NCAA Top 25 (6)

It’s getting tougher doing this poll every two weeks. Conference play is crazy and therefore brings a lot of movement. But here’s my first poll of 2014:

NCAA Top 25 – 1/13/14

NOTE: Previous ranking in first parenthesis.

1. (1) Arizona Wildcats (17-0, 4-0)

We’re finally getting some stability on top. Arizona has started conference play well, and that included a great road win at UCLA, their rivals out West. I doubt it happens, but this squad has potential to end the regular season unbeaten.

2. (2) Syracuse Orangemen (16-0, 3-0)

ACC teams finally understand why the zone at Syracuse is so tough. UNC looked helpless against it, and I’m guessing that will ring true for most teams in the conference. This team is clearly the favorites to win the league.

3. (3) Wisconsin Badgers (16-0, 3-0)

The Badgers haven’t had a blunder yet, even though Iowa came close. I hope they stumble tomorrow night, when they travel to Bloomington to take on my Hoosiers… but I doubt it happens. This team is too balanced.

4. (6) Michigan State Spartans (15-1, 4-0)

MSU has been impressive. They have managed their injuries well despite a tricky start to Big Ten play. I watched them in person at IU last week and they looked extremely good. They backed that up with a win over Ohio State and another over Minnesota (without Payne). My guess is that they’ll only get better.

5. (8) Wichita State Shockers (17-0, 4-0)

They had some scares this week, but they got the job done again and are one of the four unbeaten teams left in college basketball. At this point, one would think they have a serious shot at another Final Four.

6. (10) Florida Gators (13-2, 2-0)

Just like Wichita State, Florida had to claw their way to some wins recently. But this team shows grit, and they continue to improve even without their star recruit Chris Walker (who still isn’t cleared).

7. (12) Villanova Wildcats (15-1, 4-0)

They’ve started hot in the new Big East, and their only blemish this season is Syracuse. They have great shooters on the outside, and know how to score in the paint as well. Creighton is good, but Villanova are my Big East favorites.

8. (4) Ohio State Buckeyes (15-2, 2-2)

Ohio State entered the week undefeated. Now they’ve lost twice. They lost in OT at Michigan State, so I don’t fault them for that, but they get bumped down due to a home loss against Iowa. Their lack of weapons on offense showed up in that game.

9. (7) Iowa State Cyclones (14-1, 2-1)

Their loss at Oklahoma isn’t that big a deal, but the injury to Kane at the end of the game might be. They have a tough schedule upcoming (including tonight’s game against Kansas), so they’ll need a healthy Kane to meet expectations.

10. (21) San Diego State Aztecs (14-1, 3-0)

They answered all my questions over the last two weeks. This team is legit. They won at Kansas, which is just crazy. They added a 3-0 start to conference play, two of which came on the road. They other was against a good Boise State team.

11. (16) Kansas Jayhawks (11-4, 2-0)

Right before conference play this team lost to San Diego State. Since then, they’ve played their best basketball yet. They won at Oklahoma, and then smoked Kansas State at home. Wayne Selden has finally emerged, which is huge for the team.

12. (17) Kentucky Wildcats (12-3, 2-0)

Don’t look now but Kentucky is getting better. The team is learning their roles and how to play together. The freshmen are also getting used to the speed of college basketball. I can’t wait until they clash with Florida, as the conference will likely come down to those matchups.

13. (5) Oklahoma State Cowboys (14-2, 2-1)

A lot has changed since my last poll. First off, Michael Cobbins got injured and is done for the year. Huge blow. Secondly, Stevie Clark is having some off the court issues. Thirdly, the team hasn’t looked good on the court. This all adds up to a big move down my rankings.

14. (20) Iowa Hawkeyes (14-3, 3-1)

Iowa nearly won at Wisconsin, but did win at Ohio State. This team is deep and loaded with firepower. The one thing they lacked was late game execution, which kept them from the tourney last season. They finally seemed to have figured it out.

15. (18) Memphis Tigers (12-3, 3-1)

Memphis is now 3-0 on the road in conference play. That bodes well for their chances in the league. One of those wins was at Louisville, which is an incredibly good win, especially for Josh Pastner who has struggled in big games as a coach.

16. (13) Baylor Bears (13-2, 1-1)

Their lone conference loss was at Iowa State, not a bad thing. But this team continues to be ordinary. I’m waiting for them to do something before I can truly judge them.

17. (NR) Massachusetts Minutemen (14-1, 2-0)

I probably overreacted two weeks ago after their loss to Florida State. But they have found themselves again and are back to their winning ways. Their key is playing their game, and not falling to the level of the competition.

18. (11) Duke Blue Devils (12-4, 1-2)

Just when I thought Duke would start to fly, they have floundered. It’s clear they struggle on the road, which makes sense for a young team. And Jabari Parker has started to look a lot more ordinary.

19. (14) Louisville Cardinals (14-3, 3-1)

Louisville seems to have a problem this year… They can’t beat good teams. In my opinion, they’ve played three good teams this year, and they have lost each game. The good news is that they beat everyone else. They must be tougher.

20. (19) Colorado Buffaloes (14-3, 3-1)

Was set to move them way up the board after they beat Oregon. But then they lost star guard Spencer Dinwiddie and lost to Washington. We’ll likely find out today how bad an injury it is, which could determine how good this team will be moving forward.

21. (NR) Virginia Cavaliers (12-4, 3-0)

Back in the rankings, where they started at this season. Virginia is finally playing their brand of basketball, and that has led to some blowout wins over Florida State and NC State, teams I thought were pretty good.

22. (NR) Cincinnati Bearcats (15-2, 4-0)

Impressive start to AAC play included a road win against Memphis. That win could go a long way in the standings as the season unfolds.

23. (NR) Pittsburgh Panthers (15-1, 3-0)

Only loss this year was to the team ranked at #22 right now (Cincy). Their sixth man did just get injured, so we’ll see how they deal with that.

24. (NR) Creighton Bluejays (14-2, 4-0)

Creighton has also been playing their best basketball to date in conference play, but they too have to deal with injuries. McDermott is day-to-day, which won’t be much of a factor. But Grant Gibbs could miss at least a month, which would be a big loss.

25. (NR) St. Louis Billikens (15-2, 2-0)

They have lost only to Wisconsin and Wichita State this season. Both of those teams are ranked in my top 5, and both were very close games. They have now won 9 in a row, including two straight road conference games.

Dropped from Previous Top 25: Oregon Ducks, Connecticut Huskies, North Carolina Tarheels, Missouri Tigers, UCLA Bruins, Florida State Seminoles

Also Considered: Oklahoma, New Mexico, Xavier, Michigan, Harvard, Kansas State, VCU, California

By: The Sports Guys