Kentucky in crisis and the biggest risers and fallers in college basketball

The leash for coaches in college sports is getting shorter as the NIL era has brought on plenty of player movement, making it easier for programs to wonder why their coaches can’t turn things around quickly like Curt Cignetti did for Indiana football. That impatience led to a dramatic coaching carousel in football, highlighted by Lane Kiffin’s circus between Ole Miss and LSU, but we haven’t seen that kind of chaos move to the hardwood quite yet.

Kentucky could put that to the test as its fan base has grown quite frustrated with Mark Pope, who built an expensive roster of transfers that has looked overmatched against essentially every power conference team they’ve played. Friday night’s blowout loss to Gonzaga, which dropped the Wildcats out of this week’s AP Top 25 poll, saw Big Blue Nation members who made the trek to Nashville lustily boo Kentucky throughout the evening.

With another week of action in the books, how has the college basketball changed since the last stock watch? Let’s take a look at what you need to know for Week 6, beginning with a look at a fast-rising Iowa State side.

College Basketball Week 6 Stock Watch: Risers

Iowa State

The Cyclones put America on notice with an absolute beatdown of No. 1 Purdue at Mackey Arena on Saturday. The Boilermakers had looked dominant for most of the season but were completely outclassed by T.J. Otzelberger’s team, losing by 23 in the worst home loss for a No. 1 seed in non-conference ever.

With Houston off to a sluggish start by their standards, Iowa State now looks like the class of the Big 12 in the early going. The 9-0 Cyclones, who already have wins over St. John’s, Creighton and Mississippi State on their resume, jumped to No. 4 in the polls and picked up a first place vote ahead of this week’s in-state rivalry showdown against Bennett Stirz and Iowa.

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Duke

Finding different ways to win is a hallmark of a championship team and the Blue Devils have shown an ability to figure out how to earn victories of all…

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Publish date : 2025-12-09 19:58:00

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