After a crazy week in college basketball, here are my top 30 ranked teams. Please note that the AP and Coaches polls have been going for a while now, so this list is a reaction to those as well.
#1 - Tennessee: An easy week for the Volunteers moves them up to number one...for now. This week, they have to go to Champaign to face Illinois, and that won't be fun.
#2 - Iowa State: Keshon Gilbert shined in a major win for the Cyclones. Iowa State has their in-state rivalry against Iowa this week.
#3 - Duke: I have to put Duke above Auburn after the Blue Devils' major non-conference win. They lost to Kentucky and Kansas, but that's not terrible. They don't have another game against a major conference opponent until they start their ACC schedule.
#4 - Auburn: A loss at Duke is a loss at Duke. That can happen to anybody. The Maui Invitational champions bounced back and have a great matchup with Ohio State this week.
#5 - Marquette: I'm not dropping them below fifth after a loss at Iowa State. Marquette is still a major national championship contender, and they also bounced back with a win over Wisconsin.
#6 - Alabama: You don't just walk into Chapel Hill and walk away with a win...especially if you're Alabama. The Tide are rolling strong through the toughest non-conference schedule of the season.
#7 - Kentucky: Yes, I dropped Kentucky outside the top five after they beat Gonzaga in overtime. Losing Clemson on the road isn't bad, but you can't be a top-five-ranked team and lose to an unranked team. Still, I like this Kentucky team in the long run.
#8 - Kansas: Many dropped Kansas further and I'm not against dropping them outside of the top ten. I have them here because they did beat Duke and they did beat Michigan State. They took a couple of tough losses to unranked opponents, but they will bounce back.
#9 - Florida: Florida did what they were supposed to do. They stayed undefeated. One of three SEC teams still unbeaten right now. The Gators need to keep winning, and next week they have North Carolina to worry about.
#10 - Gonzaga: A tough loss to Kentucky in overtime is not something to be concerned about. What Gonzaga has to be concerned about: they play the two-time reigning national champion Connecticut Huskies this week.
#11 - Purdue: They're not doing anything wrong. They're just in a bad spot right now. The Big Ten is good from top to bottom this year, and that loss was just a taste of the madness that is about to happen in the next month. What's worse is that Purdue will face Texas A&M this week and Auburn right after.
#12 - Houston: I'm higher on Houston than everyone else is right now, but they did not lose this week. That's the key to making March Madness: DON'T LOSE!!! Houston will have an easier schedule before they hit the Big 12.
#13 - Oklahoma: The Battle 4 Atlantis champions are still undefeated. They're playing great. They have Michigan next week, but that's a very doable game. Keep it up Sooners!
#14 - Oregon: They lost at the buzzer to UCLA...so what? It's the Big Ten. They will bounce back and be ready to make some noise come March.
#15 - Texas A&M: They have won eight of their last nine since losing on night one. They are rolling right now. They will get Purdue this week.
#16 - Cincinnati: Many dropped them further after they lost to Villanova. I dropped them a couple, but I need to see more losses to drop them even further than that. We'll see what happens. They also play Xavier this week [gulp].
#17 - Mississippi: Chris Beard's Rebels are playing really well right now. The loss to Purdue doesn't change that. They won't have another difficult game until they play Memphis after Christmas.
#18 - San Diego State: Not a lot of love for San Diego State in the major polls this week. They didn't do anything wrong and have been as good as usual. They do not have a major game until they hit their Mountain West schedule.
#19 - Connecticut: After a horrible Thanksgiving week at Maui, UConn bounced back with a win against Baylor and a road win at Texas. The back-to-back reigning national champions still have Gonzaga to deal with before hitting an always brutal Big East schedule.
#20 - Baylor: Even at 5-3, Baylor doesn't have any bad losses, and they shouldn't have any going into the Big 12. That will be a solid resume. Not sure why Baylor's dropping in several polls.
#21 - Illinois: Hey AP and Coaches Polls...Illinois did nothing wrong! They lost a Big Ten road game just like Purdue did. Illinois should not be unranked right now. They have a chance to send a message with Wisconsin and top ranked Tennessee coming into State Farm Center. Both are doable upsets.
#22 - Michigan: Michigan had a good week. They are 2-0 in Big Ten play and they got a win over Wisconsin. Dusty May is making a great impression in his first year at Michigan. They have Arkansas and undefeated Oklahoma coming up.
#23 - Michigan State: Michigan State should have been ranked last week after beating North Carolina. That was absurd. Izzo and company are now 2-0 in the Big Ten and will have a smooth road heading into conference play. Sparty is sneaky good this year.
#24 - Wisconsin: The Badgers had a horrendous week! They lost to Michigan to start and then they had to turn around and go to Marquette. They are still ranked because it could be worse...and it is. They have to turn around and go to State Farm Center now—Wisconsin's in a rough spot.
#25 - Clemson: A win on your home floor against Kentucky is just what this club needed to get back into the rankings. Honestly, this team should have been ranked in the first place.
#26 - UCLA: Again, they should have been ranked in the first place. Winning at the undefeated Oregon Ducks is a crucial win for their season. Returning pieces and transfers are what make a good team, and that's what UCLA has.
#27 - Missouri: If you topple number one in the non-conference, you should be ranked unless you have a losing record or something. They will be tested again in a couple weeks in St. Louis against Illinois in the annual Braggin Rights game.
#28 - Maryland: They beat Ohio State by how much this week? Sure, they lost at Purdue, but that's not a problem. Maryland is for real. The only major team they have to face before the rest of the Big Ten schedule is Syracuse.
#29 - Penn State: Not surprising that Penn State took down Purdue this week. Ace Baldwin is an underrated leader in college basketball. They have another Big Ten test this week against Rutgers.
#30 - Mississippi State: They beat Pittsburgh by a lot! Mississippi State is back and looking for another NCAA tournament appearance. They have to play Memphis before the SEC schedule starts.
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