College Basketball: Top 25 RPI Teams

College basketball teams have been building their NCAA Tournament resumes ever since the beginning of the 2011-12 season.

Quality opponents and quality wins are all a part of making your program attractive when it comes to Selection Sunday in early March.

Let's take a quick look at the top 25 RPI teams, as college hoops turns the corner and moves from pre-conference play to league play in the new year.

25. Illinois Fighting Illini

Illinois is off to a 12-3 start with quality wins against Gonzaga and UNLV.

Playing in the Big Ten will continue to help the Fighting Illini's strength of schedule.

Look for the Big Ten to send at least six teams to the NCAA Tournament.

24. St. Mary's Gaels

St. Mary's is a program that knows how to win, and it's proving it again with a 13-2 start to the 2011-12 season.

The Gaels have beaten Northern Iowa, Weber State and Missouri State in their pre-conference games.

They have already knocked off BYU and Pepperdine to start off their WCC schedule.  

23. Northern Iowa Panthers

The Northern Iowa Panthers are establishing themselves as a very solid mid-major program. They are 10-4 so far in 2011-12.

They have solid wins against Providence, Iowa and Iowa State, but they lost their first two Missouri Valley Conference games.

The MVC is a treacherous place to play on a nightly basis.

22. Alabama Crimson Tide

Anthony Grant's Crimson Tide are off to a solid 10-3 start with quality wins over Maryland, Wichita State, Purdue and VCU.

Bama is tough at home and will benefit from only having to play Kentucky (on the road) and Florida (at home) one time each.

Look for Bama to challenge for one of the SEC's four or five entries in the Dance come March.

21. Creighton Blue Jays

Creighton is another pesky Missouri Valley team that has started off with some surprising pre-conference victories (Iowa, San Diego State, St. Joe's and Northwestern).

The Blue Jays (11-2) have split their opening MVC games, losing to Missouri State at home, but beating Wichita State on the road.

20. Harvard Crimson

Tommy Amaker has elevated the Harvard program to new heights, as the Crimson are ranked in the national polls and beating teams (Utah, Florida State, Boston College and St. Joe's) from the top conferences.

Harvard is 12-1 with one more game on its schedule before starting its Ivy League slate of games.

Look for the Crimson to be dancing come March. 

19. Marquette Golden Eagles

Buzz Williams has the Golden Eagles playing at a very high level (12-2), as they opened their Big East schedule by beating Villanova.

Marquette has quality wins already this season against Wisconsin and Washington.

The Golden Eagles are likely to challenge for an upper-tier finish in the Big East, which means NCAA Tourney time in March.

18. Minnesota Golden Gophers

Even though the Golden Gophers lost Trevor Mbakwe (their leading scorer and rebounder) early this season, Tubby Smith has the program moving forward (12-3).

Minnesota needs to turn things around in the Big Ten after losing its first two conference games on the road to Illinois in OT and Michigan. 

17. Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles

Southern Miss is off to a sizzling 13-2 start, winning its last nine games in a row as the Golden Eagles get ready to start their Conference USA schedule.

You can't take a night off in league play with teams like Memphis, Tulane and Central Florida around every corner. 

16. Murray State Racers

Murray State finished out its November/December games with a perfect 14-0 record and being ranked No. 21.

Murray State has quality wins versus Southern Miss, Memphis and Dayton.

The Racers are favored to win the Ohio Valley Conference.

15. Indiana Hoosiers

Tom Crean has Indiana back in the national conversation again.

The Hoosiers are 13-1 and have beaten No. 1 Kentucky and No. 2 Ohio State already this season.

They have also picked up nice victories over state-rivals Butler and Notre Dame, which helps to solidify the program on the home front.

14. Long Beach State 49ers

Long Beach State is the perfect example of how strength of schedule matters.

The 49ers are only 7-6, but they have played Pitt, San Diego State, Louisville, Kansas and North Carolina all on the road, and Xavier and Kansas State on a neutral court.

In spite of its pre-conference record, watch for LBSU to challenge for the Big West title.

13. Louisville Cardinals

The Cardinals started off the 2011-12 season by winning their first 12 games, before dropping their last two contests to Georgetown and Kentucky.

Louisville will continue to use a balanced attack to battle in the Big East. 

12. North Carolina Tar Heels

Roy's Boys are off to another fantastic start (13-2) with their only losses coming against UNLV and Kentucky, both on the road.

UNC is the leading scoring (88.1 ppg) and rebounding (47.1 rpg) team in the country.

This week, the Tar Heels open ACC play, where they are the pre-season favorites, against Boston College.

11. UNLV Rebels

UNLV is playing some nasty ball, opening the 2011-12 season 15-2 with quality wins over No. 1 UNC, Illinois and Cal.

The Rebels look strong as they finish out their pre-conference schedule and open Mountain West play at San Diego State on the 14th.

10. Georgetown Hoyas

Not many people picked the Hoyas to make some noise this season.

JT3 has Georgetown playing excellent basketball in 2011-12.

The Hoyas are 12-1 overall and have opened their Big East schedule by beating No. 4 Louisville and Providence.

9. Ohio State Buckeyes

Ohio State is again one of the best teams in the country, starting off the 2011-12 season with a 13-2 record.

Even though the Buckeyes lost their Big Ten road opener to Indiana, Thad Matta's squad has quality wins versus Florida and Duke.

8. Michigan State Spartans

Michigan State lost its first two games of the season. But when you open against North Carolina and Duke, that's excusable.

The Spartans then won their next 13 games, including victories over Florida State, Gonzaga and Indiana, and they opened their Big Ten slate by winning two contests. 

7. Kentucky Wildcats

The Wildcats are as talented as any team in the nation.

John Calipari has Kentucky (13-1) ready to make a Final Four run again this season.

UK has one more pre-conference tune-up before opening SEC play against South Carolina on Jan. 7th.

6. Gonzaga Bulldogs

Mark Few continues to work his mid-major magic with Gonzaga (11-2).

The Bulldogs have quality wins over Notre Dame, Arizona and Xavier, and they are looking tough as they open their West Coast Conference play this week against Pepperdine.

5. Baylor Bears

Scott Drew has the Bears off to their best start (13-0) in school history.

They have beaten BYU on the road, and St. Mary's and Mississippi State on neutral courts.

Baylor opens its Big 12 schedule tonight (Jan. 2nd) at home against its conference neighbors, Texas A&M.

4. Seton Hall Pirates

The Pirates are playing great ball, as they open the 2011-12 season 12-2.

While Seton Hall took it on the chin in the Carrier Dome last week, it turned around and took down West Virginia to open Big East play 1-1.

3. UConn Huskies

The Huskies are 12-1, with their only loss coming to Central Florida in a holiday tournament in the Bahamas.

With no disrespect meant to Kemba Walker, UConn may have a better overall team this year than they did when they won the NCAA Championship last March.

2. Duke Blue Devils

Coach K got his record-breaking win out of the way early this season, and he has his Blue Devils playing at a high level.

Balanced scoring—with four players in double figures—seems to be how this Duke team will get things done.

The Blue Devils (12-1) play Temple on the road this week before opening ACC play at Georgia Tech on the 7th.

1. Syracuse Orange

The Orange are off to an outstanding 15-0 start.

Jim Boeheim's team is deep and physical and looks to be the one to beat in the Big East.

The Orange have already won their first two conference games against Seton Hall and on the road at DePaul.

And all of this has happened amid the constant controversy of assistant coach Bernie Fine's dismissal and possible court case.

Impressive.