Top 25 Mid-Majors: Wild Opening Week of 2025

The opening week of 2025 college basketball delivered non-stop excitement. Recap the biggest wins, best players, and upcoming must-watch games.

Jan 06, 2025

It was a chaotic opening week to 2025. We had some incredible slates across New Year’s Eve and Day, going into this weekend where we had 139 games on Saturday alone. Conference play is in full swing and we are starting to see teams separate themselves from others. As a result, we had quite a bit of movement in the Top 25 rankings this week, so let’s dive in and recap the last week of college basketball.

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Utah State remains at the top of our rankings this week after picking up a 69-64 victory over Nevada and an 89-83 win over Fresno State. Mason Falslev and Ian Martinez were a lethal duo, averaging a combined 30.5 points in the two games. The Aggies are now 14-1 on the season with a couple solid matchups this week against San Jose State on Tuesday and Boise State on Saturday.

Memphis kept it rolling against Florida Atlantic and North Texas this week. They took down the Owls 90-62, but had a tough battle against a solid North Texas squad on Sunday. The Tigers fending the Mean Green off 68-64 behind PJ Haggerty’s 27 points. The Tigers will surely move up a bit in the AP poll this week amidst their three game winning streak. The Tigers have a light schedule this week, playing just one game against East Carolina on Saturday.

San Diego State played just once this week, taking down Boise State 76-68. Miles Byrd dropped 22 points as the Aztecs shot 44.3% overall and outrebounded the Broncos 39-29. Their stout defense (24th in 3pt percentage) held Boise State to just 7-30 shooting from outside the arc. San Diego State will take on Air Force on Wednesday and New Mexico on Saturday. Saturday’s matchup will have huge implications for the Aztecs, but winning at the Pit isn’t easy. You’re going to want to tune into CBS this weekend.

Saint Mary’s and New Mexico both went undefeated this week. The Gaels took down Pepperdine and Portland by 30 and 23 each. After stumbling a bit and dropped a two point overtime loss to Boise State and a seven point loss to Utah State at home, the Gaels have done exactly what they needed to get back on track. New Mexico took down Fresno State 103-89 and Nevada 82-81 in overtime. The Lobos are in the midst of a five game winning streak and have an ultimate test this weekend against San Diego State. The Lobos also take on Wyoming who has been a bit of a surprise at 9-6 with a three point victory over Nevada.

St. Bonaventure has worked their way up to our top ten teams after continuing their winning streak. The Bonnies are now 14-1 on the season and 2-0 in the Atlantic 10 after taking down Fordham and VCU in their home opener on New Year’s Eve. Melvin Council Jr was a machine this week, averaging 22 points, six assists, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.5 steals across both games. The Bonnies are up to 66th in KenPom and 52nd in the NET. They take on Saint Louis and La Salle this week. Saint Louis has started to right the ship with Robbie Avila coming back from his ankle injury. The Billikens are 9-6 and on a three game winning streak including a decisive 16 point victory over Saint Joseph’s this past week. Pencil in the matchup between the two undefeated A-10 teams on Wednesday, January 8th.

Looking outside the top ten, Drake had a tough week. After starting 12-0 and 2-0 in conference, the Bulldogs fell to UIC 74-70 and Murray State 66-59. Despite Bennett Stirtz dropping 30 points against UIC, the Bulldogs couldn’t hold UIC on the defensive end. The Flames shot 57.4% from the floor and 47.1% from deep. The Flames are going to be sneaky in the Missouri Valley, keep an eye on them. Murray State made Drake look uncomfortable nearly the entire game. Terence Harcum was the key for the Racers, dropping 20 points. Drake on the other hand was limited to just 4-14 shooting from 3pt. This was an excellent win for the Racers, but after dropping two in a row, we dropped Drake seven spots down to #14.

UC San Diego just keeps winning as the Tritons are now up to 11 games in a row. They played just one game this week against Cal State Fullerton, but won 90-51. The game of the year in the Big West is coming this week as UC San Diego and UC Irvine will go head-to-head on Saturday, January 11th. The chances of a two-bid Big West are practically over with UC Irvine dropping a game to Duquesne, but this game has huge implications for how the Big West will shape out as the season continues. You’re not going to want to miss this one at 9pm on ESPNU.

We have two newcomers in George Washington and Samford. The Revolutionaries made their statement, taking down Dayton 82-62. They held the Flyers to just 35% shooting overall and 26.7% from deep. They dished out 16 assists on 28 made shots, while Christian Jonoes scored 23 and Gerald Drumgoole had 21 points. The most notable feat is, their best player Darren Buchanan didn’t play in the game. This was an incredible win for a team that is flying under the radar due to their non-conference schedule. George Washington is now 12-3 on the season and 1-1 in the A-10.

Bucky McMillian once again has the Samford Bulldogs rolling. Samford is 12-3 with their three losses coming from Cornell by two, Michigan state by eight, and Arizona by 32. Trey Fort is averaging 15.2 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.4 assists on 44.4% shooting and 44% 3pt shooting. Their top four players are all averaging 42% or better from deep as they rank 8th in the country. Overall, their offense is 41th in offensive efficiency, 11th in effective field goal percentage, and 58th in 2pt percentage. Buckyball is rolling in Alabama. It’s going to be a battle between the Bulldogs and Furman in the SoCon this season.

Dropping out this week are Louisiana Tech and Wichita State. For Louisiana Tech, they fell to UTEP 70-60 and New Mexico State 78-48. After starting the season 11-2, I didn’t imagine and 0-2 start in the Conference USA. UTEP racked up 15 steals against the Bulldogs, limiting them to just 29% shooting from deep. Against New Mexico State, they shot 31.5% overall and 21.2% from 3pt, while the Aggies shot 55.6%. Tough week for the Bulldogs.

For the Shockers, they fell to Temple 91-85. They are now 10-4 on the season after bouncing back against Kansas State from losing to DePaul and Kansas City. It’s been an up-and-down season, but they’ll look to bounce back this week against South Florida and UT San Antonio.

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