Top 25

*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

2011-12 Preseason All-American Team

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.

The Starting Five: Tu Holloway Edition

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.