1. Kansas (5-0) - Easy week for the Jayhawks, who beat both Tennessee Tech and Oakland by a lot. Freshman Xavier Henry, who looks like he could play for Oakland...the Raiders that is...has scored in double figures in all five games this season.
2. Villanova (6-0) - Jay Wright's Wildcats returned home from their triumph in Puerto Rico, punishing city rival LaSalle on Saturday. Five 'Nova players are averaging double figures in scoring, led by All-American candidate Scottie Reynolds.
3. Texas (5-0) - The Longhorns pulled away from Pittsburgh to win the CBE Classic title, but the win came at a cost. Starting point guard Varez Ward will miss the remainder of the season with a ruptured right quadriceps tendon. Jai Lucas, a transfer from Florida who becomes eligible on December 15th, will be expected to step in and immediately produce at the point for coach Rick Barnes.
4. Purdue (5-0) - The Boilermakers survived a game Tennessee squad on Monday, knocking off the Vols by a single point in the Paradise Jam title game. On Saturday, the Boilers remained the lone unbeaten team in the Big 10, stifling Central Michigan, holding the Chippewas to a mere 38 points.
5. Duke (6-0) - The Dukies doubtless sent Dickie V. into a tizzy last week, rolling past Arizona State and UConn en route to the NIT Season Tip-Off championship. "Coach K is awesome with a capital A, bayyyybeeeee!"
6. Kentucky (6-0) - Coach Cal's young 'Cats gave Big Blue Nation yet another Big Blue Scare this past week, barely surviving Stanford in overtime in the Cancun Challenge final. Super frosh John Wall has been even better than advertised, averaging just under 20 points per game for UK.
7. West Virginia (5-0) - The Mountaineers were impressive this week in Anaheim, burying tournament darling Portland to claim the 76 Classic championship. Devin Ebanks, whose suspension was exceeded only the Tiger Woods SUV saga in terms of mystery, is back in the lineup. And make no mistake, this makes Bobby Huggins team a whole lot more dangerous.
8. Syracuse (6-0) - What better way to celebrate your Coaches vs. Cancer Classic championship than beating up on a bunch of smart kids? The Orange did just that this past week, pounding Ivy League representatives Cornell and Columbia.
9. Michigan State (5-1) - The upset bug wasn't a bug afterall, it was a Gator. Thanks in large part to a 22-11 turnover margin, Florida upended the then second-ranked Spartans. State, in their next game, took it out on UMass, dropping 106 on the Minutemen in a 38-point rout.
10. Washington (5-0) - The Huskies barely escaped late Sunday night, shooting an anemic 30% against a scrappy Montana Grizzlies squad. Perhaps it was the 9-day layoff...or maybe it was the 26 to 8 free throw attempts advantage.
11. North Carolina (6-1) - Carolina struggled to get Roy Williams his 600th career win on Sunday against Nevada. Getting number 601 certainly won't be any easier . On the docket for the 'Heels this week? A national championship rematch against Michigan State on Tuesday followed by the Kentucky Wildcats at Rupp Arena on Saturday.
12. Tennessee (5-1) - The Vols looked sluggish a game after their heartbreaking loss to Purdue, struggling with College of Charleston for much of the game before finally pulling away from the Cougars. Perhaps they were still drowsy from the turkey.
13. Connecticut (4-1) - Despite holding Duke to less than 30% from the field, the Huskies were outrebounded, outhustled, and outplayed by the the Dukies in the NIT Tip-Off title game. It gets a bit easier for UConn this week, however, as they take on a pair of New England schools in Boston U. and Harvard.
14. Ohio State (5-1) - If there's a better player in college basketball right now than Evan Turner.....guess what, I don't even need to finish this question. There isn't a better player in college basketball right now than Evan Turner. Turner, like Ice Cube, messed around this week and had yet another triple double, leading the Buckeyes to a pair of blowout wins.
15. Gonzaga (5-1) - The Bulldogs showed that their inspired performance at Michigan State was for real, winning three in a row in Hawaii to claim the championship of the Maui Invitational. Despite the loss of four starters from last season's Sweet Sixteen team, the 'Zags just keep on rolling. Simply put, Mark Few is among the very best coaches in all of college basketball.
16. Florida (6-0) - Saturday's victory over Rutgers in the Legends Classic championship game in Atlantic City was borderline anticlimactic, like making a full house in poker a hand after hitting a royal flush. Let's face it, it was Friday's stunner over then #2 Michigan State that has propelled Billy Donovan's Gators back into the national discussion.
17. Clemson (6-1) - The Tigers dropped their opening game of the 76 Classic in Anaheim, but managed to bounce back nicely, beating Long Beach State on Saturday and coming back from a double digit deficit to edge Butler by 1 on Sunday.
18. Georgetown (4-0) - Layfayette wasn't tough this past week. Mt. St. Mary's and American won't be tough this week. Butler and Washington will be tough in a couple of weeks. See ya in two weeks, Hoyas.
19. Oklahoma State (6-0) - The Cowboys breezed to the Las Vegas Invitational title, belting Utah by 22 in the final. State has won by double digits in every game this season.
20. Cincinnati (4-1) - Despite losing in overtime to Gonzaga in the Maui Invitational, the Bearcats were impressive this week, defeating previously ranked Maryland and Vanderbilt en route to the title game.
21. Texas A&M (5-1) - The Aggies played well in Anaheim, upsetting both Clemson and Minnesota while providing West Virginia with their toughest battle of the tournament.
22. Florida State (6-1) - The week may not have started well for the 'Noles, who lost at Florida on Tuesday, but it sure did end well. FSU won three straight games in Orlando, culminating with a come from behind sweater over Marquette to win the Old Spice Classic on Sunday.
23. UNLV (5-0) - Lon Kruger's Runnin' Rebels never trailed Louisville on Saturday, leading the Cards by as many as 19 before hanging on for a 5-point win. One of the deeper teams in America, ten Rebels average better than 5 points per game.
24. Louisville (4-1) - Louisville coach Rick Pitino said that he wanted to play in front of a hostile crowd before visiting Lexington to play archrival Kentucky in January. Fortunately for Pitino, UNLV provided just that. Unfortunately for Pitino, UNLV also provided the Cardinals with their first loss of the season.
And 1 more. Portland (5-1) - The Pilots were the feel good story of the 76 Classic in Anaheim, hammering UCLA and handling Minnesota before running into a red hot West Virginia squad.
Comments
Why you hate Gophers so much. Hater!
Cause Tubby suck! He almost bad as Billy Clyde!
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