Faculty basketball energy rankings: UConn holds at No. 1, Arizona and UCLA are top-5, Alabama again into high 10

I hope you are having a comfy and calm week between Christmas and New 12 months’s. Thanks for stopping by. Regardless of a lighter schedule in latest days, there was sufficient motion throughout the nation to validate refreshing the ability rankings within the ultimate week of 2022. On that notice, in case you missed it, we simply revealed my ’22 12 months in Assessment, whereby I ranked the 22 greatest tales in faculty hoops over the previous 12 months. What I did not get to do in that story, and what I would wish to shortly do right here earlier than we get to the Hey Nineteen, is shine a light-weight on my colleagues’ work right here at CBSSports.com from this 12 months. 

If you end up with some spare time this weekend, I would suggest giving these items a learn. 

From Kyle Boone …

• Bronny James goes to decide to and play for a college in 2023. In August, Boone wrote the need-to-know piece about his growth and what we should always count on from Bronny as soon as he will get to the following degree.
• Essentially the most tantalizing prospect since LeBron James is Frenchman Victor Wembanyama, who will probably be drafted in 2023. Learn Boone’s definitive primer on him right here.
• Probably the greatest gamers to go undrafted was somebody you would possibly by no means heard of, however Boone did an amazing job profiling his rise upfront of the NBA Draft.

From David Cobb …

• Cobb’s finest story from 2022 is a dive into the turnaround at Southern Miss. I give it an pressing advice. 
• Have a look round you may see increasingly offspring enjoying within the professional ranks in basketball and soccer. Cobb highlighted this and gave a short historical past lesson on Father’s Day.
• An neglected plot line by many (however not Cobb) of Kansas’ nationwide title was the motivation for a lot of Jayhawks gamers who have been snubbed of a Closing 4 run in 2020. 

From Gary Parrish …

• Considering again to March, GP’s column on officiating marring the leisure worth of March Insanity rang true then and will probably be related once more in ’23.
• I additionally appreciated Parrish’s piece that immediately mirrored on the wild sport that allowed North Carolina’s story to proceed. Bear in mind when the Tar Heels nearly blew it towards Baylor?
• Trying ahead to 2023, Parrish thinks Kansas followers needn’t be too frightened concerning the IARP’s case towards Invoice Self and the Jayhawks. 

As for yours really, the story I took essentially the most satisfaction in reporting was detailing the lives, worries and circumstances of seven Ukrainian faculty basketball gamers, who have been making an attempt to play out the top of their seasons as battle besieged their homeland. I additionally loved flying non-public with Florida in July and reporting on what it is like for a first-year high-major coach to construct a program. And one among our most-read items of the 12 months was this expansive profile on Chet Holmgren within the thick of Gonzaga’s chase for a high seed.

Because the 12 months closes, my because of all of you for persevering with to learn our protection right here at CBS Sports activities. Convention play is right here in full, so allow us to transfer on to the rankings!

Hey Nineteen Energy Rankings

Reminder: My rankings aren’t solely about whom I believe is “finest.” It is a weekly encapsulation of the 19 hottest, most profitable and/or most *fascinating* groups, combining workforce high quality with win high quality but in addition having no disgrace for recency bias and rewarding important profitable streaks. Courteous suggestions is inspired: @MattNorlander.