Chris Youngblood and Clifford Omoruyi plus freshmen Derrion Reed and Aiden Sherell.

Defending back-to-back champions UConn are third in the AP poll with 1,345 points (11 first-place votes). The Huskies remain a solid crew this season, with veteran forward Alex Karaban and guard Hassan Diarra leading the charge.

UConn also added Aidan Mahaney from Saint Mary's and Tarris Reed from Michigan. It also acquired five-star forward Liam McNeeley to solidify its bid for a three-peat.

Two Southeastern Conference teams and a Big Ten squad with two five-star recruits occupy the 23rd to 25th spots in the AP Poll. They are Kentucky (23rd), Ole Miss (24th) and Rutgers (25th).

Kentucky, under new coach Mark Pope, garnered 191 points, while conference mates Ole Miss had 132. Rutgers, which will parade five-star sensations Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey, round up the top 25 with 102 points.

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KenPom rankings offer a different top 3

KenPom rankings offer a different top 3. The KenPom college basketball rankings were issued on Monday, less than three weeks before the start of the 2024-25 college basketball season.

The ratings are determined by a bunch of variables, including adjusted offensive efficiency rating (ORtg), adjusted defensive efficiency rating (DRtg), adjusted tempo (AdjT) and net rating (NetRtg).

Houston occupies the top spot in its top 25 with a net rating of +29.45. It has the fifth-best ORtg of 114.2 and the best DRTg of 84.7. Its AdjT is 67.8 which is one of the slowest in the nation.

Second in the rankings is Duke with a NetRtg of +26.67. The Blue Devils have an ORtg of 114.0 (7th), DRtg of 87.4 (3rd) and AdjT of 69.9 (278th). Following Duke is Auburn with a +26.21 NetRtg. The Tigers are ninth in ORtg at 114.0, fifth in DRtg at 87.8 and 58th in AdjT at 72.6.

As for the bottom three of the KenPom top 25, Illinois is 23rd with a +18.76 NetRtg on 111.1 ORtg (16th), 92.3 DRtg (40th) and 72.4 AdjT (76th).

ACC squad Clemson occupies the 24th spot with a NetRtg of +18.62. It has an ORtg of 110.6 (22nd), DRtg of 91.9 (35th) and AdjT of 70.0 (265th). Rounding out the top 25 in the initial rankings is Arkansas with a NetRtg of +18.41. The Razorbacks are ranked 37th in ORtg at 109.2, 22nd in DRtg at 90.8 and 32nd in AdjT at 73.2.

The AP Poll and the KenPom ratings are the experts' basis for every season's power rankings. These are key tools for various sports analysts who want to go deeper into how teams are ranked in the NCAA during the regular season proper from November-March.