The No. 1 team in college basketball -- as of now, and according to the NCAA's official men's hoops metric -- is Ohio State. The Buckeyes sit atop the NET rankings, which made their 2019-20 debut Monday. It's the second straight season Ohio State has been the top team in the first version of the NET rankings. Here's the initial top 20 with full rankings at the bottom of this story.

1. Ohio State
2. Kansas
3. San Diego State
4. Butler
5. Baylor
6. Gonzaga
7. Auburn
8. Louisville
9. Stanford
10. Dayton
11. Maryland
12. West Virginia
13. Duke
14. Wichita State
15. Arizona
16. Memphis
17. Oregon
18. Penn State 
19. Liberty
20. Duquesne

The NET rankings, which are in their second year of existence and are the most highly prioritized sorting system for Division I men's basketball, will be viewable to the public every day for the remainder of the season at this link

The NET is important because, like the (thankfully now-dead) RPI before it, it functions as the classification instrument that influences much of the data on official team sheets. That data gives selection committee members reference for strength of schedule and determines Quad 1, 2, 3 and 4 wins and losses. 

After the 2018-19 debut version brought an onslaught of criticism for its shallow sample size -- it was released into the wild just 20 days into last season, making way for schools like Loyola-Marymount, Radford, Georgia Southern and San Francisco to make the top 26 -- this year's unsheathing was much more patient: we are 41 days deep into 2019-20. 

The NCAA's choice on this was a good move. The first rankings, on the surface, look more congruent than early iterations from last season. Though there are still some head-scratchers. For instance, 8-1 Kentucky seems just a tad low down at No. 58.

And the important reminder: the NET will continue to get the most attention/criticism/speculation because it's the NCAA's property and official metric. But the committee still cites and uses, in an official capacity, KenPom, the Sagarin Ratings, KPI and ESPN's BPI and Strength of Record ratings.

The guts of the NET and its secretive algorithm were not adjusted from last season to this one, though Dan Gavitt, senior vice president of NCAA men's basketball, did tell CBS Sports recently that there was discussion by the selection committee as to whether modifications should be made. Ultimately, the committee members and the NCAA's decision-makers were satisfied with how the NET settled on Selection Sunday. We'll see if that remains the case for 2019-20. 

Now, some quick-hit thoughts on the first offering of the NET:

  • There are only four undefeated teams standing and they are all in the top 20: No. 3 San Diego State, No. 7 Auburn, No. 19 Liberty and No. 20 Duquesne.
  • Stanford is the eye-opener in the top 20, as the Cardinal haven't been a staple in the rankings this season and are currently 48th and KenPom and 42nd at Torvik. Will be an interesting team to track. Stanford hosts Kansas on Dec. 29.
  • Michigan State (7-3), the preseason near-unanimous No. 1 team, is 29th. And No. 39 Texas Tech, at 6-3, is somehow ahead of the team it lost to in the national title game, 8-1 Virginia (No. 43), by four spots.  
  • Highest-ranked team that's lowest in the NET? It's Kentucky. No. 6 in the polls, No. 58 in the NET. 
  • Another team much lower than expected: Xavier at 71. 
  • YIKES! North Carolina (6-4) is 95th.
  • Duke has the most Quad 1 wins (4) of any team. And the only teams with at least three are Butler, Baylor and Michigan. Further explaining how Duke could be as "low" as 13th yet lead the sport in Quad 1 wins: it's the only team in the NET's top 30 that owns Quad 3 or Quad 4 loss. The home loss to Stephen F. Austin currently registers as a Quad 3 defeat.
  • And if you're wondering where Stephen F. Austin lands: an overall-solid 74th.
  • Predictive metrics such as KenPom, the Massey Ratings and Sagarin have the Big Ten as the best conference in college basketball. The NET backs that up, as 11 of the top 51 teams are from the Big Ten. Average overall rating: 29.5. As a comparison, the top nine teams in the Big East (excluding Providence at 146) have an average overall NET rating of 45.4.
  • The highest-ranked three-loss team is Michigan (21st). The highest-ranked four-loss team is BYU (42nd). The lowest-ranked undefeated team is Duquesne (20th). The lowest-ranked one-loss team is Easter Michigan (147th).
  • Lastly, it's still not good enough that the NET is lacking in transparency. While we know the properties involved, we don't know the weights assigned to those properties and, as I have written multiple times before, we don't even know for sure if some factors are being doubled up (such as efficiency models and potential overlap or supersession on win margin).

Initial NET rankings

Rk.TeamRecordHomeRoadNeutral
1Ohio St.9-18-01-10-0
2Kansas9-16-00-03-1
3San Diego St.10-05-03-02-0
4Butler10-17-01-12-0
5Baylor8-15-01-02-1
6Gonzaga11-16-03-02-1
7Auburn9-04-01-04-0
8Louisville10-18-01-01-1
9Stanford9-17-01-01-1
10Dayton8-15-00-03-1
11Maryland10-17-00-13-0
12West Virginia9-16-01-12-0
13Duke9-14-12-03-0
14Wichita St.9-17-01-01-1
15Arizona10-27-10-13-0
16Memphis9-16-02-01-1
17Oregon8-25-01-02-2
18Penn St.9-27-01-11-1
19Liberty12-06-02-04-0
20Duquesne9-05-00-04-0
21Michigan8-35-10-23-0
22Richmond9-17-01-01-1
23Arkansas9-18-01-10-0
24Villanova8-24-01-13-1
25Tennessee7-25-10-02-1
26LSU7-26-00-11-1
27Florida St.8-25-01-22-0
28UNI10-16-03-01-1
29Michigan St.7-33-11-03-2
30Arizona St.8-25-02-01-2
31Colorado8-24-11-13-0
32Illinois8-37-11-20-0
33Iowa8-35-12-11-1
34Texas Tech6-34-00-12-2
35Washington7-26-10-01-1
36Indiana10-19-00-11-0
37Oklahoma7-23-01-13-1
38Georgetown7-34-22-01-1
39Virginia8-15-01-12-0
40Oregon St.8-16-01-01-1
41Oklahoma St.8-24-22-02-0
42BYU9-44-11-24-1
43DePaul10-17-13-00-0
44Purdue6-45-10-21-1
45Texas9-16-01-02-1
46Ole Miss7-36-10-11-1
47Utah St.10-27-01-12-1
48Minnesota5-55-10-30-1
49Temple7-23-12-02-1
50NC State8-26-12-00-1
51Wisconsin5-55-00-20-3
52VCU8-28-00-00-2
53Marquette7-24-01-12-1
54Utah8-25-01-12-1
55Seton Hall6-43-11-22-1
56Creighton8-27-00-11-1
57New Mexico10-27-02-11-1
58Kentucky8-17-10-01-0
59Kent St.8-16-02-10-0
60Yale9-33-04-32-0
61Rutgers8-38-00-20-1
62Virginia Tech8-36-11-01-2
63Akron8-27-01-20-0
64Saint Mary's 10-27-11-02-1
65St. John's 9-28-10-01-1
66Saint Louis8-26-11-01-1
67George Mason10-17-00-13-0
68Houston6-34-22-10-0
69UConn6-34-10-02-2
70UTEP6-16-00-10-0
71Xavier9-27-00-12-1
72Rhode Island6-35-00-21-1
73Missouri6-45-11-10-2
74SFA8-26-02-20-0
75Syracuse5-54-21-10-2
76Georgia6-35-00-11-2
77USC9-25-12-02-1
78Florida6-33-10-23-0
79San Francisco9-27-12-10-0
80UNC Greensboro8-36-22-10-0
81Pittsburgh7-34-21-12-0
82Iowa St.6-45-10-11-2
83South Dakota9-35-02-32-0
84Western Ky.7-34-01-12-2
85Indiana St.5-42-01-22-2
86Louisiana Tech7-35-02-30-0
87TCU8-27-10-01-1
88SMU8-16-12-00-0
89Miami 6-33-12-01-2
90Mississippi St.7-24-11-02-1
91Santa Clara10-210-00-20-0
92Vermont7-43-03-31-1
93Sacramento St.6-23-02-21-0
94Nevada7-43-21-23-0
95North Carolina6-43-21-12-1
96Alabama4-53-10-21-2
97Belmont7-34-03-30-0
98North Texas4-63-21-20-2
99Vanderbilt6-36-20-10-0
100Boise St.6-45-11-30-0
101Davidson5-53-11-11-3
102Furman10-36-03-31-0
103Wake Forest6-53-11-32-1
104Western Carolina7-25-02-20-0
105Notre Dame8-38-10-20-0
106ETSU9-26-03-20-0
107Ohio7-34-02-11-2
108New Mexico St.6-63-11-42-1
109UCF8-25-11-02-1
110Cincinnati6-44-10-22-1
111Hawaii7-37-10-20-0
112Eastern Wash.6-34-02-30-0
113Bowling Green8-25-00-13-1
114Nicholls St.6-54-01-41-1
115Penn5-41-02-32-1
116Toledo8-25-03-20-0
117Wright St.8-34-22-02-1
118Northern Ky.8-35-13-20-0
119Georgia St.6-33-02-31-0
120William & Mary8-34-04-30-0
121Tulsa8-37-11-20-0
122Delaware9-24-02-13-1
123Rider6-22-02-22-0
124UNC Asheville5-43-02-40-0
125Montana4-54-10-40-0
126UC Irvine6-53-12-31-1
127Tulane7-24-01-02-2
128Georgia Tech4-43-21-20-0
129Bradley8-37-00-21-1
130La Salle6-32-11-23-0
131Kansas St.6-45-11-00-3
132Missouri St.6-65-10-31-2
133Washington St.6-44-11-11-2
134Col. of Charleston5-53-11-21-2
135Pacific10-38-11-11-1
136Valparaiso6-44-01-21-2
137Appalachian St.6-44-01-31-1
138Charlotte4-43-11-30-0
139Clemson5-54-20-21-1
140Colorado St.7-64-31-22-1
141Saint Francis (PA)5-42-13-30-0
142Northern Colo.5-43-01-31-1
143Boston College7-55-42-10-0
144Towson5-53-11-21-2
145South Carolina7-45-22-00-2
146Providence6-55-10-21-2
147Eastern Mich.8-14-02-12-0
148Little Rock6-54-12-40-0
149Arkansas St.7-35-12-20-0
150Harvard6-44-01-11-3
151Illinois St.4-64-10-20-3
152Wofford7-45-12-30-0
153Nebraska5-63-20-32-1
154South Alabama5-43-10-22-1
155Buffalo6-42-21-13-1
156Coastal Carolina7-45-42-00-0
157Omaha6-75-01-70-0
158Massachusetts5-64-21-20-2
159UT Arlington4-73-21-40-1
160Pepperdine5-63-12-20-3
161Austin Peay4-54-00-50-0
162Old Dominion3-82-11-40-3
163Radford3-62-11-40-1
164California Baptist6-45-21-20-0
165Lafayette6-23-13-10-0
166Loyola Chicago7-45-11-11-2
167FIU7-34-02-21-1
168Dartmouth6-52-03-41-1
169UCLA7-46-10-11-2
170UC Riverside7-46-01-40-0
171Loyola-Marymount5-54-10-21-2
172Texas Southern3-62-01-60-0
173Oakland5-62-01-42-2
174Northwestern5-43-21-11-1
175Jacksonville6-63-12-31-2
176South Fla.6-45-20-01-2
177Colgate8-44-03-41-0
178Southern Utah6-44-01-41-0
179Ball St.5-43-31-11-0
180Central Mich.7-47-00-40-0
181UC Santa Barbara6-44-12-30-0
182California6-56-10-20-2
183Evansville8-34-13-01-2
184Rice7-43-12-22-1
185Northeastern5-52-22-11-2
186Drake8-36-00-22-1
187Loyola Maryland6-42-03-41-0
188Lamar University6-55-01-50-0
189St. Bonaventure6-43-21-22-0
190Tennessee St.7-44-01-42-0
191Stony Brook7-53-12-42-0
192Northern Ill.6-44-12-30-0
193Siena2-52-00-50-0
194Portland7-35-12-20-0
195Portland St.5-53-11-41-0
196North Dakota St.7-43-13-21-1
197Murray St.5-44-00-21-2
198South Dakota St.7-66-01-60-0
199Sacred Heart6-52-03-41-1
200Sam Houston St.6-45-01-40-0
201Chattanooga7-54-01-52-0
202Eastern Ill.6-43-02-31-1
203Coppin St.4-81-13-70-0
204Bryant7-44-13-30-0
205Lipscomb4-62-22-40-0
206Hofstra7-43-12-32-0
207Princeton2-70-32-40-0
208Iona2-30-10-22-0
209North Florida7-55-01-41-1
210UC Davis4-82-01-61-2
211Oral Roberts5-55-00-50-0
212Winthrop4-72-22-50-0
213Northern Ariz.5-24-11-10-0
214Long Beach St.3-82-10-51-2
215UAB5-44-21-20-0
216Ga. Southern6-44-01-31-1
217American3-52-11-40-0
218Columbia3-82-00-71-1
219Fresno St.3-72-11-50-1
220Montana St.6-33-11-22-0
221Texas St.7-46-11-30-0
222Navy5-44-11-30-0
223Boston U.4-73-11-40-2
224Air Force5-62-23-10-3
225Miami (OH)5-53-21-11-2
226San Diego6-74-22-30-2
227Prairie View3-71-01-61-1
228Saint Joseph's2-91-31-30-3
229Idaho St.3-42-01-40-0
230UMass Lowell6-64-42-20-0
231LIU3-70-12-51-1
232UNLV4-73-31-30-1
233Campbell6-32-03-21-1
234UMBC6-65-11-30-2
235George Washington5-53-20-22-1
236Seattle 6-55-10-31-1
237Utah Valley4-82-32-50-0
238Western Mich.6-54-12-20-2
239Drexel5-65-10-50-0
240Milwaukee5-64-20-21-2
241Quinnipiac4-43-11-30-0
242Green Bay3-82-21-60-0
243East Carolina3-72-20-31-2
244Canisius5-43-01-31-1
245James Madison5-44-11-30-0
246North Dakota4-72-01-61-1
247Merrimack6-52-03-41-1
248Fairfield2-70-31-21-2
249Grand Canyon4-83-40-11-3
250Monmouth5-52-02-41-1
251Morehead St.5-54-01-50-0
252N.C. A&T3-72-10-51-1
253Louisiana5-54-00-41-1
254Bucknell4-72-21-41-1
255Morgan St.4-83-21-30-3
256Brown5-54-11-40-0
257Samford6-65-01-60-0
258Fordham5-54-30-01-2
259New Hampshire5-54-01-50-0
260Manhattan4-42-12-30-0
261Purdue Fort Wayne7-76-11-60-0
262Albany 6-64-20-42-0
263McNeese4-64-00-60-0
264Youngstown St.6-55-01-50-0
265Longwood5-64-01-60-0
266Cal St. Fullerton3-91-41-41-1
267Lehigh3-72-21-50-0
268San Jose St.3-82-41-30-1
269Grambling6-54-02-40-1
270UTSA4-63-11-20-3
271UNCW5-64-20-31-1
272Western Ill.2-61-31-30-0
273North Ala.5-55-00-50-0
274Southern Ill.4-73-10-41-2
275CSUN2-101-21-70-1
276Fla. Atlantic6-46-10-30-0
277Cornell1-81-20-60-0
278Mount St. Mary's3-72-11-60-0
279Marshall3-63-30-30-0
280Gardner-Webb3-81-10-72-0
281Texas A&M4-54-10-00-4
282Army West Point5-53-22-30-0
283Middle Tenn.4-73-11-30-3
284Southern Miss.3-83-20-30-3
285IUPUI4-83-11-50-2
286Abilene Christian5-55-10-40-0
287Troy4-73-21-50-0
288South Carolina St.4-54-00-50-0
289Wyoming3-83-50-10-2
290Charleston So.4-52-11-31-1
291The Citadel5-53-32-20-0
292Weber St.3-62-11-10-4
293Bethune-Cookman5-62-01-62-0
294Cleveland St.4-72-20-52-0
295Mercer4-63-11-30-2
296Kansas City5-73-00-62-1
297Binghamton5-54-11-40-0
298Southern U.3-82-00-81-0
299NJIT2-91-21-70-0
300A&M-Corpus Christi4-63-31-30-0
301Detroit Mercy1-90-20-61-1
302Tennessee Tech3-72-21-30-2
303UT Martin3-61-11-41-1
304Saint Peter's2-42-20-20-0
305Southeast Mo. St.3-72-10-51-1
306Denver4-83-20-51-1
307New Orleans4-54-00-50-0
308La.-Monroe4-44-10-30-0
309Niagara2-61-11-50-0
310UIC4-73-30-41-0
311VMI5-74-20-41-1
312St. Francis Brooklyn5-64-01-60-0
313Idaho4-63-20-31-1
314Eastern Ky.3-73-10-40-2
315Hartford5-73-42-30-0
316Maine3-81-21-61-0
317Robert Morris3-81-11-71-0
318UTRGV4-74-10-40-2
319Marist1-50-31-20-0
320Cal Poly2-82-10-50-2
321Jacksonville St.2-71-10-51-1
322Stetson5-73-21-41-1
323Alabama A&M2-62-00-60-0
324Florida A&M0-70-00-50-2
325Fairleigh Dickinson2-82-10-70-0
326Elon4-74-30-40-0
327Alabama St.1-90-00-81-1
328Presbyterian2-81-11-50-2
329Wagner2-61-11-50-0
330CSU Bakersfield4-84-30-50-0
331Holy Cross1-100-40-51-1
332N.C. Central3-93-00-90-0
333Alcorn3-53-00-50-0
334FGCU2-102-50-50-0
335High Point2-82-20-60-0
336USC Upstate2-82-10-70-0
337Southeastern La.3-63-10-50-0
338Central Ark.1-91-10-70-1
339Kennesaw St.1-81-10-50-2
340Northwestern St.2-62-10-50-0
341SIUE2-81-31-50-0
342Ark.-Pine Bluff1-81-00-80-0
343Houston Baptist0-80-10-60-1
344Delaware St.1-91-40-40-1
345Chicago St.4-73-11-40-2
346Jackson St.1-81-00-80-0
347Hampton4-64-20-40-0
348Howard1-100-31-60-1
349UMES1-101-10-90-0
350Norfolk St.3-93-10-70-1
351Mississippi Val.0-90-00-90-0
352Central Conn. St.0-100-30-50-2
353UIW3-73-30-40-0