First 2021 KenPom Poll Released; Check Out the Top 50
The first KenPom poll of 2021 was released on Wednesday morning, with Baylor taking the top spot. It was a sign of how powerful the Big 12 is supposed to be this year; five Big 12 teams were in KenPom’s Top 10.
Gonzaga was rated as the best offense while Virginia (no surprise) was the top defense. Another team of note is Rutgers, who came in at #27. The Scarlet Knights haven’t been to the NCAA Tournament since 1991. They likely would have made it in 2020 had it not been canceled due to COVID-19. They finished #28 in last season’s KenPom poll.
Here’s the Top 50:
- Baylor (Big 12)
- Gonzaga (WCC)
- Duke (ACC)
- Villanova (Big East)
- Kansas (Big 12)
- Texas Tech (Big 12)
- Wisconsin (Big 10)
- West Virginia (Big 12)
- Texas (Big 12)
- Ohio State (Big 10)
- Kentucky (SEC)
- Iowa (Big 10)
- Creighton (Big East)
- Louisville (ACC)
- Michigan State (Big 10)
- Virginia (ACC)
- Michigan (Big 10)
- Illinois (Big 10)
- Florida State (ACC)
- Tennessee (SEC)
- Oregon (Pac 12)
- Houston (American)
- North Carolina (ACC)
- Florida (SEC)
- Purdue (Big 10)
- Indiana (Big 10)
- Rutgers (Big 10)
- UCLA (Pac 12)
- Syracuse (ACC)
- Virginia Tech (ACC)
- Oklahoma (Big 12)
- Stanford (Pac 12)
- Oklahoma State (Big 12)
- Marquette (Big East)
- Minnesota (Big 10)
- Arizona State (Pac 12)
- LSU (SEC)
- Arizona (Pac 12)
- Memphis (American)
- Clemson (ACC)
- Miami (ACC)
- Ole Miss (SEC)
- UConn (Big East)
- San Diego State (MW)
- Saint Louis (A-10)
- Alabama (SEC)
- Loyola Chicago (MVC)
- USC (Pac 12)
- Dayton (A-10)
- Seton Hall (Big East)
Other notable rankings:
Worst major: #136 Washington State (Pac 12)
Worst team overall: #357 Mississippi Valley State (SWAC)
Rick Pitino watch: #271 Iona (MAAC)
You can see the entire poll here if you have a subscription.
College hoops will start on November 25th with a number of preseason tournaments and events.