Musings from the Bald Prophet: One-Bidders Rise Up and the Ninth BP Top 25

1) It looked like the "mid-majors" were not going to represent themselves well this season.  Not true anymore.  Gonzaga took apart St. Mary's and has beaten Tennessee twice.  Utah State has only lost once and Dayton only twice.  Davidson and Siena are ripping through their conferences like ice through Kentucky and should benefit from tough non-conference schedules.  Look for one or more of these teams to be playing in the second weekend of the Dance.

2) Don't cover your eyes in D.C. just because of the battle over the stimulus package.  Georgetown is in serious danger of missing the tournament right now.  They've lost five in a row, and the only thing they can hang their hat on is an early January win over UConn.  This is a very talented team that should be much better than they are. Here's a hint: Quit shooting threes. 

3) The SEC has figured out how to stop Kentucky after the Wildcats' losses to Ole Miss and South Carolina: Contain Jodie Meeks and make him work on defense.  Pretty obvious, I know, but it was easier said than done during the Cats' opening run in conference play. 

4) The SEC is not the only conference more muddled than legal jargon in a life insurance policy.  The Pac-10 saw Arizona State lose twice this week, Washington fall to Arizona and then turn around to beat the Sun Devils, UCLA slightly redeem themselves, and Oregon State continue a surprising run.  I wouldn't look for any of the West Coast kids to get above a 4 or 5 seed.

5) And a final thought from the SEC...Bobby Knight would be interested if Georgia made him an offer to replace Dennis Felton.  Doubt it comes to fruition.  For one thing, the Dawgs are still trying to recover from the Jim Harrick mess. Two, Georgia probably wants more of a commitment than Knight might be willing to offer at this point.  Three, the Dawgs love their football, and basketball seems like something to do until spring practice.

Now your poll is presented for your approval.

1 - UConn

2 - UNC

3 - Louisville

4 - Oklahoma

5 - Duke

6 - Marquette

7 - Pitt

8 - Xavier

9 - Memphis

10 - Wake Forest

11 - Butler

12 - UCLA

13 - Michigan State

14 - Clemson

15 - Purdue

16 - Texas

17 - Villanova

18 - Kansas

19 - Syracuse

20 - Gonzaga

21 - Utah State

22 - Minnesota

23 - Illinois

24 - Dayton

25 - Washington