College Basketball Power Rankings: Curse of No. 1 Continues
1. North Carolina Tar Heels (24-3)
Look, I know UNC was stunned in OT in its last game against Maryland, but the Heels are still the best team in the nation’s best conference. They have won 10 of their last 11 and with other teams losing, I’ll let the Heels keep my top spot.
2. Connecticut Huskies (26-2)
The Huskies are not the same team without Jerome Dyson, plain and simple. They have rebounded from a loss against Pitt with wins over South Florida and Marquette, but may have caught a break with Dominic James going down for the Golden Eagles. If UConn can win at Pitt in its final game of the regular season, I’ll be a believer once more.
3. Oklahoma Sooners (25-3)
The Sooners have lost back-to-back, but they played Monday night against Kansas without perhaps the best player in all of college basketball. Its tough to win when you take 22 points and 14 boards out of the lineup. The Sooners get a get out of jail free card because of Black Griffin’s concussion.
4. Pittsburgh Panthers (25-3)
The No. 1 spot as been poison for every team in the country this season, but especially Pitt as they went down again as the top team in the land when Providence shocked the Panthers this week. I still believe this team has Final Four potential, it just needs to make sure its focus is there at all times.
5. Louisville Cardinals (22-5)
Louisville has won 4 in a row and Coach Pitino has his boys right in the mix for another Big East title. The Cards may not have enough of an interior game to make a Final Four run, but the Elite Eight is a definite possibility.
6. Memphis Tigers (24-3)
The Tigers keep the No. 6 spot in my rankings this week as they continued to take care of business. They have now won 18 straight. The Tigers take on Conference USA rival UAB tonight. Memphis is listed as a 4.5-point favorite.
7. Michigan State Spartans (22-5)
The Big East and ACC get most of the headlines it seems but the Big Ten actually has the second best RPI of all the conferences. The Spartans are the cream of the crop in the Big Ten and an even better than most realize. The rest of the country will find out come tourney time.
8. Duke Blue Devils (23-5)
Duke got revenge over Wake Forest Sunday and then beat a Maryland team that had just knocked off North Carolina last night. This team is getting its confidence back and you can bet the Blue Devils will be ready to pay back the Tar Heels March 8th.
9. Villanova Wildcats (23-5)
I really like the way the Cats are playing right now. They have won 9 of their last 10 and have showed that they can win on the road. With the injury to Marquette’s Dominic James, there is no question that the Wildcats are that No. 4 team in the Big East.
10. Kansas Jayhawks (23-5)
The Jayhawks are sitting all alone atop the Big 12 and Bill Self may have himself a team that is peaking at just the right time. The Jayhawks fear no one and Sherron Collins is playing exceptionally well. He rivals UNC’s Ty Lawson as the best point guard in the nation in my opinion.
Make smart NCAA basketball betting decisions with the help of Jimmy Boyd’s expect college basketball picks. He’ll keep you beating the college basketball odds all season long.
