College basketball power rankings: Who’s on top with conference play approaching?

F Lance Ware, Kentucky Wildcats. (Dylan Buell/Getty Images)

We’re on the doorstep of conference play. Which teams find themselves at the top of the heap in this week’s college basketball power rankings?

The end of 2022 is approaching and that means the start of conference play is about to kick into full gear. Most leagues have already played a handful of conference games at this point, but this week brings even more conference action that will help separate the wheat from the chaff in college basketball.

Where do things stand for the top teams as we get ready for the start of 2023? We’ll dive into this week’s college basketball rankings in just a bit, but first, we’ll start with the teams who just missed the cut.

Week 8 College Basketball Power Rankings – Honorable Mentions

Note: All rankings referenced in this story are based on the Week 7 AP Top 25 Poll.

Arkansas, Tennessee, Baylor, Kentucky, Wisconsin

There wasn’t a ton of movement at the top of the rankings so there wasn’t an opportunity for Arkansas, Tennessee or Baylor to advance out of this spot in Week 7. Duke and Mississippi State, who were in this section in last week’s rankings, drop out after losing their only games prior to Christmas.

The new entrants are Kentucky, which demolished Florida A&M and will look to embarrass Louisville even further this week, and Wisconsin. The Badgers haven’t gotten a ton of attention in the Big Ten but they are quietly off to a 9-2 start.