Thirteen B/R writers ranked the top 25 teams in the country. Last week's poll featured UNC as the top ranked team, and the same would go for this week.
If you would like to participate in the B/R Top 25 poll, email me at jsflemin@syr.edu. In your email, rank your top 25 teams, but also provide the link to your B/R profile. Voting will open for next week's poll on Friday, Dec. 5th and will close Sunday, Friday 7th at 8PM EST.
Rank, Team, (First Place Votes), Total Votes, (Rank Last Week)
1. North Carolina, (12), 323 (1)
The Tar Heels with some help from reigning Player of the Year Tyler Hansbrough rolled through the Maui Invitational and a non-conference game against UNC-Asheville to retain their number one ranking. North Carolina steamrolled Chaminade, Oregon, and Notre Dame to win in Maui.
2. UConn, (1), 311 (2)
The Huskies picked up a Paradise Jam title Sunday against Wisconsin and hosted Division I newcomer Bryant in its only other game this week. UConn remains undefeated through November and will sit tight at No. 2 for awhile with its only real losable game left in the non-conference schedule being three weeks from now against Gonzaga.
3. Pitt, 288 (4)
The Panthers won the Legends Classic with impressive victories over Texas Tech and Washington State. Pitt also took down the defending Atlantic-Sun champs, Belmont in the first round of the Legends Classic. Jamie Dixon's squad finished the week 3-0 and enters this week 7-0 overall.
4. Duke, 278 (5)
The Blue Devils had a pretty uneventful and easy Feast Week. Duke, fresh off its Coaches vs. Cancer title, faced only Montana and Duquesne in the last week with impressive results. Duke moves up in the rankings as a result of Louisville's loss to Western Kentucky.
5. Oklahoma, 252 (11)
Of the top ten teams, the Sooners made the largest jump. Oklahoma knocked off Davidson, UAB, and Purdue, three likely NCAA Tournament teams en route to an NIT Tip-off championship. Blake Griffin has been recording 20-20s with ease and Coach Jeff Capel has been getting enough production from his backcourt to continue to win.
6. Gonzaga, 245 (8)
The Zags are fresh off an Old Spice Classic title against an absolutely loaded field. Wins against Oklahoma State, Maryland, and B/R ranked Tennessee has the Bulldogs 3-0 for the week and 5-0 for the year.
7. Louisville, 231 (3)
The Cardinals fell Sunday to hands of the Hilltoppers (if Hilltoppers even have hands) and duly dropped in the B/R Top 25. Several ballots came in before U of L's loss so the Cardinals might be a spot or two too high in the poll. Louisville is just three games into its season and holds a 2-1 record.
8. Texas, 225 (6)
The Longhorns picked up a third place finish in Maui with their only loss being a one point loss to the Fighting Irish. UT won three games this week against St. Joe's, Oregon, and Rice to improve to 5-1 and has another showdown Thursday with UCLA.
9. Tennessee, 219 (13)
The Volunteers lost convincingly to Gonzaga in the Old Spice Classic Championship game, but Tennessee did pick up a very nice win over a B/R Top 25 team in Georgetown. Bruce Pearl's squad also took down a strong Siena team that surprisingly lost all three of its games in Orlando.
10. Notre Dame, 215 (9)
Despite beating the Longhorns, the Fighting Irish still ranked below Texas in the B/R Top 25. Several ballots had Notre Dame down around 17th, which accounts for the Irish's ranking below the 'Horns' ranking. Notre Dame also picked up wins against Furman and Indiana, but was trounced by North Carolina in the Maui final.
11. Purdue, 184 (10)
The Boilermakers played just two games during Feast Week and came away with a second place finish in the NIT Tip-off Tournament. Purdue knocked off Boston College with a strong second half run to advance to the championship game, but couldn't keep Blake Griffin in check in the championship game. Purdue lost to Oklahoma, finishing the week 1-1 and 5-1 for the year so far.
12. UCLA, 172 (14)
The Bruins played just once during the past week and that was a beatdown of Florida International. UCLA is trying to rebound from its opening week loss to Michigan and dropped further than the other top ten teams that have also lost at least one game this year. On the slate this week, the Bruins go on the road to take on the Longhorns.
13. Michigan State, 159 (7)
Without big man Goran Suton, the Spartans lost by 18 to a subpar Maryland team in the first round of the Old Spice Classic. Tom Izzo's team responded well with wins over Oklahoma State and Wichita State to finish fifth in the tournament. The Spartans have a huge test ahead of them in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge on Wednesday against North Carolina.
14. Xavier, 119 (NR)
A combination of a lot of ranked teams losing and an O'Reilly Auto Parts Puerto Rice Tip-off championship catapulted the Musketeers straight up the standings from un-ranked to 14th. This week, Xavier picked up a tough win against always pesky Miami, Ohio. Xavier remains undefeated at 6-0.
15. Villanova, 114 (19)
The Wildcats won the championship of the Independence bracket of the Philly Classic with wins over Rhode Island and Towson. Villanova has been simply dominant with each one of its wins by at least 13 points. 'Nova should cruise through another undefeated week with games against Big Five foes Penn and Houston Baptist.
16. Syracuse, 104 (25)
The Orange went to Kansas City and came home with a College Basketball Experience championship after knocking off B/R Top 25 teams Florida and Kansas. Later in the week, SU overcame an 11-point halftime deficit to Virginia to move to 6-0 on the season. The Orange is one of five undefeated Big East teams.
17. Wake Forest, 95 (20)
The Demon Deacons reached the 76 Classic Final against Baylor on Sunday. The outcome of that game isn't reflected in the B/R Top 25 because of its late start. Wake defeated Winston-Salem earlier this week, but also Cal-State Fullerton and UTEP in the 76 Classic.
18. Memphis, 86 (12)
The Tigers took the week off and remain 4-1 on the season. Memphis only plays once this week and that's a very winnable game against Marist.
19. Arizona State, 83 (15)
The Sun Devils lost to the new to the B/R top 25 Baylor Bears in the 76 Classic semifinals. James Harden and the rest of ASU rebounded with a blowout win over UTEP to finish 2-1 in the tournament. Arizona State also notched a decisive victory over Charlotte.
20. Baylor, 73 (NR)
The team that knocked off the aforementioned Sun Devils, the Bears reached the finals of the 76 Classic. BU also beat up on Big East foe Providence and Jacksonville. Baylor entered its matchup with Wake Forest 6-0.
21. Miami, 70 (18)
The Hurricanes finished third in the Paradise Jam after it destroyed a highly regarded San Diego team. Miami won its second game of the week as well against Stetson. The Hurricanes have a big week ahead of them with games against Ohio State and Kentucky on the slate.
22. Marquette, 67 (16)
The Golden Eagles were cruising, knocking off their opponents by at least 20 points per game until they tipped off with Dayton. The Flyers ended Marquette's five game winning streak to open the year. Because of the loss, MU flew down the rankings down to a tie for 22nd.
22. Florida, 67 (17)
The Gators finished above .500 for the week after losing their opening game to Syracuse on Monday in the CBE. Florida took home a third place finish after holding on to beat Washington. UF also picked up an easy win against UMKC on Sunday.
24. Georgetown, 62 (21)
The Hoyas lost in the second round of the Old Spice Classic to Tennessee, but don't have another blemish on their record. Georgetown finished 2-1 in the Old Spice Classic with a close win over Wichita State and a blowout win over Maryland.
25. Davidson, 42 (22)
The Widlcats turned out an undefeated week despite getting a zero point performance from Stephon Curry. Loyola double-teamed the slick shooter and Curry essentially checked himself out of the game by standing in the corner. This allowed Davidson to play 4-on-3 and blow Loyola out.
Others Receiving Votes
Kansas (31), Wisconsin (26), Ohio State (17), Dayton (13), Washington State (8), Clemson (7), BYU (6), Illinois (6), Maryland (5), Florida State (4), UNLV (2), Mississippi (1), Saint Mary's (1)
Jameson Fleming, Ari Kramer, Adam Conlon, Ryan Callahan, Samuel Silverman, Brad Frank, Ryan Brennan, Mitchell Golden, Paul Sievers, John Lorge, Michael Hurley, BabyTate, Joe Guarr
25 comments Last one added 7 months ago — Leave a Comment
Jameson Fleming 7 months ago
There were a few things that confused me with the poll as I was going through the ballots. There were several ballots that had Notre Dame near 17th and Texas in the top eight despite the Irish beating the Longhorns. Also, multiple ballots had both Florida and Kansas ranked and Syracuse either un-ranked or well behind them despite SU beating both.
Other than that there was generally a lot variation. The teams that finished just outside the polls garnered a lot of votes and Davidson appeared on almost every ballot, but still didn't make the rankings.
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BabyTate 7 months ago
As time goes by Dayton, Wisconsin, and Washington State will get the votes for the Top 25. Davidson will benefit from an eventual Southern Conference schedule that should engineer a 25 win season. So, those teams in the above poll should end up doing well.
The Dayton– Xavier battle for position in the Atalntic 10 should be interesting.
And what of the potential of Brigham Young? Upcoming games with Arizona State and Wake Forest should tell us if the Cougars are as good as advertised around the Beehive State media. BYU star Lee Cummard, a 6'7" guard known as "The Telescope", is from Arizona and his duel with the Sun Devils' James Harden should make for great competition.
Impressive bit of work went into creating this article, congratulations on a fine job.
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Adam Conlon 7 months ago
I am glad to see that someone else is excited to see the BYU ASU game. i am looking forward to see if all the things i have read about Lee Cummard are true. Should be a good matchup.
As for Dayton, Wisconsin and Wazzu i have to agree with you, but mostly about Washington State, i think they are a quality team that will only get better as the season goes along, at least until their freshmen hit the wall, then all bets are off. However, again, i think they will finish top five and ahead of USC in the PAC. Both Dayton and Wisc have to prove their merit a little more before i really believe. But i could see it happening.
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Jameson Fleming 7 months ago
I had Dayton on my watch list because I knew there was potential there, but to start the season I was leaning towards the Flyers not panning out. So far I would say I'm wrong on that.
BYU is another team that is going to deserve real consideration real soon. I had Lee cummard ranked really high in my position rankings so his battle with Harden like you said will be a good one. If the Cougars can win one of those two big games, they'll be finding a spot in my top 25.
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John Lorge 7 months ago
I don't know is wazzu is a top 25 team right now. Thompson and Castro really have to step up their game to the Varsity level on a nightly basis. Baynes is good against lesser bigs. Rocheste is nothing.
I have a hard time with Wis because the big 10 is so soft. I can only put a certian ammount fo these squads in the top 25. Once we get into confrence play maybe Wis will assert themselves over the Purdue or Mich St.
BYU was close, if they make it undefeated 1 more week they should be on the list for sure.
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Adam Conlon 7 months ago
Seriously, what has happened to Rocheste? You are right John, he has become a non factor this year. But i think that Klay is going to continue to improve, i love Casto's upside (i saw him play in the state 4A playoffs as a senior and he was the most impressive component of that championship team, but he is still very raw at the college level). I have faith that their defense and a turned around Rocheste will bring them back to the Tournament.
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John Lorge 7 months ago
The D is key for WSU, it keeps them in the game, I just don't think they have the O to finish at the end. I don't think its as much about what happened to Rocheste as it is that hes now being exposed. He was a nice role player last year, but I don't think hes a guy the Cougs can count on to get them back in the tourny. who will that guy be? They need to figure it out fast.
Baylor on the 6th and the zags on the 10th.. if they can split those games i might be able to give em a vote.
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John Lorge 7 months ago
Its good to see OK and the Zags get some love, but I think both teams are better than Duke. If the Zags take down Uconn I may have to give them a 1st place vote. Did you guys watch that game last night? 55% from behind the arc?
That freshman for Oklahoma (Warren?) is impressive, he gives a great jab to Griffins right cross.
Not a suprise the X men got some love.. but wheres Kansas??? Soon enough. Soon enough. FSU too.
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Jameson Fleming 7 months ago
Duke, Gonzaga, and Oklahoma seem to really be on the same level. All three have been very impressive so far and could really sit in any of those three spots. The UConn game will be a defining game for both teams as will UNC's game with Michigan State this week.
Warren is impressive, he can be a little too selfish at times and Capel benched him because of that against UAB.
FSU is flying under the radar right now because the Seminoles haven't been on national TV yet. Assuming they can pick up a win in the ACC/Big 10 challenge, they'll get some more exposure.
I saw a lot of good things out of Kansas at the CBE, but to me they are a year away from being very good. This year the Jayhawks seem like a borderline top 25 team that will finish fourth in that conference.
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Adam Conlon 7 months ago
As a gonzaga fan, i believe that they are better than Duke as well, but i am glad to see that someone out side of my biased perspective can see that.
I will let you guys know first hand how the Zags-Uconn game goes. I look forward to the Battle in Seattle every year, and this year will not disappoint. However, the Zags have been longer than every team they have played this year, but they will lose this advantage against Uconn. I am not sure how they will work around that issue. But i am dying to see.
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John Lorge 7 months ago
I a seattle/bellevue guy so i may have some bias, but after what the zags did last night i think they showed the nation they are for real. For the past 4-5 years Duke has been soft and shallow. I think they have too many coach K wannabes on the bench, and not enough guys who can really play, or at least give the 1s a good look in practice.
The Zags might not shoot the most 3s in college hoops, but 1-6 they can all stroke em, and they can get to the rim as well. Really a quality team.
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Kristofer Green 7 months ago
Sorry I missed this weeks vote. I mostly agree, except that Texas should not be above ND. BTW, there is no #23.
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Jameson Fleming 7 months ago
Yeah that got messed up in the editors process because two teams were tied. It's fixed now. Davidson is up in the top 25.
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Ari Kramer 7 months ago
Not surprised that there were no Siena votes after this disappointing week.
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Lew Wright 7 months ago
Hey Jameson,
Great rundown of the ranked teams. Seems to me that this early on in the season there is going to be quite a variation of ranking because we're all scrambling to get a look at teams. That should sort itself out as the season progresses.
Also, hope that you got my ballot. Wondered because you didn't list a link for my profile.
Excellent job my friend.
Lew
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Jameson Fleming 7 months ago
I just went back through my email and couldn't find a ballot from you. Are you sure you sent it to jsflemin@syr.edu ?
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Lew Wright 7 months ago
Sent you an email with a complete, embarrassing, explanation of what seemed to have happened with the missing link and list.
Lew
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Adam Conlon 7 months ago
I accidentally killed a thread on this story about how I feel that Memphis is highly overrated and does not deserve a spot in the top 25. i apologize, there were some very valid opinions of matter. If you would like to state them again, i guess this would be the spot.
I do want to add that before i accidentally deleted the comments, someone mentioned that Memphis was only a couple free throws away from being undefeated. I think this is a misleading argument. Take this for example: UW Huskies finished last year 16-17. As a team they shot 58% from the line. 8 of their losses were by 6 or less points, and 5 of those losses were by 3 or less. If the Huskies could have improved their throws by just 10%, all of those losses could have been wins, and you would have been looking at a 24-9 team, and we would have been watching an NCAA game rather than a CBI.
Free throws can make or break a team. If Memphis cannot get those to drop, well, i guess you can ask Washington what happens.
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Jameson Fleming 7 months ago
Yeah free throws are very important. SU has struggled from the line this year, but so has its opponents, so it hasn't cost them any close games like against Richmond, Florida, and Kansas.
I think Memphis will get better as the year goes on, but for now I don't see enough out of them to put them really any higher than 20th.
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Ryan Callahan 7 months ago
Weird that some people would rank Notre Dame so low as they beat Texas. I am glad to see Syracuse at 16 after some good wins. I think BYU and Dayton are teams to watch out for as the season rolls on.
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Jameson Fleming 7 months ago
I'm more high on BYU than Dayton. I don't think there's as much talent with Dayton and I don't think Chris Wright is quite as good as Lee Cummard, BYU's star player. Both will be decent teams, but BYU will be a better team come March.
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Ryan Callahan 7 months ago
Also Louisville is pretty high but that can be attributed to people sending in their polls to early. I was shocked at how easy Western Kentucky handled them.
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Danny 7 months ago
If Notre Dame had lost to Texas, they likely would have a higher ranking than them right now. Whichever team lost that game would have the higher ranking right now, because the winning team would have gone on to lose big to UNC. Unfortunately for Notre Dame, they won it.
It doesn't make sense right
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Jameson Fleming 7 months ago
I agree that it doesn't make sense. Notre Dame was definitely a victim of the thrashing UNC did to them. Both are good teams, but being ranked 8th or 10th doesn't really matter at this point.
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Andrew Kahn 7 months ago
No doubt OU is deserving of its #5 ranking. But the Sooners do have some flaws...
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/88303-oklahoma-sooners-flaws-of-a-potential-final-four-team
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