Quick—name a state with five teams in the top 30 of college basketball’s RPI.
Tennessee? North Carolina? California? Texas?
No, no, no, and no.
There is only one correct answer, and it may surprise you.
A state that doesn’t jump to the forefront in discussions of college hoops prowess, Ohio boasts several top-notch programs early in 2008. It's time for the country to take notice.
Here is this writer’s ranking of the state’s top teams...
1. Dayton (13-1, RPI: 6, SOS: 37)
The program has certainly experienced some ups and downs through the Brian Gregory tenure, but the Flyers are soaring high once again this year, thanks in large part to senior Brian Roberts (19.1 PPG, 4.5 APG).
Roberts could very well be the best player the country doesn’t know. He has come up big in the team’s biggest games, pouring in 28 points against Louisville, 31 against Pittsburgh, and 23 against Rhode Island.
The team has also been aided by impact freshman Chris Wright (10.9 PPG, 6.3 RPG). His presence has added to the team’s depth, and provided another strong scoring option for a squad that relied too heavily on Roberts in the past couple of years.
Dayton has already picked up several big early-season victories, and will continue to be tested in a stronger-than-usual Atlantic 10 conference.
2. Xavier (13-3, RPI: 9, SOS: 13)
Speaking of the A-10 conference, Xavier has turned itself into a perennial power.
Every March, it seems, the Musketeers are making a run, knocking off teams they “should not beat.” Like Gonzaga, they can no longer be considered a Cinderella because of the frequency of upsets.
Xavier has been rich in scoring, and they spread the wealth generously. With a team average of 81.0 points per game, they have a whopping six players putting up double-figure averages.
They are still reaping the rewards of leading scorer Drew Lavender’s decision to return to his home state. Lavender (12.7 PPG, 5.1 APG) played his high school ball in Columbus and went out to Oklahoma with his teammate Brandon Foust before deciding to transfer to Xavier.
Pundits can confidently label Xavier Cincinnati’s best team now that their UC counterparts (see “Not Making the Cut: The Next Five” below) have taken a slide.
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