Every preseason, on the Eye On College Basketball Podcast, Matt Norlander and I predict who will be the sport's last undefeated team. This year, I took Florida and Norlander took Virginia while our producer, Josh Mullenix, went with BYU, and I'm starting to think the Cougars could end up being the right answer.
BYU improved to 4-0 late Thursday with an 86-71 no-issues victory over Montana State. Next up is Wednesday's game with Northern Colorado. And a quick glance at the schedule shows BYU will not play another currently ranked team until at least the championship game of the Maui Invitational, and only then if Arizona advances to it.
Beyond that possible matchup, there's not another game against a currently ranked opponent on the non-league portion of the schedule. So, based on current computer numbers, unless BYU plays Arizona in the championship game of the Maui Invitational, the Cougars won't be underdogs in any contest until they host Kansas on January 9.
That doesn't guarantee BYU will start 16-0, obviously. But it does suggest that BYU might really be favored in each of its first 16 games.
BYU remains No. 22 in Friday morning's updated CBS Sports Top 25 And 1 daily college basketball rankings, where Florida, the preseason No. 1, remains No. 1 for the 13th straight day of this season. The Gators will be back on the court Friday night, when they host Merrimack inside the Stephen C. O'Connell Center. After that, it's off to the Players Era in Las Vegas with an event-opening game against Notre Dame.Top 25 And 1 rankings
Rk | Teams | Chg | Rcrd | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | Thomas Haugh finished with 21 points and 10 rebounds in Tuesday's 81-72 win at Florida State. The Gators' next game is Friday against Merrimack. | -- | 3-0 |
| 2 |  | Silas Demary finished with 18 points and six steals in Monday's 83-41 win over Wagner. The Huskies' next game is Friday against Ohio State. | -- | 3-0 |
| 3 |  | Tre White finished with 30 points and six rebounds in Tuesday's 89-69 win over Kentucky. The Jayhawks' next gameis Tuesday vs. UNLV in the Players Era in Las Vegas. | -- | 3-0 |
| 4 |  | Jeremy Fears Jr. finished with 18 points and 11 assists in Tuesday's 79-73 win over Duke. The Spartans' next game is Friday against Northern Iowa. | -- | 3-0 |
| 5 |  | John Blackwell missed 10 of the 16 shots he attempted in Tuesday's 79-73 loss to Michigan State. The Blue Devils' next game is Friday against SIUE. | -- | 2-1 |
| 6 |  | Matas Vokietaitis finished with 26 points and nine rebounds in Monday's 93-62 win over Grambling. The Longhorns' next game is Sunday against Baylor. | -- | 3-0 |
| 7 |  | Obinna Ekezie Jr. finished with 20 points and 13 rebounds in Saturday's 107-57 win over Morehead State. The Cardinals' next game is Nov. 15 at Memphis. | -- | 2-0 |
| 8 |  | Chance Mallory finished with 16 points and six assists in Tuesday's 95-61 win over Bucknell. The Cavaliers' next game is Friday at Maryland. | -- | 4-0 |
| 9 |  | Davis Fogle finished with 22 points and six assists in Saturday's 83-62 win over New Mexico State. The Zags' next game is Saturday against LSU. | -- | 2-0 |
| 10 |  | Keyshawn Hall finished with 17 points and four assists in Wednesday's 90-59 win over Colgate. The Red Storm's next game is Sunday against Syracuse. | -- | 3-0 |
| 11 |  | Dedan Thomas Jr. finished with 17 points and seven assists in Wednesday's 92-46 win over Jacksonville State. The Cougars' next game is Tuesday against Rutgers. | -- | 3-0 |
| 12 |  | Nikola Kusturica finished with 17 points and three assists in Wednesday's 106-37 win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff. The Bruins' next game is Monday against Long Beach State. | -- | 3-0 |
| 13 |  | Cruz Davis finished with 20 points and five assists in Tuesday's 84-78 win over Illinois. The Red Raiders' next game is Saturday against Stonehill. | -- | 3-0 |
| 14 |  | Stefan Vaaks missed nine of the 12 shots he attempted in Tuesday's 84-78 loss at Texas Tech. The Illini's next game is Friday against Sam Houston State. | -- | 2-1 |
| 15 |  | Ivan Kharchenkov finished with 20 points and seven rebounds in Tuesday's 90-59 win over Northern Arizona. The Wildcats' next game is Friday at Auburn. | -- | 2-1 |
| 16 |  | Terrence Hill Jr. finished with 18 points and three assists in Monday's 70-47 win over Radford. The Vols' next game is Friday against Tennessee State. | -- | 2-0 |
| 17 |  | Malik Reneau finished with 16 points and five rebounds in Monday's 89-51 win over North Florida. The Hurricanes' next game is Friday against North Alabama. | -- | 2-1 |
| 18 |  | Billy Richmond III finished with 16 points and four assists in Wednesday's 76-53 win over Robert Morris. The Razorbacks' next game is Friday against Central Arkansas. | -- | 2-1 |
| 19 |  | London Jemison finished with 20 points and three assists in Monday's 109-68 win over Oakland. The Crimson Tide's next game is Friday against Seton Hall. | -- | 3-0 |
| 20 |  | Elliott Cadeau finished with 17 points and 10 assists in Wednesday's 84-70 win over Marquette. The Wolverines' next game is Sunday against William & Mary. | -- | 2-1 |
| 21 |  | Alijah Arenas finished with 19 points and seven rebounds in Wednesday's 77-65 win over Cal. The Trojans' next game is Sunday against Arkansas Pine-Bluff. | -- | 3-0 |
| 22 |  | Robert Wright III finished with 22 points and seven assists in Thursday's 86-71 win over Montana State. The Cougars' next game is Wednesday against Northern Colorado. | -- | 4-0 |
| 23 |  | Ace Glass finished with 23 points and two rebounds in Tuesday's 105-81 win over Memphis. The Commodores' next game is Friday against Prairie View A&M. | -- | 3-0 |
| 24 |  | Pryce Sandfort finished with 22 points and eight rebounds in Wednesday's 94-60 win over Lindenwood. The Cornhuskers' next game is Sunday against Boise State. | -- | 3-0 |
| 25 |  | Trey Green finished with 22 points and two assists in Tuesday's 125-63 win over Northern Kentucky. The Billikens' next game is Sunday against High Point. | -- | 3-0 |
| 26 |  | Terrence Brown finished with 14 points and five rebounds in Tuesday's 76-63 win over Wyoming. The Tar Heels' next game is Friday against Georgia. | -- | 3-0 |
