There are five undefeated teams left in college basketball as we hit the holiday break for most teams in what has been a crazy start to the season. Out of the five undefeated teams, two are from the Big 12 and one each from the SEC, Pac-12, and Mountain West. There’s still a long way to go in the college basketball season as the majority of teams are set to begin conference play soon after Christmas and we can’t wait to see what’s in store for the undefeated teams as the season rolls on.
College Basketball: Undefeated Teams
USC (12-0 Overall; 2-0 Conference)
USC is the only undefeated team in college basketball that has played any conference games to this point. They sit as the number eight team in the nation with 12 wins, two of them against conference opponents in Utah and Washington State. They’re led by Isaiah Mobley, who is nearly averaging a double-double with 15 points and 9.6 rebounds per game.
The Trojans have had a breakout season from Chevez Goodwin, who’s averaged 13.2 points and 7.1 rebounds per game. Boogie Ellis, a transfer from Memphis, also has played a significant role so far this season. USC will now enter permanent conference play with a couple of tough opponents to start.
Iowa State (12-0 Overall; 0-0 Conference)
Also undefeated at 12-0 is Iowa State, who is tied up on the top of the Big 12 with Baylor. They’ve had a few big wins this season over Xavier, Memphis, Creighton, and Iowa. Three of the four wins were on the road. There’s a few players to credit for Iowa State’s success but none bigger than Izaiah Brockington. He’s averaging 16.9 points and 8.4 rebounds per game while shooting exactly 50 percent from the field. The Cyclones now have over a week to prepare for their biggest test to date on New Year’s Day when they face the number one team in the country, Baylor.
LSU (12-0 Overall; 0-0 Conference)
Coming into the holiday break, LSU is undefeated in college basketball as the number 17 team in the country. The duo of Tari Eason and Darius Days has been on fire as both are averaging 15 or more points per game with Eason averaging 7.5 rebounds and Days averaging 8.5.
Their efforts have catapulted the team to 12th in the country in rebounds. LSU is also top-30 in rebounds and first in steals. This team is tough and has all the making of a team poised to make a run but their schedule gets brutal headed into SEC play as they take on Auburn before the year ends, a team who is chasing them for the top spot in the conference.
Baylor (11-0 Overall; 0-0 Conference)
As mentioned, Baylor isn’t only tied atop the Big 12 with Iowa State but they’re the number one team in the nation. The Bears have impressive wins over teams like Michigan State, Stanford, and VCU but their most impressive win by far was against Villanova, one of the best overall teams in the nation. Not only did Baylor beat Villanova but they completely dominated in a 57-36 victory.
Despite losing four starters from last season, they’re able to get the job done with talents like Kendall Brown (13.1 PPG) and LJ Cryer (13.6 PPG). Baylor is top-30 in both points scored and field-goal percentage but also are sixth in assists and fifth in steals. Like last year, this team is looking to make a run on their way to back-to-back championships but their quest starts getting bumpy as they have a huge matchup against undefeated Iowa State to start the new year.
Colorado State (10-0 Overall; 0-0 Conference) (Mountain West)
Colorado State is the most surprising undefeated team on this list. The Rams are ranked number 21 in the country headed into conference play and are trending up. They can pass the rock and create turnovers, which is a great recipe for success as they rank in the top-20 in both categories. Colorado State is also the best shooting team in the country as they are 2nd in three-point percentage and first overall in field-goal percentage.
David Roddy contributes big to these stats as he averages 20.4 points per game while shooting nearly 60 percent from the field. Isaiah Stevens is also contributing at a high rate as he leads the team in assists and steals while averaging 7.3 points per game. When they enter conference play, they’ll have three tough tests right out of the gate as the Rams face three teams with only four losses.
Main Photo:
