1. Pittsburgh (14-0)

Jamie Dixon's Panthers have finally risen to the top of the Big East, which is nationally recognized as the toughest top to bottom conference in the country. One of only 3 remaining undefeated teams in the nation, Pitt has an outstanding starting five, but DeJaun Blair stands out amongst them. The 6'7" forward is averaging just over 14 points and 12.5 boards per night and has been a strong physical presence thus far. While Pittsburgh didn't play the toughest of non-conference schedules, there really are no easy games in the Big East, so they will be plenty battle tested when it matters most.

2. Duke (14-1)

Duke is a perennial power and it should be no surprise to see them at the top of the polls. The question for this team is whether or not they can last more than 2 rounds come tournament time. Duke's biggest downfalls over the past few years have been a lack of a big man as well as an over-reliance on 3 point shooting. The Blue Devils have begun to correct those problems with the emergence of Greg Zoubek (7'1") as a much more solid player along with a bit more uptempo style relying on quick cuts and moves to the basket and a little less shooting the 3. Still, Duke is prone to poor shooting performances from time to time and can't afford one when it's most critical. The ACC once again boasts some of the top teams in the country, so expect to see a bit of a game of musical chairs atop the standings now that conference play has begun.

3. North Carolina (14-1)

Having a stacked team return virtually everybody lead UNC to being the preseason #1 and having the expectations placed on the Tar Heels at a new high. Naismith winner Tyler Hansbrough is the anchor for the team and an early favorite to repeat this year. He currently averages just a tick under 23 points per game and right around 7 rebounds as well. Throw in the dynamic play of point guard Ty Lawson and it's easy to see why it's Final Four or bust in Chapel Hill. An early let down at home against Boston College may have been just what the team needed to light a fire under them moving forward through the ACC schedule. I wouldn't expect these guys to fall out of the Top 10 all year as long as they stay healthy.

4. Wake Forest (13-0)

Wake Forest should scare the fans of any opponent this year, and especially fans of ACC counterparts. Somehow the Demon Deacons have still managed to go a bit under the radar, despite their #4 ranking and still beating undefeated, but that could certainly change if they are able to knock off UNC at home in Winston-Salem tonight. This team has length and athleticism by the boat load and present some extreme matchup challenges for most of their opponents. 4 players average in double figures when it comes to scoring, and 3 of them pull down 6+ boards a night. The one downfall that this team might face is a lack of experience. Of their 3 main contributors, 2 are sophomores and 1 is a freshmen. Coach Dino Gaudio has done a fantastic job since taking over for the late Skip Prosser and I would expect him to have this team ready to make a splash down the stretch this year.

5. Connecticut (14-1)

Another of the 9 Big East teams ranked in the Top 25, UConn is lead by experienced big men in Jeff Adrien and Hasheem Thabeet. Thabeet provides a physical presence that can be matched by only a few throughout the country. At 7'3" and 263 lbs., the junior center is currently averaging 13.9 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 3.7 blocks per game, which is good enough for 3rd in the nation. So far, their only slip up came at home to #10 Georgetown, but they do hold a quality win over Gonzaga in overtime. Other than the Zags however, UConn also hasn't played much of anybody. Again, the Big East schedule is going to include no softballs this year, so we should have a clearer look at just how good this team is in a few weeks time.

6. Oklahoma (15-1)

The Sooners have a leading candidate for National Player of the Year in Blake Griffin. The sophomore forward is currently putting up 22 points and 14 boards a night and essentially guarantees a double double game in and game out. At 6'10", he has the size that always seems to help a team in the Big Dance to no end. Oklahoma has already knocked off #14 Purdue as well as a solid Davidson team, and the Big-12 doesn't offer nearly as many challenges as the Big East or ACC, so you can expect OU to stay near the top of the polls all season long. Perhaps their biggest challenge comes tomorrow when facing #7 Texas, though the game is at home and the Sooners will still have to travel to Austin later in the year. A bit of a surprise loss to Arkansas probably didn't sit well with the Sooners and I'd expect them to go on a tear to make up for it.

7. Texas (12-3)

Texas has played a very difficult pre-conference schedule this season, but it's probably for the best considering the Big-12 won't offer the same level of competition. The Longhorns have been beaten by Notre Dame (#13) and Michigan State (#8), as well as the same Arkansas team that surprised Oklahoma. They also hold a win over UCLA (#10) and Villanova (#18) thus far. Senior guard A.J. Abrams leads the way for Texas, scoring just over 18 per game, which includes games of 31 and 26 respectively in the wins against UCLA and Nova, but he struggled with lackluster performances in their losses. Tomorrow represents the clash of the Big-12 Titans, Rd. 1 when Texas heads to Norman to battle the Sooners. Texas will need to stay sharp during conference play because outside of OU, they won't see teams nearly as good as the ones they've up played to this point.

8. Michigan St. (13-2)

The Spartans are a tough team to get a real feel for. Junior forward Raymar Morgan is probably their best player, giving them right around 15 points and 7 boards a game, but it's more of a balanced attack that prevails for Tom Izzo's bunch. Their 2 losses have both come at the hands of ACC teams in Maryland and UNC, and neither game was close, losing by 18 and 35. They have however beaten ranked opponents in Texas and Big-10 rival Minnesota, as well as taking down a Kansas team yesterday that was perhaps a bit overrated in the early part of the season. The Big-10 is not at the level of the premier conferences in the country right now either, and I just don't see anything in East Lansing that makes me think this team is going to make some noise down the road. Look for them to be a Sweet 16 team at best.

9. Georgetown (11-3)

Speaking of balanced attacks, the Hoyas have 4 players averaging at least 12.5 points per game, lead by 6'8" junior, DeJuan Summers at just under 15. Freshmen center Greg Monroe has looked pretty good in the early going, but Coach John Thompson III has to be hoping for more minutes and productivity from his other highly touted recruit at center, Henry Sims. Georgetown surprised a lot of people by going to UConn and winning by 11, but turned around in their next game and got beat down by Pitt by 16 at home. They then followed that up by losing at Notre Dame by 6. Like the rest of the Big East though, things won't get easier anytime soon. The Hoyas next 3 games are against Syracuse (#11), at Duke (#2), and hosting West Virginia (#25). Winning 2 of those 3 should be the goal for Georgetown.

10. UCLA (12-2)

While the Bruins lost Kevin Love after just one season, they do still have a great pair returning from last year's 3rd straight Final Four team. Seniors Darren Collison and Josh Shipp anchor this year's squad for Coach Ben Howland. Their 2 losses so far have come at the hands of a surprising Michigan team in the 2K Sports Classic at Madison Square Garden, who has also beaten Duke this year, and at Texas where they lost by 4. UCLA is a fairly solid team, but might be benefiting from their reputation just a bit. Only one other team in the Pac-10 is currently ranked, and their only remaining non-conference game is playing host to a very tough Notre Dame squad on February 7th. UCLA will likely finish the regular season with a very nice record, but they won't be too battle tested. I'd put money on their streak of Final Four appearances coming to an end this season. At least they can take comfort in knowing that their cheerleaders are smoking hot and have the best outfits in the NCAA.