Roundball Portfolio

Top 25

2012-01-29T17:12:00.000-08:00

*previous rank in parentheses
**My choices for each team's five best wins are subjective - meaning I haven't simply listed a team's top five opponents according to kenpom or RPI numbers. I have avoided including wins over sub-.500 teams. The five best wins (and losses) are listed chronologically.

1. Kentucky 21-1 (1)
Five Best Wins: Kansas(n), North Carolina, Louisville, Alabama, @LSU
Losses: @Indiana

2. Syracuse 22-1 (2)
Five Best Wins: Stanford(n), Florida, Marquette, @Cincinnati, West Virginia
Losses: @Notre Dame

3. Ohio State 19-3 (4)
Five Best Wins: Florida, Duke, Northwestern, Indiana, Michigan
Losses: @Kansas, @Indiana, @Illinois

4. Missouri 19-2 (3)
Five Best Wins: Notre Dame(n), California(n), Illinois(n), @Iowa State, @Baylor
Losses: @Kansas State, @Oklahoma State

5. Baylor 19-2 (6)
Five Best Wins: San Diego State, Saint Mary's(n), West Virginia(n), Mississippi State(n), @Kansas State
Losses: @Kansas, Missouri

6. North Carolina 18-3 (7)
Five Best Wins: Michigan State(n), Wisconsin, Long Beach State, Texas, North Carolina State
Losses: UNLV(n), @Kentucky, @Florida State

7. Kansas 17-4 (5)
Five Best Wins: Georgetown(n), Ohio State, Kansas State, Baylor, @Texas
Losses: Kentucky(n), Duke(n), Davidson, @Iowa State

8. Duke 18-3 (8)
Five Best Wins: Michigan State(n), Michigan(n), Kansas(n), Washington(n), Virginia
Losses: @Ohio State, @Temple, Florida State

9. Michigan State 17-4 (10)
Five Best Wins: Florida State, @Gonzaga, Indiana, @Wisconsin, Purdue
Losses: North Carolina(n), Duke(n), @Northwestern, @Michigan

10. Murray State 21-0 (11)
Five Best Wins: Southern Miss(n), Dayton, @Memphis, Tennessee Tech, @Morehead State
Losses: none

11. Georgetown 16-4 (9)
Five Best Wins: Memphis(n), @Alabama, Memphis, @Louisville, @Marquette
Losses: Kansas(n), @West Virginia, Cincinnati, @Pittsburgh

12. Florida 17-4 (14)
Five Best Wins: Arizona, Texas A&M(n), Florida State, @Mississippi, Mississippi State
Losses: @Ohio State, @Syracuse, @Rutgers, @Tennessee

13. Marquette 18-4 (15)
Five Best Wins: Mississippi(n), @Wisconsin, Washington(n), Pittsburgh, Louisville
Losses: @LSU, Vanderbilt, @Georgetown, @Syracuse

14. UNLV 20-3 (13)
Five Best Wins: Nevada, North Carolina(n), Illinois(n), California, New Mexico
Losses: @Wichita State, @Wisconsin, @San Diego State

15. Virginia 17-3 (16)
Five Best Wins: Michigan, George Mason, @Oregon, @LSU, @North Carolina State
Losses: TCU(n), @Duke, Virginia Tech

16. Florida State 14-6 (20)
Five Best Wins: Massachusetts(n), @Virginia Tech, North Carolina, Maryland, @Duke
Losses: Harvard(n), Connecticut(n), @Michigan State, @Florida, Princeton, @Clemson

17. Indiana 17-5 (12)
Five Best Wins: @North Carolina State, Kentucky, Notre Dame(n), Ohio State, Michigan
Losses: @Michigan State, Minnesota, @Ohio State, @Nebraska, @Wisconsin

18. Creighton 20-2 (21)
Five Best Wins: @San Diego State, Nebraska, Northwestern, @Wichita State, @Illinois State
Losses: @St. Joseph's, Missouri State

19. Saint Mary's 21-2 (19)
Five Best Wins: Northern Iowa, Weber State, Brigham Young, Gonzaga, @Brigham Young
Losses: @Denver, Baylor(n)

20. Vanderbilt 16-5 (24)
Five Best Wins: Oregon, North Carolina State(n), @Marquette, @Alabama, Middle Tennessee
Losses: Cleveland State, Xavier, @Louisville, Indiana State, Mississippi State

21. Wisconsin 17-5 (NR)
Five Best Wins: Brigham Young(n), UNLV, @Purdue, @Illinois, Indiana
Losses: @North Carolina, Marquette, Iowa, Michigan State, @Michigan

22. Mississippi State 17-5 (18)
Five Best Wins: Texas A&M(n), Arizona(n), West Virginia, Alabama, @Vanderbilt
Losses: Akron, Baylor(n), @Arkansas, @Mississippi, @Florida

23. San Diego State 18-3 (19)
Five Best Wins: Long Beach State, @Arizona, California, UNLV, @New Mexico
Losses: @Baylor, Creighton, @Colorado State

24. Michigan 16-6 (25)
Five Best Wins: Memphis(n), Iowa State, Wisconsin, Michigan State, Purdue
Losses: Duke(n), @Virginia, @Indiana, @Iowa, @Arkansas, @Ohio State

25. Louisville 17-5 (NR)
Five Best Wins: Long Beach State, Vanderbilt, Memphis, @Pittsburgh, @Seton Hall
Losses: Georgetown, @Kentucky, Notre Dame, @Providence, @Marquette

IN: Wisconsin, Louisville
OUT: Connecticut, Kansas State

Midseason Honors & Awards

2012-01-27T21:59:00.000-08:00

Okay, so it's a little past the midway point, but we're far enough into conference play that we can get a feel for how things are stacking up. There's still a lot of basketball left to be played, so these lists are subject to change.

Player of the Year

1) Jared Sullinger, Ohio State
Soph Center 6-9 265
17.3p 9.3r 1.5s
Cases certainly can be made for Robinson and Davis, but I'll take Sully, who reminds me of Kevin Love in his ability to dictate the flow of the game from the post.

2) Thomas Robinson, Kansas
Jr Forward 6-10 235
17.8p 12.0r 1.2b
Nation's second leading rebounder has recorded a double-double in 14 of 20 outings.

3) Anthony Davis, Kentucky
Fr Center 6-10 220
13.2p 10.3r 4.7b
The gap between Sullinger and Davis is negligible.

4) Doug McDermott, Creighton
Soph Forward 6-7 220
23.5p 8.5r 1.3a
Heady offensive player is nation's second leading scorer but doesn't care much for playing defense.

5) Mike Scott, Virginia
Sr Forward 6-8 235
16.6p 8.4r 1.6a
The fifth year senior's numbers are all the more impressive considering the Cavaliers' exceedingly slow pace.

6) Kevin Jones, West Virginia
Sr Forward 6-8 260
20.9p 11.6r 1.1b
Jones is averaging a double-double and shooting almost four 3-pointers a game (despite making less than 30% of his attempts).

7) Draymond Green, Michigan State
Sr Forward 6-7 230
15.3p 10.4r 3.7a
Once overrated, one of the smartest players in college basketball is now underrated, especially on the defensive end.

8) Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Kentucky
Fr Forward 6-7 230
13.2p 7.6r 1.2s
There's a significant gap between the 8 and 9 spots on this list.

9) Cody Zeller, Indiana
Fr Center 6-11 230
14.7p 6.2r 1.5b
Where would the Hoosiers be without the talented freshman?

10) Damian Lillard, Weber State
Jr Guard 6-3 195
24.8p 5.8r 3.7a
The Wildcats are 16-3 and undefeated in Big Sky play thanks in no small part to the nation's leading scorer (who gets the nod over Mizzou's Marcus Denmon and UConn's Jeremy Lamb for the 10 spot).

Best Defender

1) Anthony Davis, Kentucky
Fr Center 6-10 220
Future Number One pick leads nation with 4.7 blocks per contest and hauls in 10.3 boards per game.

2) Aaron Craft, Ohio State
Soph Guard 6-2 190
The best on-ball defender in the country averages 2.4 steals per game and is the only defender in the same stratosphere as Davis.

3) C.J. Aiken, St. Joseph's
Soph Forward 6-9 190
Nation's second leading shot-blocker at 4.3 rejections per game is big reason St. Joe's is competitive again after a disastrous 2010-11 campaign.

4) John Henson, North Carolina
Jr Forward 6-11 220
Just imagine how much more awful the Tar Heels' defense would be without Hensons's 3.3 blocks and 10.1 rebounds per contest.

5) Fuquan Edwin, Seton Hall
Soph Forward 6-6 205
Could have gone with Oregon State's Jared Cunningham here, but Edwin, who has been largely over-shadowed by teammates Herb Pope and Jordan Theodore, leads nation in steals at 3.1 per game and also crashes the boards to the tune of 6.8 rebounds per contest.

Top Freshman

1) Anthony Davis, Kentucky
Center 6-10 220
The impact Davis has on the defensive end is almost impossible to overstate.

2) Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Kentucky
Forward 6-7 230
MKG's numbers are impressive, but they don't begin to tell the whole story for one of the most versatile players in the country.

3) Cody Zeller, Indiana
Center 6-11 230
Zeller is getting banged around in Big Ten play but has exceeded lofty expectations.

4) Trey Burke, Michigan
Guard 5-11 180
Wolverines' point guard averages 14 points and 5 assists per game and has more than made up for the early departure of Darius Morris.

5) Moe Harkless, St. John's
Forward 6-8 190
Harkless, an extremely well-rounded player (16.1 points, 8.6 rebounds, 1.9 blocks, and 1.6 steals) who has filled a number of roles for the Red Storm, edges out the one-dimensional Austin Rivers, who leads Duke in scoring but doesn't add much else.

*For those of you who miss RBP's Freshman Power Rankings, here are 6 -10: (6) Austin Rivers, Duke; (7) Quincy Miller, Baylor; (8) Le'Bryan Nash, Oklahoma State; (9) Tony Wroten, Washington; and (10) Jerian Grant, Notre Dame. Florida's Bradley Beal is my first man out. There's not much of a difference between Quincy Miller at 7 and Beal at 11. In fact, I like Beal more than Austin Rivers, but Beal has been a bit passive at times. If Beal starts asserting himself more often, there's no reason he couldn't finish the season as the country's fourth best freshman. Central Connecticut State's Kyle Vinales probably deserves some recognition for being the leading scorer among all freshman at 18.4 points per game. And where are you, Andre Drummond? I see flashes, but the consistency just isn't there right now.

Coach of the Year

1) John Thompson III, Georgetown
The Hoyas were picked to finish in bottom half of Big East and are now a top 10 team nationally, despite not having a star on their roster.

2) Bill Self, Kansas
I'm not sure any team has improved as much as the Jayhawks have over the course of the season.

3) Tony Bennett, Virginia
Watch this team play, and try not to be impressed with its discipline on both ends of the floor.

4) Tom Crean, Indiana
Three weeks ago Crean would have topped this list.

5) Frank Haith, Missouri
Sure, they are Mike Anderson's guys, but Haith has made some pretty significant changes to the Tigers' approach and has them playing like a top 10 team (despite having only 2 scholarship players taller than 6-6).

CBB Uniforms (1988-89 to Present): 8 Seeds

2012-01-26T20:09:00.001-08:00

RBP has been ranking the top 64 uniforms from the 1988-89 season to the present. For more on that process, read the introduction to the original post. The 8 seeds:

32) San Diego State (Kawhi Leonard):
While I didn't give the Aztecs bonus points for their shoe game, please enjoy the various Jordan models pictured below.

31) Memphis (Anfernee Hardaway):
Back when Penny was balling in Bluff City and the school was still known as Memphis State, the blue unis with the gray trim were hard to top.

30) St. John's (Moe Harkless):
Big fan of the black alternate and even bigger fan of the font.

29) Kentucky (Brandon Knight):
As Kentucky has a history of terrible uniform choices (denim Converse unis, Apex cat scratch shorts, and soon to be debuted Nike Platinum gear come to mind), I am fearful the Wildcats will drop their current duds, which continue to grow on me.

CBB Uniforms (1988-89 to Present): 9 Seeds

2012-01-24T16:03:00.000-08:00

I don't mean to post over top of HAL 9000's return, but the Russians want their uniform rankings. We're ranking the top 64 uniforms from the 1988-89 season to the present. For more on that process, read the introduction to the original post. And here are the 9 seeds:

36) Virginia Tech (Malcolm Delaney):
Bonus points both for making maroon and orange look good and for using white and orange lettering on the maroon jersey.

35) Xavier (Tu Holloway):
The "X" on the shorts is one of the more creative uniform details in recent memory, but the odd number placement (too high on both front and back of jersey) keeps Xavier's current look from being ranked higher.

34) USC (O.J. Mayo):
Nike provided the Trojans with four very different looks for Orange Juice's single season in SoCal.

33) Old Dominion (Kent Bazemore):
Navy with what I'm told is cerulean blue trim is a good look for the Monarchs.

Mock 2012 NBA Draft (Lottery)

2012-01-24T07:21:00.000-08:00

With the college basketball season on the downward slope towards March Madness, a better understanding of the top prospects for this year's NBA Draft is unfolding. Here, we look at the lottery picks and my thoughts on who should be chosen at each spot.

1. Washington Wizards - Anthony Davis, PF Kentucky Frosh.
- The Wizards need immediate help across the board. Davis and Andre Drummond have the most upside of any player in this draft, but I feel Davis may be ready to make an immediate impact on the defensive end of the floor, whereas I'm not sure Drummond will be much more than an athletic finisher in his rookie year.

2. Charlotte Bobcats - Harrison Barnes, SG/SF UNC Soph.
- As mentioned above, Drummond and Davis are considered the two picks with the highest upside in next year's draft, so it is hard to imagine him slipping past the number 2 pick. However, the Bobcats need a high profile scoring guard, and with Barnes playing his college ball in state, I think they would be wise to take a serious look at Barnes with their pick. Barnes hasn't taken the college basketball world by storm as almost everyone projected, but he projects to be a prolific scorer at the next level. Barnes' one-on-one game is advanced for his age, and I happen to be in the camp that believes he will be a better pro than college player, and he's been a pretty damn good college player.

3. Brooklyn Nets - Andre Drummond, PF UCONN Frosh.
- The Nets need some serious athleticism along their frontline, which is currently being left in the hands and slow moving feet of Memhet Okur, Kris Humphries, and Shelden Williams. They get Brook Lopez back from injury, and are in the running for Dwight Howard, but Drummond would play well with either and won't need the ball to make an impact.

4. Detroit Pistons - Jeremy Lamb, SG UCONN Soph.
- Even with the praise I previously heaped on Harrison Barnes, Jeremy Lamb has been the better college player. He could end up being a better scorer than Barnes, is probably a better ball handler, and slightly more athletic; however, Barnes is bigger and stronger, and thus I think he projects better at the next level.

5. New Orleans Hornets - Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, SF Kentucky Frosh.
- MKG is deservedly praised for his energy and effort on the basketball court, but too often that overlooks how skilled he is in all facets of the game. MKG is an elite defender and rebounder, but is also a very good ball handler, passer, and finisher in transition. He gets to the foul line at a good rate and makes a high percentage of his free throws. If he develops a better jump shot, he could produce like Gerald Wallace's all-star worthy years, plus bring every intangible you could want from a player.

6. Utah Jazz - Kendall Marshall, PG UNC Soph.
- Likely to trade Devin Harris per rumors, Utah has plenty of depth on the frontline and likely won't look to Jared Sullinger or Thomas Robinson at this point. They may look to trade down if Barnes, Lamb, or MKG don't fall to them, but I think they should take a serious look at Marshall. He's a big point guard who doesn't shoot well and isn't super athletic, but at this point seems like he could develop into a slightly past his prime Jason Kidd.

7. Cleveland Cavaliers - Brad Beal, SG Florida Frosh.
- Beal reminds me of a skinnier Eric Gordon at this point in his career. Cleveland needs a 2 guard for the future, and I think after Lamb and Barnes, Beal is the next best option in this draft. He's a little undersized, but I believe he will also be able to play some point at the next level.

8. Toronto Raptors - Jared Sullinger, PF/C Ohio State Soph.
- Sullinger may be the best college player in the draft, but many question whether his game translates to the NBA. He's an undersized PF, but possesses incredible strength and touch around the basket. Guys of his build have found better success as of late in the NBA, and Sullinger's ability to knock down outside shots could make him a valuable asset for an NBA team. Sullinger's also a great post defender and an elite rebounder at the college level, skills that seem to translate well to the NBA.

9. Phoenix Suns - Thomas Robinson, PF Kansas Jr.
- Robinson is a player of the year candidate this year in college basketball. Limited in action behind the Morris twins last year, Robinson looks to be better than either in his junior year. Robinson plays with great energy, has refined post up and face up games, able to back his man down or take him off the dribble. He is an elite rebounder and should be ready to contribute immediately at the next level.

10. New Orleans Hornets - Terrence Ross, SG Washington Soph.
- Ross is a dangerous outside shooter who has elite athleticism. Though at times he seems passive, Ross has not shyed away from the big stage. He has great size for the SG position, and would be able to play some SF as well.

11. Milwaukee Bucks - Terrence Jones, SF Kentucky Soph.
- Jones is a unique talent who possesses an improved outside shot, above average ball handling skills, and elite athleticism. At 6'9, Jones could be a matchup nightmare for NBA SFs by either backing them down in the post or putting the ball on the floor. He shoots it well enough that you have to respect him on the perimeter, and he has a quick first step to blow by defenders. Jones has to develop a better feel for the game, recognize when and where to pass out of double teams and avoid help defense.

12. Brooklyn Nets - Austin Rivers, SG Duke Frosh.
- Rivers inadequacies have been displayed during his freshman year at Duke, but what scouts loved about him - his quick first step; fearless, although streaky, shooting, and athleticism to finish above the rim - have proven to be valid. Rivers often seems single minded when driving to the basket, and hasn't been able to finish after contact very well, but he will continue to be able to break defenses down at the next level.

13. Milwaukee Bucks - Perry Jones III, SF/PF Baylor Soph.
- Jones may be the most offensively gifted athlete in the draft, but many question his aggressiveness and work ethic. It's easy to see him falling into the same pattern as Brandon Wright or Anthony Randolph, but when Jones is aggressive, he is better than either of those guys. Jones' upside is to significant to ignore

14. Boston Celtics - Arnett Moultrie, PF Mississippi State Jr.
- Moutlrie is a super athletic power forward who rebounds and can step outside and knock down shots. He could work in the pick and roll situations currently run by Rondo and Garnett, and may be the replacement for Garnett down the line. The Celtics are in desparate need for some athleticism along their front line that can also provide some scoring off the bench. Moultrie gives them both.

Top 25

2012-01-22T18:35:00.001-08:00

*previous rank in parentheses

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

IN: Florida State
OUT: Illinois

CBB Uniforms (1988-89 to Present): 10 Seeds

2012-01-17T19:07:00.000-08:00

We now move ahead with RBP's ranking of the top 64 uniforms from the 1988-89 season to the present. For more on that process, read the introduction to the original post. Here are the 10 seeds:

40) Iowa (Luke Recker):
"Black and yellow, black and yellow."

39) Saint Louis (Larry Hughes):
Check out Larry in the navy Air Jordan 13s in the third photo.

38) Illinois (Kendall Gill):
The Flyin' Illini's inclusion is about fit rather than design, as Kendall Gill and company were arguably the precursors to the Fab Five's style revolution (though, I'm not sure these pictures really illustrate how roomy the Illini's shorts were in comparison to their contemporaries).

37) Gonzaga (Dan Dickau):
It's Gonzaga's signature font - used in both the numbering and the team name - that make this uni special.

Top 25

2012-01-15T20:23:00.000-08:00

*previous rank in parentheses

1. Syracuse 19-0 (1)
2. Kentucky 17-1 (2)
3. Baylor 17-0 (5)
4. Ohio State 16-3 (4)
5. Duke 15-2 (7)
6. Missouri 16-1 (9)
7. North Carolina 15-3 (3)
8. Kansas 14-3 (13)
9. Michigan State 15-3 (8)
10. Connecticut 14-3 (15)
11. Indiana 15-3 (6)
12. Georgetown 14-3 (10)
13. Virginia 14-2 (12)
14. Murray State 18-0 (16)
15. UNLV 16-3 (11)
16. Florida 14-4 (18)
17. Vanderbilt 13-4 (19)
18. Marquette 14-4 (20)
19. Mississippi State 15-3 (22)
20. Illinois 15-3 (NR)
21. Michigan 14-4 (17)
22. San Diego State 15-2 (24)
23. Creighton 16-2 (NR)
24. St. Mary's 17-2 (NR)
25. Kansas State 12-4 (21)

IN: Illinois, Creighton, St. Mary's
OUT: Louisville, Gonzaga, Seton Hall

CBB Uniforms (1988-89 to Present): 11 Seeds

2012-01-14T18:46:00.000-08:00

We are moving along with RBP's ranking of the top 64 uniforms from the 1988-89 season to the present. For more on that process, read the introduction to the original post. Now for the 11 seeds:

44) Syracuse (Lawrence Moten):
And this ranking doesn't even factor in Moten's signature knee-highs.

43) Washington (Brandon Roy):
The unfortunate gold alternates keep the Huskies from being ranked higher.

42) Alabama (Kennedy Winston):
Cursive "A" and horizontal striping on the shorts offset an otherwise average jersey.

41) Oklahoma State (James Anderson):
Oklahoma State still sports its second and final entry in the Field of 64 - a design that features subtle stitching down the sides of both the jersey and shorts.

CBB Uniforms (1988-89 to Present): 12 Seeds

2012-01-14T13:53:00.000-08:00

We are moving along with RBP's ranking of the top 64 uniforms from the 1988-89 season to the present. For more on that process, read the introduction to the original post. And now the 12 seeds:

48) Louisville (Kyle Kuric):
Louisville's uniforms have seen a number of subtle modifications over the course of the past few seasons, but this year's version is worth keeping.

47) Michigan (Glen Rice):
The large "M" and off-centered number are fantastic, but the trim on the shorts makes Glen Rice and company look like they have the hips of a 12-year old girl.

46) Seton Hall (Terry Dehere):
Seton Hall lost by a single point in overtime in the 1988-89 National Championship game, but cursive script and a pirate head on the shorts give P.J. Carlesimo's squad a one position victory over the Wolverines in the more important cooler uniform contest.

45) Notre Dame (Chris Thomas):
The white unis with the four-leaf clover dotting the "i" is worthy of a much higher ranking, but the gold alternates with what appears to be some sort of Gaelic font made me throw up on my keyboard.

CBB Uniforms (1988-89 to Present): 13 Seeds

2012-01-14T06:19:00.000-08:00

We now continue with RBP's ranking of the top 64 uniforms from the 1988-89 season to the present. For more on that process, read the introduction to the original post. Without further ado, the 13 seeds:

52) Pittsburgh (Sean Miller):
Pitt's unis had a certain ABA feel to them, and the Panthers get bonus points for a yellow alternate before third color options became commonplace.

51) Florida (Mike Miller):
Big fan of the shorts with the Gator head and the horizontal stripes.

50) Providence (Ryan Gomes):
The Friars (and their mascot) went white on white, but the "all black everything" look would have garnered them a higher ranking.

49) Villanova (Kerry Kittles):
Funky, disheveled font was both sort of ugly and totally unique.

Top 25

2012-01-08T18:50:00.000-08:00

*previous rank in parentheses

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

IN: Seton Hall
OUT: Wisconsin

CBB Uniforms (1988-89 to Present): 14 Seeds

2012-01-02T20:48:00.000-08:00

We now continue with RBP's ranking of the top 64 uniforms from the 1988-89 season to the present. For more on that process, read the introduction to the original post. The 14 seeds are:

56) Oklahoma State (Tony Allen):
I prefer "OSU" on the black version to "STATE" on the white version.

55) Baylor (Curtis Jerrells):
Big fan of the bold colors, but these unis are too busy to be rated higher.

54) Georgetown (Greg Monroe):
Note the kente-cloth trim, which was a much more prominent feature during the Allen Iverson era.

53) Arizona State (James Harden):
The tights are not part of the uniform.

Notes: Louisville at Kentucky

2012-01-02T17:32:00.000-08:00

1. What I'm getting ready to write is being written by pretty much everyone covering college basketball in the aftermath of the Cards-Cats contest. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is playing like a first team All-American. Anthony Davis has received more hype (which he's actually lived up to in large part), but Kidd-Gilchrist deserves the same amount of attention for the way he is playing. I'm not sure what's been more impressive about MKG's play - the effort he brings every single game on every single possession or the fact that he scores as much as he does without dominating the ball.

2. MKG's 24 and 19 was spectacular, and his play of late has been just about flawless. Still, I think Anthony Davis is the most important Wildcat. After foul trouble sidelined him for much of the first half, Davis finished with 18 points, 10 rebounds, and 6 blocks. Put simply, Davis is a singular talent. There are no substitutes for his shot-blocking and ability to play above the rim.

3. Kentucky got the better of the Cards on Saturday and is the better team. But Louisville fans need not fret. Rick Pitino's squad held one of the four best teams in the country to 29.8% shooting from the field on its home court. If the Cards can develop any semblance of effectiveness in their halfcourt offense to go along with one of the nation's premiere defenses, they are going to be very difficult to beat.

4. Louisville's level of talent has been much-maligned in recent weeks as a result of the Cardinals' undefeated start and the inevitable comparisons to the heavyweights of the 2011-12 campaign - Syracuse, Kentucky, North Carolina, and Ohio State. While the Cards' talent level pales in comparison to the talent possessed by the top 4 teams in the country, I like their roster compared to just about everyone else, save perhaps Connecticut. Peyton Siva is a steady hand at point guard, and Kyle Kuric is a well-rounded player who can knock down the three and finish on the break. That much we knew coming into the season. Additionally, Chase Behanan, despite a number of bone-headed mistakes against the Cats, has lived up to his billing as one of the Big East's top freshmen. The surprises have come in the form of the emergence of sophomores Gorgui Dieng, one of the nation's most improved players and best shot blockers, and Russ Smith, quickly becoming a source of instant offense off the bench and a player who can create his own shot. The Cards also have a number of injured players who are working themselves back into the rotation or should be returning in the near future.

5. Terrence Jones is costing himself a lot of money with his play thus far this season. He was a likely lottery pick had he left after his freshman season, but he's not playing like a first round pick right now. He collected 11 rebounds and 3 steals, so it's not as if he was a non-factor on Saturday. That being said, 2 points in 30 minutes is just not enough production from a preseason first-team All-American - even one nursing an injured finger. Needless to say this is not the type of season Jones hoped for when he decided to return to Lexington.

Top 25

2012-01-01T22:11:00.000-08:00

*previous rank in parentheses

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

IN: Gonzaga, San Diego State, Vanderbilt
OUT: Saint Louis, Pittsburgh, Xavier

CBB Uniforms (1988-89 to Present): 15 Seeds

2012-01-01T22:08:00.001-08:00

A couple of weeks ago I began ranking the top 64 uniforms from the 1988-89 season to the present. For more on that process, read the introduction to the original post. And now for the 15 seeds:

60) Ohio State (Jim Jackson)
The Buckeyes' metallic silver duds were both innovative and sort of gross.

59) Miami (Jack McClinton)
Hurricane basketball's on court fashion has always lagged behind that of its gridiron counterparts, but the green and orange color scheme coupled with a pretty fantastic font give the U a unique look.

58) St. John's (Marcus Hatten)
St. John's was one of the first schools to sport Jordan Brand unis, and the color blocks were a nice touch.

57) California (Joe Shipp)
The Golden Bears sported a another early Jordan Brand design in the early 2000s - one with clean lines and a yellow alternate option.

Top 25

2011-12-25T00:53:00.000-08:00

*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

2011-12-22T20:16:00.000-08:00

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, 10 teams appear on the list twice, and two schools make three appearances. In other words, 12 programs make up 26 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

2011-12-18T21:21:00.000-08:00

*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

2011-12-14T19:06:00.000-08:00

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

2011-12-11T19:59:00.000-08:00

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

2011-12-10T17:27:00.001-08:00

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

2011-12-07T19:29:00.000-08:00

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.

2011-12-06T18:55:00.000-08:00

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

2011-12-04T19:02:00.000-08:00

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

2011-12-03T20:33:00.001-08:00

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

2011-12-02T21:51:00.000-08:00

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)

Notes: Big Ten/ACC Challenge

2011-11-30T20:02:00.000-08:00

1. I see you, Indiana. Off to a 7-0 start, Tom Crean's squad is playing like a team that could make a run at a NCAA tournament bid. When Mo Creek went down with his third serious injury since arriving in Bloomington prior to the start of the season, it looked like another long year was in store for the Hoosiers. While Indiana was expected to be more competitive, a run at the NCAA tourney seemed out of reach. After beating a solid NC State team in Raleigh, though, the Hoosiers appear to be, dare I say it, a good basketball team. While the Big Ten's performance the last couple nights suggests the Big Ten may, in fact, be able to challenge the Big East for conference supremacy, I actually like the Hoosiers' chances of finishing in the top half of the conference. Ohio State, Wisconsin, Michigan State, and probably Michigan look definitively better than the Hoosiers. Minnesota gutted out a victory over Virginia Tech tonight, but Tubby Smith's team is going to struggle without Trevor Mbakwe. I'm not sold on Illinois. And Northwestern and Purdue look comparable to the Hoosiers. Indiana has six quality players in Cody Zeller, Victor Oladipo. Will Sheehey (one of the more underrated players in the country), Christian Watford, Jordan Hulls, and Verdell Jones. They've got a couple of nice roll players to go along with their core six, and I like freshman Remy Abell going forward. To get an idea of just how much the talent level has improved at Indiana since Tom Crean arrived, consider big man Tom Pritchard. A steady post player who was arguably one of the Hoosiers best players as a freshman when he averaged 29 minutes and almost 10 points per contest, he's now a senior averaging playing just over 9 minutes a night. It's possible Crean will need Pritchard when conference play begins. I expect the Hoosiers' Achilles' heel to be their rebounding. While Zeller possesses an even better offensive game than I expected, he's going to get pushed around by Big Ten bigs. Christian Watford, another nice offensive player, hasn't shown much interest in hitting the glass and is limited athletically. Those worries can wait for now, though, as the Hoosier faithful have cause for optimism for the first time in three long years.

2. Despite falling to the Tar Heels by 3 in Chapel Hill, Wisconsin looks very good. Heading into the night, the Badgers owned the nation's second best defensive efficiency rating (according to Ken Pomeroy). The Badgers' defense frustrated the Tar Heels early. And, as has become customary, previously unheralded Badgers have stepped into leading roles for Bo Ryan. This year, it's Ben Brust, Jared Berggren, and Ryan Evans who have provided support to the nation's best point guard, Jordan Taylor. (Josh Gasser and Mike Bruesewitz also return after playing significant minutes last year.) I'm especially impressed by Berggren who finished with 14 points, 5 rebounds (3 offensive), and 3 steals and looked like he belonged on the same stage as Tyler Zeller and John Henson. Bottom line - Bo Ryan reloads in Madison every year. If tonight's game is on a neutral floor, that's likely a Badger victory.

3. North Carolina has issues. They beat a very good Wisconsin team tonight and deserve credit for that. Not every night is going to be a blow out, especially when facing a top 10 opponent. However, if you've watched the Tar Heels this season, you know they look out of sync and, at times, uninspired. Carolina looks like an impressive collection of individual talent, but the Heels have yet to look like a dominant team. That may seem like unfair criticism for a team ranked 5th in the nation who now has wins over Wisconsin and Michigan State (and whose only loss is to a good UNLV squad in Las Vegas). I'm not suggesting ol' Roy won't right the ship. I'm just pointing out that this isn't what we expected when we saw UNC's roster before the season began.

4. Michigan State knocked off a good Florida State team tonight in a matchup of two of the best defenses in the country. After the Spartans closed out a disappointing 2010-11 campaign and opened up this season with back-to-back losses to North Carolina and Duke, I think some of us may have written off the Spartans. That may have been premature. They looked good against a stingy Seminoles squad, and Izzo's team has a lot of upside. Draymond Green, averaging a double-double to go along with 3 assists per game, is the Spartans best player, but it's State's young guys who will decide the type of season the Spartans will have. Sophomores Keith Appling and Adreian Payne look much-improved, and freshman Branden Dawson could be special. I'm no longer sleeping on the Spartans.

5. The Big Ten's 8-4 advantage gave the conference its third consecutive Challenge victory. One bright spot for the ACC was Virginia's victory over a ranked Michigan squad. Rather than being a case of Michigan being overrated, I came away from the matchup thinking I had underestimated Virginia. A number of pundits had picked Tony Bennett's Cavaliers to finish in the top half of the ACC. I picked them to finish seventh but really didn't think Bennett had the personnel to make a run at the NCAA tourney. In what appears to be a weak ACC, the Cavs look like the fourth best team in the ACC (despite a neutral court loss to TCU). Mike Scott, the Cavs' All-ACC forward, looks like a new man after losing 20 pounds. He's averaging 15 and 10 and may make a run at conference player of the year.

Notes: Duke at Ohio State

2011-11-29T19:05:00.000-08:00

1. Jared Sullinger is the most dominant player in college basketball. He arguably held that distinction last season as a freshman (though Kemba Walker might have something to say about that), and he appears to be picking up where he left off. He may not be the most tantalizing pro prospect in the country, but he imposes his will on the game like no one in the college ranks. And the hand wringing about Sullinger's move to power forward appears to be much ado about nothing.

2. Aaron Craft is a fantastic college point guard. He's possibly the best perimeter defender in the country, and he doesn't make mistakes on the offensive end. Talking heads shoud stop going on about his competitiveness and moxie and start recognizing him as one of the best players in the country. For more on Craft's impact on the defensive end, see Luke Winn's most recent power rankings here.

3. William Buford is poised to become the Buckeyes' all-time leading scorer by the end of the year. If you have any doubts that this team is for real, consider that the all-time leading scorer for a program with some real gravitas may only be the Buckeyes' third most important player this season.

4. According to popular opinion, the 2011-12 season is a two-horse race between ultra-talented North Carolina and blue chip-laden Kentucky . Well, it's time to start talking about Ohio State. They play harder than North Carolina. And they are deeper than Kentucky. Thad Matta's squad is behind the Tar Heels and Wildcats in terms of talent, but the gap isn't as wide as we've been led to believe. Tonight Ohio State looked like the best team in the country.

5. Duke isn't this bad, but the Blue Devils' performance tonight fits my expectations for Coach K's squad. Look for the Blue Devils to pick up around 25 wins en route to a 2 or 3 seed. But also expect Coach K's squad to struggle against talented (long, athletic) teams and to flame out during the tournament's second week. In other words, they will feast on the underwhelming, the mediocre, and the pretty good, while they fall to teams with elite talent.

6. Austin Rivers has become an easy target for a lot of reasons, and some of the criticism he has brought on himself, due to what appears to be an epic lack of self-awareness. He's a gunner and is largely disinterested on the defensive end, but he is also capable of doing things on the offensive end that are truly special. I have serious doubts about the degree to which his game is going to translate at the next level, and the hype machine appears to have done young Austin a disservice. One wonders what Rivers would have to do at this point to shed the ballhog and lazy defender labels. That being said, I think he's off to a pretty good start as a college freshman, especially when one considers the extent to which Duke relies on Rivers to create his own shot.

A Decade of Pac-10 Basketball

2011-11-29T15:06:00.000-08:00

2001-02 through 2010-11 seasons

Power Rankings:
1. UCLA
2. Arizona
3. Washington
4. Stanford
5. Oregon
6. California
7. USC
8. Washington State
9. Arizona State
10. Oregon State

National Championships:
NONE

Final Fours:
3 - UCLA

Sweet 16s:
5 - Arizona
4 - UCLA
3 - Washington
2 - Oregon
1 - Stanford
1 - USC
1 - Washington State

NCAA Tournament Appearances:
9 - Arizona
7 - UCLA
6 - Washington
6 - Stanford
5 - California
5 - USC
4 - Oregon
2 - Washington State
2 - Arizona State
0 - Oregon State

Regular Season Conference Titles:
3 - UCLA
3 - Arizona
1 - Washington
1 - Stanford
1 - Oregon
1 - California

Conference Tournament Titles:
3 - Washington
2 - UCLA
2 - Oregon
1 - Arizona
1 - Stanford
1 - USC

20-win Seasons:
9 - Arizona
6 - UCLA
5 - Washington
5 - Stanford
5 - California
4 - Oregon
4 - USC
4 - Arizona State
3 - Washington State
0 - Oregon State

Winning Percentages:
.680 Arizona
.658 UCLA
.634 Stanford
.631 Washington
.591 California
.569 Oregon
.566 USC
.517 Arizona State
.508 Washington State
.409 Oregon State

*Colorado and Utah joined the Pac-10 prior to the 2011-12 season, and the conference is now known as the Pac-12.

**Due to violations stemming from the improper benefits scandal that occurred at USC, which affected the school's basketball and football programs, the Trojans were forced to vacate 21 regular season victories and 1 NCAA tournament loss from the 2007-08 season. While these games were included in USC's totals in the above categories, I have taken these violations into account in the process of ranking the Trojans. However, even if the violations had not occurred, I would have ranked USC seventh in the conference power rankings.

***Due to violations involving Lute Olson, Arizona was forced to vacate 19 regular season victories and 1 NCAA tournament loss from the 2007-08 season. While these games were included in Arizona's totals in the above categories, I have taken these violations into account in the process or ranking the Wildcats. However, even if the violations had not occurred, I still would have ranked Arizona behind UCLA in the conference power rankings.

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

*****Upcoming: all-decade teams for each Pac-10 program

All-Decade Teams: Big 12

2011-11-27T19:38:00.000-08:00

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 Big 12 Basketball." This order should not be construed as a ranking of top 5s. In other words, just because I have Texas Tech listed eighth and Baylor ninth does not mean that I believe Texas Tech's top 5 is better than Baylor'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 Big 12 program, I have not taken into account the year(s) prior to the transfer. Similarly, where a player transferred away from a Big 12 program, I have not taken into account the year(s) subsequent to the transfer.

The amount of talent that has passed through Lawrence and Austin in the past decade is pretty incredible. Players outside of the top 5 at Kansas include Marcus Morris, Markieff Morris, Cole Aldrich, Brandon Rush, and Mario Chalmers. In fact, Sherron Collins is the only member of the 2007-08 National Championship team that made the top 5, and he was just the Jayhawks' fifth leading scorer that season. Players outside of the top 5 at Texas include LaMarcus Aldridge, A.J. Abrams, Jordan Hamilton, Daniel Gibson, and Tristan Thompson.

1. Kansas
1. Nick Collison (00-03)
2. Drew Gooden (00-02)
3. Wayne Simien (02-05)
4. Kirk Hinrich (00-03)
5. Sherron Collins (07-10)

2. Texas
1. Kevin Durant (07)
2. T.J. Ford (02-03)
3. D.J. Augustin (07-08)
4. Damion James (07-10)
5. P.J. Tucker (04-06)

3. Oklahoma
1. Blake Griffin (08-09)
2. Hollis Price (00-03)
3. Taj Gray (05-06)
4. Terrell Everett (05-06)
5. Ebi Ere (02-03)

4. Oklahoma State
1. James Anderson (08-10)
2. John Lucas (04-05)
3. Tony Allen (03-04)
4. Mario Boggan (06-07)
5. Joey Graham (04-05)

5. Texas A&M
1. Acie Law (04-07)
2. Bernard King (00-03)
3. Antoine Wright (03-05)
4. Joseph Jones (05-08)
5. Donald Sloan (07-10)

6. Missouri
1. Kareem Rush (00-02)
2. DeMarre Carroll (08-09)
3. Arthur Johnson (01-04)
4. Marcus Denmon (09-present)
5. Rickey Paulding (01-04)

7. Kansas State
1. Michael Beasley (08)
2. Jacob Pullen (08-11)
3. Cartier Martin (04-07)
4. Denis Clemente (09-10)
5. Jeremiah Massey (04-05)

8. Texas Tech
1. Andre Emmett (01-04)
2. Jarrius Jackson (04-07)
3. Martin Zeno (05-08)
4. John Roberson (08-11)
5. Andy Ellis (99-02)

9. Baylor
1. Curtis Jerrells (06-09)
2. LaceDarius Dunn (08-11)
3. Ekpe Udoh (10)
4. Lawrence Roberts (02-03)
5. Kevin Rogers (06-09)

10. Colorado
1. Alec Burks (10-11)
2. Richard Roby (05-08)
3. David Harrison (02-04)
4. Cory Higgins (08-11)
5. Michel Morandais (01-04)

11. Iowa State
1. Curtis Stinson (04-06)
2. Craig Brackins (08-10)
3. Jackson Vroman (03-04)
4. Will Blalock (03-04)
5. Jake Sullivan (01-04)

12. Nebraska
1. Aleks Maric (05-08)
2. Lance Jeter (10-11)
3. Nate Johnson (03-04)
4. Ryan Anderson (07-10)
5. Ade Dagunduro (08-09)

A Decade of Big 12 Basketball

2011-11-25T13:52:00.000-08:00

2001-02 through 2010-11 seasons

Power Rankings:
1. Kansas
2. Texas
3. Oklahoma
4. Oklahoma State
5. Texas A&M
6. Missouri
7. Kansas State
8. Texas Tech
9. Baylor
10. Colorado
11. Iowa State
12. Nebraska

National Championships:
1 - Kansas

Final Fours:
3 - Kansas
1 - Texas
1 - Oklahoma
1 - Oklahoma State

Sweet 16s:
7 - Kansas
5 - Texas
3 - Oklahoma
2 - Oklahoma State
2 - Missouri
1 - Texas A&M
1 - Kansas State
1 - Texas Tech
1 - Baylor

NCAA Tournament Appearances:
10 - Kansas
10 - Texas
6 - Oklahoma
6 - Oklahoma State
6 - Texas A&M
5 - Missouri
4 - Texas Tech
3 - Kansas State
2 - Baylor
1 - Colorado
1 - Iowa State
0 - Nebraska

Regular Season Conference Titles:
9 - Kansas
2 - Texas
1 - Oklahoma
1 - Oklahoma State

Conference Tournament Titles:
5 - Kansas
2 - Oklahoma
2 - Oklahoma State
1 - Missouri

20-win Seasons:
10 - Kansas
10 - Texas
8 - Oklahoma State
7 - Oklahoma
7 - Texas A&M
5 - Missouri
5 - Kansas State
5 - Texas Tech
3 - Baylor
3 - Colorado
1 - Iowa State
1 - Nebraska

Winning Percentages:
.837 Kansas
.734 Texas
.667 Oklahoma
.665 Oklahoma State
.615 Texas A&M
.612 Missouri
.599 Kansas State
.567 Texas Tech
.529 Nebraska
.514 Baylor
.504 Iowa State
.498 Colorado

*Colorado left the Big 12 for the Pac-12 after the 2010-11 season. Nebraska left the Big 12 for the Big Ten after the 2010-11 season. However, both schools were members of the Big 12 for the entire period in question.

**Due to the scandal that occurred during Dave Bliss' tenure, Baylor was banned from playing non-conference games during the 2005-06 season. As Baylor was not forced to forfeit any wins, the scandal did not impact Baylor's place in my power rankings - though the scholarship reductions certainly crippled that program for a period of time.

***Concerning Regular Season Conference Titles, you will notice 13 titles have been earned in a 10-year span. That is due to the fact that I have given teams that have shared a title full credit, as opposed to a fractional title.

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

*****Upcoming: all-decade teams for each Big 12 program

All-Decade Teams: Big Ten

2011-11-23T23:07:00.000-08:00

A Decade of Big Ten Basketball

2011-11-22T18:32:00.001-08:00

2001-02 through 2010-11 seasons

Power Rankings:
1. Michigan State
2. Illinois
3. Ohio State
4. Wisconsin
5. Purdue
6. Indiana
7. Minnesota
8. Michigan
9. Iowa
10. Northwestern
11. Penn State

National Championships:
NONE

Final Fours:
3 - Michigan State
1 - Illinois
1 - Ohio State
1 - Indiana

Sweet 16s:
5 - Michigan State
4 - Wisconsin
3 - Illinois
3 - Ohio State
2 - Purdue
1 - Indiana

NCAA Tournament Appearances:
10 - Michigan State
10 - Wisconsin
8 - Illinois
6 - Ohio State
6 - Purdue
5 - Indiana
3 - Minnesota
2 - Michigan
2 - Iowa
1 - Penn State
0 - Northwestern

Regular Season Conference Titles:
5- Ohio State
3 - Illinois
3 - Wisconsin
2 - Michigan State
1 - Purdue
1 - Indiana

Conference Tournament Titles:
4 - Ohio State
2 - Illinois
2 - Wisconsin
1 - Purdue
1 - Iowa

20-win Seasons:
9 - Illinois
8 - Ohio State
8 - Wisconsin
7 - Michigan State
5 - Purdue
5 - Michigan
4 - Indiana
4 - Minnesota
2 - Iowa
2 - Northwestern
1 - Penn State

Winning Percentages:
.726 Wisconsin
.726 Illinois
.718 Ohio State
.685 Michigan State
.602 Purdue
.545 Minnesota
.536 Michigan
.526 Indiana
.512 Iowa
.485 Northwestern
.415 Penn State

*Nebraska joined the Big Ten prior to the 2011-12 season. The Cornhuskers' records and results will be included in the Big 12 post.

**Due to NCAA violations that occurred on Jim O'Brien's watch, Ohio State was forced to vacate 82 regular season and tournament wins spanning four seasons from 1999 to 2002. While the vacated games that took place within the last decade were included in the Buckeyes' totals in the above categories, I have taken these violations and vacated wins into account in the process of ranking Ohio State. If the violations had not occurred, it is likely that I would have ranked Ohio State 2nd rather than 3rd. I'm not entirely sure I should have Ohio State ahead of Wisconsin given the impact the vacated wins from the 2001-02 season have on the Buckeyes' totals.

***Concerning Regular Season Conference Titles, you will notice 15 titles have been earned in a 10-year span. That is due to the fact that I have given teams that have shared a title full credit, as opposed to a fractional title.

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

*****Upcoming: all-decade teams for each Big Ten program

All-Decade Teams: Big East

2011-11-19T19:02:00.000-08:00

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 I mentioned in the ACC edition, 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 Big East Basketball." This order should not be construed as a ranking of top 5s. In other words, just because I have West Virginia listed sixth and Notre Dame ninth does not mean that I believe West Virginia's top 5 is better than Notre Dame'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 Big East program, I have not taken into account the year(s) prior to the transfer. Similarly, where a player transferred away from a Big East program, I have not taken into account the year(s) subsequent to the transfer.

One more thing - take a look at Rutgers' Top 5. It's awful. And, yes, that's the same Mike Rosario that's now lacing them up for the Florida Gators.

1. Connecticut
1. Emeka Okafor (02-04)
2. Kemba Walker (09-11)
3. Ben Gordon (02-04)
4. Caron Butler (01-02)
5. Hasheem Thabeet (07-09)

2. Syracuse
1. Carmelo Anthony (03)
2. Hakim Warrick (02-05)
3. Gerry McNamara (03-06)
4. Wes Johnson (10)
5. Jonny Flynn (08-09)

3. Pittsburgh
1. DeJuan Blair (08-09)
2. Carl Krauser (03-06)
3. Sam Young (06-09)
4. Ashton Gibbs (09-present)
5. Brandin Knight (00-03)

4. Louisville
1. Francisco Garcia (03-05)
2. Reece Gaines (00-03)
3. Terrence Williams (06-09)
4. Earl Clark (07-09)
5. Taquan Dean (03-06)

5. Villanova
1. Randy Foye (03-06)
2. Scottie Reynolds (07-10)
3. Curtis Sumpter (03-07)
4. Allan Ray (03-06)
5. Dante Cunningham (06-09)

6. West Virginia
1. Da'Sean Butler (07-10)
2. Mike Gansey (05-06)
3. Kevin Pittsnogle (03-06)
4. Joe Alexander (06-08)
5. Devin Ebanks (09-10)

7. Marquette
1. Dwyane Wade (02-03)
2. Travis Diener (02-05)
3. Jerel McNeal (06-09)
4. Lazar Hayward (07-10)
5. Wesley Mathews (06-09)

8. Georgetown
1. Jeff Green (05-07)
2. Mike Sweetney (01-03)
3. Greg Monroe (09-10)
4. Austin Freeman (08-11)
5. Roy Hibbert (05-08)

9. Notre Dame
1. Luke Harangody (07-10)
2. Chris Thomas (02-05)
3. Ryan Humphrey (01-02)
4. Ben Hansbrough (10-11)
5. Torin Francis (03-06)

10. Cincinnati
1. Steve Logan (99-02)
2. Jaxon Maxiell (02-05)
3. Eric Hicks (03-06)
4. James White (04-06)
5. Deonta Vaughn (07-10)

11. Seton Hall
1. Andre Barrett (01-04)
2. Jeremy Hazell (08-11)
3. Brian Laing (05-08)
4. Kelly Whitney (03-06)
5. John Allen (02-05)

12. Providence
1. Ryan Gomes (02-05)
2. Marshon Brooks (08-11)
3. Sharaud Curry (06-10)
4. Jamine Peterson (08-10)
5. Weyinmi Efejuku (06-09)

13. DePaul
1. Andre Brown (01-04)
2. Sammy Mejia (04-07)
3. Wilson Chandler (06-07)
4. Quemont Greer (02-05)
5. Dar Tucker (08-09)

14. St. John's
1. Marcus Hatten (02-03)
2. D.J. Kennedy (08-11)
3. Lamont Hamilton (04-07)
4. Dwight Hardy (10-11)
5. Anthony Mason (06-10)

15. Rutgers
1. Quincy Douby (04-06)
2. Mike Rosario (09-10)
3. Jerome Coleman (02-03)
4. Hamady Ndiaye (07-10)
5. Jonathan Mitchell (10-11)

16. South Florida
1. Dominique Jones (08-10)
2. Altron Jackson (99-02)
3. Kentrell Gransberry (07-08)
4. Terrence Leather (01-05)
5. Augustus Gilchrist (09-present)

A Decade of Big East Basketball

2011-11-18T21:58:00.000-08:00

2001-02 through 2010-11 seasons

Power Rankings:
1. Connecticut
2. Syracuse
3. Pittsburgh
4. Louisville
5. Villanova
6. West Virginia
7. Marquette
8. Georgetown
9. Notre Dame
10. Cincinnati
11. Seton Hall
12. Providence
13. DePaul
14. St. John's
15. Rutgers
16. South Florida

National Championships:
2 - Connecticut
1 - Syracuse

Final Fours:
3 - Connecticut
1 - Syracuse
1 - Louisville
1 - Villanova
1 - West Virginia
1 - Marquette
1 - Georgetown

Sweet 16s:
6 - Connecticut
5 - Pittsburgh
4 - Syracuse
4 - Villanova
4 - West Virginia
3 - Louisville
2 - Marquette
2 - Georgetown
1 - Notre Dame

NCAA Tournament Appearances:
10 - Pittsburgh
8 - Connecticut
8 - Louisville
8 - Marquette
7 - Syracuse
7 - Villanova
6 - West Virginia
6 - Notre Dame
5 - Georgetown
5 - Cincinnati
2 - Seton Hall
2 - St. John's
1 - Providence
1 - DePaul
0 - Rutgers
0 - South Florida

Regular Season Conference Titles:
4 - Pittsburgh
3 - Connecticut
2 - Syracuse
2 - Georgetown
2 - Louisville
2 - Cincinnati
1 - Villanova
1 - Marquette
1 - DePaul

Conference Tournament Titles:
3 - Connecticut
3 - Louisville
2 - Syracuse
2 - Pittsburgh
2 - Cincinnati
1 - West Virginia
1 - Georgetown

20-win Seasons:
10 - Syracuse
10 - Pittsburgh
9 - Louisville
8 - Connecticut
8 - Marquette
7 - Villanova
7 - West Virginia
7 - Notre Dame
5 - Georgetown
5 - Cincinnati
3 - St. John's
3 - DePaul
1 - Seton Hall
1 - Providence
1 - Rutgers
1 - South Florida

Winning Percentages:
.793 Pittsburgh
.745 Connecticut
.733 Syracuse
.718 Louisville
.685 Marquette
.668 Villanova
.664 Notre Dame
.649 Georgetown
.635 West Virginia
.629 Cincinnati
.521 Seton Hall
.512 Providence
.485 St. John's
.454 Rutgers
.437 DePaul
.409 South Florida

*Note that Miami and Virginia Tech left the Big East for the ACC after the 2003-04 season. Boston College left the Big East for the ACC after the 2004-05 season. Cincinnati, DePaul, Louisville, Marquette, and South Florida joined the Big East prior to the 2005-06 season. All five programs previously competed in Conference-USA. Their pre-Big East records and results were included for purposes of this post. The relative strength of the two conferences has been considered in compiling the rankings.

**Due to NCAA violations that occurred on Mike Jarvis' watch, St. John's was forced to vacate 46 regular season wins and one tournament loss spanning four seasons from 2001 to 2004. While these games were included in the Red Storm's totals in the above categories, I have taken these violations and vacated wins into account in the process of ranking St. John's. If the violations had not occurred, it is likely that I would have ranked St. John's 12th rather than 14th.

***Concerning Regular Season Conference Titles, you will notice 18 titles have been earned in a 10-year span. That is due to the fact that I have given teams that have shared a title full credit, as opposed to a fractional title. Additionally, DePaul and Marquette earned their Regular Season Conference Titles as members of Conference-USA. Cincinnati won two regular season titles as a member of Conference-USA. Louisville has won a regular season title in both Conference-USA and the Big East.

****Concerning Conference Tournament Titles, you will notice 14 titles have been earned in a 10-year span. Cincinnati and Louisville both won two Conference Tournament Titles as members of Conference-USA.

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

******Upcoming: all-decade teams for each Big East program

All-Decade Teams: ACC

2011-11-18T19:20:00.000-08:00

2001-02 through 2010-11 seasons

Each team includes the top 5 players from that program over the course of the past 10 years. I have not attempted to put together teams that fill all 5 positions on the floor. As a result - Maryland is guard-heavy; Miami lacks a post presence; and NC State starts 3 power forwards.

The order in which the programs are listed corresponds to the power rankings from my previous post, "A Decade of ACC Basketball." This order should not be construed to mean that I think NC State's top five players from the last decade are better than the top players from the programs listed in spots 7 through 12. In fact, I believe Virginia (ranked 12th in the power rankings) has a more impressive top 5 than the Wolf Pack. 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 an ACC program, I have not taken into account the year(s) prior to the transfer. So, for example, Jack McClinton's freshman season at Siena is not included in the span of years following his name.

One more thing - the second 5 for Duke would likely be the 3rd best 5 in the conference (after UNC and Duke's A-team). Chris Duhon, Jon Scheyer, Gerald Henderson, Mike Dunleavy, and Shelden Williams would make up the Blue Devil B-team (with Dahntay Jones and Luol Deng missing the second cut). Pretty incredible.

1. Duke
1. Jason Williams (00-02)
2. J.J. Redick (03-06)
3. Kyle Singler (08-11)
4. Carlos Boozer (00-02)
5. Nolan Smith (08-11)

2. North Carolina
1. Tyler Hansbrough (06-09)
2. Sean May (03-05)
3. Ty Lawson (07-09)
4. Raymond Felton (03-05)
5. Rashad McCants (03-05)

3. Maryland
1. Juan Dixon (99-02)
2. Greivis Vasquez (07-10)
3. Lonny Baxter (99-02)
4. Steve Blake (00-03)
5. John Gilchrist (03-05)

4. Boston College
1. Troy Bell (00-03)
2. Craig Smith (03-06)
3. Jared Dudley (04-07)
4. Reggie Jackson (09-11)
5. Tyrese Rice (06-09)

5. Wake Forest
1. Chris Paul (04-05)
2. Josh Howard (00-03)
3. Jeff Teague (08-09)
4. Justin Gray (03-06)
5. Eric Williams (03-06)

6. North Carolina State
1. Julius Hodge (02-05)
2. Anthony Grundy (99-02)
3. Tracy Smith (08-11)
4. Marcus Melvin (01-04)
5. Brandon Costner (06-09)

7. Georgia Tech
1. B.J. Elder (02-05)
2. Jarrett Jack (03-05)
3. Gani Lawal (08-10)
4. Iman Shumpert (09-11)
5. Chris Bosh (03)

8. Clemson
1. Trevor Booker (07-10)
2. K.C. Rivers (06-09)
3. Edward Scott (00-03)
4. Sharrod Ford (02-05)
5. Demontez Stitt (08-11)

9. Florida State
1. Toney Douglas (07-09)
2. Chris Singleton (09-11)
3. Al Thornton (04-07)
4. Tim Pickett (03-04)
5. Jason Rich (05-08)

10. Virginia Tech
1. Zabian Dowdell (04-07)
2. Malcolm Delaney (08-11)
3. Bryant Matthews (01-04)
4. Deron Washington (05-08)
5. A.D. Vassallo (06-09)

11. Miami
1. Darius Rice (01-04)
2. Jack McClinton (07-09)
3. Robert Hite (03-06)
4. Guillermo Diaz (04-06)
5. James Jones (00-03)

12. Virginia
1. Sean Singletary (05-08)
2. Roger Mason (00-02)
3. J.R. Reynolds (04-07)
4. Travis Watson (00-03)
5. Sylven Landesberg (09-10)

A Decade of ACC Basketball

2011-11-16T19:29:00.000-08:00

2001-02 through 2010-11 seasons

Power Rankings:
1. Duke
2. North Carolina
3. Maryland
4. Boston College
5. Wake Forest
6. North Carolina State
7. Georgia Tech
8. Clemson
9. Florida State
10. Virginia Tech
11. Miami
12. Virginia

National Championships:
2 - North Carolina
1 - Duke
1 - Maryland

Final Fours:
3 - North Carolina
2 - Duke
1 - Maryland
1 - Georgia Tech

Sweet 16s:
8 - Duke
5 - North Carolina
2 - Maryland
1 - Georgia Tech
1 - Wake Forest
1 - Boston College
1 - North Carolina State
1 - Florida State

NCAA Tournament Appearances:
10 - Duke
7 - North Carolina
6 - Maryland
6 - Wake Forest
6 - Boston College
5 - North Carolina State
4 - Georgia Tech
4 - Clemson
3 - Florida State
2 - Miami
1 - Virginia Tech
1 - Virginia

Regular Season Conference Titles:
5 - North Carolina
3 - Duke
2 - Maryland
1 - Boston College
1 - Wake Forest
1 - Virginia

Conference Tournament Titles:
7 - Duke
2 - North Carolina
1 - Maryland

20-win Seasons:
10 - Duke
7 - North Carolina
7 - Boston College
6 - Maryland
6 - Wake Forest
6 - North Carolina State
5 - Florida State
5 - Clemson
4 - Georgia Tech
4 - Miami
4 - Virginia Tech
1 - Virginia

Winning Percentages:
.828 Duke
.720 North Carolina
.659 Maryland
.641 Boston College
.613 Wake Forest
.591 Clemson
.584 North Carolina State
.583 Florida State
.556 Miami
.552 Virginia Tech
.537 Georgia Tech
.519 Virginia

*Note that Miami and Virginia Tech joined the ACC prior to the 2004-05 season. Boston College joined the ACC before the 2005-06 season. All three programs previously competed in the Big East. Their pre-ACC records and results were included for purposes of this post. The relative strength of the two conferences has been considered in compiling the rankings.

**Due to NCAA violations stemming from Florida State's academic fraud scandal, the Seminoles vacated 22 victories from the 2006-07 season - 19 regular season, 1 conference tournament, and 2 post-season NIT wins. While these games were included in Florida State's totals in the above categories, I have taken these violations and vacated wins into account in the process of ranking the Seminoles. However, even if the violations had not occurred, it is likely that I would have ranked Florida State 9th in the conference power rankings.

***Concerning Regular Season Conference Titles, you will notice 13 titles have been earned in a 10-year span. That is due to the fact that I have given teams that have shared a title full credit, as opposed to a fractional title. Additionally, Boston College earned its title as a member of the Big East, winning a share of the league crown in the 2004-05 season.

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

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

Conference Projections

2011-11-15T20:01:00.000-08:00

ACC

1) North Carolina
2) Duke
3) Florida State
4) Virginia Tech
5) Miami
6) North Carolina State
7) Virginia
8) Clemson
9) Maryland
10)Wake Forest
11)Georgia Tech
12)Boston College

All-ACC
Harrison Barnes, North Carolina Soph
Mike Scott, Virginia Sr
John Henson, North Carolina Jr
Bernard James, Florida State Sr
Tyler Zeller, North Carolina Sr

Player of the Year: Harrison Barnes, North Carolina
Top Defender: John Henson, North Carolina
Best Freshman: Austin Rivers, Duke

Big East

1) Syracuse
2) Connecticut
3) Louisville
4) Pittsburgh
5) Cincinnati
6) Marquette
7) Villanova
8) West Virginia
9) Georgetown
10)Notre Dame
11)Seton Hall
12)Providence
13)St. John's
14)South Florida
15)DePaul
16)Rutgers

All-Big East
Maalik Wayns, Villanova Jr
Ashton Gibbs, Pittsburgh Sr
Jeremy Lamb, Connecticut Soph
Tim Abromaitis, Notre Dames Sr
Kevin Jones, West Virginia Sr

Player of the Year: Ashton Gibbs, Pittsburgh
Top Defender: Shabazz Napier, Connecticut
Best Freshman: Andre Drummond, Connecticut

Big Ten

1) Ohio State
2) Wisconsin
3) Michigan
4) Michigan State
5) Purdue
6) Northwestern
7) Minnesota
8) Illinois
9) Indiana
10)Iowa
11)Penn State
12)Nebraska

All-Big Ten
Jordan Taylor, Wisconsin Sr
John Shurna, Northwestern Sr
Robbie Hummel, Purdue Sr
Draymond Green, Michigan State Sr
Jared Sullinger, Ohio State Soph

Player of the Year: Jared Sullinger, Ohio State
Top Defender: Aaron Craft, Ohio State
Best Freshman: Cody Zeller, Indiana

Big 12

1) Texas A&M
2) Missouri
3) Baylor
4) Kansas
5) Texas
6) Kansas State
7) Iowa State
8) Oklahoma State
9) Oklahoma
10)Texas Tech

All-Big 12
Marcus Denmon, Missouri Sr
J'Covan Brown, Texas Jr
Khris Middleton, Texas A&M Jr
Perry Jones III, Baylor Soph
Thomas Robinson, Kansas Jr

Player of the Year: Khris Middleton, Texas A&M
Top Defender: Thomas Robinson, Kansas
Best Freshman: LeByran Nash, Oklahoma State

Pac-12

1) UCLA
2) Arizona
3) Washington
4) California
5) Stanford
6) Washington State
7) Arizona State
8) Oregon State
9) Oregon
10)USC
11)Colorado
12)Utah

All-Pac 12
Jorge Gutierrez, California Sr
Allen Crabbe, California, Soph
Terrence Ross, Washington Soph
Reeves Nelson, UCLA Jr
Joshua Smith, UCLA Soph

Player of the Year: Reeves Nelson, UCLA
Top Defender: Jorge Gutierrez, California
Best Freshman: Tony Wroten, Washington

SEC

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

All-SEC
John Jenkins, Vanderbilt Jr
Jeffery Taylor, Vanderbilt Sr
Tony Mitchell, Alabama Jr
Terrence Jones, Kentucky Soph
JaMychal Green, Alabama Sr

Player of the Year: Terrence Jones, Kentucky
Top Defender: Jeffery Taylor, Vanderbilt
Best Freshman: Anthony Davis, Kentucky

2011-12 Preseason All-American Team

2011-11-11T18:34:00.000-08:00

Jordan Taylor - Wisconsin Sr
John Jenkins - Vanderbilt Jr
Harrison Barnes - North Carolina Soph
Terrence Jones - Kentucky Soph
Jared Sullinger - Ohio State Soph

*Xavier Senior Tu Holloway just misses the cut.

RBP 2011-12 Preseason Rankings

2011-11-06T09:17:00.000-08:00

1) North Carolina
2) Kentucky
3) Syracuse
4) Duke
5) Ohio State
6) Connecticut
7) Louisville
8) Pittsburgh
9) Vanderbilt
10) Florida
11) Wisconsin
12) Temple
13) UCLA
14) Xavier
15) Texas A&M
16) Missouri
17) Baylor
18) Memphis
19) Gonzaga
20) Michigan
21) Arizona
22) Florida State
23) Cincinnati
24) Brigham Young
25) UNLV

It's Finally Here

2011-08-18T21:10:00.001-07:00

Congrats on making it to the end of the week from our dear friends, Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Fallon.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTbrKQ9Ok34

2011 NBA Mock Draft

2011-06-22T20:56:00.000-07:00

Picks represent who teams should take. This is not an attempt to project which players teams will actually select.

1) CLE - Derrick Williams
2) MIN - Brandon Knight
3) UTA - Jan Vesely
4) CLE - Kyrie Irving
5) TOR - Enes Kanter
6) WAS - Tristan Thompson
7) SAC - Kemba Walker
8) DET - Bismack Biyombo
9) CHA - Alec Burks
10) MIL - Marcus Morris
11) GSW - Kawhi Leonard
12) UTA - Jimmer Fredette
13) PHX - Jordan Hamilton
14) HOU - Darius Morris
15) IND - Kenneth Faried
16) PHI - Nikola Vucevic
17) NYK - Jonas Valanciunas
18) WAS - Klay Thompson
19) CHA - Donatas Motiejunas
20) MIN - Markieff Morris
21) POR - Nolan Smith
22) DEN - Chris Singleton
23) HOU - Tyler Honeycutt
24) OKC - Nikola Mirotic
25) BOS - Reggie Jackson
26) DAL - JaJuan Johnson
27) NJN - Kyle Singler
28) CHI - Iman Shumpert
29) SAS - Marshon Brooks
30) CHI - Justin Harper

4 I Love as 2nd Round Picks:
Charles Jenkins
Cory Joseph
Malcolm Thomas
Jeremy Tyler

4 I Hate as 1st Round Picks:
Tobias Harris
Chandler Parsons
Josh Selby
Trey Thompkins

Say Harrow to my Little Friend

2011-05-26T06:30:00.001-07:00

Point guard Ryan Harrow officially announced that he wants the label "future lottery pick" attached to his name. He will sit out the 2011-12 season before becoming eligible to man the point guard position for UK and try to join the Mount Rushmore of Calipari point guards.

Happy Cinco de Mayo

2011-05-05T22:22:00.000-07:00

Big East Honors & Awards

2011-04-29T19:29:00.000-07:00

With UConn and King Kemba picking up the Huskies' third championship since 1999, the Big East season is officially in the books. That means it's time to recognize the Big East's brightest stars. Honors and awards take into account the entirety of the season, rather than just Big East conference play.

All-Big East

Ben Hansbrough, Notre Dame
#23 Senior Guard 6-3 205
18.4 ppg 4.3 apg 3.9 rpg

Kemba Walker, Connecticut
#15 Junior Guard 6-1 170
23.5 ppg 5.4 rpg 4.5 apg

Dwight Hardy, St. John's
#12 Senior Guard 6-2 195
18.3 ppg 2.9 rpg 1.3 spg

Austin Freeman, Georgetown
#15 Senior Guard 6-3 235
17.6 ppg 3.7 rpg 2.4 apg

Marshon Brooks, Providence
#2 Senior Guard 6-5 190
24.6 ppg 7.0 rpg 1.5 spg

Player of the Year: Kemba Walker, Connecticut
RBP's choice for National Player of the Year also takes home the conference hardware, but Marshon Brooks deserves special recognition for putting together a pretty incredible season while toiling in obscurity at Providence.

All-Defense

Preston Knowles, Louisville
#2 Senior Guard 6-1 190

D.J. Kennedy, St. John's
#1 Senior Forward 6-5 215

Gilbert Brown, Pittsburgh
#5 Senior Forward 6-6 215

John Flowers, West Virginia
#41 Senior Forward 6-7 215

Rick Jackson, Syracuse
#00 Senior Forward 6-9 240

Defensive Player of the Year: Preston Knowles, Louisville
While Rick Jackson put up impressive numbers in Jim Boeheim's 2-3 zone (2.5 blocks and 1.3 steals per contest), Knowles, who averaged 1.9 swipes per contest, gets the nod for spearheading the nation's fourth most efficient defense.

Freshman of the Year: Jeremy Lamb, Connecticut
Lamb, who averaged 11.1 points and 4.5 rebounds per contest and finished the season with 11 straight games of double-digit scoring, is the choice here, but fellow UConn frosh Shabazz Napier deserves recognition for his stingy defense and playmaking.

Coach of the Year: Jim Calhoun, Connecticut
Rick Pitino, Jamie Dixon, Steve Lavin, and Mike Brey all turned in worthy performances, but Calhoun earns top honors (despite the Huskies' .500 regular season conference record) for winning the National Championship with a team that wasn't even ranked in the preseaon top 25.

And now for some regionally appropriate hip-hop.

SEC Honors & Awards

2011-04-03T18:15:00.000-07:00

Kentucky reached the Final Four for the first time since 1998, but the Wildcats' fell to UConn last night, which means it's time to honor the SEC's finest. Honors and awards take into account the entirety of the season, rather than just SEC conference play.

All-SEC

Brandon Knight, Kentucky
#12 Freshman Guard 6-3 185
17.3 ppg 4.2 apg 4.0 rpg

John Jenkins, Vanderbilt
#23 Sophomore Guard 6-4 215
19.5 ppg 3.0 rpg 1.2 apg

Terrence Jones, Kentucky
#3 Freshman Forward 6-8 245
15.7 ppg 8.8 rpg 1.9 bpg

JaMychal Green, Alabama
#1 Junior Forward 6-8 230
15.5 ppg 7.5 rpg 2.1 bpg

Trey Thompkins, Georgia
#33 Junior Forward 6-10 245
16.4 ppg 7.6 rpg 1.7 bpg

Player of the Year: Brandon Knight, Kentucky
Vanderbilt's John Jenkins may have been the league's most potent scorer, but Brandon Knight was the league's best player, displaying a deft shooting touch and heady leadership all while leading the Cats to the Final Four as a freshman point guard.

All-Defense

DeAndre Liggins, Kentucky
#34 Junior Guard 6-6 210

Jeffery Taylor, Vanderbilt
#44 Junior Forward 6-7 225

Reginald Buckner, Mississippi
#2 Sophomore Forward 6-8 235

Delvon Johnson, Arkansas
#21 Senior Forward 6-9 220

Sam Muldrow, South Carolina
#44 Senior Forward 6-9 230

Defensive Player of the Year: Sam Muldrow, South Carolina
Muldrow, who averaged 3.4 blocks per contest, did his his best Jarvis Varnado impression this year, swatting five or more attempts in nine games.

Freshman of the Year: Brandon Knight, Kentucky
Knight, the SEC's best player, is the choice, but teammate Terrence Jones, who struggled toward the end of the season, deserves recognition for a fantastic freshman campaign in which the versatile forward showed off an array of skills and, at times, took over on the offensive end of the floor.

Coach of the Year: John Calipari, Kentucky
Prior to the SEC conference tourney, Alabama's Anthony Grant would have been RBP's pick for SEC Coach of the Year, but Cal gets the nod after leading his extremely young (and extremely talented) squad to the Final Four.

And now for some regionally appropriate hip-hop.

ACC Honors & Awards

2011-04-02T17:18:00.000-07:00

With North Carolina's elimination from the NCAA tournament at the hands of Kentucky in the Elite Eight, the ACC season has come to a close. Now for a look back at the conference's best. Remember that honors and awards take into account the entirety of the season, rather than just ACC conference play.

All-ACC

Nolan Smith, Duke
#2 Senior Guard 6-2 185
20.6 ppg 5.1 apg 4.5 rpg

Malcolm Delaney, Virginia Tech
#23 Senior Guard 6-3 190
18.7 ppg 4.0 apg 1.6 spg

Reggie Jackson, Boston College
#0 Junior Guard 6-3 210
18.2 ppg 4.5 apg 4.3 rpg

Kyle Singler, Duke
#12 Senior Forward 6-8 230
16.9 ppg 6.8 rpg 1.6 apg

Tyler Zeller, North Carolina
#44 Junior Forward 7-0 250
15.7 ppg 7.2 rpg 1.2 bpg

Player of the Year: Nolan Smith, Duke
While his senior campaign was, to some extent, overshadowed by Jimmer and Kemba, Smith was spectacular whether he was playing off the ball or running the point during freshman Kyrie Irving's prolonged absence.

All-Defense

Iman Shumpert, Georgia Tech
#1 Junior Guard 6-5 210

Chris Singleton, Florida State
#31 Junior Forward 6-9 225

Jeff Allen, Virginia Tech
#0 Senior Forward 6-7 230

John Henson, North Carolina
#31 Sophomore Forward 6-10 210

Bernard James, Florida State
#5 Junior Forward 6-10 240

Defensive Player of the Year: Chris Singleton, Florida State
Missing six games due injury may have cost him a spot on the All-ACC team, but, Singleton, who averaged 2.0 steals and 1.5 blocks game, is the choice for the conference's top defender, edging out UNC's John Henson and his 3.2 blocks per contest.

Freshman of the Year: Harrison Barnes, North Carolina
It took a while for one of the most hyped freshman in history to get going, but Barnes finished the season on an absolute tear, averaging 19.8 points per game over the Tar Heels' final 14.

Coach of the Year: Leonard Hamilton, Florida State
The under-appreciated Hamilton gets the nod as his Seminoles went 11-5 in conference play, compiled 23 totals wins, reached the Sweet 16, and finished the season with the nation's most efficient defense for the second year in a row.

And now for some regionally appropriate hip-hop.

Big 12 Honors & Awards

2011-03-31T18:06:00.000-07:00

With Kansas bounced from the NCAA tourney at the hands of upstart VCU, the Big 12 season has reached its end. And that means it's time to take a look at the conference's top performers. Honors and awards take into account the entirety of the season, rather than just Big 12 conference play.

All-Big 12

Jacob Pullen, Kansas State
#0 Senior Guard 6-1 200
20.2 ppg 3.7 apg 1.6 spg

Alec Burks, Colorado
#10 Sophomore Guard 6-6 195
20.5 ppg 6.5 rpg 1.1 spg

Jordan Hamilton, Texas
#3 Sophomore Forward 6-7 220
18.6 ppg 7.7 rpg 2.1 apg

Marcus Morris, Kansas
#22 Junior Forward 6-9 235
17.2 ppg 7.6 rpg .570 FG%

Markieff Morris, Kansas
#21 Junior Forward 6-10 245
13.6 ppg 8.3 rpg 1.1 bpg

Player of the Year: Marcus Morris, Kansas
He tended to drift out to the perimeter a little too often on the offensive end, but this was a complete performance by one of the nation's best.

All-Defense

Dogus Balbay, Texas
#4 Senior Guard 6-1 175

Lance Jeter, Nebraska
#34 Senior Guard 6-3 220

Laurence Bowers, Missouri
#21 Junior Forward 6-8 210

Tristan Thompson, Texas
#13 Freshman Forward 6-8 225

Markieff Morris, Kansas
#21 Junior Forward 6-10 245

Defensive Player of the Year: Tristan Thompson, Texas
In today's era of the one-and-done freshman phenom, we have become accustomed to freshmen putting up big offensive numbers, but Thompson, who averaged 2.4 blocks per game, is that rare first-year player who dominates on the defensive end of the floor.

Freshman of the Year: Tristan Thompson, Texas
While he was a stud on the defensive end, Thompson wasn't too shabby with the ball in his hands - averaging a solid 13.1 points per contest while shooting .546 from the field.

Coach of the Year: Bill Self, Kansas
While Self guided the Jayhawks, picked to finish second in the conference, to a two-loss regular season, the Big 12 regular season and conference tourney titles and an appearance in the Elite Eight, another upset loss in the tourney has overshadowed what was a superb season in Lawrence.

And now for some regionally appropriate hip-hop.

Big Ten Honors & Awards

2011-03-28T20:05:00.000-07:00

With no Big Ten schools advancing beyond the Sweet 16, it's officially time to take a look back at the season that was. Remember that honors and awards take into account the entirety of the season, rather than just Big Ten conference play.

All-Big Ten

Jordan Taylor, Wisconsin
#11 Junior Guard 6-1 195
18.1 ppg 4.7 apg 4.1 rpg

Talor Battle, Penn State
#12 Senior Guard 6-0 170
20.2 ppg 4.4 rpg 2.9 apg

E'Twaun Moore, Purdue
#33 Senior Guard 6-4 190
18.0 ppg 5.1 rpg 3.2 apg

JaJuan Johnson, Purdue
#25 Senior Center 6-10 220
20.5 ppg 8.6 rpg 2.3 bpg

Jared Sullinger, Ohio State
#0 Freshman Center 6-9 280
17.2 ppg 10.2 rpg .541 FG%

Player of the Year: Jared Sullinger, Ohio State
The big-bodied freshman edges Purdue's JaJuan Johnson by the slimmest of margins based largely on his ability to impose his will on the perimeter-oriented college game as a true post presence.

All-Defense

Jordan Taylor, Wisconsin
#11 Junior Guard 6-1 195

Aaron Craft, Ohio State
#4 Freshman Guard 6-2 195

David Lighty, Ohio State
#23 Senior Guard 6-5 220

Draymond Green, Michigan State
#23 Junior Forward 6-7 230

JaJuan Johnson, Purdue
#25 Senior Center 6-10 220

Defensive Player of the Year: JaJuan Johnson, Purdue
David Lighty and Aaron Craft deserve special recognition for their tenacious perimeter defense, but Johnson,the former Baby Boiler, earned the top spot in the defensively-minded Big Ten after averaging 2.3 blocks per contest and anchoring Matt Painter's stingy Purdue D.

Freshman of the Year: Jared Sullinger, Ohio State
Sullinger is a no-brainer here, but fellow Buckeye Aaron Craft and Michigan's Tim Hardaway Jr. also had excellent freshman campaigns.

Coach of the Year: Thad Matta, Ohio State
Matta is the choice for guiding Ohio State to a two-loss regular season, the Big Ten regular season and conference tourney titles, and the overall number one seed in the NCAA tourney, but Purdue's Matt Painter gets a tip of the hat for yet another strong showing (as does Michigan's John Beilein for taking a team that RBP predicted would be "epically bad" to the second round of the NCAAs).

And now for some regionally appropriate hip-hop.

Pac-10 Honors & Awards

2011-03-26T22:33:00.000-07:00

With Arizona bowing out of the NCAAs just shy of the Final Four after a valiant fight against King Kemba and UConn, the Pac-10 season is officially in the books. That means it's time for RBP to take a look back at the conference's best and brightest. Honors and awards take into account the entirety of the season, rather than just Pac-10 conference play.

All-Pac 10

Isaiah Thomas, Washington
#2 Junior Guard 5-9 185
16.8 ppg 6.1 apg 1.3 spg

Klay Thompson, Washington State
#1 Junior Guard 6-6 200
22.0 ppg 5.3 rpg 3.8 apg

Derrick Williams, Arizona
#23 Sophomore Forward 6-8 240
19.5 ppg 8.4 rpg .603 3PT%

Reeves Nelson, UCLA
#22 Sophomore Forward 6-8 235
13.9 ppg 9.1 rbg .567 FG%

Nikola Vucevic, USC
#5 Junior Forward 6-10 260
17.1 ppg 10.3 rpg 1.4 bpg

Player of the Year: Derrick Williams, Arizona
After a stellar freshman campaign, the once overlooked Williams put together a superb sophomore season, developing into one of the country's most dominant players and carrying the Wildcats to the cusp of college basketball's final weekend.

All-Defense

Jorge Gutierrez, California
#2 Junior Guard 6-3 195

Malcolm Lee, UCLA
#3 Junior Guard 6-5 200

Jared Cunningham, Oregon State
#1 Sophomore Guard 6-4 180

Marcus Simmons, USC
#43 Senior Forward 6-6 220

Tyler Honeycutt, UCLA
#23 Sophomore Forward 6-8 190

Defensive Player of the Year: Jorge Gutierrez, California
Gutierrez, who averaged 1.6 steals per game and is perhaps the nation's peskiest on-ball defender, takes top honors in a conference that has so many talented stoppers that Venoy Overton didn't even make the cut for the conference's all-defensive team.

Freshman of the Year: Allen Crabbe, California
Crabbe, a well-rounded 6-4 two-guard who was ranked 69th nationally by rivals.com after his senior year of high school, averaged 13.4 points and 5.3 rebounds per contest for the Golden Bears.

Coach of the Year: Sean Miller, Arizona
In his second year at the helm, Miller led the Wildcats, unranked in the preseason, to 30 wins, the regular season Pac-10 title, a runner-up finish in the conference tourney, and an Elite Eight appearance in which Arizona fell to UConn by a basket.

And now for some regionally appropriate hip-hop.

Field of 68

2011-03-13T12:33:00.000-07:00

*Seeding is not an attempt to predict what the Selection Committee will do. Rather, seeding represents what the Selection Committee should do.

1 seeds
Ohio State (31-2, 16-2)
Kansas (32-2, 14-2)
Duke (30-4, 13-3)
Pittsburgh (27-5, 15-3)

2 seeds
Notre Dame (26-6, 14-4)
San Diego State (32-2, 14-2)
Texas (27-7, 13-3)
Connecticut (26-9, 9-9)

3 seeds
Louisville (25-9, 12-6)
Kentucky (25-8, 10-6)
Purdue (25-7, 14-4)
North Carolina (26-7, 14-2)

4 seeds
Brigham Young (30-4, 14-2)
Florida (26-7, 13-3)
Syracuse (26-7, 12-6)
Arizona (27-7, 14-4)

5 seeds
Wisconsin (23-8, 13-5)
St. John's (21-11, 12-6)
Georgetown (21-10, 10-8)
Xavier (24-7, 15-1)

6 seeds
Texas A&M (24-8, 10-6)
Vanderbilt (23-10, 9-7)
Washington (23-10, 11-7)
Temple (25-7, 14-2)

7 seeds
Old Dominion (27-6, 14-4)
Cincinnati (25-8, 11-7)
West Virginia (20-11, 11-7)
Utah State (30-3, 15-1)

8 seeds
UCLA (22-10, 13-5)
Kansas State (22-10, 10-6)
Richmond (27-7, 13-3)
George Mason (26-6, 16-2)

9 seeds
UNLV (24-8, 11-5)
Missouri (23-10, 8-8)
Florida State (21-10, 11-5)
Villanova (21-11, 9-9)

10 seeds
Marquette (20-14, 9-9)
Illinois (19-13, 9-9)
Tennessee (19-14, 8-8)
Colorado (21-13, 8-8)

11 seeds
USC (19-14, 10-8)
Alabama (21-11, 12-4)
Gonzaga (24-9, 11-3)
Michigan State (18-14, 9-9)

12 seeds
Memphis (25-9, 10-6)
Butler (23-9, 13-5)
St. Mary's (25-8, 11-3)
Penn State (19-13, 9-9)
Virginia Tech (21-11, 9-7)
Michigan (20-13, 9-9)

13 seeds
Belmont (30-4, 19-1)
Oakland (25-9, 17-1)
Long Island (27-5, 16-2)
Princeton (25-6, 12-2)

14 seeds
Indiana State (20-13, 12-6)
Akron (23-12, 9-7)
Morehead State (24-9, 13-5)
Wofford (21-12, 14-4)

15 seeds
Bucknell (25-8, 13-1)
Northern Colorado (21-10, 13-3)
St. Peter's (20-13, 11-7)
Hampton (24-8, 11-5)

16 seeds
Boston University (21-13, 12-4)
UNC-Asheville (19-13, 11-7)
UC-Santa Barbara (18-13, 8-8)
UT-San Antonio (19-13, 9-7)
Arkansas-Little Rock (19-16, 7-9)
Alabama State (17-17, 11-7)

Top 25

2011-03-06T20:55:00.000-08:00

1. Ohio State 29-2
quality wins: @Florida, @Florida State, Minnesota, @Illinois, Purdue, @Minnesota, Michigan State, Illinois, Wisconsin
losses: @Wisconsin, @Purdue
previous rank: 1

2. Kansas 29-2
quality wins: Arizona(n), UCLA, Memphis(n), @Baylor, @Colorado, Kansas State, Missouri, Colorado, Texas A&M, @Missouri
losses: Texas, @Kansas State
previous rank: 2

3. Pittsburgh 27-4
quality wins: Maryland(n), Texas(n), Connecticut, Marquette, @Georgetown, Syracuse, Cincinnati, @West Virginia, @Villanova, West Virginia, Villanova
losses: Tennessee(n), Notre Dame, @St. John's, @Louisville
previous rank: 3

4. Notre Dame 25-5
quality wins: Georgia(n), Wisconsin(n), Gonzaga, Georgetown, Connecticut, St. John's, Cincinnati, Marquette, @Pittsburgh, Louisville, Villanova, @Connecticut
losses: Kentucky(n), @Syracuse, @Marquette, @St. John's, @West Virginia
previous rank: 8

5. Duke 27-4
quality wins: Marquette(n), Kansas State(n), Michigan State, Maryland, Boston College, @Maryland, North Carolina, Temple, Clemson
losses: @Florida State, @St. John's, @Virginia Tech, @North Carolina
previous rank: 4

6. San Diego State 29-2
quality wins: @Gonzaga, St. Mary's, Wichita State, UNLV, @UNLV
loss: @Brigham Young, Brigham Young
previous rank: 9

7. Texas 25-6
quality wins: Illinois(n), North Carolina(n), @Michigan State, Texas A&M, @Kansas, Missouri, @Texas A&M, Baylor, @Baylor
losses: Pittsburgh(n), @USC, Connecticut, @Nebraska, @Colorado, Kansas State
previous rank: 6

8. Purdue 25-6
quality wins: @Virginia Tech, Alabama, Michigan State, Minnesota, @Illiois, Wisconsin, Ohio State, @Michigan State, Illinois
losses: Richmond(n), @Minnesota, @West Virginia, @Ohio State, @Wisconsin, @Iowa
previous rank: 7

9. Brigham Young 28-3
quality wins: Utah State, St. Mary's(n), Arizona(n), @UNLV, San Diego State, UNLV, @San Diego State
losses: UCLA(n), @New Mexico, New Mexico
previous rank: 5

10. Syracuse 25-6
quality wins: Michigan State(n), Notre Dame, @St. John's, Cincinnati, @Connecticut, West Virginia, @Villanova, @Georgetown
losses: @Pittsburgh, Villanova, Seton Hall, @Marquette, Georgetown, @Louisville
previous rank: 12

11. North Carolina 24-6
quality wins: Kentucky, Virginia Tech, Clemson, @Boston College, Florida State, @Clemson, Boston College, Maryland, @Florida State, Duke
losses: Minnesota(n), Vanderbilt(n), @Illinois, Texas(n), @Georgia Tech, @Duke
previous rank: 16

12. Florida 24-6
quality wins: @Florida State, Kansas State(n), @Xavier, @Tennessee, @Georgia, Vanderbilt, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, @Vanderbilt
losses: Ohio State, Central Florida(n), Jacksonville, South Carolina, @Mississippi State, @Kentucky
previous rank: 14

13. Louisville 23-8
quality wins: UNLV, Marquette, St. John's, West Virginia, @Connecticut, Syracuse, Connecticut, Pittsburgh
losses: Drexel, Kentucky, @Villanova, @Providence, @Georgetown, @Notre Dame, @Cincinnati, @West Virginia
previous rank: 11

14. Wisconsin 23-7
quality wins: Boston College(n), @Marquette, Minnesota, Illinois, Purdue, Michigan State, Ohio State
losses: @UNLV, Notre Dame(n), @Illinois, @Michigan State, @Penn State, @Purdue, @Ohio State
previous rank: 10

15. Kentucky 22-8
quality wins: Washington(n), Notre Dame(n), @Louisville, Georgia, Tennessee, Florida, Vanderbilt, @Tennessee
losses: Connecticut(n), @North Carolina, @Georgia, @Alabama, @Mississippi, @Florida, @Vanderbilt, @Arkansas
previous rank: 20

16. Arizona 25-6
quality wins: @Washington State, UCLA, Washington State, Washington
losses: Kansas(n), Brigham Young(n), @Oregon State, @Washington, @USC, @UCLA
previous rank: 19

17. Connecticut 21-9
quality wins: Wichita State(n), Michigan State(n), Kentucky(n), @Texas, Villanova, Tennessee, @Marquette, Georgetown, @Cincinnati
losses: @Pittsburgh, @Notre Dame, Louisville, Syracuse, @St. John's, @Louisville, Marquette, @West Virginia, Notre Dame
previous rank: 13

18. Georgetown 21-9
quality wins: @Old Dominion, Missouri(n), Utah State, @Memphis, St. John's, @Villanova, Louisville, @Syracuse, Marquette
losses: @Temple, @Notre Dame, @St. John's, West Virginia, Pittsburgh, @Connecticut, Cincinnati, Syracuse, @Cincinnati
previous rank: 15

19. St. John's 20-10
quality wins: @West Virginia, Georgetown, Notre Dame, Duke, Connecticut, @Cincinnati, @Marquette, Pittsburgh, @Villanova
losses: @Saint Mary's, St. Bonaventure, @Fordham, @Notre Dame, Syracuse, @Louisville, Cincinnati, @Georgetown, @UCLA, @Seton Hall
previous rank: 17

20. Xavier 24-6
quality wins: Temple, @Richmond, @Georgia
losses: Old Dominion(n), @Miami-OH, @Gonzaga, Florida, @Cincinnati, @Charlotte
previous rank: 24

21. Cincinnati 24-7
quality wins: Xavier, @St. John's, Louisville, @Georgetown, @Marquette, Georgetown
losses: @Villanova, @Syracuse, @Notre Dame, West Virginia, @Pittsburgh, St. John's, Connecticut
previous rank: NR

22. Texas A&M 23-7
quality wins: Temple(n), Washington, Missouri, Kansas State, @Colorado
losses: Boston College(n), @Texas, @Nebraska, Texas, Baylor, @Baylor, @Kansas
previous rank: 23

23. Old Dominion 26-6
quality wins: Clemson(n), Xavier(n), Richmond, George Mason
losses: Georgetown, @Delaware, @Missouri, @Drexel, VCU, @George Mason
previous rank: NR

24. Missouri 22-9
quality wins: Vanderbilt, Illinois(n), Old Dominion, Kansas State, Colorado, Baylor
losses: Georgetown(n), @Colorado, @Texas A&M, @Texas, @Oklahoma State, @Kansas, @Kansas State, @Nebraska, Kansas
previous rank: 18

25. Vanderbilt 21-9
quality wins: North Carolina(n), Belmont, Marquette, Georgia, St. Mary's, Alabama, Kentucky, @Georgia
losses: West Virginia(n), @Missouri, @South Carolina, @Tennessee, Arkansas, @Florida, Tennessee, @Kentucky, Florida
previous rank: 22

Top 25

2011-02-27T19:59:00.000-08:00

1. Ohio State 27-2
quality wins: @Florida, @Florida State, Minnesota, @Illinois, Purdue, @Minnesota, Michigan State, Illinois
losses: @Wisconsin, @Purdue
previous rank: 3

2. Kansas 27-2
quality wins: Arizona(n), UCLA, Memphis(n), @Baylor, @Colorado, Kansas State, Missouri, Colorado
losses: Texas, @Kansas State
previous rank: 4

3. Pittsburgh 25-4
quality wins: Maryland(n), Texas(n), Connecticut, Marquette, @Georgetown, Syracuse, Cincinnati, @West Virginia, @Villanova, West Virginia
losses: Tennessee(n), Notre Dame, @St. John's, @Louisville
previous rank: 2

4. Duke 26-3
quality wins: Marquette(n), Kansas State(n), Michigan State, Maryland, Boston College, @Maryland, North Carolina, Temple
losses: @Florida State, @St. John's, @Virginia Tech
previous rank: 1

5. Brigham Young 27-2
quality wins: Utah State, St. Mary's(n), Arizona(n), @UNLV, San Diego State, UNLV, @San Diego State
losses: UCLA(n), @New Mexico
previous rank: 7

6. Texas 24-5
quality wins: Illinois(n), North Carolina(n), @Michigan State, Texas A&M, @Kansas, Missouri, @Texas A&M, Baylor
losses: Pittsburgh(n), @USC, Connecticut, @Nebraska, @Colorado
previous rank: 5

7. Purdue 24-5
quality wins: @Virginia Tech, Alabama, Michigan State, Minnesota, @Illiois, Wisconsin, Ohio State, @Michigan State
losses: Richmond(n), @Minnesota, @West Virginia, @Ohio State, @Wisconsin
previous rank: 9

8. Notre Dame 23-5
quality wins: Georgia(n), Wisconsin(n), Gonzaga, Georgetown, Connecticut, St. John's, Cincinnati, Marquette, @Pittsburgh, Louisville
losses: Kentucky(n), @Syracuse, @Marquette, @St. John's, @West Virginia
previous rank: 8

9. San Diego State 27-2
quality wins: @Gonzaga, St. Mary's, Wichita State, UNLV, @UNLV
loss: @Brigham Young, Brigham Young
previous rank: 6

10. Wisconsin 22-6
quality wins: Boston College(n), @Marquette, Minnesota, Illinois, Purdue, Michigan State, Ohio State
losses: @UNLV, Notre Dame(n), @Illinois, @Michigan State, @Penn State, @Purdue
previous rank: 12

11. Louisville 22-7
quality wins: UNLV, Marquette, St. John's, West Virginia, @Connecticut, Syracuse, Connecticut, Pittsburgh
losses: Drexel, Kentucky, @Villanova, @Providence, @Georgetown, @Notre Dame, @Cincinnati
previous rank: 14

12. Syracuse 24-6
quality wins: Michigan State(n), Notre Dame, @St. John's, Cincinnati, @Connecticut, West Virginia, @Villanova, @Georgetown
losses: @Pittsburgh, Villanova, Seton Hall, @Marquette, Georgetown, @Louisville
previous rank: 17

13. Connecticut 21-7
quality wins: Wichita State(n), Michigan State(n), Kentucky(n), @Texas, Villanova, Tennessee, @Marquette, Georgetown, @Cincinnati
losses: @Pittsburgh, @Notre Dame, Louisville, Syracuse, @St. John's, @Louisville, Marquette
previous rank: 10

14. Florida 22-6
quality wins: @Florida State, Kansas State(n), @Xavier, @Tennessee, @Georgia, Vanderbilt, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia
losses: Ohio State, Central Florida(n), Jacksonville, South Carolina, @Mississippi State, @Kentucky
previous rank: 15

15. Georgetown 21-8
quality wins: @Old Dominion, Coastal Carolina, Missouri(n), Utah State, @Memphis, St. John's, @Villanova, Louisville, @Syracuse, Marquette
losses: @Temple, @Notre Dame, @St. John's, West Virginia, Pittsburgh, @Connecticut, Cincinnati, Syracuse
previous rank: 11

16. North Carolina 22-6
quality wins: Kentucky, Virginia Tech, Clemson, @Boston College, Florida State, @Clemson, Boston College, Maryland
losses: Minnesota(n), Vanderbilt(n), @Illinois, Texas(n), @Georgia Tech, @Duke
previous rank: 19

17. St. John's 19-9
quality wins: @West Virginia, Georgetown, Notre Dame, Duke, Connecticut, @Cincinnati, @Marquette, Pittsburgh, @Villanova
losses: @Saint Mary's, St. Bonaventure, @Fordham, @Notre Dame, Syracuse, @Louisville, Cincinnati, @Georgetown, @UCLA
previous rank: 24

18. Missouri 22-7
quality wins: Vanderbilt, Illinois(n), Old Dominion, Kansas State, Colorado, Baylor
losses: Georgetown(n), @Colorado, @Texas A&M, @Texas, @Oklahoma State, @Kansas, @Kansas State
previous rank: 18

19. Arizona 23-6
quality wins: @Washington State, UCLA, Washington State, Washington
losses: Kansas(n), Brigham Young(n), @Oregon State, @Washington, @USC, @UCLA
previous rank: 13

20. Kentucky 20-8
quality wins: Washington(n), Notre Dame(n), @Louisville, Georgia, Tennessee, Florida
losses: Connecticut(n), @North Carolina, @Georgia, @Alabama, @Mississippi, @Florida, @Vanderbilt, @Arkansas
previous rank: 22

21. Villanova 21-8
quality wins: UCLA(n), Temple, Cincinnati, Louisville, Maryland, @Syracuse, Marquette, West Virginia
losses: Tennessee(n), @Connecticut, @Providence, Georgetown, @Rutgers, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, St. John's
previous rank: 16

22. Vanderbilt 21-7
quality wins: North Carolina(n), Belmont, Marquette, Georgia, St. Mary's, Alabama, Kentucky, @Georgia
losses: West Virginia(n), @Missouri, @South Carolina, @Tennessee, Arkansas, @Florida, Tennessee
previous rank: 21

23. Texas A&M 22-6
quality wins: Temple(n), Washington, Missouri, Kansas State, @Colorado
losses: Boston College(n), @Texas, @Nebraska, Texas, Baylor, @Baylor
previous rank: 20

24. Xavier 22-6
quality wins: Temple, @Richmond, @Georgia
losses: Old Dominion(n), @Miami-OH, @Gonzaga, Florida, @Cincinnati, @Charlotte
previous rank: 25

25. George Mason 25-5
quality wins: Old Dominion, @VCU
losses: North Carolina State(n), Wofford(n), @Dayton, @Hofstra, @Old Dominion
previous rank: NR

Top 25

2011-02-20T20:59:00.000-08:00

1. Duke 25-2
quality wins: Marquette(n), Kansas State(n), Michigan State, Maryland, Boston College, @Maryland, North Carolina
losses: @Florida State, @St. John's
previous rank: 5

2. Pittsburgh 24-3
quality wins: Maryland(n), Texas(n), Duquesne(n), Connecticut, Marquette, @Georgetown, Syracuse, Cincinnati, @West Virginia, @Villanova
losses: Tennessee(n), Notre Dame, @St. John's
previous rank: 2

3. Ohio State 25-2
quality wins: @Florida, @Florida State, Minnesota, @Illinois, Purdue, @Minnesota, Michigan State
losses: @Wisconsin, @Purdue
previous rank: 3

4. Kansas 25-2
quality wins: Arizona(n), UCLA, Memphis(n), @Baylor, @Colorado, Kansas State, Missouri, Colorado
losses: Texas, @Kansas State
previous rank: 1

5. Texas 23-4
quality wins: Illinois(n), North Carolina(n), @Michigan State, Texas A&M, @Kansas, Missouri, @Texas A&M, Baylor
losses: Pittsburgh(n), @USC, Connecticut, @Nebraska
previous rank: 4

6. San Diego State 27-1
quality wins: @Gonzaga, St. Mary's, Wichita State, UNLV, @UNLV
loss: @Brigham Young
previous rank: 6

7. Brigham Young 25-2
quality wins: Utah State, St. Mary's(n), Arizona(n), UTEP, @UNLV, San Diego State, UNLV
losses: UCLA(n), @New Mexico
previous rank: 8

8. Notre Dame 21-5
quality wins: Georgia(n), Wisconsin(n), Gonzaga, Georgetown, Connecticut, St. John's, Cincinnati, Marquette, @Pittsburgh, Louisville
losses: Kentucky(n), @Syracuse, @Marquette, @St. John's, @West Virginia
previous rank: 7

9. Purdue 22-5
quality wins: @Virginia Tech, Alabama, Michigan State, Minnesota, @Illiois, Wisconsin, Ohio State
losses: Richmond(n), @Minnesota, @West Virginia, @Ohio State, @Wisconsin
previous rank: 12

10. Connecticut 20-6
quality wins: Wichita State(n), Michigan State(n), Kentucky(n), @Texas, Villanova, Tennessee, @Marquette, Georgetown
losses: @Pittsburgh, @Notre Dame, Louisville, Syracuse, @St. John's, @Louisville
previous rank: 11

11. Georgetown 21-6
quality wins: @Old Dominion, Coastal Carolina, Missouri(n), Utah State, @Memphis, St. John's, @Villanova, Louisville, @Syracuse, Marquette
losses: @Temple, @Notre Dame, @St. John's, West Virginia, Pittsburgh, @Connecticut
previous rank: 10

12. Wisconsin 20-6
quality wins: Boston College(n), @Marquette, Minnesota, Illinois, Purdue, Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State
losses: @UNLV, Notre Dame(n), @Illinois, @Michigan State, @Penn State, @Purdue
previous rank: 9

13. Arizona 23-4
quality wins: @Washington State, UCLA, Washington State, Washington
losses: Kansas(n), Brigham Young(n), @Oregon State, @Washington
previous rank: 15

14. Louisville 20-7
quality wins: UNLV, Marquette, St. John's, West Virginia, @Connecticut, Syracuse, Connecticut
losses: Drexel, Kentucky, @Villanova, @Providence, @Georgetown, @Notre Dame, @Cincinnati
previous rank: 13

15. Florida 21-5
quality wins: @Florida State, Kansas State(n), @Xavier, @Tennessee, @Georgia, Vanderbilt, Kentucky, Tennessee
losses: Ohio State, Central Florida(n), Jacksonville, South Carolina, @Mississippi State
previous rank: 14

16. Villanova 21-6
quality wins: UCLA(n), Temple, Cincinnati, Louisville, Maryland, @Syracuse, Marquette, West Virginia
losses: Tennessee(n), @Connecticut, @Providence, Georgetown, @Rutgers, Pittsburgh
previous rank: 16

17. Syracuse 22-6
quality wins: Michigan State(n), Notre Dame, @St. John's, Cincinnati, @Connecticut, West Virginia
losses: @Pittsburgh, Villanova, Seton Hall, @Marquette, Georgetown, @Louisville
previous rank: 18

18. Missouri 21-6
quality wins: Vanderbilt, Illinois(n), Old Dominion, Kansas State, Colorado
losses: Georgetown(n), @Colorado, @Texas A&M, @Texas, @Oklahoma State, @Kansas
previous rank: 17

19. North Carolina 20-6
quality wins: Kentucky, Virginia Tech, Clemson, @Boston College, Florida State, @Clemson, Boston College
losses: Minnesota(n), Vanderbilt(n), @Illinois, Texas(n), @Georgia Tech, @Duke
previous rank: 20

20. Texas A&M 21-5
quality wins: Temple(n), Washington, Missouri, Kansas State, @Colorado
losses: Boston College(n), @Texas, @Nebraska, Texas, Baylor
previous rank: 19

21. Vanderbilt 20-6
quality wins: North Carolina(n), Marquette, Georgia, St. Mary's, Alabama, Kentucky, @Georgia
losses: West Virginia(n), @Missouri, @South Carolina, @Tennessee, Arkansas, @Florida
previous rank: 21

22. Kentucky 19-7
quality wins: Washington(n), Notre Dame(n), @Louisville, Georgia, Tennessee
losses: Connecticut(n), @North Carolina, @Georgia, @Alabama, @Mississippi, @Florida, @Vanderbilt
previous rank: 22

23. Temple 21-5
quality wins: Georgia(n), Maryland(n), Georgetown, @Dayton, Richmond
losses: California(n), Texas A&M(n), @Villanova, @Duquesne, @Xavier
previous rank: 23

24. St. John's 17-9
quality wins: @West Virginia, Georgetown, Notre Dame, Duke, Connecticut, @Cincinnati, @Marquette, Pittsburgh
losses: @Saint Mary's, St. Bonaventure, @Fordham, @Notre Dame, Syracuse, @Louisville, Cincinnati, @Georgetown, @UCLA
previous rank: NR

25. Xavier 20-6
quality wins: Dayton, Temple, @Richmond, @Georgia, @Duquesne
losses: Old Dominion(n), @Miami-OH, @Gonzaga, Florida, @Cincinnati, @Charlotte
previous rank: 24

An Open Letter of Apology to Kyle Kuric

2011-02-14T18:23:00.001-08:00

Kyle,

I just wanted to apologize to you. In the preseason I referred to you as a poor man’s Bobby Perry. I didn’t really mean it as a compliment. It wasn’t a complete smack in the face, after all, Bobby posted a 20-10 game against UConn’s NBA front line in the tourney, and went for 20+ against UAB in a tournament game as a senior. But really, it was a way of saying there is no “it” quality to your game. I watched you as a sophomore and wondered why you got any clock. You aren’t a prolific rebounder. You’re undersized for a 3, let alone a 4, and you only managed to hit eighteen threes in an entire season (good for 8th on the team). I mean, I heard talk about how you could jump, but all I saw was another white kid jacking up threes, and when seven of your teammates can outdo your biggest strength, well, I guess your game left something to be desired.

Moving forward, you started slowly this year, only hitting double figures in two of the Cards’ first eleven games (I’m not counting a ten-point effort against WKU when your team scored 114, that’s like saying that you got to wear a jersey). Then your game started to heat up. Your stats still aren’t outrageous (10 ppg and 3 rpg), but there is something very not-Bobby Perry about your game. It is obvious when you are on the court. You bring energy. You hit 46.9% of your threes. You have big games against good teams (17 v. UNLV, 28 v. Notre Dame, 15 v. UConn, 23 v. Syracuse). When UofL’s half-court offense struggles, you’re often the guy who gets open in the corner for a 3 or finds a way to punch in second-chance points. Most importantly, you dunk on faces. Everyone notices when white guys dunk on faces, and that’s what you started doing this year. You dunk on faces and you don’t care. Ask anyone if they noticed when you dunked against Notre Dame. They did. They noticed big time. They’re still talking about it.

I don’t want to lay it on too thick, but I just need you to know that I know I was wrong about you. You may not be Jeff Sheppard, but you’re closing in on that standing. You’re bringing plenty to the table as a basketball player, and you don’t stop there. You were also homecoming king of your college...and it’s a big college. I was homecoming prince of my high school, so I can appreciate the hard work it probably took for you to achieve that honor. You should be pretty proud. You have nicely-defined arms too. They may be the best-looking arms on your whole team, and everyone likes to be the guy on the good end of a bunch of "Gun Show" jabs. But I digress. This post is about setting things right between us. As an olive branch, I’d like to offer you “Special K” as a nickname. Your coach really likes nicknames, but he veers towards initial-themed monikers (T-Will, E5) or seemingly nonsensical nicknames (“Bullet” for Elisha Justice?). Special K isn't a creative nickname, but it’s better than nothing. You take Special K, and go ahead and use something corny like “8 essential ingredients for building a championship basketball team.” I hope we’re cool.

Top 25

2011-02-13T21:11:00.000-08:00

1. Kansas 24-1
quality wins: Arizona(n), UCLA, Memphis(n), @Baylor, @Colorado, Kansas State, Missouri
loss: Texas
previous rank: 2

2. Pittsburgh 23-2
quality wins: Maryland(n), Texas(n), Duquesne(n), Connecticut, Marquette, @Georgetown, Syracuse, Cincinnati, @West Virginia, @Villanova
losses: Tennessee(n), Notre Dame
previous rank: 3

3. Ohio State 24-1
quality wins: @Florida, @Florida State, Minnesota, @Illinois, Purdue, @Minnesota
loss: @Wisconsin
previous rank: 1

4. Texas 22-3
quality wins: Illinois(n), North Carolina(n), @Michigan State, Texas A&M, @Kansas, Missouri, @Texas A&M, Baylor
losses: Pittsburgh(n), @USC, Connecticut
previous rank: 4

5. Duke 23-2
quality wins: Marquette(n), Kansas State(n), Michigan State, Maryland, Boston College, @Maryland, North Carolina
losses: @Florida State, @St. John's
previous rank: 5

6. San Diego State 25-1
quality wins: @Gonzaga, St. Mary's, Wichita State, UNLV, @UNLV
loss: @Brigham Young
previous rank: 6

7. Notre Dame 21-4
quality wins: Georgia(n), Wisconsin(n), Gonzaga, Georgetown, Connecticut, St. John's, Cincinnati, Marquette, @Pittsburgh, Louisville
losses: Kentucky(n), @Syracuse, @Marquette, @St. John's
previous rank: 9

8. Brigham Young 24-2
quality wins: Utah State, St. Mary's(n), Arizona(n), UTEP, @UNLV, San Diego State, UNLV
losses: UCLA(n), @New Mexico
previous rank: 7

9. Wisconsin 19-5
quality wins: Boston College(n), @Marquette, Minnesota, Illinois, Purdue, Michigan State, Ohio State
losses: @UNLV, Notre Dame(n), @Illinois, @Michigan State, @Penn State
previous rank: 11

10. Georgetown 20-5
quality wins: @Old Dominion, Coastal Carolina, Missouri(n), Utah State, @Memphis, St. John's, @Villanova, Louisville, @Syracuse, Marquette
losses: @Temple, @Notre Dame, @St. John's, West Virginia, Pittsburgh
previous rank: 12

11. Connecticut 19-5
quality wins: Wichita State(n), Michigan State(n), Kentucky(n), @Texas, Villanova, Tennessee, @Marquette
losses: @Pittsburgh, @Notre Dame, Louisville, Syracuse, @St. John's
previous rank: 8

12. Purdue 20-5
quality wins: @Virginia Tech, Alabama, Michigan State, Minnesota, @Illiois
losses: Richmond(n), @Minnesota, @West Virginia, @Ohio State, @Wisconsin
previous rank: 16

13. Louisville 19-6
quality wins: UNLV, Marquette, St. John's, West Virginia, @Connecticut, Syracuse
losses: Drexel, Kentucky, @Villanova, @Providence, @Georgetown, @Notre Dame
previous rank: 15

14. Florida 20-5
quality wins: @Florida State, Kansas State(n), @Xavier, @Tennessee, @Georgia, Vanderbilt, Kentucky, Tennessee
losses: Ohio State, Central Florida(n), Jacksonville, South Carolina, @Mississippi State
previous rank: 18

15. Arizona 21-4
quality wins: @Washington State, UCLA
losses: Kansas(n), Brigham Young(n), @Oregon State, @Washington
previous rank: 19

16. Villanova 19-6
quality wins: UCLA(n), Temple, Cincinnati, Louisville, Maryland, @Syracuse, Marquette, West Virginia
losses: Tennessee(n), @Connecticut, @Providence, Georgetown, @Rutgers, Pittsburgh
previous rank: 10

17. Missouri 19-6
quality wins: Vanderbilt, Illinois(n), Old Dominion, Kansas State, Colorado
losses: Georgetown(n), @Colorado, @Texas A&M, @Texas, @Oklahoma State, @Kansas
previous rank: 14

18. Syracuse 20-6
quality wins: Michigan State(n), Notre Dame, @St. John's, Cincinnati, @Connecticut
losses: @Pittsburgh, Villanova, Seton Hall, @Marquette, Georgetown, @Louisville
previous rank: 13

19. Texas A&M 19-5
quality wins: Temple(n), Washington, Missouri, Kansas State, @Colorado
losses: Boston College(n), @Texas, @Nebraska, Texas, Baylor
previous rank: 20

20. North Carolina 18-6
quality wins: Kentucky, Virginia Tech, Clemson, @Boston College, Florida State, @Clemson
losses: Minnesota(n), Vanderbilt(n), @Illinois, Texas(n), @Georgia Tech, @Duke
previous rank: 22

21. Vanderbilt 18-6
quality wins: North Carolina(n), Marquette, Georgia, St. Mary's, Alabama, Kentucky
losses: West Virginia(n), @Missouri, @South Carolina, @Tennessee, Arkansas, @Florida
previous rank: 23

22. Kentucky 17-7
quality wins: Washington(n), Notre Dame(n), @Louisville, Georgia, Tennessee
losses: Connecticut(n), @North Carolina, @Georgia, @Alabama, @Mississippi, @Florida, @Vanderbilt
previous rank: 17

23. Temple 19-5
quality wins: Georgia(n), Maryland(n), Georgetown, @Dayton
losses: California(n), Texas A&M(n), @Villanova, @Duquesne, @Xavier
previous rank: 25

24. Xavier 18-6
quality wins: Dayton, Temple, @Richmond, @Georgia, @Duquesne
losses: Old Dominion(n), @Miami-OH, @Gonzaga, Florida, @Cincinnati, @Charlotte
previous rank: NR

25. Washington 17-7
quality wins: @UCLA, Arizona
losses: Kentucky(n), Michigan State(n), @Texas A&M, @Stanford, @Washington State, @Oregon State, @Oregon
previous rank: NR

Mount MacCulloch: Retired from Basketball but Dork Career Surging

2011-02-13T07:31:00.000-08:00

Former University of Washington star and retired NBA big man, Todd MacCulloch is ranked 145th in the world in pinball. The 76ers famously relied upon the tandem of a geriatric Dikembe Mutombo and MacCulloch to slow down a still in his prime Shaquille O'Neal in the NBA finals. Upon learning of MacCulloch's newfound career, Shaq noted that he has never been bested in basketball by a pinball aficionado from the Pacific Northwest (See 2001 NBA Finals & "Shaq vs." Season 1 episode 9). Roundball Portfolio would like to hand out a big congrats to MacCulloch for using his NBA riches to try to live out Tom Hanks' fake adult life in "Big." Watch out Elizabeth Perking, T-Mac may have romance on his mind this Valentine's weekend.

In other news, not enough can possibly be made of Norris Cole's amazing game for Cleveland State yesterday. He played all forty minutes, scored forty-one points, grabbed twenty rebounds, and handed out nine assists. We all would have loved for him to get the triple-double, but let's think about how hard it was to get nine assists when all of your teammates play for Cleveland State. Those were probably some nifty passes.

Bo Ryan led the Sconnies to an upset over the Ohio State Jared Sullingers. We normally only get good vibrations from Madison, but after the game, Sully tweeted that a Wisconsin fan spat in his face. I like Sullinger, but this was probably a lie. I spent a weekend in Madison, and those people were adorable. It was much more likely that one of the fans was trying to feed Sullinger some delicious ice cream and Spotted Cow beer. The only way I would believe this story was if Sullinger was wearing a Brett Favre jersey.

Speaking of Wisconsin, I have to acknowledge the ballsiest bar proclamation I ever witnessed, which happened when a friend of mine demonstratively declared before two dozen people in a Madison, Wisconsin bar that Brett Favre (who was still playing for the Packers) was the most overrated quarterback of all time. He could have collectively called all of their mothers whores, and received less vitriol. Onions, my friend.

The Starting Five: Tu Holloway Edition

2011-02-07T21:11:00.000-08:00

1. Outside of Jimmer and Kemba, no one imposes his will on the game like Xavier's Tu Holloway. At a solid 6-0 185 lbs, he's a bull with the rock and gets where he wants to be on the court. And while he can be a bit of a hothead, he plays with a fury that is too often lacking in this generation of AAU prima donnas. Plus, the junior guard knows how to fill a stat sheet, averaging just over 20 points, right at 5 assists, nearly 5 rebounds, and 1.5 swipes per contest. Down to 9 healthy scholarship players, Holloway is the main reason the Musketeers are tied for first place in the A-10 and 16-6 overall. As a side note, kudos to Holloway for following in Jordan Crawford's footsteps by rocking a jersey number in the 50s while playing on the perimeter. We can only hope this becomes something of a tradition at XU.

2. About three weeks ago RBP put together a list of the top 25 players in college basketball at the season's mid-way point. Perhaps the list's most egregious omission – Wisconsin point guard Jordan Taylor. Built like a tailback and conducting Bo Ryan's demanding swing offense at maximum efficiency, Taylor is quite possibly more important to his team's success than highly-touted teammate Jon Leuer, who, incidentally, came in at #17 on my list. To say Taylor knows how to take care of the ball is an understatement. To put things in perspective, the Badger junior has 44 assists to 11 turnovers in Big Ten play. Or, put another way, 11 turnovers in 376 minutes of running the point for Wisconsin against Big Ten foes. (Well, he was playing defense for about 188 of those minutes.) He's also scored 20 points or more in 6 of 10 conference games and at least 14 points in the other 4. Fellow Big Ten point guards Kalin Lucas and Demetri McCamey got the preseason ink, but Taylor has played the best basketball.

3. Minnesota is in trouble. Point guard Al Nolen is out until at least the end of February with a broken foot, and combo guard Devoe Joseph left the team, opting to transfer to Oregon, leaving Tubby Smith's squad without its two best ballhandlers . A season-ending injury to big Mo Walker hasn't helped matters, as the once deep Gophers find themselves a tad thin on the bench. After losing their last three, Minnesota is one game below .500 in Big Ten play. Their remaining conference schedule is favorable. They get Illinois and Michigan State at home, and Penn State will be their toughest road test. Unfortunately, if the Gophers can't find a solution at the point guard position, it won't matter how well they finish in conference play, because an early exit in March will be inevitable.

4. The Texas Longhorns may be playing the best basketball in the country right now, and that is due, in large part, to the maturation of Jordan Hamilton. Hamilton's freshman campaign consisted largely of jacking up ill-advised shots seemingly every time he got his hands on the ball, providing only minimal effort on defense, and sulking. Just when it seemed safe to write him off as a talented headcase with no hustle, Hamilton has morphed into, not only one of the nation's most improved players, but an All-American candidate. Averaging 18.9 points per contest and 7.6 boards, Hamilton is making a case for Big 12 Player of the Year honors. Oh, and shades of Calbert Cheaney on this kid's jump shot. He doesn't have the lift of the Indiana legend (and Evansville native), but his ability to catch and shoot in rhythm without putting the ball on the floor is certainly reminiscent of one of the Big Ten's all-time greats.

5. As has been the case for the past couple years, it's the Big East and everyone else. It may not be as top-heavy with national title contenders as in years past, but this year's Big East offering may be just as impressive, as 11 teams realistically have at-large hopes. After the Big East, I may give a slight edge to the Big 12 over the Big Ten. There's a significant drop off after these three, though. In fact, I think the SEC, ACC, and Pac-10 have more in common with the Mountain West and Atlantic-10 right now in terms of the level of basketball being played in-conference.

Top 25

2011-02-06T20:13:00.000-08:00

1. Ohio State 24-0
quality wins: @Florida, @Florida State, Minnesota, @Illinois, Purdue, @Minnesota
previous rank: 1

2. Kansas 22-1
quality wins: Arizona(n), UCLA, Memphis(n), @Baylor, @Colorado, Kansas State
loss: Texas
previous rank: 2

3. Pittsburgh 21-2
quality wins: Maryland(n), Texas(n), Duquesne(n), Connecticut, Marquette, @Georgetown, Syracuse, Cincinnati
loss: Tennessee(n), Notre Dame
previous rank: 3

4. Texas 20-3
quality wins: Illinois(n), North Carolina(n), @Michigan State, Texas A&M, @Kansas, Missouri, @Texas A&M
losses: Pittsburgh(n), @USC, Connecticut
previous rank: 4

5. Duke 21-2
quality wins: Marquette(n), Kansas State(n), Michigan State, Maryland, Boston College, @Maryland
losses: @Florida State, @St. John's
previous rank: 5

6. San Diego State 23-1
quality wins: @Gonzaga, St. Mary's, Wichita State, UNLV
loss: @Brigham Young
previous rank: 7

7. Brigham Young 22-2
quality wins: Utah State, St. Mary's(n), Arizona(n), @UNLV, San Diego State, UNLV
losses: UCLA(n), @New Mexico
previous rank: 8

8. Connecticut 18-4
quality wins: Wichita State(n), Michigan State(n), Kentucky(n), @Texas, Villanova, Tennessee, @Marquette
losses: @Pittsburgh, @Notre Dame, Louisville, Syracuse
previous rank: 6

9. Notre Dame 19-4
quality wins: Georgia(n), Wisconsin(n), Gonzaga, Georgetown, Connecticut, St. John's, Cincinnati, Marquette, @Pittsburgh
losses: Kentucky(n), @Syracuse, @Marquette, @St. John's
previous rank: 9

10. Villanova 19-4
quality wins: UCLA(n), Temple, Cincinnati, Louisville, Maryland, @Syracuse, Marquette, West Virginia
losses: Tennessee(n), @Connecticut, @Providence, Georgetown
previous rank: 10

11. Wisconsin 17-5
quality wins: Boston College(n), @Marquette, Minnesota, Illinois, Purdue, Michigan State
losses: @UNLV, Notre Dame(n), @Illinois, @Michigan State, @Penn State
previous rank: 16

12. Georgetown 18-5
quality wins: @Old Dominion, Missouri(n), Utah State, @Memphis, St. John's, @Villanova, Louisville
losses: @Temple, @Notre Dame, @St. John's, West Virginia, Pittsburgh
previous rank: 17

13. Syracuse 20-4
quality wins: Michigan State(n), Notre Dame, @St. John's, Cincinnati, @Connecticut
losses: @Pittsburgh, Villanova, Seton Hall, @Marquette
previous rank: 19

14. Missouri 18-5
quality wins: Vanderbilt, Illinois(n), Old Dominion, Kansas State, Colorado
losses: Georgetown(n), @Colorado, @Texas A&M, @Texas, @Oklahoma State
previous rank: 11

15. Louisville 18-5
quality wins: UNLV, Marquette, St. John's, West Virginia, @Connecticut
losses: Drexel, Kentucky, @Villanova, @Providence, @Georgetown
previous rank: 13

16. Purdue 18-5
quality wins: @Virginia Tech, Michigan State, Minnesota
losses: Richmond(n), @Minnesota, @West Virginia, @Ohio State, @Wisconsin
previous rank: 14

17. Kentucky 16-6
quality wins: Washington(n), Notre Dame(n), @Louisville, Georgia
losses: Connecticut(n), @North Carolina, @Georgia, @Alabama, @Mississippi, @Florida
previous rank: 12

18. Florida 18-5
quality wins: @Florida State, Kansas State(n), @Xavier, @Tennessee, @Georgia, Vanderbilt, Kentucky
losses: Ohio State, Central Florida(n), Jacksonville, South Carolina, @Mississippi State
previous rank: 24

19. Arizona 20-4
quality wins: @Washington State, UCLA
losses: Kansas(n), Brigham Young(n), @Oregon State, @Washington
previous rank: 21

20. Texas A&M 17-5
quality wins: Temple(n), Washington, Missouri, Kansas State
losses: Boston College(n), @Texas, @Nebraska, Texas, Baylor
previous rank: 15

21. Utah State 22-2
losses: @Brigham Young, @Georgetown
previous rank: 23

22. North Carolina 17-5
quality wins: Kentucky, Virginia Tech, Clemson, @Boston College, Florida State
losses: Minnesota(n), Vanderbilt(n), @Illinois, Texas(n), @Georgia Tech
previous rank: NR

23. Vanderbilt 16-6
quality wins: North Carolina(n), Marquette, Georgia, St. Mary's
losses: West Virginia(n), @Missouri, @South Carolina, @Tennessee, Arkansas, @Florida
previous rank: 22

24. Minnesota 16-7
quality wins: North Carolina(n), West Virginia(n), Purdue
losses: Virginia, @Wisconsin, @Michigan State, @Ohio State, @Purdue, @Indiana, Ohio State
previous rank: 18

25. Temple 17-5
quality wins: Georgia(n), Maryland(n), Georgetown
losses: California(n), Texas A&M(n), @Villanova, @Duquesne, @Xavier
previous rank: NR

Top 25

2011-01-30T20:53:00.000-08:00

1. Ohio State 22-0
quality wins: @Florida, @Florida State, Minnesota, @Illinois, Purdue
previous rank: 1

2. Kansas 20-1
quality wins: Arizona(n), UCLA, Memphis(n), @Baylor, @Colorado, Kansas State
loss: Texas
previous rank: 4

3. Pittsburgh 20-2
quality wins: Maryland(n), Texas(n), Duquesne(n), Connecticut, Marquette, @Georgetown, Syracuse
loss: Tennessee(n), Notre Dame
previous rank: 3

4. Texas 18-3
quality wins: Illinois(n), North Carolina(n), @Michigan State, Texas A&M, @Kansas, Missouri
losses: Pittsburgh(n), @USC, Connecticut
previous rank: 7

5. Duke 19-2
quality wins: Marquette(n), Kansas State(n), Michigan State, Maryland, Boston College
losses: @Florida State, @St. John's
previous rank: 2

6. Connecticut 17-3
quality wins: Wichita State(n), Michigan State(n), Kentucky(n), @Texas, Villanova, Tennessee, @Marquette
losses: @Pittsburgh, @Notre Dame, Louisville
previous rank: 6

7. San Diego State 21-1
quality wins: @Gonzaga, St. Mary's, Wichita State, UNLV
loss: @BYU
previous rank: 5

8. Brigham Young 20-2
quality wins: Utah State, St. Mary's(n), Arizona(n), @UNLV, San Diego State
losses: UCLA(n), @New Mexico
previous rank: 10

9. Notre Dame 17-4
quality wins: Georgia(n), Wisconsin(n), Gonzaga, Georgetown, Connecticut, St. John's, Cincinnati, Marquette, @Pittsburgh
losses: Kentucky(n), @Syracuse, @Marquette, @St. John's
previous rank: 15

10. Villanova 17-4
quality wins: UCLA(n), Temple, Cincinnati, Louisville, Maryland, @Syracuse
losses: Tennessee(n), @Connecticut, @Providence, Georgetown
previous rank: 8

11. Missouri 17-4
quality wins: Vanderbilt, Illinois(n), Old Dominion, Kansas State
losses: Georgetown(n), @Colorado, @Texas A&M, @Texas
previous rank: 11

12. Kentucky 16-4
quality wins: Washington(n), Notre Dame(n), @Louisville, Georgia
losses: Connecticut(n), @North Carolina, @Georgia, @Alabama
previous rank: 16

13. Louisville 17-4
quality wins: UNLV, Marquette, St. John's, West Virginia, @Connecticut
losses: Drexel, Kentucky, @Villanova, @Providence
previous rank: 19

14. Purdue 18-4
quality wins: @Virginia Tech, Michigan State, Minnesota
losses: Richmond(n), @Minnesota, @West Virginia, @Ohio State
previous rank: 12

15. Texas A&M 17-3
quality wins: Temple(n), Washington, Missouri, Kansas State
losses: Boston College(n), @Texas, @Nebraska
previous rank: 13

16. Wisconsin 15-5
quality wins: Boston College(n), @Marquette, Minnesota, Illinois
losses: @UNLV, Notre Dame(n), @Illinois, @Michigan State, @Penn State
previous rank: 14

17. Georgetown 16-5
quality wins: @Old Dominion, Missouri(n), Utah State, @Memphis, St. John's, @Villanova
losses: @Temple, @Notre Dame, @St. John's, West Virginia, Pittsburgh
previous rank: NR

18. Minnesota 16-5
quality wins: North Carolina(n), West Virginia(n), Purdue
losses: Virginia, @Wisconsin, @Michigan State, @Ohio State, @Purdue
previous rank: 20

19. Syracuse 18-4
quality wins: Michigan State(n), Notre Dame, @St. John's, Cincinnati
losses: @Pittsburgh, Villanova, Seton Hall, @Marquette
previous rank: 9

20. Washington 15-5
quality wins: @UCLA, Arizona
losses: Kentucky(n), Michigan State(n), @Texas A&M, @Stanford, @Washington State
previous rank: 18

21. Arizona 18-4
quality wins: @Washington State, UCLA
losses: Kansas(n), Brigham Young(n), @Oregon State, @Washington
previous rank: NR

22. Vanderbilt 15-5
quality wins: North Carolina(n), Marquette, Georgia, St. Mary's
losses: West Virginia(n), @Missouri, @South Carolina, @Tennessee, Arkansas
previous rank: 17

23. Utah State 20-2
losses: @Brigham Young, @Georgetown
previous rank: 24

24. Florida 16-5
quality wins: @Florida State, Kansas State(n), @Xavier, @Tennessee, @Georgia
losses: Ohio State, Central Florida(n), Jacksonville, South Carolina, @Mississippi State
previous rank: NR

25. West Virginia 14-6
quality wins: Vanderbilt(n), @Duquesne, Cleveland State, @Georgetown, Purdue, @Cincinnati
losses: Minnesota(n), @Miami, St. John's, @Marquette, Marshall(n), @Louisville
previous rank: NR

Freshman Power Rankings 3.0

2011-01-25T16:54:00.000-08:00

1. Jared Sullinger, Ohio State, 6-9 280
Buckeye frosh is nation's most dominant player and a huge reason why Thad Matta's squad is ranked number one in the country.
previous rank: 1

2. Terrence Jones, Kentucky, 6-8 245
Versatile big brings to mind Tim Thomas.
previous rank: 3

3. Brandon Knight, Kentucky, 6-3 185
The kid's a lottery pick, and the whole country would realize how fantastic he's been if we weren't so busy comparing him to John Wall.
previous rank: 5

4. Tristan Thompson, Texas, 6-8 225
Thompson, who plays bigger than his measurements would suggest, more than held his own against the Morris twins in the Longhorns' victory at the Phog.
previous rank: 7

5. Tobias Harris, Tennessee, 6-8 220
With all due respect to Scotty Hopson, Tobias Harris is the Vols' best player, and he needs more touches.
previous rank: 4

6. Cory Joseph, Texas, 6-3 185
Joseph's heady play at the point is the biggest reason Texas has bounced back from last year's mess of a season.
previous rank: NR

7. Bruce Ellington, South Carolina, 5-9, 195
While Ellington isn't quite Devan Downey at this early stage of his career, he's doing his best impression.
previous rank: NR

8. Perry Jones, Baylor, 6-10 220
Scott Drew's prized recruit is putting up nice numbers for an underachieving team, but we're getting close to over-hyped territory with young Perry.
previous rank: 6

9. Josh Selby, Kansas, 6-2 185
Selby is still working out the kinks after missing the first nine games of the season, but his explosiveness is evident.
previous rank: NR

10. Doron Lamb, Kentucky, 6-4 195
That the sweet-shooting New York product is the tenth best freshman in the country and only the third best freshman in Lexington is a testament to Coach Cal's recruiting prowess.
previous rank: NR

Exits: Kyrie Irving (Duke), J.T. Terrell (Wake Forest), Harrison Barnes (North Carolina), DeShaun Thomas (Ohio State)

Top 25

2011-01-23T19:35:00.000-08:00

1. Ohio State 20-0
quality wins: Florida, Florida State, Minnesota, Illinois
previous rank: 3

2. Duke 18-1
quality wins: Marquette, Kansas State, Michigan State, Butler, Maryland
loss: Florida State
previous rank: 4

3. Pittsburgh 19-1
quality wins: Maryland, Texas, Connecticut, Marquette, Georgetown, Syracuse
loss: Tennessee
previous rank: 5

4. Kansas 18-1
quality wins: Arizona, UCLA, Memphis, Baylor
loss: Texas
previous rank: 2

5. San Diego State 20-0
quality wins: Gonzaga, St. Mary's, Wichita State, UNLV
previous rank: 7

6. Connecticut 16-2
quality wins: Wichita State, Michigan State, Kentucky, Texas, Villanova, Tennessee
loss: Pittsburgh, Notre Dame
previous rank: 8

7. Texas 16-3
quality wins: Illinois, North Carolina, Michigan State, Texas A&M, Kansas
losses: Pittsburgh, USC, Connecticut
previous rank: 10

8. Villanova 17-2
quality wins: UCLA, Temple, Cincinnati, Louisville, Maryland, Syracuse
loss: Tennessee, Connecticut
previous rank: 6

9. Syracuse 18-2
quality wins: Michigan State, Notre Dame, St. John's, Cincinnati
losses: Pittsburgh, Villanova
previous rank: 1

10. Brigham Young 19-1
quality wins: Utah State, St. Mary's, Arizona, UNLV
loss: UCLA
previous rank: 12

11. Missouri 17-3
quality win: Vanderbilt, Illinois, Old Dominion, Kansas State
losses: Georgetown, Colorado, Texas A&M
previous rank: 13

12. Purdue 17-3
quality wins: Virginia Tech, Michigan State
losses: Richmond, Minnesota, West Virginia
previous rank: 15

13. Texas A&M 17-2
quality wins: Temple, Washington, Oklahoma State, Missouri, Kansas State
losses: Boston College, Texas
previous rank: 11

14. Wisconsin 15-4
quality wins: Boston College, Marquette, Minnesota, Illinois
losses: UNLV, Notre Dame, Illinois, Michigan State
previous rank: 14

15. Notre Dame 16-4
quality wins: Georgia, Wisconsin, Gonzaga, Georgetown, Connecticut, St. John's, Cincinnati, Marquette
losses: Kentucky, Syracuse, Marquette, St. John's
previous rank: 16

16. Kentucky 15-4
quality wins: Washington, Notre Dame, Louisville
losses: Connecticut, North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama
previous rank: 9

17. Vanderbilt 14-4
quality wins: North Carolina, Marquette, Georgia, St. Mary's
losses: West Virginia, Missouri, South Carolina, Tennessee
previous rank: 17

18. Washington 15-4
quality wins: UCLA, Arizona
losses: Kentucky, Michigan State, Texas A&M, Stanford
previous rank: 24

19. Louisville 15-4
quality wins: Butler, UNLV, Marquette, St. John's
losses: Drexel, Kentucky, Villanova, Providence
previous rank: 18

20. Minnesota 15-4
quality wins: North Carolina, West Virginia, Purdue
losses: Virginia, Wisconsin, Michigan State, Ohio State
previous rank: 22

21. Illinois 14-6
quality wins: Maryland, North Carolina, Gonzaga, Wisconsin, Michigan State
losses: Texas, UIC, Missouri, Penn State, Wisconsin, Ohio State
previous rank: 23

22. Cincinnati 17-3
quality wins: Dayton, Xavier, St. John's
losses: Villanova, Syracuse, Notre Dame
previous rank: 21

23. St. Mary's 17-3
quality win: St. John's
losses: Brigham Young, San Diego State, Vanderbilt
previous rank: 20

24. Utah State 18-2
losses: Brigham Young, Georgetown
previous rank: NR

25. Florida State 15-5
quality wins: Clemson, Baylor, Duke, Boston College
losses: Florida, Ohio State, Butler, Auburn, Virginia Tech
previous rank: NR

Top 25

2011-01-16T22:07:00.000-08:00

1. Syracuse 18-0
quality wins: North Carolina State, Michigan State, Notre Dame, St. John's, Cincinnati
previous rank: 4

2. Kansas 17-0
quality wins: Arizona, UCLA, Memphis
previous rank: 2

3. Ohio State 18-0
quality wins: Florida, Florida State, Minnesota
previous rank: 3

4. Duke 16-1
quality wins: Marquette, Kansas State, Michigan State, Butler, Maryland
loss: Florida State
previous rank: 1

5. Pittsburgh 17-1
quality wins: Maryland, Texas, Connecticut, Marquette, Georgetown
loss: Tennessee
previous rank: 5

6. Villanova 16-1
quality wins: UCLA, Temple, Cincinnati, Louisville, Maryland
loss: Tennessee
previous rank: 6

7. San Diego State 19-0
quality wins: Gonzaga, St. Mary's, Wichita State, UNLV, New Mexico
previous rank: 7

8. Connecticut 14-2
quality wins: Wichita State, Michigan State, Kentucky, Texas
loss: Pittsburgh, Notre Dame
previous rank: 8

9. Kentucky 14-3
quality wins: Washington, Notre Dame, Louisville
losses: Connecticut, North Carolina, Georgia
previous rank: 12

10. Texas 14-3
quality wins: Illinois, North Carolina, Michigan State
losses: Pittsburgh, USC, Connecticut
previous rank: 14

11. Texas A&M 16-1
quality wins: Temple, Washington, Oklahoma State, Missouri
loss: Boston College
previous rank: 15

12. Brigham Young 17-1
quality wins: Utah State, St. Mary's, Arizona, UNLV
loss: UCLA
previous rank: 13

13. Missouri 15-3
quality win: Vanderbilt, Illinois, Old Dominion
losses: Georgetown, Colorado, Texas A&M
previous rank: 10

14. Wisconsin 13-4
quality wins: Boston College, North Carolina State, Marquette, Minnesota, Illinois
losses: UNLV, Notre Dame, Illinois, Michigan State
previous rank: 17

15. Purdue 15-3
quality win: Virginia Tech
losses: Richmond, Minnesota, West Virginia
previous rank: 9

16. Notre Dame 14-4
quality wins: Georgia, Wisconsin, Gonzaga, Georgetown, Connecticut, St. John's
losses: Kentucky, Syracuse, Marquette, St. John's
previous rank: 11

17. Vanderbilt 12-4
quality wins: North Carolina, Marquette, Georgia
losses: West Virginia, Missouri, South Carolina, Tennessee
previous rank: 20

18. Louisville 14-3
quality wins: Butler, UNLV, Marquette
losses: Drexel, Kentucky, Villanova
previous rank: 23

19. West Virginia 12-4
quality wins: Vanderbilt, Georgetown, Purdue
losses: Minnesota, Miami, St.John's, Marquette
previous rank: NR

20. St. Mary's 16-2
quality win: St. John's
losses: Brigham Young, San Diego State
previous rank: 25

21. Cincinnati 16-2
quality wins: Dayton, Xavier
losses: Villanova, Syracuse
previous rank: 22

22. Minnesota 14-4
quality wins: North Carolina, West Virginia, Purdue
losses: Virginia, Wisconsin, Michigan State, Ohio State
previous rank: NR

23. Illinois 13-5
quality wins: Maryland, North Carolina, Gonzaga, Wisconsin
losses: Texas, UIC, Missouri, Penn State, Wisconsin
previous rank: 16

24. Washington 13-4
quality win: UCLA
losses: Kentucky, Michigan State, Texas A&M, Stanford
previous rank: 21

25. Georgia 13-3
quality wins: Colorado, Kentucky
losses: Notre Dame, Temple, Vanderbilt
previous rank: NR

Top 25 Players at the Mid-Way Point

2011-01-15T07:32:00.000-08:00

1. Jared Sullinger, Ohio State
Fr 6-9 280 C #0
17.5p 1.2a 10.1r 0.4b 1.1s

2. Kemba Walker, Connecticut
Jr 6-1 170 G #15
25.3p 3.7a 5.5r 0.3b 2.3s

3. Jimmer Fredette, Brigham Young
Sr 6-2 195 G #32
26.1p 4.4a 3.4r 0.1b 1.3s

4. Nolan Smith, Duke
Sr 6-2 185 G #2
19.5p 5.7a 4.8r 0.1b 1.3s

5. Kyle Singler, Duke
Sr 6-8 230 F #12
18.0p 1.4a 6.3r 0.3b 1.3s

6. JaJuan Johnson, Purdue
Sr 6-10 220 C #25
19.9p 1.1a 8.4r 2.5b 0.9s

7. Kenneth Faried, Morehead State
Sr 6-8 230 C #35
18.3p 1.2a 13.3r 2.1b 2.3s

8. Marcus Morris, Kansas
Jr 6-9 235 F #22
16.8p 1.3a 6.8r 0.6b 0.5s

9. Demetri McCamey, Illinois
Sr 6-3 200 G #32
15.8p 7.1a 3.4r 0.2b 0.9s

10. Kawhi Leonard, San Diego State
Soph 6-7 225 F #15
15.8p 2.6a 10.1r 0.5b 1.5s

11. E'Twaun Moore, Purdue
Sr 6-4 190 G #33
17.9p 3.3a 5.9r 0.5b 1.6s

12. Chris Singleton, Florida State
Jr 6-9 225 F #31
15.8p 1.6a 8.0r 1.9b 2.2s

13. Reggie Jackson, Boston College
Jr 6-3 210 G #0
19.5p 4.7a 4.5r 0.8b 1.2s

14. Derrick Williams, Arizona
Soph 6-8 240 F #23
19.1p 1.0a 7.1r 0.8b 1.1s

15. Rick Jackson, Syracuse
Sr 6-9 240 F #00
13.1p 2.7a 11.8r 2.2b 1.2s

16. Klay Thompson, Washington State
Soph 6-6 200 G #1
23.1p 4.1a 5.1r 0.9b 1.8s

17. Jon Leuer, Wisconsin
Sr 6-10 230 F #30
18.8p 2.1a 7.3r 1.5b 0.7s

18. Marcus Denmon, Missouri
Jr 6-3 185 G #12
17.6p 1.9a 3.9r 0.2b 1.9s

19. Alec Burks, Colorado
Soph 6-6 185 G #10
19.6p 2.3a 5.0r 0.2b 0.9s

20. Jeffery Taylor, Vanderbilt
Jr 6-7 225 F #44
14.5p 2.4a 4.9r 0.6b 0.7s

21. Terrence Jones, Kentucky
Fr 6-8 245 F #3
18.7p 1.7a 9.1r 1.8b 1.3s

22. Jordan Williams, Maryland
Soph 6-10 260 C #20
17.7p 0.4a 12.1r 1.4b 0.6s

23. Brad Wanamaker, Pittsburgh
Sr 6-4 210 G #22
13.0p 5.2a 4.8r 0.3b 1.8s

24. Brandon Knight, Kentucky
Fr 6-3 185 G #12
17.4p 4.0a 3.6r 0.4b 0.6s

25. Ben Hansbrough, Notre Dame
Sr 6-3 205 G #23
15.8p 3.8a 3.6r 0.0b 1.4s

Top 25

2011-01-09T13:45:00.000-08:00

1. Duke 15-0
quality wins: Marquette, Kansas State, Michigan State, Butler, Maryland
previous rank: 1

2. Kansas 15-0
quality wins: Arizona, UCLA, Memphis, USC
previous rank: 2

3. Ohio State 16-0
quality wins: Florida, Florida State, Minnesota
previous rank: 3

4. Syracuse 16-0
quality wins: North Carolina State, Michigan State, Notre Dame
previous rank: 4

5. Pittsburgh 15-1
quality wins: Maryland, Texas, Connecticut, Marquette
loss: Tennessee
previous rank: 5

6. Villanova 14-1
quality wins: UCLA, Temple, Cincinnati
loss: Tennessee
previous rank: 7

7. San Diego State 17-0
quality wins: Gonzaga, St. Mary's, Wichita State
previous rank: 8

8. Connecticut 12-2
quality wins: Wichita State, Michigan State, Kentucky, Texas
loss: Pittsburgh, Notre Dame
previous rank: 9

9. Purdue 15-1
quality win: Virginia Tech
loss: Richmond
previous rank: 11

10. Missouri 14-2
quality win: Vanderbilt, Illinois, Old Dominion
loss: Georgetown, Colorado
previous rank: 6

11. Notre Dame 14-2
quality wins: Georgia, Wisconsin, Gonzaga, Georgetown, Connecticut, St. John's
loss: Kentucky, Syracuse
previous rank: 14

12. Kentucky 12-3
quality wins: Washington, Notre Dame, Louisville
losses: Connecticut, North Carolina, Georgia
previous rank: 10

13. Brigham Young 16-1
quality wins: Utah State, St. Mary's, Arizona, UNLV
loss: UCLA
previous rank: 15

14. Texas 12-3
quality wins: Illinois, North Carolina, Michigan State
losses: Pittsburgh, USC, Connecticut
previous rank: 13

15. Texas A&M 14-1
quality wins: Temple, Washington
loss: Boston College
previous rank: 17

16. Illinois 13-3
quality wins: Maryland, North Carolina, Gonzaga, Wisconsin
losses: Texas, UIC, Missouri
previous rank: 19

17. Wisconsin 12-3
quality wins: Boston College, North Carolina State, Marquette, Minnesota
losses: UNLV, Notre Dame, Illinois
previous rank: 20

18. Temple 11-3
quality wins: Georgia, Maryland, Georgetown
losses: California, Texas A&M, Villanova
previous rank: NR

19. Georgetown 12-4
quality wins: Old Dominion, North Carolina State, Missouri, Utah State, Memphis
losses: Temple, Notre Dame, St. John's, West Virginia
previous rank: 12

20. Vanderbilt 11-3
quality wins: North Carolina, Marquette
losses: West Virginia, Missouri, South Carolina
previous rank: 16

21. Washington 12-3
quality win: USC, UCLA
losses: Kentucky, Michigan State, Texas A&M
previous rank: NR

22. Cincinnati 15-1
quality wins: Dayton, Xavier
loss: Villanova
previous rank: 25

23. Louisville 13-2
quality wins: Butler, UNLV
losses: Drexel, Kentucky
previous rank: NR

24. UNLV 13-3
quality wins: Wisconsin, Murray State, Virginia Tech, Kansas State
losses: Louisville, UCSB, BYU
previous rank: 18

25. St. Mary's 14-2
quality win: St. John's
losses: BYU, San Diego State
previous rank: NR

Top 25

2011-01-02T18:55:00.001-08:00

1. True Grit 13-0
quality wins: Marquette, Kansas State, Michigan State, Butler
previous rank: 1

2. Kansas 13-0
quality wins: Arizona, UCLA, Memphis
previous rank: 2

3. Ohio State 14-0
quality wins: Florida, Florida State
previous rank: 3

4. Syracuse 15-0
quality wins: North Carolina State, Michigan State, Notre Dame
previous rank: 4

5. Pittsburgh 13-1
quality wins: Maryland, Texas, Connecticut
loss: Tennessee
previous rank: 6

6. Missouri 13-1
quality win: Vanderbilt, Illinois, Old Dominion
loss: Georgetown
previous rank: 7

7. Villanova 12-1
quality wins: UCLA, Temple
loss: Tennessee
previous rank: 8

8. San Diego State 15-0
quality wins: Gonzaga, St. Mary's, Wichita State
previous rank: 10

9. Connecticut 11-1
quality wins: Wichita State, Michigan State, Kentucky
loss: Pittsburgh
previous rank: 9

10. Kentucky 11-2
quality wins: Washington, Notre Dame, Louisville
losses: Connecticut, North Carolina
previous rank: 12

11. Purdue 13-1
quality wins: Virginia Tech, Northwestern
loss: Richmond
previous rank: 11

12. Georgetown 12-2
quality wins: Old Dominion, North Carolina State, Missouri, Utah State, Memphis
losses: Temple, Notre Dame
previous rank: 5

13. Texas 11-2
quality wins: Illinois, North Carolina, Michigan State
losses: Pittsburgh, USC
previous rank: 16

14. Notre Dame 12-2
quality wins: Georgia, Wisconsin, Gonzaga, Georgetown
loss: Kentucky, Syracuse
previous rank: 15

15. Brigham Young 14-1
quality wins: Utah State, St. Mary's, Arizona
loss: UCLA
previous rank: 14

16. Vanderbilt 11-2
quality wins: North Carolina, Marquette
losses: West Virginia, Missouri
previous rank: 18

17. Texas A&M 12-1
quality wins: Temple, Washington
loss: Boston College
previous rank: 19

18. UNLV 12-2
quality wins: Wisconsin, Murray State, Virginia Tech, Kansas State
losses: Louisville, UCSB
previous rank: 20

19. Illinois 12-3
quality wins: Maryland, North Carolina, Gonzaga, Wisconsin
losses: Texas, UIC, Missouri
previous rank: 22

20. Wisconsin 11-3
quality wins: Boston College, North Carolina State, Marquette, Minnesota
losses: UNLV, Notre Dame, Illinois
previous rank: 17

21. Kansas State 11-3
quality wins: Virginia Tech, Gonzaga. Washington State
losses: Duke, Florida, UNLV
previous rank: 21

22. Michigan State 9-4
quality wins: Washington, Minnesota
losses: Connecticut, Duke, Syracuse, Texas
previous rank: 23

23. Minnesota 11-3
quality wins: North Carolina, West Virginia
losses: Virginia, Wisconsin, Michigan State
previous rank: 13

24. Central Florida 13-0
quality win: Florida
previous rank: 25

25. Cincinnati 14-0
quality win: Dayton
previous rank: NR

Top 25

2010-12-26T19:52:00.000-08:00

1. Duke 11-0
quality wins: Marquette, Kansas State, Michigan State, Butler
previous rank: 1

2. Kansas 11-0
quality wins: Arizona, UCLA, Memphis
previous rank: 2

3. Ohio State 12-0
quality wins: Florida, Florida State
previous rank: 3

4. Syracuse 13-0
quality wins: North Carolina State, Michigan State
previous rank: 4

5. Georgetown 11-1
quality wins: Old Dominion, North Carolina State, Missouri, Utah State, Memphis
loss: Temple
previous rank: 6

6. Pittsburgh 12-1
quality wins: Maryland, Texas
loss: Tennessee
previous rank: 5

7. Missouri 11-1
quality win: Vanderbilt, Illinois
loss: Georgetown
previous rank: 7

8. Villanova 10-1
quality win: UCLA
loss: Tennessee
previous rank: 8

9. Connecticut 10-0
quality wins: Wichita State, Michigan State, Kentucky
previous rank: 9

10. San Diego State 14-0
quality wins: Gonzaga, St. Mary's, Wichita State
previous rank: 10

11. Purdue 11-1
quality win: Virginia Tech
loss: Richmond
previous rank: 11

12. Kentucky 9-2
quality wins: Washington, Notre Dame
losses: Connecticut, North Carolina
previous rank: 13

13. Minnesota 11-1
quality wins: North Carolina, West Virginia
loss: Virginia
previous rank: 15

14. Brigham Young 12-1
quality wins: Utah State, St. Mary's, Arizona
loss: UCLA
previous rank: 16

15. Notre Dame 11-1
quality wins: Georgia, Wisconsin, Gonzaga
loss: Kentucky
previous rank: 17

16. Texas 10-2
quality wins: Illinois, North Carolina, Michigan State
losses: Pittsburgh, USC
previous rank: 19

17. Wisconsin 10-2
quality wins: Boston College, North Carolina State, Marquette
losses: UNLV, Notre Dame
previous rank: 20

18. Vanderbilt 9-2
quality win: North Carolina
losses: West Virginia, Missouri
previous rank: 25

19. Texas A&M 11-1
quality wins: Temple, Washington
loss: Boston College
previous rank: NR

20. UNLV 11-2
quality wins: Wisconsin, Murray State, Virginia Tech, Kansas State
losses: Louisville, UCSB
previous rank: NR

21. Kansas State 10-3
quality wins: Virginia Tech, Gonzaga. Washington State
losses: Duke, Florida, UNLV
previous rank: 14

22. Illinois 10-3
quality wins: Maryland, North Carolina, Gonzaga
losses: Texas, UIC, Missouri
previous rank: 21

23. Michigan State 8-4
quality win: Washington
losses: Connecticut, Duke, Syracuse, Texas
previous rank: 12

24. Tennessee 8-3
quality wins: VCU, Villanova, Pittsburgh
losses: Oakland, Charlotte, USC
previous rank: 18

25. Central Florida 11-0
quality win: Florida
previous rank: NR

You disappoint me.

2010-12-23T00:51:00.000-08:00

With non-conference play coming to a close, RBP takes a look at the 8 most disappointing teams in the country.

Butler (7-4): It was a tad silly to think Butler would be a Top 25 team without Gordon Hayward. That being said, the Bulldogs' decline since last year's national championship game is surprising. Butler has looked like a two-man show, and Shelvin Mack and Matt Howard are not getting enough help. Brad Stevens' squad has exactly zero quality wins, missing out on a chances to pick up signature victories against Louisville, Duke, and Xavier. The low-point in Butler's young season came in the form of a 71-68 overtime loss at home to Evansville (Go Aces!). Butler will need to clean up in conference if they want an invite to March Madness, but Horizon League dominance may prove a challenging task with the way 13-1 Cleveland State is playing.

Prediction: Butler puts together a nice Horizon League record, finishing second in the conference. The Bulldogs are upset in the conference tourney and miss the dance (while Cleveland State picks up the auto-bid).

Gonzaga (7-5): It's not for lack of talent that the Zags have failed to live up to expectations. Mark Few's team picked up a decent win against Marquette but lost to San Diego State, Kansas State, Illinois, Washington State, and Notre Dame. Wins this past week against Baylor and Xavier help tremendously. The Bulldogs have a New Year's Eve matchup against Oklahoma State and a date with Memphis on February 5, meaning there are opportunities to improve their tourney resume. Additionally, given Elias Harris' Achilles injury, the selection committee may be willing to cut Zaga some slack. While Harris' health has played a role in the Zags' poor start, the real culprits have been atrocious defense and shoddy point guard play from Demetri Goodson.

Prediction: The Zags finally figure out how to play without Matt Bouldin and dominate the West Coast Conference. Even if St. Mary's wins the WCC tourney, Gonzaga dances in March. Steven Gray, Elias Harris, and Robert Sacre have too much talent to be denied.

Michigan State (8-4): Three of the Spartans' losses have come against Top 10 teams (Connecticut, Duke, and Syracuse), and the other loss was to a talented Texas squad. Still, much more was expected from a team that was supposed to challenge Duke for national supremacy. Perhaps more disconcerting than the losses - lackluster performances against Chaminade and Oakland. So, what's happened to Sparty? Well, Kalin Lucas clearly isn't himself, as he has struggled to come back from a ruptured Achilles tendon. Draymond Green is a great passer, but he needs to park it in the post more often. Delvon Roe continues to move around like an old man, and highly touted freshman Adreian Payne has yet to contribute. And, per the usual, Tom Izzo has lined up a murderers' row non-conference schedule which will lead into play in the toughest Big Ten conference in recent memory.

Prediction: This is a Tom Izzo squad that's going to get better as the season moves forward. They are battle-tested, experienced, talented, and extremely deep. Because of the schedule, the Spartans may end up outside the Top 10 entering the tournament, but I still wouldn't be surprised by yet another Final Four run.

Murray State (8-4): The Racers won 30 games last year, beat Vanderbilt in the first round, and lost by just 2 points to eventual national runner-up Butler in the Round of 32. Returning 8 of their top 10 scorers, Murray State became a sexy preseason pick to make noise with the big boys. (I had them at 19 in my preseason rankings.) Things have not gone as planned. The Racers managed a win against Stanford but have been beaten by Ole Miss, UNLV, Oklahoma State, and conference rival Morehead State.

Prediction: Their opportunity to pick up a signature non-conference win gone, the OVC favorites will need to win their conference tourney to pick up a bid. While Morehead State (led by Kenneth Faried, averaging 18 and 14) poses a real challenge, the Isaiah Canaan-led Racers will regroup and win the conference regular season title and conference tourney.

North Carolina (8-4): Roy Williams is a great coach, but he's been pretty terrible since the start of last season, as he has refused to adapt to changes in personnel. I was a Larry Drew apologist last year, but the time has come for Roy to turn the keys over to Kendall Marshall. Perhaps more importantly, Roy may want to think about developing a consistent rotation. He shuffles his perimeter players in and out as if chemistry and rhythm have no place in the game of college basketball. Whereas last year's Heels had an advantage in the paint with Deon Thompson, Ed Davis, and Tyler Zeller, this year's team lacks bulk and is getting pushed around. Despite these shortcomings, there is simply too much talent on the UNC roster to excuse such poor play.

Prediction: The Tar Heels sneak into the NCAA Tournament thanks to a weak ACC but fail to make it to the Sweet 16. The bright side - the media realizes that it is a mistake to name a freshman Preseason First Team All-America.

Seton Hall (6-5): Okay, so no one thought the Pirates were going to win the Big East Championship, but more was expected of a team that returned a number of key pieces and won 10 conference games a season ago. While it's true that flirting with turning pro early isn't necessarily an indicator of next level talent, Seton Hall returns 3 players (Jeremy Hazell, Herb Pope, and Jeff Robinson) that seriously considered foregoing college eligibility before returning for a run at an NCAA invite. Sure, an injury to Hazell, the Pirates' leading scorer, just three games into the season hasn't helped (although maybe it did given Hazell's shot selection), but Seton Hall's play has been so uninspired, so disjointed that adding Terry Dehere and Sam Dalembert to the mix might not help things. Just to recap - the Pirates have suffered defeat at the hands of Temple, Xavier, Clemson, Arkansas, and Dayton. In other words, they've been beaten by every competent team they've played (and Arkansas). They beat Alabama, but everyone beats Alabama (just ask Iowa).

Prediction: With the personalities on the Seton Hall roster, this season has trainwreck written all over it. At this rate, the Pirates will be lucky to win 6 conference games in Kevin Willard's first season at the helm. That being said, Hazell may drop 40 in a couple games when he returns from wrist surgery.

Texas Tech (6-6): I never had high expectations for the Red Raiders, but I did pick them to finish seventh in a pretty strong Big 12 conference. Tech returned 5 of its top 6 scorers, including all-conference caliber players in point guard John Roberson and forward Mike Singletary. It seemed that not even Pat Knight's inept coaching could keep the Red Raiders from being competitive. Well, I was wrong. 12 games into the season and Tech is sitting at .500. Knight even benched Roberson and Singletary for their play in advance of a double-digit loss to UTEP. Tech has nothing even remotely resembling a quality win, and things are going to get ugly in conference play.

Prediction: Terrible season in which Tech finishes below .500 ends in the overdue firing of Pat Knight, which brings about a rant by Dick Vitale during an ESPN telecast of an unrelated Big Ten matchup between Purdue and Wisconsin about how big of a mistake the folks in Lubbock just made. Vitale then spends five minutes extolling the virtues of Bob Knight, neglecting to acknowledge the player abuse scandals that occurred at Indiana, and lamenting Pat Knight not getting a fair shake, neglecting to acknowledge that Pat Knight never would have been considered for a Division I head coaching opportunity if not for being his father's son.

Virginia Tech (6-4): The most disappointing team in the land bar none. Seth Greenberg's senior-laden squad is coming off 3 straight NCAA Tourney snubs, including last season's 23-8 regular season (which ended in a trip to the NIT). Returning 5 of their top 6 scorers, the Hokies seemed to have plenty of motivation to put together the strongest resume possible for the selection committee. Ten games into the season, however, Virginia Tech has decent wins against Oklahoma State and Mississippi State but has losses at the hands of Kansas State, UNLV, Purdue, and Virginia. As K-State guard Jacob Pullen said of the Hokies, Seth Greenberg's squad is made up of "grown men." Unfortunately, the Hokies have not been playing with the sense of urgency one would think a group of talented seniors would have knowing this is their last chance to be invited to the dance.

Prediction: A weak ACC gives the Hokies hope, but, in the end, they come up just short for the fourth year in a row. With the Hokies' bubble burst, we miss the chance to see a mature, physical team beat teams up in March.

Top 25

2010-12-19T21:17:00.001-08:00

1. Duke 10-0
quality wins: Marquette, Kansas State, Michigan State, Butler
previous rank: 1

2. Kansas 10-0
quality wins: Arizona, UCLA, Memphis
previous rank: 2

3. Ohio State 10-0
quality wins: Florida, Florida State
previous rank: 4

4. Syracuse 11-0
quality wins: North Carolina State, Michigan State
previous rank: 3

5. Pittsburgh 11-1
quality wins: Maryland, Texas
loss: Tennessee
previous rank: 7

6. Georgetown 10-1
quality wins: Old Dominion, North Carolina State, Missouri, Utah State
loss: Temple
previous rank: 11

7. Missouri 10-1
quality win: Vanderbilt
loss: Georgetown
previous rank: 12

8. Villanova 9-1
quality win: UCLA
loss: Tennessee
previous rank: 9

9. Connecticut 8-0
quality wins: Wichita State, Michigan State, Kentucky
previous rank: 13

10. San Diego State 12-0
quality wins: Gonzaga, St. Mary's, Wichita State
previous rank: 16

11. Purdue 10-1
quality win: Virginia Tech
loss: Richmond
previous rank: 15

12. Michigan State 8-3
quality win: Washington
losses: Connecticut, Duke, Syracuse
previous rank: 17

13. Kentucky 8-2
quality wins: Washington, Notre Dame
losses: Connecticut, North Carolina
previous rank: 18

14. Kansas State 9-2
quality wins: Virginia Tech, Gonzaga. Washington State
loss: Duke, Florida
previous rank: 5

15. Minnesota 10-1
quality wins: North Carolina, West Virginia
loss: Virginia
previous rank: 20

16. Brigham Young 10-1
quality wins: Utah State, St. Mary's, Arizona
loss: UCLA
previous rank: 8

17. Notre Dame 10-1
quality wins: Georgia, Wisconsin, Gonzaga
loss: Kentucky
previous rank: 19

18. Tennessee 7-2
quality wins: VCU, Villanova, Pittsburgh
losses: Oakland, Charlotte
previous rank: 6

19. Texas 9-2
quality wins: Illinois, North Carolina
losses: Pittsburgh, USC
previous rank: 24

20. Wisconsin 9-2
quality wins: Boston College, North Carolina State, Marquette
losses: UNLV, Notre Dame
previous rank: 21

21. Illinois 10-2
quality wins: Maryland, North Carolina, Gonzaga
losses: Texas, UIC
previous rank: 14

22. Baylor 7-1
loss: Gonzaga
previous rank: 10

23. Florida 8-2
quality wins: Florida State, Kansas State
losses: Ohio State, Central Florida
previous rank: NR

24. Memphis 8-1
loss: Kansas
previous rank: 23

25. Vanderbilt 8-2
quality win: North Carolina
losses: West Virginia, Missouri
previous rank: NR

Top 25

2010-12-12T21:15:00.000-08:00

1. Duke 10-0
quality wins: Marquette, Kansas State, Michigan State, Butler
previous rank: 1

2. Kansas 9-0
quality wins: Arizona, UCLA, Memphis
previous rank: 2

3. Syracuse 10-0
quality wins: North Carolina State, Michigan State
previous rank: 5

4. Ohio State 8-0
quality wins: Florida, Florida State
previous rank: 4

5. Kansas State 9-1
quality wins: Virginia Tech, Gonzaga. Washington State
loss: Duke
previous rank: 7

6. Tennessee 7-0
quality wins: VCU, Villanova, Pittsburgh
previous rank: 16

7. Pittsburgh 10-1
quality wins: Maryland, Texas
loss: Tennessee
previous rank: 3

8. Brigham Young 10-0
quality wins: Utah State, St. Mary's, Arizona
previous rank: 10

9. Villanova 8-1
quality win: UCLA
loss: Tennessee
previous rank: 8

10. Baylor 6-0
previous rank: 11

11. Georgetown 9-1
quality wins: Old Dominion, North Carolina State, Missouri, Utah State
loss: Temple
previous rank: 9

12. Missouri 8-1
quality win: Vanderbilt
loss: Georgetown
previous rank: 12

13. Connecticut 8-0
quality wins: Wichita State, Michigan State, Kentucky
previous rank: 13

14. Illinois 10-1
quality wins: Maryland, North Carolina, Gonzaga
loss: Texas
previous rank: 14

15. Purdue 9-1
quality win: Virginia Tech
loss: Richmond
previous rank: 18

16. San Diego State 10-0
quality wins: Gonzaga, St. Mary's, Wichita State
previous rank: 19

17. Michigan State 7-3
quality win: Washington
losses: Connecticut, Duke, Syracuse
previous rank: 6

18. Kentucky 7-2
quality wins: Washington, Notre Dame
losses: Connecticut, North Carolina
previous rank: 21

19. Notre Dame 9-1
quality wins: Georgia, Wisconsin, Gonzaga
loss: Kentucky
previous rank: 17

20. Minnesota 9-1
quality wins: North Carolina, West Virginia
loss: Virginia
previous rank: 22

21. Wisconsin 8-2
quality wins: Boston College, North Carolina State, Marquette
losses: UNLV, Notre Dame
previous rank: 25

22. Louisville 8-0
quality wins: Butler, UNLV
previous rank: NR

23. Memphis 7-1
loss: Kansas
previous rank: 20

24. Texas 7-2
quality win: Illinois
losses: Pittsburgh, USC
previous rank: 24

25. UNLV 9-1
quality wins: Wisconsin, Murray State, Virginia Tech
loss: Louisville
previous rank: 15

Freshman Power Rankings 2.0

2010-12-11T11:48:00.000-08:00

1. Jared Sullinger, Ohio State, 6-8 260
Would have retained the top spot even if he hadn't exploded for 40 points against IUPUI.
previous rank: 1

2. Kyrie Irving, Duke, 6-2 175
If reports that Irving will miss the rest of the season with a toe injury are true, we've been robbed of the chance to watch a very special point guard play at the college level.
previous rank: 9

3. Terrence Jones, Kentucky, 6-8 245
Jones, averaging 20 and 10 for the Wildcats, is tougher and plays with more heart than I expected.
previous rank: NR

4. Tobias Harris, Tennessee, 6-8 220
Harris has replaced Tyler Smith and J.P. Prince as the Vols' point-forward.
previous rank: 5

5. Brandon Knight, Kentucky, 6-3 185
Knight has had some early struggles running the Wildcat offense but has no problem scoring.
previous rank: 3

6. Perry Jones, Baylor, 6-10 220
Versatile big man has talent scouts salivating.
previous rank: NR

7. Tristan Thompson, Texas, 6-9 240
Longhorn frosh is second on team in scoring, tied for lead in rebounding, averages 2.4 blocks per contest, and has a ton of upside.
previous rank: 6

8. J.T. Terrell, Wake Forest, 6-4 175
Fearless two-guard leads Demon Deacons in scoring and is doing his best to keep a program teetering on the brink of decline respectable.
previous rank: NR

9. Harrison Barnes, North Carolina, 6-7 210
Most hyped freshman in the land disappears for stretches and has been altogether underwhelming.
previous rank: 2

10. Deshaun Thomas, Ohio State, 6-6 230
Fort Wayne-product is super-efficient on offensive end and would be ranked even higher if not for lackluster outings against Florida State and IUPUI.
previous rank: NR

Exits: Joe Jackson (Memphis), Josh Selby (Kansas), Adreian Payne (Michigan State), Reggie Bullock (North Carolina)

Top 25

2010-12-05T21:13:00.000-08:00

1. Duke 8-0
quality wins: Marquette, Kansas State, Michigan State, Butler
previous rank: 1

2. Kansas 7-0
quality wins: Arizona, UCLA
previous rank: 2

3. Pittsburgh 9-0
quality wins: Maryland, Texas
previous rank: 3

4. Ohio State 6-0
quality wins: Florida, Florida State
previous rank: 4

5. Syracuse 8-0
quality win: North Carolina State
previous rank: 6

6. Michigan State 6-2
quality win: Washington
losses: Connecticut, Duke
previous rank: 5

7. Kansas State 7-1
quality wins: Virginia Tech, Gonzaga
loss: Duke
previous rank: 7

8. Villanova 6-1
quality win: UCLA
loss: Tennessee
previous rank: 11

9. Georgetown 8-0
quality wins: Old Dominion, North Carolina State, Missouri, Utah State
previous rank: 25

10. Brigham Young 8-0
quality wins: Utah State, St. Mary's
previous rank: 10

11. Baylor 6-0
previous rank: 15

12. Missouri 6-1
loss: Georgetown
previous rank: 8

13. Connecticut 7-0
quality wins: Wichita State, Michigan State, Kentucky
previous rank: 12

14. Illinois 8-1
quality wins: Maryland, North Carolina, Gonzaga
loss: Texas
previous rank: 19

15. UNLV 8-0
quality wins: Wisconsin, Murray State, Virginia Tech
previous rank: 14

16. Tennessee 6-0
quality wins: VCU, Villanova
previous rank: 18

17. Notre Dame 8-0
quality wins: Georgia, Wisconsin
previous rank: 16

18. Purdue 7-1
quality win: Virginia Tech
loss: Richmond
previous rank: 24

19. San Diego State 8-0
quality wins: Gonzaga, St. Mary's, Wichita State
previous rank: 22

20. Memphis 7-0
previous rank: 23

21. Kentucky 5-2
quality win: Washington
losses: Connecticut, North Carolina
previous rank: 17

22. Minnesota 7-1
quality wins: North Carolina, West Virginia
loss: Virginia
previous rank: 13

23. Vanderbilt 7-1
quality win: North Carolina
loss: West Virginia
previous rank: 21

24. Texas 6-2
quality win: Illinois
losses: Pittsburgh, USC
previous rank: 9

25. Wisconsin 6-2
quality wins: Boston College, North Carolina State
losses: UNLV, Notre Dame
previous rank: NR

Shoe Game

2010-11-30T17:24:00.000-08:00

HoopsHype has updated its NBA sneaker database, which provides info concerning the shoe selections of every NBA player - make and model (with pics of the kicks). Wondering who is rocking the Air Jordan II's? Or who is the only player in the Association sporting New Balance? Or the names of the strange Chinese brands being worn by Jason Kidd, Shaq, and KG? Yeah, me, too.

Here's the link: HOOPSHYPE NBA SNEAKER DATABASE

Despite my love for Adidas and my nostalgia for old school Nike models, if I was in the NBA, there would be 23 players in the league wearing the ultra-light Zoom Kobe V.