NCAA Top 25 (9)

March is almost here, and I am pumped! Only one unbeaten remains, but they aren’t the new #1…

NCAA Top 25 – 2/24/14

NOTE: Previous ranking in first parenthesis.

1. (2) Florida Gators (25-2, 14-0)

They haven’t lost in nearly three months, and they’ve continued to beat up on the SEC. Their victims now include Kentucky, whom they beat to essentially clinch the SEC title. Not only are they #1 in my poll, they would be my #1 overall seeded team if I did the bracket today.

2. (3) Wichita State Shockers (29-0, 16-0)

It’s really amazing what Wichita State has done in the 12 months. They made it to the Final Four last year before losing to National Champion Louisville. Then, they have won every game they’ve played this season and are a virtual lock for a #1 seed. As we’ve said all along, they won’t shock anymore this March.

3. (1) Syracuse Orangemen (25-2, 12-2)

I could see a loss coming for weeks, but losing to Boston College at home was not one I expected. They put up a good fight at Duke before falling in that one too. They are still safe for a #1 seed, but they no longer lead the ACC. Work to do.

4. (4) Arizona Wildcats (25-2, 12-2)

They have seemed to find their footing a bit since losing Ashley. The drubbing they put on Colorado was straight up impressive.

5. (7) Kansas Jayhawks (21-6, 12-2)

After a beatdown of Texas, Kansas is set to win yet another Big 12 Championship. Coach Self is starting to get more consistency from his young squad and they are looking like legit National Title contenders.

6. (10) Virginia Cavaliers (23-5, 14-1)

For whatever reason, Virginia struggled in the non-conference. But in ACC play they have been terrific, and now lead the conference by one game. The funny thing is that they continue to fly under the radar, which should no longer happen.

7. (8) Duke Blue Devils (22-6, 11-4)

In the midst of their busy week (due to a postponed game), they dropped one to their rival North Carolina. But they then responded with a great win over Syracuse which more than made up for it. In that game, Jabari Parker once again proved that he should be without question the top pick in the draft this summer.

8. (14) Creighton Bluejays (23-4, 13-2)

With another blowout win over Villanova, Creighton took control of the Big East. Doug McDermott is proving again and again why he should be the National Player of the Year, and why he’ll be a nice player in the NBA throughout his career.

9. (6) Villanova Wildcats (24-3, 12-2)

Villanova has been great this season against every team but Creighton. They lost to the Bluejays once again, but continue to dominate the rest of the league. They desperately need a Creighton loss to regain control of the Big East.

10. (20) St. Louis Billikens (25-2, 12-0)

After underrating this team for weeks on end, I finally got them in my Top Ten. Jadair Jett is a stud and should honestly be given a look at the All-American teams.

11. (9) Cincinnati Bearcats (24-4, 13-2)

They beat Louisville on the road earlier this season, but they surrendered a loss to them at home this week. It was a tough game that ended with a Russ Smith game winner, so Cincy should hang their heads too much.

12. (16) Louisville Cardinals (23-4, 12-2)

Louisville finally earned a win against a ranked opponent when they beat Cincinnati on the road Saturday. Russ Smith hit a game winner, which shows once again why he will likely be an All-American.

13. (13) Kentucky Wildcats (21-6, 11-3)

Like Louisville above, Kentucky has struggled against elite teams this year but beats up on the others. Unlike Louisville, they missed their chance last week at a big win when they lost to Florida. They did avoid an upset bid though by taking out LSU in OT.

14. (19) Wisconsin Badgers (22-5, 9-5)

Suddenly Wisconsin has regained their mojo and looked poised for a deep March run. They may be third in the conference, but they are the highest ranked Big Ten team in my poll this week.

15. (7) Michigan Wolverines (19-7, 11-3)

Michigan again is leading the Big Ten in the standings after taking out Michigan State again. This young squad is improving and they have done this all without Mitch McGary.

16. (NR) North Carolina (20-7, 10-4)

UNC is one of the hottest teams in the country and proved it against Duke this past week. Roy Williams always seems to have the team peaking heading into March and that’s clearly the case here.

17. (18) Ohio State Buckeyes (22-6, 9-6)

Another step in the right direction for the Buckeyes after struggling in January. The only real question now is how high will they be seeded in the tourney next month. Their last three Big Ten games will help determine that.

18. (11) Iowa State Cyclones (21-5, 9-5)

Iowa State played awful in a massive loss to West Virginia, but has since responded with three straight wins. The best they can get in the conference now is second, but that would be impressive considering how strong the Big 12 is this season.

19. (NR) New Mexico Lobos (21-5, 12-2)

I was high on this team entering the season, and they are finally playing great basketball. A drubbing over San Diego State was a loud statement, and Bairstow made his case for an All-American team.

20. (5) San Diego State Aztecs (23-3, 12-2)

Two losses in the last two weeks, one of which was an embarrassing one to New Mexico. It’s now a two-horse race with New Mexico for the league crown. Can they respond?

21. (12) Michigan State Spartans (22-6, 11-4)

Injuries continue to mount for Michigan State, which means losses are starting to accumulate, and their ranking here reflects these things. I still believe though that when fully healthy, MSU is a Top 3 team in the country.

22. (15) Iowa Hawkeyes (19-7, 8-5)

Iowa has struggled at times with the elite teams, which I think will ultimately hurt their seed in March. They have a busy week ahead due to a makeup game with IU added on Thursday.

23. (23) SMU Mustangs (22-6, 11-4)

A win at Connecticut pretty much locked them in as a sure tourney team. Larry Brown has done terrific with this squad.

24. (22) Oklahoma Sooners (20-7, 9-5)

I really like some of Oklahoma’s players but they remain fairly inconsistent as a team. They are just as likely to win three games in the tourney as opposed to losing their first one.

25. (21) Texas Longhorns (20-7, 9-5)

Texas has cooled off a little since their terrific run a few weeks back, but they remain tied for second in the Big 12. It’s a furious battle though as three teams are tied and two more are within two games.

Dropped from Previous Top 25: Memphis Tigers, Connecticut Huskies

Also Considered: Massachusetts, UCLA, Kansas State, Pittsburgh, VCU, Missouri, Stanford, Colorado

By: The Sports Guys