"I Know the Game Like I'm Reffing It"















Monday, December 8, 2014

Top 25 - Week 4

There was some movement at the top and much movement at the bottom of this week's rankings, thanks to a hectic 7 days of college basketball.

1. Kentucky (9-0) - Ball don't lie. The Wildcats have been dominant. They took Texas's best shot and came out comfortably. Then, they handled their business versus Eastern Kentucky, jumping out to a 41-14 half-time lead.
2. Duke (8-0) - Duke has been impressive throughout this young season, but going into Wisconsin and beating last year's Final Four squad, pretty soundly, was eye-opening.
3. Louisville (7-0) - Rick Pitino already has his team playing at an elite level defensively and the offense will continue to improve. They withstood a late rally to take care of Ohio State last week.
4. Arizona (7-0) - Zona was the last team standing in their overtime brawl with Gonzaga. They host Michigan this weekend.
5. Virginia (9-0) - The Cavs continued to show their mettle last week, winning at Maryland and VCU. They'll take the week off for exams.
6. Wisconsin (8-1) - The Badgers drop In the rankings on the strength of the loss to the Dukies and the disappearing act of highly regarded, Sam Dekker.
7. Texas (7-1) - The Longhorns gave all they could muster at Kentucky on Friday, but it wasn't enough. However, they showed they can play with anyone in the nation.
8. Gonzaga (6-1) - The Zags lost an overtime heartbreaker at Arizona over the weekend. They had their chances in regulation, but Pangos & co. couldn't close the door. They are at UCLA on Saturday.
9. Villanova (8-0) - Nova coasted to two victories over Big 5 opponents in Philly. They face Illinois at the Garden tomorrow.
10. Kansas (5-1) - Bill Self seems to be slowly but surely turning another one of his young teams into a winner. The Jayhawks overcame a 17-point deficit to beat Florida, Friday. They travel to Georgetown on Wednesday.
11. Wichita State (4-1) - The Shockers lost a tough overtime game at Utah, Wednesday. They rebounded by destroying Saint Louis. They host up-start, Seton Hall, tomorrow.
12. Oklahoma (5-2) - The Sooners had an easy time with Missouri last week. They are at Tulsa on Saturday.
13. North Carolina (6-2) - Just when you thought the Tar Heels would start rolling, they mess around and lose at home to a solid Iowa team. They better get it together quick, as they travel to #1 Kentucky on Saturday.
14. Ohio State (6-1) - The Buckeyes looked shell-shocked in the first half at Louisville, based on the competition level. They pulled themselves together in the 2nd, but came up short.
15. Iowa State (5-1) - The Cyclones had their way with Arkansas, Thursday, beating them by 18. They face in-state rival Iowa on Friday, in what should be a good one.
16. Washington (7-0) - The undefeated Huskies join the rankings after an impressive, thorough beating of San Diego State last night.
17. Michigan State (6-3) - The Spartans lost at Notre Dame in overtime last week. They've looked solid, but they have come up short in their three toughest contests.
18. San Diego State (6-2) - The Aztecs surprisingly were handled at Washington in a low scoring game that illuminated their offensive deficiencies. They host Long Beach State Wednesday.
19. Utah (6-1) - The Utes squeaked out a big win over Wichita State last week. They have a rivalry game at BYU on Wednesday.
20. Miami (7-1) - The U seemed to be coasting through the early season until Green Bay brought them back down to earth, handing the Canes a 13-point home loss.
21. Michigan (5-2) - The Wolverines had a weird week. They beat Syracuse in a competitive game, then suffered one of the worst losses we've seen so far this season, losing at home to NJIT. They are at Arizona on Saturday.
22. Notre Dame (8-1) - The Irish won a thriller of a game in overtime against Michigan State, led by their outstanding guard combo of Jerian Grant and Demetrious Jackson. This week, their ACC season starts with a home game versus Florida State.
23. Butler (7-1) - The Bulldogs took care of Indana State and Northwestern last week and have become one of the Big East's surprise teams. They have wins over North Carolina and Georgetown, with their only loss coming at the hands of Oklahoma.
24. Northern Iowa (8-0) - The Panthers are undefeated, with wins over Stephen F. Austin, Northwestern and Richmond. But they get their first real test this weekend at VCU.
25. St. John's (5-1) - While they don't always look pretty, the Johnnies, and their experienced, guard heavy lineup showed they are capable of big things this season. They won going away at Syracuse over the weekend and their only loss was to Top 10 Gonzaga.

On the outside looking in: Creighton (7-2); Iowa (7-2); Syracuse (5-3); Illinois (7-1); Maryland (8-1); West Virginia (8-1); Seton Hall (7-0); Baylor (7-1); VCU (5-3); Providence (6-2); ODU (6-1)

Dropped out: Arkansas (6-2), West Virginia; Illinois; Syracuse; VCU; Providence 


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