A Look at the AP Top Ten
2/10/2009 | Posted by
Scott Lunn
It's been a month since I last ran down the AP Top Ten rankings in the NCAA, and a lot has changed in the meantime. Moving forward, we will keep a closer eye on college hoops as March Madness approaches. Number one seems to be a dangerous place to be the past few weeks, but UConn managed to hold on to the top spot for a second week, only time will tell if they can keep themselves there for much longer.
1. Connecticut (22-1)
Simply put, Connecticut is the best team in the best conference in college basketball. While the rest of the Big East has been busy beating up on one another, UConn has just kept plugging along with win after win. Their lone loss came at the end of December to a Georgetown team that has fallen drastically as of late. Since that point, no team has come closer than within 6 points of the Huskies and many have fallen by a far larger margin. While they only have 6 games remaining, 2 of them come against the #4 ranked team in Pittsburgh. A battle against a tough Marquette team also looms, and UConn will need to win just about every game if they want to finish the regular season at the top of the Big East.
2. Oklahoma (23-1)
Oklahoma is the best team that nobody really talks about. Sure, most people recognize Blake Griffin, and he's likely the odds on favorite for the Naismith Award at this point as the best player in the NCAA, but beyond that, Oklahoma remains largely unnoticed. Part of the reason for this is that the Big Twelve just isn't nearly as competitive as some of the other conferences out there. The Sooners haven't been challenged in conference play as of yet, with a 9-0 record , winning with ease more often than not. The only other conference teams in the Top 25 are Kansas and Missouri, both of whom Oklahoma still has a date with. Barring some unforeseen collapse, Oklahoma has a pretty easy road to a #1 seed in the NCAA tourney ahead of them, but will remain largely untested when that time comes.
3. North Carolina (21-2)
As I stated in my previous look at the Top Ten a month ago, the Big East is the best top to bottom conference, but the ACC boasts the best top 4 in the land. Those 4 teams are all in the Top 11, and UNC is at the top of the heap. A huge letdown against Boston College, who has proven to be better than most expected, and a narrow loss against a very good Wake Forest team are the only blemishes on the Tar Heels record at this point. Their remaining schedule is favorable however as #6 Duke is their only ranked opponent in regular season play. They do have to face the Blue Devils twice however, the first of which takes place at Cameron Indoor Stadium tonight. North Carolina will look to finish strong and secure a #1 seed and the ability to play in nearby Greensboro, NC in the opening rounds of the NCAA Tourney.
4. Pittsburgh (22-2)
One of the multiple teams to see #1 and fall this year are the Pitt Panthers. Conference losses to #7 Louisville and #13 Villanova, both on the road, won't hurt their ranking too badly come tournament time, but 2 matchups with #1 UConn as well as hosting #10 Marquette provide serious hurdles beforehand. The Panthers are a very tough, physical, and well-balanced team, a combination that will likely propel them deep into the NCAA tournament. DeJuan Blair has been nothing short of a beast so far this season and will wear down opponents on a nightly basis. The remaining schedule will shed a great deal of light on just how legit a team Pitt really is.
5. Louisville (18-4)
The 3rd Big East time in the Top 5, Louisville has been a bit of a surprise this season. While most expected them to be a very good team, there aren't likely to be many people that can claim they thought they were Top 5 caliber. The Cardinals have only lost one Big East game, to the top ranked Huskies, but have some puzzling losses earlier in the season, including a blowout against Western Kentucky, as well as a 1 point loss at home against UNLV. With a relatively speaking "easy" conference schedule remaining, Louisville could possibly be in line for a 2 seed come tourney time. Nothing can be taken for granted in the Big East however.
6. Duke (20-3)
The Blue Devils gained the #1 ranking a few weeks back and promptly hit a rough patch. After impressively coming back from 13 down late in the game at Wake Forest, Duke tied the game up with 10 seconds left. A turnover call against Duke gave Wake Forest the chance they needed, and after a horrible defensive effort on an inbound play, James Johnson put in an easy layup with under a second left to knock off the top ranked Blue Devils. Duke recovered by pounding Virgina at home, but then put on an abysmal performance at Clemson, losing by 27. Looking to again recover with a home game, Duke was very flat in the first half against Miami, but again made a comeback, this time hanging on for the win. It doesn't get any easier though as #3 UNC makes the 8 mile trip to Durham tonight, and the Blue Devils head to Chapel Hill to finish the regular season. Somewhere in between, Duke gets a rematch with the Deamon Deacons as well. While they would have to virtually run the table to claim a #1 seed in the NCAA tournament, a 2 or 3 seed is well within their reach with a decent finish.
7. Wake Forest (18-3)
Yet another of the teams that lost promptly after reaching #1 this season. Wake has lost 3 of the last 5, including a home game against Virginia Tech, a narrow loss at the ACC's cellar dweller Georgia Tech, and a 27 point blowout at the hands of Miami. The win against Duke was a solid one for the Deacs, but the rematch at the Blue Devils on February 22, should prove difficult. The rest of Wake's schedule looks decent on paper however, as they play the bottom 3 teams in the conference before finishing up at home against #12 Clemson. When they are on top of their game, Wake Forest has looked like the most talented team in the country this year, but they'll need consistancy to make a run in the post season.
8. Memphis (20-3)
The biggest downfall for Memphis is the fact that they play in Conference USA and have virtually no competition. The Tigers haven't lost a conference game since March of 2006. This pretty much forces Memphis to play a tough out of conference schedule each year. Their losses this season come to #14 Xavier and previously ranked Syracuse and Georgetown. They are coming off a beatdown of #18 Gonzaga in Spokane, which will help boost their RPI heading into tourney time and it would be a surprise if they didn't run the table in conference to finish the season. Memphis should finish in the Top Ten and will likely be looking at a 2 or 3 seed.
9. Michigan St. (19-4)
The Spartans are another team that has quietly gained steam throughout the year. Losing early to two ACC teams in Maryland and UNC, Michigan St. then went on an 11 game winning streak and moved out to 17-2. Losses at home to Northwestern and Penn State don't look too good at this point, but the middle of the pack teams in the Big Ten have been very competitive with one another this year. Two games against #20 Purdue as well as a tilt with #22 Illinois will give MSU a chance to prove they deserve their spot in the Top Ten. Coach Tom Izzo is one of the best in the business and will certainly look to have his team ready to play their best come March.
10. Marquette (20-3)
Most wouldn't have expected the Golden Eagles to make it until February 6th without losing a Big East matchup, but that's exactly what they did. Their first conference loss came at South Florida, and was only by a single point. Unfortunately for Marquette however, it is going to continue to get tougher from here on out. A three game stretch consisting of home against UConn, at Louisvile, and at Pitt, before finishing up at home against Syracuse, will force them to be at their best if they want to finish up in the Top Ten. Guards Jerel McNeal and Wesley Matthews are averaging 20 and 19 points per game respectively and provide one of the best backcourts in the nation, but Marquette is completely lacking of a presence inside, which will hurt them desperately against both the Huskies and Panthers.
1. Connecticut (22-1)
Simply put, Connecticut is the best team in the best conference in college basketball. While the rest of the Big East has been busy beating up on one another, UConn has just kept plugging along with win after win. Their lone loss came at the end of December to a Georgetown team that has fallen drastically as of late. Since that point, no team has come closer than within 6 points of the Huskies and many have fallen by a far larger margin. While they only have 6 games remaining, 2 of them come against the #4 ranked team in Pittsburgh. A battle against a tough Marquette team also looms, and UConn will need to win just about every game if they want to finish the regular season at the top of the Big East.
2. Oklahoma (23-1)
Oklahoma is the best team that nobody really talks about. Sure, most people recognize Blake Griffin, and he's likely the odds on favorite for the Naismith Award at this point as the best player in the NCAA, but beyond that, Oklahoma remains largely unnoticed. Part of the reason for this is that the Big Twelve just isn't nearly as competitive as some of the other conferences out there. The Sooners haven't been challenged in conference play as of yet, with a 9-0 record , winning with ease more often than not. The only other conference teams in the Top 25 are Kansas and Missouri, both of whom Oklahoma still has a date with. Barring some unforeseen collapse, Oklahoma has a pretty easy road to a #1 seed in the NCAA tourney ahead of them, but will remain largely untested when that time comes.
3. North Carolina (21-2) As I stated in my previous look at the Top Ten a month ago, the Big East is the best top to bottom conference, but the ACC boasts the best top 4 in the land. Those 4 teams are all in the Top 11, and UNC is at the top of the heap. A huge letdown against Boston College, who has proven to be better than most expected, and a narrow loss against a very good Wake Forest team are the only blemishes on the Tar Heels record at this point. Their remaining schedule is favorable however as #6 Duke is their only ranked opponent in regular season play. They do have to face the Blue Devils twice however, the first of which takes place at Cameron Indoor Stadium tonight. North Carolina will look to finish strong and secure a #1 seed and the ability to play in nearby Greensboro, NC in the opening rounds of the NCAA Tourney.
4. Pittsburgh (22-2)
One of the multiple teams to see #1 and fall this year are the Pitt Panthers. Conference losses to #7 Louisville and #13 Villanova, both on the road, won't hurt their ranking too badly come tournament time, but 2 matchups with #1 UConn as well as hosting #10 Marquette provide serious hurdles beforehand. The Panthers are a very tough, physical, and well-balanced team, a combination that will likely propel them deep into the NCAA tournament. DeJuan Blair has been nothing short of a beast so far this season and will wear down opponents on a nightly basis. The remaining schedule will shed a great deal of light on just how legit a team Pitt really is.
5. Louisville (18-4)
The 3rd Big East time in the Top 5, Louisville has been a bit of a surprise this season. While most expected them to be a very good team, there aren't likely to be many people that can claim they thought they were Top 5 caliber. The Cardinals have only lost one Big East game, to the top ranked Huskies, but have some puzzling losses earlier in the season, including a blowout against Western Kentucky, as well as a 1 point loss at home against UNLV. With a relatively speaking "easy" conference schedule remaining, Louisville could possibly be in line for a 2 seed come tourney time. Nothing can be taken for granted in the Big East however.
6. Duke (20-3) The Blue Devils gained the #1 ranking a few weeks back and promptly hit a rough patch. After impressively coming back from 13 down late in the game at Wake Forest, Duke tied the game up with 10 seconds left. A turnover call against Duke gave Wake Forest the chance they needed, and after a horrible defensive effort on an inbound play, James Johnson put in an easy layup with under a second left to knock off the top ranked Blue Devils. Duke recovered by pounding Virgina at home, but then put on an abysmal performance at Clemson, losing by 27. Looking to again recover with a home game, Duke was very flat in the first half against Miami, but again made a comeback, this time hanging on for the win. It doesn't get any easier though as #3 UNC makes the 8 mile trip to Durham tonight, and the Blue Devils head to Chapel Hill to finish the regular season. Somewhere in between, Duke gets a rematch with the Deamon Deacons as well. While they would have to virtually run the table to claim a #1 seed in the NCAA tournament, a 2 or 3 seed is well within their reach with a decent finish.
7. Wake Forest (18-3)
Yet another of the teams that lost promptly after reaching #1 this season. Wake has lost 3 of the last 5, including a home game against Virginia Tech, a narrow loss at the ACC's cellar dweller Georgia Tech, and a 27 point blowout at the hands of Miami. The win against Duke was a solid one for the Deacs, but the rematch at the Blue Devils on February 22, should prove difficult. The rest of Wake's schedule looks decent on paper however, as they play the bottom 3 teams in the conference before finishing up at home against #12 Clemson. When they are on top of their game, Wake Forest has looked like the most talented team in the country this year, but they'll need consistancy to make a run in the post season.
8. Memphis (20-3)
The biggest downfall for Memphis is the fact that they play in Conference USA and have virtually no competition. The Tigers haven't lost a conference game since March of 2006. This pretty much forces Memphis to play a tough out of conference schedule each year. Their losses this season come to #14 Xavier and previously ranked Syracuse and Georgetown. They are coming off a beatdown of #18 Gonzaga in Spokane, which will help boost their RPI heading into tourney time and it would be a surprise if they didn't run the table in conference to finish the season. Memphis should finish in the Top Ten and will likely be looking at a 2 or 3 seed.
9. Michigan St. (19-4) The Spartans are another team that has quietly gained steam throughout the year. Losing early to two ACC teams in Maryland and UNC, Michigan St. then went on an 11 game winning streak and moved out to 17-2. Losses at home to Northwestern and Penn State don't look too good at this point, but the middle of the pack teams in the Big Ten have been very competitive with one another this year. Two games against #20 Purdue as well as a tilt with #22 Illinois will give MSU a chance to prove they deserve their spot in the Top Ten. Coach Tom Izzo is one of the best in the business and will certainly look to have his team ready to play their best come March.
10. Marquette (20-3)
Most wouldn't have expected the Golden Eagles to make it until February 6th without losing a Big East matchup, but that's exactly what they did. Their first conference loss came at South Florida, and was only by a single point. Unfortunately for Marquette however, it is going to continue to get tougher from here on out. A three game stretch consisting of home against UConn, at Louisvile, and at Pitt, before finishing up at home against Syracuse, will force them to be at their best if they want to finish up in the Top Ten. Guards Jerel McNeal and Wesley Matthews are averaging 20 and 19 points per game respectively and provide one of the best backcourts in the nation, but Marquette is completely lacking of a presence inside, which will hurt them desperately against both the Huskies and Panthers.
Labels:
basketball,
college,
Connecticut,
Duke,
hoops,
Louisville,
Memphis,
Michigan St. Marquette,
NCAA,
North Carolina,
Oklahoma,
Pittsburgh,
Wake Forest
Follow Us
