Duke transfer running back Star Thomas has spent the last 24 hours in Knoxville visiting Tennessee. After the trip, Volquest caught up with him to discuss where things stand in his recruitment. “I enjoyed everything about it,

Midweek performances from high-profile college basketball teams ran the gamut from stunningly impressive to absolutely putrid as conference play ramped up during the first full week of the 2025 calendar year.

Auburn is back in the top spot in Monday’s KenPom update after going 2-0 in SEC play last week. The Tigers jump Duke for the No. 1 slot by creating separation in the efficiency margin category. Auburn begins the week with a +36.03 efficiency margin, Duke is No. 2 with a margin of +35.67.

FOX Sports national college basketball writer John Fanta reveals his latest top 25 rankings, with Michigan State and Duke on the rise.

Since losing two of three at the Players Era Festival, Houston has been the best team in college hoops, per Bart Torvik, and has a ridiculous 79.6 adjusted defensive efficiency. Tennessee is just holding on to the best defense crown at KenPom over Houston — 87.1 to 87.3 — but the Coogs are coming.

Johni Broome 's injury makes Auburn's spot more tenuous, but the Tigers beat Mississippi State by 22 even without him. Duke is barely breaking a sweat while blowing out inferior ACC competition. And then there's Iowa State, which has only a two-point loss to Auburn blemishing its résumé and just dispatched Kansas by 17.

Tennessee will open its 2025 baseball season on Feb. 14 versus Hofstra at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. The Vols will host Hofstra for a three-game nonconference series. Tennessee will also compete in the 25th annual Astros Foundation College Classic at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas.

Highland School (Va.) five-star forward Nate Ament is already on tap to check out the Duke basketball program once again come early February, coinciding with the Blue Devils' home game against the archrival UNC Tar Heels in Cameron Indoor Stadium on Saturday, Feb. 1, at 6:30 p.m. ET (ESPN).

That said, Cooper Flagg & Co.'s next opponent, Blue Devil alum Jeff Capel's Pitt Panthers (12-2, 3-0 ACC), now boasts the most votes among all unranked teams this week. So, the Panthers, riding a five-game winning streak, effectively stack up at No. 26 in the country.

Mike Lopresti is a member of the US Basketball Writers Hall of Fame, Ball State journalism Hall of Fame and Indiana Sportswriters and Sportscasters Hall of Fame. He has covered college basketball for 43 years, including 39 Final Fours. He is so old he covered Bob Knight when he had dark hair and basketball shorts were actually short.

Farther down the poll, Michigan State made a significant jump, rising four spots to No. 12 following a 34-point rout of Washington and a win over Northwestern on the road Sunday. Illinois dropped six spots down to No. 19 after its double-digit loss to unranked USC without star freshman Kasparas Jakucionis.

Auburn climbed to No. 1 in the men's AP Top 25, while fellow SEC program Georgia is in the rankings for the first time in 14 years.