Top 25

*previous rank in parentheses

1. Syracuse 13-0 (1)
2. Kentucky 11-1 (2)
3. Ohio State 12-1 (3)
4. North Carolina 11-2 (4)
5. Missouri 12-0 (6)
6. Louisville 12-0 (5)
7. Duke 10-1 (9)
8. Baylor 12-0 (10)
9. Connecticut 10-1 (8)
10. Florida 10-2 (11)
11. Marquette 11-1 (7)
12. Wisconsin 11-2 (12)
13. Indiana 12-0 (13)
14. Michigan State 11-2 (14)
15. UNLV 13-2 (18)
16. Georgetown 10-1 (17)
17. Mississippi State 12-1 (21)
18. Virginia 10-1 (20)
19. Murray State 13-0 (23)
20. Saint Louis 11-1 (24)
21. Michigan 10-2 (25)
22. Kansas 8-3 (15)
23. Kansas State 10-1 (NR)
24. Pittsburgh 11-2 (19)
25. Xavier 9-3 (16)

IN: Kansas State
OUT: Stanford

CBB Uniforms (1988-89 to Present): 16 Seeds

What's that? Oh, you wanted me to rate the top 64 college basketball uniforms from the past 23 seasons? Well, you're in luck, because that's what's getting ready to happen - in 16 installments. I began watching college basketball during the 1988-89 season as a 7-year old. That season ended with Michigan topping Seton Hall in the National Championship game. Given my viewing lifetime, this list only takes into consideration uniforms worn from the 1988-89 season up to the present. For the most part, the ratings are about design, color scheme, and uniqueness. I am not penalizing pre-Fab Five era uniforms for their embarrassing short shorts. Similarly, I am not penalizing current uniforms for their embarrassing capri pants. I am also ignoring the fact that water marks exist on the back of uniforms. Hopefully, that is a fad that will disappear quickly. I should also note that the same team can appear on this list more than once. In fact, 9 teams appear on the list twice, and two schools make three appearances. In other words, 11 programs make up 25 of the 64 uniforms on the list. There are no hard and fast rules. These are just my opinions. That being said, there are a few guidelines I'm trying to follow. I've also tried my best to take my rooting interests out of the equation. Uniforms that have reached iconic status get a boost in the rankings. Similarly, uniforms that were truly revolutionary - in terms of fit or design - get a boost. Where only small modifications were made to a program's uniform over time, I have included the most appealing uniform from that series. However, where significant changes have been made, multiple uniforms from the same program are eligible for inclusion. I am taking into consideration third and fourth color alternates and alternate designs. However, I am not taking into consideration throwback uniforms that were part of a team's uniform rotation, unless that throwback served as the team's primary uniform. As it is difficult to pinpoint exactly the years in which some of these uniforms were worn, I have referenced a particular uniform by school and player in an attempt to jog your memory and to give you a rough idea of the time the uniform was worn. In some cases, the player pictured is not the player named as a reference point; it's simply the best picture I could find of the uniform in question. Without further ado, RBP's 16 seeds:

64) Memphis (Tyreke Evans)
Memphis currently wears uniforms that are almost identical to these, save for the addition of stripes on the shoulders, down the sides, and on the shorts.




63) Clemson (Trevor Booker)
Clemson's otherwise average uniforms make the cut on the strength of their purple alternates.




62) Utah (David Foster)
Like the throwback jersey look but not a fan of the shorts, which read "U - US - MUSS", a reference to the team motto (the MUSS being the Utah student section).




61) Kansas State (Jacob Pullen)
The white and black versions are fantastic, but the purple and gray models drag the Wildcats down.

Top 25

*previous rank in parentheses

1. Syracuse 11-0 (1)
2. Kentucky 9-1 (2)
3. Ohio State 10-1 (3)
4. North Carolina 9-2 (4)
5. Louisville 10-0 (5)
6. Missouri 11-0 (6)
7. Marquette 10-0 (7)
8. Connecticut 9-1 (8)
9. Duke 9-1 (9)
10. Baylor 9-0 (11)
11. Florida 8-2 (12)
12. Wisconsin 10-2 (13)
13. Indiana 10-0 (14)
14. Michigan State 9-2 (15)
15. Kansas 7-2 (16)
16. Xavier 8-1 (10)
17. Georgetown 9-1 (17)
18. UNLV 11-2 (22)
19. Pittsburgh 10-1 (18)
20. Virginia 9-1 (23)
21. Mississippi State 11-1 (24)
22. Stanford 9-1 (NR)
23. Murray State 12-0 (NR)
24. Saint Louis 10-1 (NR)
25. Michigan 9-2 (NR)

IN: Stanford, Murray State, Saint Louis, Michigan
OUT: Illinois, Alabama, Vanderbilt, Texas A&M

All-Decade Teams: SEC

Each team includes the top 5 players from that program over the course of the past 10 years. As mentioned previously, I have not attempted to put together teams that fill all 5 positions on the floor.

The order in which the programs are listed corresponds to the power rankings from my previous post, "A Decade of SEC Basketball." This order should not be construed as a ranking of top 5s. In other words, just because I have LSU listed fifth and Mississippi State fourth does not mean that I believe Mississippi State's top 5 is better than LSU's top 5. That being said, I have ranked the players within each program.

Where part of a player's career came before the 2001-02 season, I have taken those years into consideration for purposes of this post.

Where a player transferred to a SEC program, I have not taken into account the year(s) prior to the transfer. Similarly, where a player transferred away from a SEC program, I have not taken into account the year(s) subsequent to the transfer.

Ranking Kentucky's top 5 was especially difficult - perhaps even more difficult than ranking Arizona's top 5. Players such as Jodie Meeks, Chuck Hayes, and Rajon Rondo would have made lesser programs' top fives with relative ease. However, those three very good college players probably slide into the 8 through 10 spots at Kentucky. I feel confident about my top 3 - Tayshaun Prince, John Wall, and DeMarcus Cousins. Prince is a no-brainer. Wall was sensational during his single season in Lexington, and DeMarcus Cousins was an absolute force of nature. Even though Wall and Cousins were only in Lexington for one year, the impact they had on college basketball and the Kentucky program during that short period of time justifies their rankings. The 4 through 7 spots are where it gets tricky. Patrick Patterson is my #4. He was a bright spot during the dark days of the Billy Clyde era in Lexington. Patterson excelled on the defensive end of the floor and on the glass but could also score. While his numbers were impressive, Patterson is best remembered for putting forth more effort than just about anyone else possessing his level of talent and athleticism. Gerald Fitch, one of the most underrated players of the last decade, is my #5. Fitch was the ringleader of two fabulous college basketball teams - the 02-03 and 03-04 Wildcats. Because neither team made it to a Final Four (and neither produced an NBA star), these teams have largely been forgotten outside of the Bluegrass state. Fitch was a crafty scorer, a good defender, and one of the best rebounders from the guard position I've ever had the pleasure of watching. His numbers, while solid, were not spectacular, but that largely can be chalked up to playing in Tubby Smith's system. I have Brandon Knight at #6 and Keith Bogans at #7. A strong case could be made on behalf of either of them for inclusion in the top 5. In his one season in the college ranks, Knight led the Cats to the Final Four. It's hard for me to leave Knight off this list, as I don't believe the gap between Wall and Knight is all that significant. (Also, Knight is going to be a better pro than Kyrie Irving, but that's a topic for another day.) Bogans was a solid (and probably underappreciated) four-year player, but I think of Bogans as more of a gunner than a guy who would go out and get you a win (see Fitch, Gerald).

*Note that Lawrence Roberts (Mississippi State), Marco Killingsworth (Auburn), and Toney Douglas (Auburn) also made the top 5 at Baylor, Indiana, and Florida State, respectively.

1. Florida
1. Al Horford (05-07)
2. Joakim Noah (05-07)
3. Corey Brewer (05-07)
4. Udonis Haslem (99-02)
5. Matt Bonner (00-03)

2. Kentucky
1. Tayshaun Prince (99-02)
2. John Wall (10)
3. DeMarcus Cousins (10)
4. Patrick Patterson (08-10)
5. Gerald Fitch (01-04)

3. Tennessee
1. Chris Lofton (05-08)
2. Vincent Yarbrough (99-02)
3. Ron Slay (00-03)
4. Tyler Smith (08-10)
5. C.J. Watson (03-06)

4. Mississippi State
1. Lawrence Roberts (04-05)
2. Jamont Gordon (06-08)
3. Jarvis Varnado (07-10)
4. Mario Austin (01-03)
5. Charles Rhodes (05-08)

5. LSU
1. Glen Davis (05-07)
2. Brandon Bass (04-05)
3. Ronald Dupree (00-03)
4. Marcus Thornton (08-09)
5. Jaime Lloreda (03-04)

6. Vanderbilt
1. Shan Foster (05-08)
2. Matt Freije ((01-04)
3. Derrick Byars (06-07)
4. John Jenkins (10-present)
5. Jeffery Taylor (09-present)

7. Alabama
1. Erwin Dudley (00-03)
2. Rod Grizzard (00-02)
3. Kennedy Winston (03-05)
4. Richard Hendrix (06-08)
5. Mo Williams (02-03)

8. Arkansas
1. Ronnie Brewer (04-06)
2. Sonny Weems (07-08)
3. Jonathon Modica (03-06)
4. Jannero Pargo (01-02)
5. Patrick Beverley (07-08)

9. Georgia
1. Jarvis Hayes (02-03)
2. Trey Thompkins (09-11)
3. Ezra Williams (01-03)
4. Travis Leslie (09-11)
5. Sundiata Gaines (05-08)

10. South Carolina
1. Devan Downey (08-10)
2. Carlos Powell (02-05)
3. Tre Kelley (04-07)
4. Zam Fredrick (08-09)
5. Sam Muldrow (08-11)

11. Mississippi
1. Justin Reed (01-04)
2. Chris Warren (08-11)
3. Dwayne Curtis (06-08)
4. Aaron Harper (01-04)
5. Terrico White (09-10)

12. Auburn
1. Marquis Daniels (00-03)
2. Korvotney Barber (06-09)
3. DeWayne Reed (07-10)
4. Marco Killingsworth (02-04)
5. Toney Douglas (05)

Top 25

1. Syracuse (10-0)
RBP preseason ranking: 3
KenPom rating: 5
KenPom offense: 8
KenPom defense: 9
Quality wins: Virginia Tech(n), Stanford(n), Florida
Losses: none

2. Kentucky (8-1)
RBP preseason ranking: 2
KenPom rating: 2
KenPom offense: 4
KenPom defense: 5
Quality wins: Kansas(n), North Carolina
Losses: @Indiana

3. Ohio State (8-1)
RBP preseason ranking: 5
KenPom rating: 3
KenPom offense: 5
KenPom defense: 2
Quality wins: Florida, Duke
Losses: @Kansas

4. North Carolina (8-2)
RBP preseason ranking: 1
KenPom rating: 4
KenPom offense: 6
KenPom defense: 10
Quality wins: UNLV(n), @Kentucky
Losses: Michigan State(n), Wisconsin

5. Louisville (9-0)
RBP preseason ranking: 7
KenPom rating: 10
KenPom offense: 60
KenPom defense: 4
Quality wins: Vanderbilt
Losses: none

6. Missouri (9-0)
RBP preseason ranking: 16
KenPom rating: 8
KenPom offense: 3
KenPom defense: 34
Quality wins: California(n), Villanova(n)
Losses: none

7. Marquette (9-0)
RBP preseason ranking: NR
KenPom rating: 7
KenPom offense: 9
KenPom defense: 18
Quality wins: @Wisconsin, Washington(n)
Losses: none

8. Connecticut (8-1)
RBP preseason ranking: 6
KenPom rating: 23
KenPom offense: 14
KenPom defense: 53
Quality wins: Florida State(n), Harvard
Losses: Central Florida(n)

9. Duke (9-1)
RBP preseason ranking: 4
KenPom rating: 9
KenPom offense: 7
KenPom defense: 29
Quality wins: Michigan State(n), Michigan(n), Kansas(n), Washington(n)
Losses: @Ohio State

10. Xavier (8-0)
RBP preseason ranking: 14
KenPom rating: 16
KenPom offense: 27
KenPom defense: 19
Quality wins: @Vanderbilt, Purdue, Cincinnati
Losses: none

11. Baylor (7-0)
RBP preseason ranking: 17
KenPom rating: 19
KenPom offense: 40
KenPom defense: 15
Quality wins: San Diego State, Northwestern
Losses:none

12. Florida (7-2)
RBP preseason ranking: 10
KenPom rating: 11
KenPom offense: 1
KenPom defense: 66
Quality wins: Arizona
Losses: @Ohio State, @Syracuse

13. Wisconsin (8-2)
RBP preseason ranking: 11
KenPom rating: 1
KenPom offense: 13
KenPom defense: 1
Quality wins: Brigham Young(n), UNLV
Losses: @North Carolina, Marquette

14. Indiana (9-0)
RBP preseason ranking: NR
KenPom rating: 13
KenPom offense: 12
KenPom defense: 39
Quality wins: North Carolina State, Kentucky
Losses: none

15. Michigan State (8-2)
RBP preseason ranking: NR
KenPom rating: 12
KenPom offense: 43
KenPom defense: 7
Quality wins: Florida State, @Gonzaga
Losses: North Carolina(n), Duke(n)

16. Kansas (7-2)
RBP preseason ranking: NR
KenPom rating: 6
KenPom offense: 17
KenPom defense: 11
Quality wins: Georgetown(n), Ohio State
Losses: Kentucky(n), Duke(n)

17. Georgetown (8-1)
RBP preseason ranking: NR
KenPom rating: 17
KenPom offense: 25
KenPom defense: 22
Quality wins: Memphis(n), @Alabama
Losses: Kansas(n)

18. Pittsburgh (9-1)
RBP preseason ranking: 8
KenPom rating: 28
KenPom offense: 2
KenPom defense: 141
Quality wins: Oklahoma State(n)
Losses: Long Beach State

19. Illinois (10-0)
RBP preseason ranking: NR
KenPom rating: 41
KenPom offense: 79
KenPom defense: 24
Quality wins: Gonzaga
Losses: none

20. Alabama (8-2)
RBP preseason ranking: NR
KenPom rating: 20
KenPom offense: 50
KenPom defense: 12
Quality wins: Wichita State(n), Purdue(n)
Losses: Georgetown, @Dayton

21. Vanderbilt (6-3)
RBP preseason ranking: 9
KenPom rating: 44
KenPom offense: 22
KenPom defense: 85
Quality wins: North Carolina State(n)
Losses: Cleveland State, Xavier, @Louisville

22. UNLV (9-2)
RBP preseason ranking: 25
KenPom rating: 25
KenPom offense: 16
KenPom defense: 49
Quality wins: North Carolina(n)
Losses: @Wichita State, @Wisconsin

23. Virginia (8-1)
RBP preseason ranking: NR
KenPom rating: 26
KenPom offense: 101
KenPom defense: 6
Quality wins: Michigan
Losses: TCU(n)

24. Mississippi State (9-1)
RBP preseason ranking: NR
KenPom rating: 50
KenPom offense: 52
KenPom defense: 61
Quality wins: Texas A&M(n), Arizona(n), West Virginia
Losses: Akron

25. Texas A&M (8-1)
RBP preseason ranking: 15
KenPom rating: 53
KenPom offense: 135
KenPom defense: 16
Quality wins: none
Losses: Mississippi State(n)

*On the cusp: Stanford, Murray State, Saint Louis

**All games played through Sunday considered. Ken Pomeroy numbers are current through Saturday.

Notes: Kentucky at Indiana

1. Heading into the game, I would have predicted a double-digit victory by Kentucky. I'm very surprised by the result. Just from a talent standpoint alone, Indiana had no business winning this game. That being said, the loss can be chalked up to a few factors. Indiana played harder. Kentucky has essentially a six-man rotation and had no answer when freshman wunderkind Anthony Davis had to sit with fouls. Kentucky is a young, undefeated team playing on the road in a hostile environment against a very hungry team. Oh, and Indiana is even better than I thought.

2. Where did that come from, Christian Watford? Watford, who has been solid but by no means spectacular during his time in Bloomington, gave Indiana fans what they had hoped for when Watford committed to the Hoosiers as a highly touted prospect out of Birmingham. The 6-9 junior with the sophisticated offensive game and sweet stroke poured in 20 points, went 4 for 6 from beyond the arc, hit the game-winning shot, and thoroughly outplayed preseason All-American Terrence Jones.

3. Speaking of Jones, the 6-9 250-pound sophomore is not playing like an All-American (and that was the case before today's disappearing act). I'm not sure exactly what was going on with him today, but Jones appeared to sulk his way to four points, six turnovers, and a single rebound against the Hoosiers. Jones is fully capable of taking over a game with his physical play, but, as we saw today, when he lacks focus, he disrupts the flow of the Kentucky offense and provides little on the defensive end.

4. Cody Zeller is big, white, and, goofy, which mean he's going to be made fun of and doubted. But he's also an extremely skilled big man and one of the five best freshman in the country. He finished with 11 and 7 today, as compared to Anthony Davis' 6 and 9. Zeller certainly benefited from Anthony Davis' foul trouble, but he more than held his own against the country's most talented player.

5. Prior to the start of the season, I thought Kentucky might have a deeper bench than they had last season. I'm not so sure now. Kentucky's starting five is as talented as any starting five in the country, and Darius Miller is a very good sixth man. However, beyond those top six, the pickings are slim. Eloy Vargas is a big body but also a liability on both ends of the floor. Freshman McDonald's All-American Kyle Wiltjer looks tentative and frail. I expect Wiltjer to be a good college player but not this year. Help may be on the way in the form of Mississippi State transfer Twany Beckham who will be available at the semester break. However, Beckham played sparingly during his time in Starkville, averaging less than 3 points per contest in 47 games with the Bulldogs. It's looking more and more like Coach Cal will have to make due with a six-man rotation, which will cause problems when fouls become a factor.

6. Even with a pretty poor performance today in Bloomington, Kentucky should be rated no worse than third when the next set of rankings comes out. For its part, Indiana is a top 25 team and may be deserving of a top 15 ranking.

A Decade of SEC Basketball

2001-02 through 2010-11 seasons

Power Rankings:
1. Florida
2. Kentucky
3. Tennessee
4. Mississippi State
5. LSU
6. Vanderbilt
7. Alabama
8. Arkansas
9. Georgia
10. South Carolina
11. Mississippi
12. Auburn

National Championships:
2 - Florida

Final Fours:
2- Florida
1 - Kentucky
1 - LSU

Sweet 16s:
5 - Kentucky
3 - Florida
3 - Tennessee
2 - Vanderbilt
1 - LSU
1 - Vanderbilt
1 - Auburn

NCAA Tournament Appearances:
9 - Kentucky
8 - Florida
6 - Tennessee
6 - Mississippi State
5 - Vanderbilt
5 - Alabama
4 - LSU
3 - Arkansas
3 - Georgia
1 - South Carolina
1 - Mississippi
1 - Auburn

Regular Season Conference Titles:
3 - Kentucky
2 - Florida
2 - LSU
1 - Tennessee
1 - Mississippi State
1 - Alabama

Conference Tournament Titles:
4 - Kentucky
3 - Florida
2 - Mississippi State
1 - Georgia

20-win Seasons:
10 - Florida
9 - Kentucky
8 - Mississippi State
6 - Vanderbilt
5 - Tennessee
5 - Alabama
5 - South Carolina
5 - Mississippi
4 - LSU
3 - Arkansas
2 - Georgia
2 - Auburn

Winning Percentages:
.742 Kentucky
.739 Florida
.662 Mississippi State
.631 Tennessee
.623 Vanderbilt
.622 Alabama
.571 LSU
.566 Mississippi
.549 South Carolina
.532 Arkansas
.525 Georgia
.500 Auburn

*The Winning Percentages category includes all games played - in conference, non-conference, and postseason.

**Upcoming: all-decade teams for each SEC program

Titans, Tigers, and Purple Aces.

Detroit wore the uniforms shown above for the Dick Vitale court dedication on Monday night. These are the most awful, ill-fitting uniforms I've ever seen. Here's a photo gallery. Despite Detroit's sartorial sin, the Titans topped St. John's 69-63. Plus, the jerseys are being auctioned off, and a portion of the proceeds will benefit the V Foundation. Ugly jerseys for a very good cause.

Memphis is also rocking throwbacks this season. These unis honor the Tigers' national runner-up finish to UCLA during the 1972-73 season. This is how you do throwbacks.


More Memphis.


And now for the jersey/t-shirt we need to get back on the court as soon as possible.


As a child, I was confused by Evansville's choice to wear short sleeves. Now I wish the Purple Aces would drop the tanks in favor of the tees.


*The player pictured in the photo above is Clint Keown. He was a three-sport star at Evansville Memorial (alma mater of Louisville Cardinal Kyle Kuric, my old roommate Prince Fennis Ismael, baseball great Don Mattingly, and my grandfather) and is now a professional poker player. I don't know anything about poker, but here's a link to a web page with a photo of Keown wearing a trucker cap at a poker table and a story about how he won money off a man suffering from food poisoning.

**I should probably add that Evansville lost to North Carolina tonight by a score of 97-48. The game made me sad. However, the Aces knocked off Butler in overtime in the season-opener in the brand-new Ford Center in downtown Evansville. Go Aces!

Notes: Big East/SEC Challenge

1. Well, I'm not sure it was much of a challenge. The Big East took 8 of 12 games to take the conference matchup in convincing fashion. Now can we put to rest the silly argument that the SEC is as good as the Big East this year? The SEC managed only 4 wins. Those wins included victories over DePaul and Rutgers, the two teams RBP picked to finish 15th and 16th in the Big East, and a Kentucky victory over a St. John's team that returned 4% of its scoring from last season. Mississippi State's win over West Virginia was the SEC's only victory over a Big East team RBP projected to finish in the top-half of the conference, and we only picked the Mountaineers to finish 8th. Four Big East schools did not participate - Marquette, Villanova, Notre Dame, and South Florida. Marquette is undefeated and just topped rival Wisconsin over the weekend. Villanova would be no worse than the sixth best team in the SEC, and Notre Dame is a competitive team despite the loss of Tim Abromaitis to a season-ending knee injury. For its part, the Big East picked up some nice wins, highlighted by unranked Georgetown beating 12th ranked Alabama in Tuscaloosa. In matchups featuring two ranked teams, the Big East was 2-0, as #3 Syracuse topped #9 Florida and #6 Louisville slipped by #19 Vanderbilt in overtime.

2. I'm surprised Ole Miss isn't better. RBP projected the Rebels to finish sixth in the SEC. However, they only managed two-point wins against DePaul (on Thursday) and Penn State (on Sunday), two of the worst BCS conference schools. While Andy Kennedy's squad sits at 7-1, the Rebels only quality win is against Miami, and they lost by 30 on a neutral court to Marquette.

3. LSU is a talented wing away from being very solid for the next couple years. 6-11 260-pound junior Justin Hamilton, a transfer from Iowa State, and 6-9 250-pound freshman Johnny O'Bryant, a McDonald's All-American, provide Trent Johnson with a talented (and enormous) frontline. The key going forward, however, may be freshman point guard Anthony Hickey. Hickey, who somehow flew under the radar on the recruiting circuit, won Kentucky's Mr. Basketball over Louisville freshman and McDonald's All-American Chane Behanan and led his Christian County squad to a state championship in the process. Waterbug-quick and a ballhawk on the defensive end, he leads the Tigers in minutes, assists, and steals and is second in scoring. Hickey struggled early against Rutgers on Saturday but made two crucial baskets in crunch time to put the game away for the Bayou Bengals.

4. Despite losing to ridiculously deep Syracuse, I like this Florida team. The Gators have an excellent backcourt, and I couldn't be much higher on Bradley Beal. I think he's a special player with shades of Eric Gordon to his game. Patric Young is a beast in the paint, but he's going to need some help. Will Yeguete will contribute, but the Gators will need Erik Murphy to step up after he returns from a knee injury if the Gators are going to make a deep run in March.

5. Seton Hall senior Herb Pope may finally be living up to his vast potential. The 6-8 235-pound senior forward spent his freshman year at New Mexico State. He chose the Aggies, despite being a highly sought after top 25 recruit. Prior to suiting up for the Aggies, Pope was shot in the arm at a party. He managed to put together a solid freshman campaign but transferred to Seton Hall after one season in Las Cruces. Then, in April 2010, Pope went into cardiac arrest caused by a genetic anomaly in his heart. After undergoing surgery to correct the condition, Pope returned to the floor last season but lacked the stamina necessary to play effectively for a full 40 minutes. Now fully recovered, Pope is averaging 20 points and 11 rebounds per game. In Seton Hall's 22-point shellacking of Auburn, Pope poured in 23 points, grabbed 12 boards, and blocked 3 shots. If he continues at this pace, the Pirates' inside-outside combo of Pope and senior point guard Jordan Theodore may surprise some teams in Big East play.

6. Louisville continues to find ways to win, despite a rash of injuries to key contributors. The Cardinals are without freshman McDonald's All-American Wayne Blackshear, junior Mike Marra, and junior Rakeem Buckles (who is expected to return in the short-term). A host of other Cardinals have missed time with an assortment of injuries but have since returned to action. The Cards' play on the offensive end against Vanderbilt wasn't pretty, but they managed to eke out a win in overtime. While Louisville is 7-0 and currently has the third best defense in the country (according to Ken Pomeroy's data), the Cardinals are struggling to score in the half-court. Vandy's length made Louisville's typically average offense look ineffective for long stretches. There is a good chance Rick Pitino's team will be ranked 4th when the newest rankings come out. However, with a date against Kentucky and conference play looming, the Cards are going to have to find ways to score in the half-court against long, athletic opponents, or their lofty perch in the rankings will be short-lived.

Notes: North Carolina at Kentucky

1. The rest of the NCAA can breathe a sigh of relief - Anthony Davis is human. While he blocked John Henson's shot with five seconds remaining to seal the win for the Wildcats, Davis had a pretty pedestrian game (7 points, 9 rebounds, 2 blocks, 2 steals). Davis is the most talented player in the country, but the Tar Heels have now provided a blueprint on how to slow down Davis. The trick - put a body on him. Be physical with his 6-10 220-pound frame. And, no matter what, don't leave him when penetration occurs or when the ball enters the post. Because, if you leave him to play help defense or if you fail to keep a body on him, Kentucky is going to lob it to Davis for an easy two. The Tar Heels defended Davis as well as anyone could hope to, and I expect other teams to adopt this approach going forward. Of course, most teams don't have a John Henson or a Tyler Zeller, so this strategy will, at best, slow down Davis. Then again, slowing down Davis is kind of best-case scenario at this point.

2. Anthony Davis is a future number one pick, and Terrence Jones is a preseason All-American, but Michael Kidd-Gilchrist was Kentucky's best player on Saturday. Kidd-Gilchrist was fantastic, scoring 17 points, grabbing 11 boards, slashing to the basket, and, as usual, playing with unmatched energy on both ends of the floor.

3. The season is still young, but, at this point, Marquis Teague does not appear to be in the same league as Derrick Rose, Tyreke Evans, John Wall, or Brandon Knight. And, to be honest, I'm not sure it's fair to hold Teague to the standard set by those four. Unfortunately for Teague, the comparisons are inevitable given John Calipari's track record with freshman floor generals. Teague struggled against the Tar Heels and exhibited the poor decisionmaking that has plagued him so far this year. The freshman point guard appears to be more of a gunner than a playmaker. Complicating matters, Kentucky has looked better with sophomore Doron Lamb running the point. While there may be a temptation to remove Teague from the lineup, I would advise against any such move. Doron Lamb is Kentucky's best shooter and has one of the country's best mid-range games. Coach Cal needs Lamb running off screens and receiving the ball on the wing. Moving Lamb to the point would leave Kentucky without a sharpshooting wing and would stunt Teague's development. If Kentucky is going to win an eighth National Championship, Teague will have to improve. However, with the talent surrounding him, he doesn't have to be the next John Wall.

4. North Carolina, everyone's preseason number one, now has two losses. These early setbacks have exposed some of UNC's vulnerabilities, but I think the Tar Heels performed well on the road against Kentucky. The good news for UNC fans is that the Tar Heels are a very good team that has room for improvement. Yes, Harrison Barnes has a deadly outside shot, but he could start taking the ball to the hole more often. Sophomore Reggie Bullock and freshmen P.J. Hairston and James McAdoo will continue to develop over the course of the season. After a disappointing freshman campaign, Bullock looks to be gaining confidence, and I expect him to overtake Dexter Strickland by season's end. I love Hairston's game. He's a big-bodied two-guard with a nice stroke who provides instant offense off the bench. McAdoo is a top-flight athlete who really runs the floor well. He's still learning on the offensive end but is an active defender who will provide the Tar Heels with yet another long post defender.

5. So, who's number one? Kentucky or Ohio State? Kentucky has more talent. Ohio State has more depth. Kentucky has the most talented player in the country. Ohio State has the nation's best player. The Wildcats beat Kansas by 10 on a neutral floor and edged North Carolina by 1. Ohio State beat Florida by 7 and dismantled Duke, beating the Blue Devils by 22. I would probably give the edge to Kentucky for now but just barely.

All-Decade Teams: Pac-10

2001-02 through 2010-11 seasons

Each team includes the top 5 players from that program over the course of the past 10 years. As mentioned previously, I have not attempted to put together teams that fill all 5 positions on the floor.

The order in which the programs are listed corresponds to the power rankings from my previous post, "A Decade of Pac-10 Basketball." This order should not be construed as a ranking of top 5s. In other words, just because I have Arizona listed second and UCLA first does not mean that I believe UCLA's top 5 is better than Arizona's top 5. That being said, I have ranked the players within each program.

Where part of a player's career came before the 2001-02 season, I have taken those years into consideration for purposes of this post.

Where a player transferred to a Pac-10 program, I have not taken into account the year(s) prior to the transfer. Similarly, where a player transferred away from a Pac-10 program, I have not taken into account the year(s) subsequent to the transfer.

Admittedly, my decision to rank Luke Walton ahead of both Chase Budinger and Jordan Hill lends itself to criticism. (A pretty good argument for Hassan Adams could also be made.) Budinger and Hill had better numbers than Walton. Budinger put together three very productive years in Tucson, and Hill's junior season, in which he averaged 18 points and 11 rebounds per contest, was outstanding. Walton only had one season in which he played more than 30 minutes per game - his junior year. After that junior season, in which Walton averaged 15 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists per contest, his numbers fell off during his senior year. Walton scored fewer points in four seasons than Budinger and Hill did in three. So, how do I justify ranking Walton ahead of Budinger and Hill? For me, it comes down to winning and Walton's remarkable passing ability. Yes, Walton had the good fortune to play on some very talented Arizona teams, but he had a huge impact on those teams. He was quite possibly the best passing forward we have seen in the past ten years. As a senior, he averaged over 5 assists per game, despite playing just over 27 minutes per contest. Budinger and Hill were the most talented players on chronically underachieving teams. The 06-07 and 07-08 seasons ended with first round NCAA tourney losses. Their junior campaign saw Arizona reach the Sweet 16, after just slipping into the tournament as a 12-seed, only to lose by 39 to Louisville. In contrast, Walton's teams reached the second round, the National Championship game, the Sweet 16, and the Elite Eight during his career. And then there's the eye test, which Walton passes with flying colors. Budinger left me wanting more, as I wandered why he wasn't more assertive. Hill was phenomenal during his junior campaign, but too often his performances failed to translate into wins. Walton was the consummate teammate and the smartest player on the floor. Most importantly, he made everyone around him better.

1. UCLA
1. Arron Afflalo (05-07)
2. Kevin Love (08)
3. Darren Collison (06-09)
4. Jason Kapono (00-03)
5. Dijon Thompson (02-05)

2. Arizona
1. Derrick Williams (10-11)
2. Salim Stoudamire (02-05)
3. Channing Frye (02-05)
4. Jason Gardner (00-03)
5. Luke Walton (00-03)

3. Washington
1. Brandon Roy (03-06)
2. Isaiah Thomas (09-11)
3. Jon Brockman (06-09)
4. Quincy Pondexter (07-10)
5. Nate Robinson (03-05)

4. Stanford
1. Casey Jacobsen (00-02)
2. Brook Lopez (07-08)
3. Josh Childress (02-04)
4. Landry Fields (07-10)
5. Chris Hernandez (02-06)

5. Oregon
1. Luke Jackson (01-04)
2. Luke Ridnour (01-03)
3. Aaron Brooks (04-07)
4. Fred Jones (99-02)
5. Malik Hairston (05-08)

6. California
1. Leon Powe (04-06)
2. Jerome Randle (07-10)
3. Joe Shipp (00-03)
4. Ryan Anderson (07-08)
5. Patrick Christopher (07-10)

7. USC
1. Sam Clancy (99-02)
2. Nick Young (05-07)
3. Taj Gibson (07-09)
4. Brandon Granville (99-02)
5. O.J. Mayo (08)

8. Washington State
1. Klay Thompson (09-11)
2. Marcus Moore (01-04)
3. Kyle Weaver (05-08)
4. Derrick Low (05-08)
5. Thomas Kelati (02-05)

9. Arizona State
1. James Harden (08-09)
2. Ike Diogu (03-05)
3. Jeff Pendergraph (06-09)
4. Kevin Kruger (04-06)
5. Curtis Millage (02-03)

10. Oregon State
1. David Lucas (02-05)
2. Philip Ricci (02-03)
3. Calvin Haynes (08-11)
4. Brian Jackson (00-03)
5. Jared Cunningham (10-present)