A debate is still underway over whether Arizona is the best team in the conference. Yet, throughout the first three weeks of the season, one thing is certain – the Wildcats have the best resume in all of College Basketball.

It started on opening night with a 93-89 win over No. 3 Florida – the defending national champions – in Las Vegas. A week and a half later, Arizona won a gritty matchup against former Pac-12 rival No. 15 UCLA 69-65 at the Intuit Dome.

However, last week was the Wildcats' most impressive win of the season. Arizona traveled to the Harry A. Gampel Pavilion to play No. 3 UConn.

In a back-and-forth affair between two top-five teams, the Wildcats came out victorious, defeating UConn 71-67 despite a late surge by the Huskies. Arizona is now 5-0 on the season with three ranked victories, two of which came against top-five teams.

In the most recent AP Poll, Arizona went up two spots to No. 2 in the country, sitting just behind Purdue.

After beginning the season with a brutal road stretch, Arizona will have its next three games at its home in the McKale Center. This week, the Wildcats host the Denver Pioneers on Monday and the Norfolk State Spartans on Saturday.

2. Houston (5-0)

So far, it’s been a relaxing start to the season for the Cougars. The only game that caused some stress was a 73-72 win over Auburn at a neutral site, with freshman guard Kingston Flemings leading the team in scoring with 22 points.

The other four Houston games have been tune-ups, with dominant showings at home in the Fertitta Center. The Cougars were ranked No. 1 in the country for one week before being jumped by Purdue a couple of weeks ago.

Houston’s lone game last week was a 91-45 home win over the Rider Broncs on Thursday. Flemings led the team in scoring once again with 18 points, senior guard Emanuel Sharp had 15 points, and sophomore guard Mercy Miller scored 14 points off the bench.

Houston went down from No. 2 to No. 3 in this week’s AP Poll, with Arizona jumping them.

This week, Houston will play in the Players Era Championship at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is scheduled to play Syracuse on Monday and Tennessee on Tuesday, plus an additional game on Wednesday.

3. BYU (4-1)

Following its 86-84 loss to UConn in the Amica Insurance Hall of Fame Series Boston, BYU needed to make a statement.

That chance came last Friday, as the No. 9 Cougars hosted No. 23 Wisconsin in a neutral-site game at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City. Both teams played on the Utah Jazz NBA in-season tournament customized court because the Jazz were playing the Oklahoma City Thunder later that night. 

With senior guard Richie Saunders leading the way with 26 points, BYU used an aerial scoring attack to defeat the Badgers 98-70. Freshman AJ Dybansta also scored 18 points, although most of the points came from the free throw line – he went 11-of-12 from the stripe.

Although the Cougars lost to UConn by only two, this win over Wisconsin gives BYU and its fans hope that the expectations the team set at the beginning of the season will be met.

The Cougars remained at No. 9 in the AP Poll this week, ranking third in the conference.

This week, BYU will play in the Terry’s Chocolate ESPN Events Invitational. The Cougars play Miami on Thursday, and depending on the result, the winner/loser of Dayton vs Georgetown.

4. Iowa State (4-0)

There hasn’t been too much to add on Iowa State throughout the first three weeks of the season. And it’s really because its matchups have been favorable.

The Cyclones have played their three home games against lower-division opponents, and their only non-home game was a neutral-site matchup against Mississippi State, which Iowa State won 96-80.

Scoring production for Iowa State this season has gone through three players – senior guard Tamin Lipsey (19 points per game), senior forward Joshua Jefferson (18.8 points per game) and junior forward Milan Momcilovic (15.3 points per game).

Lipsey has also been one of the team’s best defenders, averaging 3.8 steals per game – fourth in the country.

Iowa State jumped up one spot in the Top 25, heading into the week as the No. 15 team in the country.

This week, the Cyclones will partake in the Players Era Festival, starting with their first game against a ranked opponent this season – No. 14 St John’s. They also play Crieghton on Tuesday and potentially more if they can win their games.

5. Texas Tech (4-2)

The season so far for Texas Tech hasn’t been a great one, not in the record it has, but the teams it has lost to.

Both losses for the Red Raiders have come against ranked opponents – the first one to No. 14 Illinois and the second one to No. 1 Purdue.

The 81-77 loss to the Fighting Illini was a close one for Texas Tech, one that was a little controversial, since the Red Raiders took only four free throws all game.

But it was the 86-56 loss to the Boilmakers in the Baha Mar Championship that was a little concerning. Yes, Purdue is the No. 1 team in the country but you would think a team of Texas Tech’s caliber would keep the game closer than it did.

After going down four spots last week, the Red Raiders went down another five spots in the AP Poll this week, coming in at No. 20.

This week, Texas Tech will get two games at home to get back on track – hosting New Orleans on Wednesday and hosting Wyoming on Sunday.

6. Baylor (3-0)

The Bears head into the Players Era Festival, similar to Texas Tech, with some potentially a little rust on them, as they haven’t played a game in 10 days.

Baylor had its first three games at home in the Foster Pavilion, winning all three games. The most notable win was a 78-69 win against Washington.

Sophomore guard Cameron Carr has been the leading scorer for the Bears throughout the first three weeks of the season, scoring 28 and 27 points against UT Rio Grande Valley and Tarleton State.

The game against Tarelton State was on Nov 14, and Baylor has not played since. It will play on Monday to begin the Players Era Festival, as Baylor plays Creighton.

7. Kansas (3-2)

After starting the season ranked No. 19, the Jayhawks are the first team from the Big 12 to fall out of the Top 25.

Kansas had one game last week, a neutral-site matchup against No. 5 Duke at Madison Square Garden. Despite 22 points from senior guard Tre White, the Jayhawks got no scoring from their bench, which would be their downfall.

Now Kansas sits at 3-2 on the year with already another loss to No. 25 North Carolina a couple of weeks back.

This week, the Jayhawks will play in the Players Era Festival. On Monday, they play Notre Dame, then Syracuse on Tuesday – plus additional games depending on how they play.

8. Kansas State (5-1)

The Wildcats have gotten the season off to a nice start. After two home wins against UNC Greensboro and Bellarmine, Kansas State secured victories over California and Tulsa – the latter a 84-83 home win.

The Wildcats participated in the Hall of Fame Classic at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City. They defeated Mississippi State in blowout fashion 98-77, before picking up their first loss of the season – losing a heartbreaker to Nebraska 86-85.

Junior guard P.J. Haggerty has been everything Kansas State fans envisioned him to be when he transferred to Manhattan from Memphis in the offseason. Haggerty is averaging 28 points per game through the first six games, 5.3 rebounds per game, 6.3 assists per game, and 56% from the field.

Kansas State is not ranked but it received 13 votes in the Top 25 this week, unofficially ranked No. 31.

The Wildcats only have one game this week, a road matchup on Tuesday against Indiana in Bloomington.

9. Cincinnati (4-1)

After beginning the season 4-0 with all four games at the Fifth Third Arena, the Bearcats took their first loss of the season against No. 6 Louisville 74-64. The game was at a neutral site, but still played in Cincinnati at the Heritage Bank Center.

Cincinnati played a close game with the Cardinals for most of the game, playing good defense – Louisville shot 38% from the field. But Cincinnati produced a similar offensive result, and the Cardinals’ talent put the game away.

Despite the loss, it was still a reasonable effort for coach Wes Miller’s squad, keeping up with a borderline top-five team in the country.

Senior forward Baba Miller has been the team’s best player through five games, averaging 14.4 points per game and 10 rebounds per game – averaging a double-double.

The Bearcats will return home this week for two more games at home – NJIT on Monday and Eastern Michigan on Wednesday.

10. Oklahoma State (6-0)

It is only non-conference play, but through the first three weeks, Oklahoma State currently has the best record in the entire conference, winning its first six games of the season. 

The only problem is that the jury is still out on whether the Cowboys are a legitimate team in the conference but regardless, it’s still a good start for a team that many didn’t have too many expectations of heading into the season.

Last week, Oklahoma State won two home games at the Gallagher-Iba Arena. The Cowboys defeated South Florida 103-95 in a high-scoring affair on Wednesday, and followed it up with a 95-81 win against Nicholls on Saturday.

Junior guard Jalen Curry scored 30 points off the bench in the team’s win against Nicholls.

This week, Oklahoma State only has one game, a neutral-site matchup against Northwestern at the United Center in Chicago.

11. West Virginia (5-2)

The Mountaineers got off to an undefeated start to the season, which included a 71-49 blowout win against rival Pittsburgh.

But last weekend, West Virginia participated in the Shriners Children’s Charleston Classic and lost both games it played. A last-second 70-67 loss to Clemson on Friday and a 78-68 loss to Xavier two days later.

The rest of the non-conference slate for the Mountaineers is rather manageable, with only games against Wake Forest and Ohio State looming, but there’s a chance they can be at only two or three losses when conference play begins.

Senior guard Honor Huff leads the team in scoring with 17 points per game. While senior guard Jasper Floyd leads the team in assists (4.0) and steals (2.7).

This week, West Virginia only has one game on Sunday at him, as it will host Mercyhurst.

12. Arizona State (6-2)

So far through the first few games of the season, Arizona State hasn’t looked elite, but it looks far from the bottom-feeder people predicted it to be.

The Sun Devils have found some intriguing talent. Some of whom include senior guard Maurice “Moe” Odum, senior guard Anthony “Pig” Johnson, and freshman center Massamba Diop.

ASU’s only loss on the season was a 77-65 loss to No. 19 Gonzaga, a team that has since risen in the rankings. The Sun Devils kept it close for most of the game but the Bulldogs would pull away.

ASU went down to Honolulu, Hawai’i, to play the Rainbow Warriors last Thursday in some Big 12 after dark action with a 12 a.m. ET start time. The Sun Devils won 83-76.

UPDATE: A 2-1 Maui Invitational sends ASU home at 6-2. 

13. UCF (5-1)

The Knights, similar to Arizona State, have also been a team that did not have high expectations heading into the season but seems to be a sneaky surprise team.

UCF began the season a little shaky. It snuck by Hostra 82-78 and followed that with a 105-93 home loss against Vanderbilt.

But the Knights have won their last three games, including a 77-67 win over Pittsburgh.

UCF played great defense with its opposition shooting 39% from the field and shooting 7-of-27 from beyond the arc.

The Knights will only play one game this Saturday – a home matchup against VMI.

14. Colorado (5-0)

The Buffaloes may be 5-0 on the season, but it’s a very deceiving 5-0.

Colorado has had some close games to begin the season. Some of which were a 84-78 win against Montana State, a 97-88 against Providence and a 102-97 victory against Eastern Washington in overtime.

It’s just been a bit of a sloppy start to the season, and while it may work now to begin the season, things may not be so gracious once conference play begins.

The Buffaloes’ non-conference schedule is rather favorable, as the only notable games are against Colorado State, UTSA and Stanford.

This week, Colorado only has one matchup. A neutral site matchup on Thursday against San Francisco.

15. TCU (3-2)

It may be a little harsh to put the Horned Frogs this low because of the fight they put up against No. 6 Michigan, losing 67-63.

But there is one glaring loss that puts them here in the rankings. A 78-74 loss at home against New Orleans to open the season.

As CBS Sports Network analyst Jon Rothstein says: “The epitome of brutality.”

The loss seems to have inspired TCU since then as it has won three of its last four games, but the team still has some glaring questions to answer.

While it kept it close to Michigan earlier in the month, the next test will come on Thursday as the Horned Frogs will open the Rady Children’s Invitation against No. 10 Florida

16. Utah (5-1)

Similar to Colorado, Utah is a team whose first five wins of the season did not inspire confidence in the fanbase.

Four of its first five wins – against San Jose State, Weber State, Sam Houston, and Purdue Fort Wayne – all came in single digits. The Utes' lone double-digit win came against Holy Cross 87-69.

The luck ran out for the Runnin’ Utes last Thursday as the team ran into Cal Poly. Utah blew out the Mustangs 63-9 in football a few months ago, but in the world of men’s basketball, the Utes lost 92-85.

While coach Alex Jenkins is only in his first few games, it seems his team still needs time to gel before conference play begins.

Utah will begin play in the Acrisure Series this Tuesday, facing Grand Canyon.