Monday 2/11: My College Basketball Top 25.

              The college basketball season has been a wild ride to this point. We are coming off of a week where nearly half of the top 25 lost a game. The debate is out there, who will be #1 this week?  Duke is the highest ranked team to not have lost, should they take the top spot? The best thing about my top 25, I don't have to follow the previous week. I have no obligation to rank Duke in the top spot. This is essentially the best 25 teams to this point in time, as decided by yours truly.

1.  Miami 19-3 - The Hurricanes may not be the best team in the country, but they are certainly playing like it. They are 10-0 in the ACC, and have a 30 point win over Duke to their resume. The Canes have some head scratching losses, but it seems they are over it. Miami plays at Florida State and at Clemson this week, two winnable, but tricky games.

2. Gonzaga 23-2 - The Bulldogs have raced out to a very good start, but how many good wins do they really have? Kansas State and Oklahoma State appear good, but not many others. The Zags can't afford anymore losses in the regular season if they want a number one seed. With that said, this is a good team that has scoring all across the board.

3. Indiana 21-3 - The Hoosiers have three losses by a grand total of nine points. Indiana has talent at all five spots on the floor. Zeller can carry the team, Oladipo is a human highlight reel, and Hulls can make a three at any given time. Indiana is built to win in March.

4. Syracuse 20-3 - Syracuse is coming together. James Southerland is coming back into the fold after a suspension, and they should get Dajuan Coleman before March as well. The 2-3 zone is tough when the shortest player is 6-5. They have experience, but the Big East is a grind. I think at full strength this is the best team in the Big East.

5. Duke 21-2 - Despite some conference losses, Duke has what it takes to raise the banner in early April. The Blue Devils have depth, size, and scoring. They won't be losing by 27 anytime again in the near future. They get Miami March 2, and you can beat the Devils will be geared up for that.

6. Michigan 21-3 - Michigan has has two tough Saturday losses in a row. The Wolverines are a young, but talented bunch. Trey Burke is having a Naismith caliber season. They are as good as anyone else, and they will be set to make a big run. They have a big one with Michigan State on Tuesday.

7. Florida 19-3 - The Gators were looking unstoppable until last week, and then Arkansas ran them off the floor. That Florida team is still there, and they are still that good. This is a very experienced team that can win it all. They are head and shoulders still the best team in the SEC, and they can prove it Tuesday night by beating Kentucky.

8. Arizona 20-3 - Arizona is the best team in the Pac 12, but they have few good wins on their resume. This is a young, but talented bunch. They can be a player in March, because of their depth and athletic ability.


9. Michigan State 20-4 - The Spartans have won 9 of 10, and they are contending to be the best team in the tough Big Ten. Much of the fanfare has been with Michigan and Indiana, but these Spartans could eb the best of them all. Big time matchup with Michigan on Tuesday.

10. Butler 20-4 - Despite a few slip ups lately, Butler is still a very good basketball team. They are at full strength, and they have a very winnable road ahead in the Atlantic 10. They need to beat VCU, and do well in the A10 tourney for a good seed.

11. Kansas State 19-4 - K-State has a chance to take down their arch nemesis Kansas, tonight. The Wildcats have a solid team, and Bruce Weber has them playing really well of late. Is K-State the best team in the Big 12, they could make that claim with a win tonight.

12. Louisville 19-5 - Louisville has not played all that well of late, but they are still a strong team. They have a good Center in Dieng, and tough veteran guards in Peyton Siva and Russ Smith. This team made a Final Four last year, and they have the tools to do it again.

13. Marquette 17-5 - I do not think anyone thought Marquette would be this good. Yet, the Golden Eagles are towards the top of the Big East standings. This is just another typical Buzz Williams team. They are athletic and quick, and have plenty of reliable guards. They have a big test with Georgetown tonight.

14. Oklahoma State 17-5 - Oklahoma State has won five in a row, and they are looking like a real good team. Marcus Smart is playing like the best freshmen in the country, and the Cowboys could be the best team in the Big 12.

15. Pittsburgh 20-5 - Pitt has won seven of their last eight, and they remain one of the hottest teams in the country. The young Center, Steven Adams, is coming around. Pitt should find themselves back in the tournament this time around, and could climb the rankings further.

16. Ohio State 17-6 - Ohio State has a dangerous team, but they have come short on almost all of their toughest tests. The Buckeyes need to prove they can handle big games a little better. Aaron Craft is a great leader, and Deyshaun Thomas is the best scoring threat in the Big Ten. They have some big games ahead in the Big Ten, it would be nice if they could win a few of them.

17. Kansas 19-4 - The Jayhawks are free falling. Still, they are a top 25 caliber team. There is no excuse for the three game losing streak, ecpecially to TCU. Bill Self will have things figured out at the right time. A big rivalry victory over Kansas State tonight would be an excellent start to fixing things.

18. Georgetown 17-4 - The Hoyas are riding a five game winning streak. They have a tough team to matchup with, because they star four 6-8 forwards. They have a big game tonight against a very good Marquette team.

19. Notre Dame 19-5 - The Irish are coming off a wild victory in 5 OT's against Louisville. They have had an up and down ride, but that win showed character. The Irish may not be able to win it all, but they can bother a lot of teams.

20. Wisconsin 17-7 -   The Badgers have taken some lumps this season, but most of their losses are really not that bad. They have some excellent wins as well, as beating two top five teams in Michigan and Indiana. They have proven they can take down anyone, so I can not really imagine anyone wants to see Bo Ryan's team in their bracket.

21. Kentucky 17-6 -  This team is getting better, and that is not good for anyone. The Wildcats are getting outstanding production from Nerlens Noel of late. They lost three games to very experienced teams in Duke, Notre Dame, and Louisville early in the season. The Wildcats have improved to the point where they could play with, or beat any of those teams, at least I think they can. We will find out Tuesday when they play on the road at Florida.

22. UCLA 18-6 - UCLA has some really bad losses, but some pretty good wins. This team will be dangerous come March. Ben Howland better make a good run, or this could be his last one in Westwood. Shabazz Muhammed may be he best player in the country, when he wants to be. They have plenty of winnable games left, and a high profile home game with Arizona on March 2.

23. Oregon 19-5 - The Ducks recently ended a three game losing streak, otherwise this has beena  widely successful season. They have already taken down Arizona and UCLA on the season, so they are certainly a team that can take down anyone in a one game setting. The schedule is more than managable the rest of the way, as the Pac 12 is very down this season.

24. New Mexico 20-4 - New Mexico has a tough team that will be a tough out for anyone. They are coming off a loss to San Deigo State, but the Lobos are still the team to beat in this league. They have the type of schedule remaining that they could potentially run the table heading into the Mtn. West tournament.

25. VCU 19-5 - VCU will not be sneaking up on anyone this year. They play tough defense. The Rams have rebounded with three straight wins after a two game skid. VCU has some close losses to quality opponents like Duke and Missouri.