Field of 65--Version 4

1) Connecticut (22-1); Oklahoma (23-1); North Carolina (21-2); Pittsburgh (21-2)
The Sooners are an under-the-radar 23-1. And while I don't think Jeff Capel's squad is truly the second best team in the country, it's hard to find fault with their performance. Blake Griffin is the best player in the country. Willie Warren is arguably the top freshman. And the Sooners have a stellar starting five. But where's the bench?
2) Louisville (18-4); Marquette (20-3); Michigan State (19-4); Wake Forest (18-3)
After losing three of four, Wake Forest bounced back with a 17-point win against Boston College. And despite the Demon Deacons recent struggles, their deep roster has the talent to make a Final Four run.
3) Clemson (19-3); UCLA (19-4); Duke (20-3); Memphis (20-3)
If the Tigers 18-point win over Gonzaga in Spokane is any indication, Memphis may be rounding into form. Tyreke Evans gets my vote as the top freshman in the nation -- my apologies to Willie Warren and Greg Monroe.
4) Xavier (20-3); Kansas (19-4); Villanova (19-4); Washington (17-6)
I didn't expect much from Lorenzo Romar's Washington squad this year, but the Huskies are playing excellent basketball. Justin Dentmon and Quincy Pondexter are nice off the bounce. And Jon Brockman is a walking double-double (11 of them to be exact). But it's 5-8 freshman point guard Isaiah Thomas (named after the Isiah Thomas when his father lost a bet) who has had the biggest impact on the Huskies. He leads the team in scoring and assists has had a huge influence on Washington's win column.
5) Butler (21-2); Ohio State (17-5); Purdue (17-6); Arizona State (18-5)
Four of Arizona State's seven conference wins have come against the Oregon schools. This week they will be tested at home against USC and UCLA. While James Harden may be the most talented offensive player in the country, he needs some help if the Sun Devils hope to be special.
6) Missouri (20-4); Syracuse (18-6); Florida State (18-5); Illinois (19-5)
Mike Anderson was a great hire for Mizzou. His UAB teams were active on defense and opportunistic on the offensive end. However, for his Missouri squad to become truly dangerous, the Tigers need some scoring help from their guards.
7) Utah State (23-1); Florida (19-4); Minnesota (18-5); California (18-6)
After losing on the road against UCLA and USC last week, Cal bounced back, sweeping the Washington schools at home. With a home game against Stanford on tap for this week followed by a road trip to play the Oregon schools, Mike Montgomery's team looks poised to all but wrap up an at-large bid. Cal's three-guard attack, featuring Jerome Randle (18.5 ppg and 5 apg), Patrick Christopher (14.3 ppg), and Theo Robertson (12.5 ppg and .550 from behind the arc), may be the nation's most underrated perimeter trio.
8) Texas (15-7); LSU (19-4); Gonzaga (17-5); West Virginia (16-7)
What's happened to the Longhorns? They've lost their last three, and they're getting no help from the bench. Adjustments have to be made, especially on the offensive end. A.J. Abrams appears to be pressing, and Damion James has to play a bigger role in the offense.
9) Dayton (21-3); South Carolina (17-5); Kentucky (16-7); Davidson (20-4)
Dayton slides a couple spots after losing to lowly Charlotte. Still, you have to think the Flyers' 14-point neutral court win against Marquette is going to go a long way with the selection committee.
10) Boston College (18-7); Tennessee (14-8); San Diego State (17-5); Mississippi State (16-7)
Preseason, I thought Tennessee was one of the top ten teams in the country. At this point, it wouldn't surprise me if they missed the dance. The Vols are playing undisciplined basketball, and their pressure defense hasn't been as effective as in years past. Tyler Smith and Wayne Chism aren't getting much help.
11) Saint Mary's (19-4); Virginia Tech (15-7); USC (15-7); Penn State (17-7)
The Nittany Lions have lost their last two by a combined total of 30 points. And while Penn State may not be dancing in March, they have a nice trio of scorers in senior power forward Jamelle Cornley (15.7 ppg) and backcourt mates Talor Battle (18.5 ppg) and Stanley Pringle (13.6 ppg).
12) UNLV (17-6); Arizona (16-8); Michigan (15-9); Western Kentucky (17-7)
Arizona returns to the Field of 65 (even if only temporarily). The Wilcats have reeled off five straight with USC and UCLA up next. While Jordan Hill (18.3 ppg and 11.5 rbg) and Chase Budinger (17.7 ppg) continue to put up excellent numbers, Arizona has absolutely no bench. The Cats are NIT-bound.
13) Northern Iowa (17-7); Siena (18-6); Buffalo (16-5); Northeastern (16-7)
The Bulls of Buffalo have been impressive in the MAC. And don't forget they only lost by four to UConn in early December. Oh, and if you're not paying attention to the MAC standings, it's interesting to note that, while all of the teams in the MAC East have winning records (conference and overall) and are respectable, the MAC West teams all have overall losing records, and only one (David Letterman University) has a winning record in conference.
14) North Dakota State (18-5); VMI (19-4); Weber State (15-8); East Tennessee State (17-6)
While Radford has pulled even with VMI in the Big South, the Keydets maintain the conference's automatic bid, since they own a head-to-head victory over the Highlanders.
15) Robert Morris (17-8); Boston U (14-9); Morehead State (14-11); Sam Houston State (13-8)
Boston U takes the America East bid from Vermont, but the Terriers' presence could be short-lived, as they travel to Burlington on Wednesday to take on the second-place Catamounts.
16) Long Beach State (12-10); Morgan State (13-10); Holy Cross (12-11); Alabama State (12-8); Princeton (9-8)
Holy Cross and American U have identical conference records, and the Crusaders have a better overall record. But the Crusaders take the Patriot League automatic bid on the strength of their head-to-head victory over the Eagles.