NCAA Basketball: Reviewing The Pre-Season Poll Against The Current Rankings

The ESPN/USA Today Poll has had quite a bit of change since the pre-season poll was released.

As expected, some of the top teams have remained among the elite, while others have fallen to disappointing lows. And others have put themselves on the map with great success throughout the season.

Here is the pre-season poll:

No. 1: Kansas

The Jayhawks have lost only once this season and while it knocked them out of the top spot for a little while, they have climbed back to where they started.

Current Ranking: No. 1

No. 2 Michigan State

High hopes for the defending national runner-ups have not been kept in check as expected. The Spartans have remained a nationally-ranked team, but not as high as expected in the pre-season.

Current Ranking: No.10

No. 3 Texas

They climbed all the way to No. 1, but in recent weeks the Longhorns have struggled. Their loss to Kansas on Monday night aided their recent decline.

Current Ranking: No. 14

No. 4 North Carolina

The most disappointing drop-off this season might just be North Carolina. A highly touted recruiting class held high hopes for the defending national champions, but expectations have not even been close to the tradition that North Carolina bestows.

Current Ranking: Unranked

No. 5 Kentucky

Who said youth can’t win? The Wildcats have lost only one game; however, it came one day after becoming the nation’s No. 1 team. The Wildcats are back on the national scene as expectations continue to be high.

Current Ranking: No. 2

No. 6 Villanova

At 21-2, the Wildcats have stayed amongst the nation's best. They have risen to as high as No. 2 and a national championship run is on their minds.

Current Ranking: No. 5

No. 7 Purdue

The Boilermakers have responded from a sluggish Big Ten start to get back among the best in the country. Their recent victory on the road at Michigan State helped prove that.

Current Ranking: No. 6

No. 8 Duke

The Blue Devils have emerged as the favorite in shifty ACC. They have bounced around in the range of 5-10 for much of the season.

Current Ranking: No. 7

No. 9 West Virginia

They have the most losses among the nation’s top five teams, but have remained around where they started the season. At 19-4, the Mountaineers will look to battle with Villanova and Syracuse in the Big East.

Current Ranking: No. 4

No. 10 Butler

Many thought they were overrated at No. 10 entering the season and in non-conference play, that proved to be correct. Butler has dominated the Horizon league yet again, and is slowly creeping back into the fold.

Current Ranking: No. 15

No. 11 Tennessee

Off the court issues could have gotten to Tennessee, but they have responded pretty well.

Current Ranking: No. 11

No. 12 California

The Pac-10 was expected to be down; without a doubt, this has been the case. The Golden Bears dropped out of the Top 25 quickly and probably won’t make it back.

A push for the NCAA Tournament is still their goal.

Current Ranking: Unranked

No. 13 Washington

You could say the same for Washington as is said for Cal. The Huskies fell out of the Top 25, but are still looking to end the season with a Pac-10 title.

Current Ranking: Unranked

No. 14 Connecticut

The Huskies did knock off No. 1 Texas at home a few weeks back, but they may be this year’s Georgetown.

Current Ranking: Unranked

No. 15 Michigan

Of all the team’s that began the season in the Top 25, Michigan could not have been more far off. They are struggling to remain above .500 overall.

Current Ranking: Unranked

No. 16 Oklahoma

A few team members just got suspended for shoplifting. They might find themselves on the bubble if they can finish strong or the Sooners might not be looking at the NCAA Tournament at all.

Current Ranking: Unranked

No. 17 Ohio State

They fell out of the rankings for a little while, but the Buckeyes have responded well and find themselves in the top heavy race for the Big Ten title.

Current Ranking: No.16

No. 18 Minnesota

Another Big Ten team that may have been overrated in the pre-season. Minnesota needs a strong ending to have a chance at the NCAA Tournament.

Current Ranking: Unranked

No. 19 Mississippi State

Their first game was a loss to Rider. They have not made it back into the Top 25 since then.

Can they win the SEC West?

Current Ranking: Unranked

No. 20 Georgia Tech

They started at the same place as their current ranking. Can they put together a late push at the ACC?

Current Ranking: No. 20

No. 21 Georgetown

At least somebody from the back of the pre-season Top 25 has risen in the polls. Their recent victory over Villanova show they want to compete with some of the best teams in the country.

Current Ranking: No. 8

No. 22 Dayton

They started the season as the only Atlantic-10 team in the Top 25, but the league has become quite top heavy and the Flyers are just in the mix.

Current Ranking: Unranked

No. 23 Louisville

Some tough losses have hurt Louisville and they have not seen a Top 25 ranking in quite a while. They still have a chance to be an NCAA Tournament team come March.

Current Ranking: Unranked

No. 24 Clemson

Clemson has bounced around a lot and has struggled in ACC play recently. The Tigers need to find wins to remain off the bubble in the upcoming weeks.

Current Ranking: Unranked

No. 25 Syracuse

Georgetown has moved up in the rankings this season, but nobody has done it better than Syracuse. After losing some of their key players from last season, Wesley Johnson and co. have powered their way into National Championship discussions.

Current Ranking: No. 3

Of the ESPN/USA Today’s pre-season Top 25 teams, only 14 of them have remained nationally ranked as of the week of Feb. 8.

The middle of the pack in the pre-season poll has been the most disappointing as some of the teams who began with high expectations have free fallen.

Who’s in the Top 25 now that wasn’t in the beginning of the season?

No. 9 Kansas State - Frank Martin can build excitement in Manhattan.

No. 11 Gonzaga- Same old success story for the Zags.

No. 13 Wisconsin- How about a Big Ten title push for the Badgers?

No. 17 BYU- It will be interesting to see where they finish.

No. 18 Northern Iowa- The Panthers are atop the Missouri Valley.

No. 19 New Mexico- Another tough Mountain West team.

No. 21 Temple- Will the Owls win the Atlantic-10?

No. 22 Cornell- The best of the Ivy League can compete, that’s for sure.

No. 23 Pittsburgh- Jamie Dixon has done great work with the Panthers this season.

No. 24 Vanderbilt- Jeffrey Taylor is red-hot for the Commodores.

No. 25 UNLV- Plenty of love in the Mountain West right now.