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Auburn leads NCAA rankings while SIU-Edwardsville dominates Eastern Illinois; upcoming Big West matchups promise excitement.

SIU-Edwardsville showcased a commanding performance against Eastern Illinois, securing a decisive 66-41 victory in the Ohio Valley Conference. Myles Thompson led the charge for SIU-Edwardsville, contributing a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds, while Eastern Illinois` Artese Stapleton managed to score 11 points in a losing effort.

In the NCAA Division I men`s basketball rankings as of February 3, 2025, Auburn continues to reign supreme with an impressive 20-1 record. Duke follows closely behind at 19-2, while Alabama, Tennessee, and Houston remain prominent in the top tier. Notably, Purdue and Texas A&M have cracked the top ten despite each having five losses. Tennessee rebounded from a narrow defeat to Auburn by overpowering Florida with a 20-point margin. Texas Tech also made headlines with a significant win over Houston. UConn made a strong statement by defeating Marquette on the road. Meanwhile, John Calipari`s Arkansas team triumphed over Kentucky, marking the Wildcats` sixth loss of the season and dropping them to No. 14 in the rankings. Currently, Duke stands as the only ranked team in the ACC.

Looking ahead to February 6, 2025, the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors are set to clash with the Cal Poly Mustangs in a Big West matchup, with Hawaii favored by 2.5 points. Gytis Nemeiksa leads Hawaii with averages of 12.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game, while Cal Poly`s Owen Koonce is a standout with 17.3 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. Predictions suggest a close contest, with Hawaii expected to edge out Cal Poly 77-76.

Another intriguing Big West matchup features the UCSD Tritons against the UC Riverside Highlanders, where UCSD is favored by 12 points. Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones leads UCSD with 19.5 points per game, while Barrington Hargress of UC Riverside averages 20.0 points. Predictions indicate a potential 78-66 victory for UCSD.

For more insights on the NCAA Division I men`s basketball rankings, check out this ranking update and for predictions on upcoming games, visit this game preview.

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