We have unofficially made it through the first quarter of the NCAA basketball season. There have been a few surprises both on the court (hello, VMI and Western Kentucky) and off the court (what's up, Andy Kennedy?).
Games like yesterday's Connecticut-Gonzaga and Texas-Michigan State tilts are helping keep us entertained during this holiday season.
While we have a clear (unanimous, in fact) No. 1 team in the North Carolina Tar Heels (11-0), conference rankings are a bit cloudier.
Three top conferences are vying for supremacy, while a fourth lingers not too far behind. After that, the drop-off is severe. Let's take a look at how they stack up to this point. (Note: If you prefer the short and dirty version, click here.)
1. Atlantic Coast
Don't think it wasn't close. So close in fact, that I felt the need to designate the Big Ten as "1a," rather than number two.
Virginia (4-4) and Virginia Tech (8-4) have looked awful, as the Virginia Military Institute has the most impressive win in the state, an early season win over Kentucky. The Hokies are at least improving; the Wahoos are not.
However, Duke's (10-1) blowout of No. 7 Xavier shows that the Blue Devils' lone loss to Michigan was probably more of an anomaly than a sign of "consistent inconsistency,” and the Blue Devils can at least say that they have also beaten the only team they have lost to.
Wake Forest's (10-0) schedule hasn't been particularly challenging, but they have looked thoroughly impressive in dismantling the teams that they have played, with quality wins over Baylor and UTEP. The Demon Deacons are a lock to join UNC and Duke in the media polls' Top 10 today.
Clemson (12-0) has started out the year on fire after crushing Miami (7-3) on the road last night. The Hurricanes themselves have won at Kentucky, and all of their losses are to currently ranked teams.
Maryland (7-2), Boston College (9-2), Georgia Tech (7-2), and N.C. State (7-1) are middle-tier teams that no one wants to face right now. These teams may not survive conference play, but right now they possess quality wins, a lack of bad losses, and strong strength-of-schedule.
Florida State (11-2) led Pittsburgh late in the second half last night, eventually falling to the Panthers, but the Seminoles have already garnered quality wins against Cincinnati, California, and Florida.
1a. Big Ten
The top three conferences are very tight, but someone has to be on top, and in this case, it's the ACC. The bottom of the Big Ten (Indiana and Iowa) is slightly better than the bottom of the ACC (Virginia Tech and Virginia), even considering Iowa's Saturday loss to Drake. However, the top of the ACC is a notch above the Big Ten's four-headed monster of Minnesota (10-0), Michigan State (8-2), Purdue (9-2), and Ohio State (8-0).
The Golden Gophers, Spartans, and Boilermakers looked especially impressive over the weekend, knocking off ranked teams Louisville, Texas, and Davidson, respectively.
The Big Ten earns big points for undefeated Minnesota, and though Illinois (10-1) has not played the most grueling schedule, the Illini's only blemish is a two-point loss to Clemson. Northwestern (7-2), Penn State (10-2), and Wisconsin (9-2) have dropped off a bit after hot starts. Michigan (8-2) is a chameleon that has defeated (and lost to) an impressive Duke team.
Ultimately, the Big Ten gets the "1a" designation for losing the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, for Iowa losing to Drake and Northwestern to Stanford on Saturday, and for its top teams not being quite at the level of UNC/Duke/Wake Forest.
3. Big East
Yes, this conference has eight teams in the Top 25. Marquette (9-2) may drop out today after a poor performance against a Tennessee team that could only beat Belmont by two. The top teams in the conference continue to suffer embarrassing losses.
Pittsburgh (12-0) struggled with Florida State last night, falling behind midway through the second half. The Seminoles were the first significant competition that the Panthers have faced. It is hard to judge this team until they play higher quality competition.
Connecticut (10-0) was lucky to escape a game against perennial doormat Buffalo with a four-point victory and should have lost to Gonzaga on Saturday. It was sloppy play in the final minute of regulation that allowed Connecticut to make it to overtime, where they finally took over the game from a deflated Bulldogs squad.
Syracuse (11-1) lost to a decent team in Cleveland State, but it's not a loss the Orange should have taken at all. Their win on the road over Memphis was impressive, though these are not last year's Tigers.
Louisville (7-2) was outclassed by Minnesota from tip-off to the final whistle after suffering an earlier loss to Western Kentucky.
Notre Dame (8-2) couldn't handle Ohio State, and Villanova (10-1) has zero wins over ranked teams, losing to Texas along the way.
The bottom of the Big East is woeful, including DePaul (6-4), Rutgers (8-3), and South Florida (4-6). Consider key losses and close calls at the top with a poorly finished basement, and this conference has lost the right to be ranked over the Big Ten and the ACC. Don't be surprised if they move up, however, in the coming weeks. This is far from the final word.
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