In the spirit of espn.com's weekly Power 16 college basketball rankings, I thought that I would take a stab at ranking the top 16 teams in college basketball this week, with only two weeks of basketball left until Selection Sunday.
1. UCLA
2. Ohio State
3. Texas A&M
4. Kansas
5. Florida
6. North Carolina
7. Wisconsin
8. Georgetown
9. Memphis
10. Washington State
11. Nevada
12. Southern Illinois
13. Pittsburgh
14. Texas
15. Louisville
16. Oregon
Although I am a huge Ohio State fan, when I look at the top teams objectively, I think that UCLA deserves to be the #1 team in the country right now. Both of these teams have three losses, but the fact that UCLA plays in the Pac-10 (in my opinion the best conference in the country) lifts them up to the #1 spot. Ohio State has played 2 really tough league games (Wisconsin), 4 possibly troublesome games (Michigan State, Indiana, Illinois), and the rest have pretty much been against scrubs. Whereas, UCLA has five NCAA tournament teams in their league besides themselves, and two other extremely dangerous teams in Washington and California. In addition to that, the Pac 10 is the only conference with a round-robin regular season conference schedule so that they crown a true champion, so they have had to play every other team in the league once at home and once away, unlike Ohio State who got to skip playing at Indiana and home against Illinois, two potentially troublesome games. If UCLA can finish the regular season with only 3 losses overall, 2 of them in league play, and win the best conference in the country going away (if they beat Washington State and Washington, then UCLA will win the conference by 3 games) then they deserve to be the #1 team in the country.
My number 3 and 4 teams might be a little bit of a surprise, with both team coming from the Big 12. However, I simply couldn't justify ranking a Florida team who has lost 2 of its last 3, or a North Carolina team that has recently lost to NC State, Virginia Tech, and Maryland ahead of either team. Most people have Texas A&M ranked much lower than I have them, and almost everyone has them ranked behind Kansas, but I simply don't understand the reasoning for this. They both have the same amount of losses, both in conference and out of conference, but Texas A&M beat Kansas at Kansas. Texas A&M and Kansas have pretty much the same profiles but Texas A&M won in their only match-up at Allen Fieldhouse, considered by many to be the toughest place in the country to win a basketball game. I don't understand how anyone can rank Kansas ahead of Texas A&M with these facts, but I think that this might be a case ranking a team off of its potential and talent level. Kansas started the season with such high expectations, and such a high preseason ranking, that people feel compelled to rank them higher than they deserve. Sure Kansas has the ability to win the NCAA tournament, but so do a number of other teams.
I ranked Georgetown ahead of Memphis and Nevada even though the Hoyas have as many losses as those two teams combined because of how well they have been playing lately and also how much better their competition is. I know that Memphis and Nevada can't help it that they're in weaker leagues, but I just can't stomach the thought of ranking a team whose best win came against Gonzaga (as is the case for both teams) as highly as their gaudy record might suggest. I also put Washington State ahead of Nevada because of the superior play they faced in the Pac-10 and the type of results and big wins they have had this season.
It was very tough coming up with the final three teams in the rankings because of how many medicore teams there are in the country. We will learn a lot more about Texas in the next week as their next two games are against Texas A&M and Kansas. Louisville has been on a real hot streak lately, and they are becoming more and more impressive. Oregon seems to have righted the ship after some mid-season struggles.
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6 comments:
I have to say I agree with your picks very well Sam. I would only disagree with you in 2 areas, I would put Ohio State infront of UCLA, with all of Ohio State's losses coming to teams that at one point or another, was ranked #1 in the country. I would also move a young Louisville team out of the top 16. I feel that they are having a hot streak and have done suprisingly well in the Big East this year, but they are no better than a Marquette team, that they have lost to this season. Marquette did lose this weekend, but I would still put them ahead of the Louisville squad. Other than that great work and keep the excellent posts coming!
I can live with UCLA over the Buckeyes for now. These rankings seems pretty accurate, although I'm not sure how Wisconsin dropped to #7. Despite the general accuracy of these rankings, they will become obsolete come tournament time, as all these teams will get respectable seeds. The tournament, although always unpredictable, will be especially impossible to pick this year. Considering this year's class filled with mediocrity (Pitt, Texas, Louisville) and talented enigmas (Florida, Kansas, UNC), I don't see how I'm going to pick all these games. Still, here are a few things to look out for starting at the top:
-UCLA, despite the nation's elite backcourt, is unproven and lacks depth down low. Although their guards will be spectacular, look for teams like Florida, Kansas, and UNC to have superior big men.
-If Ohio State gets its act together like it did against Wisconsin, they can be Final 4 contenders. If not, adios in the sweet 16.
-Florida will pick it up and make a deep tourney run. Though I don't think they'll win it all, they're going to play better than they have been.
-Wisconsin will make it to the elite 8. Bo Ryan knows what he's doing.
-Memphis, Washington State, Pitt, and Nevada will prove themselves as pretenders and exit early. Especially Nevada, as Nick Fazekas, the most overrated player in the country, will come up small again.
-Sleeper picks: Oregon, LSU.
That's bullshit. Explain to me why Oregon's in your top 16 and Notre Dame isn't
- John Davidson Ryanson, Minneapolis MN
ok georgetown just lost so this shows that you dont know what your talking about, and how can the buckeyes not be ranked number 1? They lost to North Carolina without their best player and in which Tyler Hansbrough had a hell of a game that wouldnt have happend with Oden there. They lodt to WIsconsin by 3. And there only bad loss is to Florida in ehich Oden was not ready at all and in every game they lost they were in it, also not to mention that EVERY loss was away and they just beat Wisconsin!!!
Sam Bergman....I want your bod
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I would like to take this opportunity to disagree with the second anonymous post:
1) I am also okay with UCLA being ranked ahead of Ohio State right now as well. However, I expect UCLA's big men to thrive in the tournament after playing in a tough Pac-10 all season. Ben Howland's teams play a very physical style of basketball, and that's what prevails in the NCAA tournament.
2) Ohio State needs to play better than they did against Wisconsin to make the Final Four. I feel Ohio State probably would have lost the game, if Brian Butch hadn't have been side-lined early. I agree the Buckeyes have Final Four potential, however Oden and the boys will need to play at an even higher level.
3) Memphis and Nevada won't make it past the tournament's opening weekend. However, Pitt and Washington State will. Both of these teams play in good conferences and are physical. I think both these teams will make it to the sweet 16.
4) Perhaps your most ridiculous comment is that LSU is a sleeper team. The Tigers will not even make the tournament unless they win the SEC tournament. LSU has always been an overrated team that simply can't compete with the nation's best this year.
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