Weekly Top 25

Every Sunday night (hopefully), I'll do a Top 25 to sort of anticipate (although there will be disagreement) the poll that will be released Monday. Here's the first one:

1. Syracuse- The deepest, most talented team in the nation. A big win against Marquette keeps them at the top. However, I have a feeling they won't keep up this play for the whole season. Some conference opponent will get hot and shoot the ball over their zone. Although, the Big East is really down and they have a favorable conference schedule. 

2. Kentucky- Probably the most young, raw talent in the country. For all intensive purposes, 2-3-4 are just about even right now. Kentucky is going to have to show that their young guys can play consistently on the road. 

3. North Carolina- All the talent is there, but I'm still waiting for that complete performance. Their win over Wisconsin doesn't look all that impressive anymore. That should make UVA fans very optimistic, especially for the game in Charlottesville. Still, 4 potential lottery picks make them scary. 

4. Baylor- Like UK, raw talent. Perry Jones, Quincy Acy, and Quincy Miller are fun to watch. As much as I hate Scott Drew (I'm waiting for the NCAA to start investigating him), he's a good coach. They've got a Final 4 team. They lose some along the way, but I like their chances in March. They'll be tested better than just about everyone in the country.

5. Michigan State- Huge dropoff after Baylor. MSU doesn't exactly look like a top 5 team, but that's where they belong until proven otherwise. 

6. Indiana- Starting to love this team, but they have to play better on the road in order to keep this ranking. Zeller and Oladipo are amazing. Sheehey and Watford are the real game-changers. I think IU will struggle on the road, but they're way ahead of schedule anyways. They'll be back to what they once were within two years.

7. Ohio State- One man team. Sullinger is the best player in the country. When he got hurt, you saw how bad they were without him. With him, their a national title contender. Without him, I wouldn't even put them in the top 25.

8. Duke- Ugly week for the Blue Devils. They're not an overly athletic team this year, so Temple and GT were tough matchups, although they played very poorly. Huge game with Virginia on Thursday. Win and they stay relevant in national title talk. Lose and they're even with Virginia.

9. Kansas- A team I was loved in Maui, was unimpressed with the following weeks, has won me back the past couple of games. Losing to Davidson at home was bad, but that happens when you lose the talent they do. They whooped a really good Kansas State team, showcasing their talent. Tyshawn Taylor is still one of my favorite guards in the country.

10. UNLV- The UNC win stands out. Part of me believes they're 10th by default, but another part of me thinks they're legit. Maybe not top ten, but I think they'll stay in the top 15 most of the year.

11. Missouri- I was waiting for this game. They should have lost to a bad ODU team last week. I'm giving them one more shot. Another loss like this and they're out of the top 20. 

12. Georgetown- Not really an upset at WVU. Gtown is good, but not as good as they were ranked last week. They should take advantage of a struggling Big East. I do have questions whether they, like IU, can win the big game on the road.

13. Louisville- Really shouldn't have lost to ND at home. Brey is a great coach, but without Abromaitis, they're not that great. Like Missouri, I'm giving them one more shot, just based on the talent they have.

14. Kansas State- Love this team. I really thought they'd beat Kansas, but KU is better than I anticipated. Still, this is one of the surprise teams of the year, after the Wildcats were one of last year's disappointments.

15. Virginia- (don't have to say anything here other than we might be top 15 by default, but it's really hard saying anyone else is deserving)

16. Michigan- Rebounded from a sloppy first half in Bloomington and almost got a big win against IU. Played great against a struggling Wisconsin team. One of the better offensive outputs of the season for the Wolverines. 

17. Murray State- I feel bad about this, but I haven't seen them play. Lots of hype around them. They've got a great chance to go undefeated. Their schedule isn't as easy as many assume. I think they'll make noise in March.

18. Seton Hall- Up and down team. Big win over UConn was impressive. They're a pleasant surprise in the Big East. Still, they got abused by Syracuse. If they can find more consistency, they'll be dangerous. 

19. Gonzaga- I've only seen a little bit of them, but like what I see. I do think they have a low ceiling, however. They'll make the tournament, then lose in the second round. Pangos has been impressive so far.

20. SDSU- Don't know enough about them to really give a good read. Played a schedule that looked brutal a couple of weeks ago, but USC, Cal, and Wisconsin aren't what they were. We'll see what they have against UNLV next week. 

21. Creighton- Another team I haven't seen. McDermott sounds like Jimmer 2.0. Any team with a scorer like that is dangerous. 

22. UConn- Talented yet inconsistent. They're just asking for someone to upset them. I think they'll recover, but not all the way to the top ten.

23. West Virginia- Some head scratching losses are being overlooked by some good wins. Again, consistency is the key for them. Gtown game showed their potential at home. 

24. Vanderbilt- Finally playing better basketball. Now look like the SEC contender with UK they were supposed to be.

 

25. Southern Miss- Very high RPI means good wins and no bad losses. Impressive team that will really surprise some. CUSA favorites over Mempis.

Just Missed (no order): SDSU, Alabama, Marquette, Wisconsin, Dayton, Illinois, St. Mary's, Harvard, Miss. St.