Sweet 16 Day 2 Recap

Michigan rallies late to force OT and advance to Elite 8

It looked all but over when Kansas led 68-54 with less than seven minutes left in the game but that's when Michigan turned up its defense and Trey Burke played like the POY he is.  In the first half Kansas couldn't miss as they shot 68% but only had a six point lead, 40-34, despite Burke going scoreless.  The Jayhawks were scoring at will inside as Jeff Withey, Kevin Young and Perry Ellis appeared to be unstoppable in the paint.  In the second half it was more of the same for KU for the first 12 minutes but Burke was finally starting to make a scoring impact.  With Kansas up 14 late, Michigan ramped up their defense exposing the lack of point guard for KU forcing bad passes and a crucial 10-second call.  The Wolverines kept fighting back but still found themselves down ten with 2:22 and then five with 21 seconds left.   After Burke hit a layup, Elijah Johnson was at the free throw line shooting one-and-one.  He missed, which left the door open for Burke to solidify his Player of the Year status as he hit a 30-footer to send the game to overtime.  Riding that momentum, Michigan came out strong in OT creating an 87-82 lead.  Kansas still had a chance to tie only down two with nine seconds left when Johnson looked to have an open lane, but he kicked it out to Naadir Tharpe who missed the game-winning 3-pointer.  Somehow Michigan pulled out the win in this game.  Burke scored all 23 of his points in the second half and OT but it was Mitch McGary who kept this team in it the entire game.  McGary finished with 25 points and 14 rebounds as he and Burke (also 10 assists) became the fourth pair of teammates to have 20 points, 10 assists and 25 points, 10 rebounds in a NCAA tournament game.  Another pair was Glen Rice and Rumeal Robinson when Michigan won the title in '89.  For Kansas, their best player Ben McLemore finally showed up in the tournament putting in 20 points on 4-8 beyond the arc.  Also, Withey was dominate inside with 12 points, eight boards, and five blocks.  As for Johnson, he day started and ended badly.  Not even two minutes into the game he was called for a flagrant foul after hitting McGary below the belt, then to end regulation he missed a free throw to ice the game, and at the end of OT he passed on what looked like to be an open game-tying layup.  Throughout the year Michigan was on the wrong side of games like this (see Wisconsin and Indiana) but last night they showed their resiliency and pulled off the improbable comeback.  It doesn't get any easier from here on out either, but Michigan reaches the Elite 8 for the first time since 1994.

Florida ends Florida Gulf Coast Cinderella run

For the first 15 minutes Florida Gulf Coast seemed to be on their way to another upset and continuing their Cinderella run.  The Eagles were up 24-14 before the Gators ended the first half on a 16-2 run to take a 30-26 lead at the break.  After that Florida never looked back.  "Dunk City" was a great story while it lasted but they were severely over matched by the bigger and stronger Gators.  The story was offensive rebounding for Florida and turnovers for FGCU.  Florida shot only 38% but collected 13 offensive rebounds and forced 20 turnovers which led to 16 points.  In the first two games Eagles PG Brett Comer averaged 12 assists and only 2.5 TOs but the Gators guards applied the pressure throughout the game making Comer turn the ball over nine times.  Mike Rosario scored 15 for Florida and Casey Prather chipped in 11 off the bench.  FGCU's standout guard Sherwood Brown led them with 14 and 6 rebounds.  The entire country backed the small Florida school against its big brother but the talent disparity finally reared its ugly head as the Eagles tied a season low 50 points.  With the 62-50 win the Gators have still claimed every victory by double-digits.  A date with Michigan is scheduled for a trip to the Final Four.

Duke, Coach K outlasts Michigan State, Izzo

The battle between two of the best coaches in college basketball went the way we expected in the first half, a strategic back and forth game.  Duke took an eight point lead but MSU quickly cut the deficit to one before the half 32-31.  However, early in the second the Blue Devils went on a 9-0 run which Michigan State was never able to overcome as they fell to Duke 71-61.  The problem for Sparty was that Seth curry was on fire.  He came out in the second connecting on his first three attempts from long range and finished with 29 points on 6-9 from distance.  His performance was very reminiscent of his brother Stephen for Davidson in his run to the Elite 8 in 2008.  These teams matched up pretty well across the board especially with each team having two bigs, one that likes to bang (Mason Plumlee and Derrick Nix) and one that plays outside (Ryan Kelly and Adreian Payne).  They pretty much cancelled each other out (Plumlee and Kelly 23 pts 14 rebs, Nix and Payne 23 pts 19 rebs), but Michigan State had nobody to help Keith Appling on the outside.  The Spartans were only 3-12 from deep and their freshman stud Gary Harris missed both his 3-point attempts and was 2-11 from the field.  Coach K now owns a 7-1 advantage against Tom Izzo.

Louisville, Russ Smith, easily takes care of Oregon

Louisville jumped out to a 24-8 lead in the first 10 minutes and that's all the Cardinals needed as they cruised to a 77-69 win.  Russ Smith continued to be "Russdiculous" as he tied a career high 31 points on 9-16 from the field and 12-14 from the line.  He's now averaging 27 in the tourney and I don't think there's another player that has looked better.  Gorgui Dieng contributed 10 points, nine rebounds, and four blocks.  Louisville has been pressuring teams like crazy in the tournament, taking a NCAA record 20 steals in their first game, but only forced 12 Oregon turnovers.  Give a lot of credit to the Ducks as well because they were able to fight back in the second half and cut the deficit to six with 5:13 left but wouldn't get any closer.  Arsalan Kazemi posted another double-double with 11 and 12, and E.J. Single had 15 points.  Louisville is definitely the team to beat right now and are the only #1 seed to make it to the Elite 8.  Their rewarded with facing Duke for a Final Four bid.  The last time Rick Pitino and Mike Krzyzewski met in a regional final was in 1992 and Christian Laettner hit his game-winning shot.   These two teams met in November with Duke taking it 76-71, but that was without Dieng so Louisville is looking for revenge.



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NCAA Tournament Day 2 Recap

Florida Gulf Coast drops Georgetown

We almost had a 16 beat a 1 yesterday but today we had the pleasure of watching 15-seed Florida Gulf Coast take down 2-seed Georgetown.  This game was played in Philadelphia and the Eagles seemed to have a little Rocky Balboa in them.  The amazing thing about all these upsets is that the lower seeded teams are winning the games outright.  We aren't seeing any miracle Bryce Drew shots, except in the commercials.  The only buzzer-beater we've seen is from Marquette to prevent an upset.  FGCU closed the first half on a 13-2 run to take a 24-22 lead at the break.  Then with the game tied at 31, the Eagles went on a 19-2 run in a four minute span.  This is not something the 15-seed is supposed to be doing!  Nor do they usually make highlights like Chase Fieler did.  But when you control the pace of the game like FGCU did, you can do that.  They knew the Hoyas like to play at a slower pace so they sped the game up and it worked.  Georgetown tried to make a run at the end but it was way too late as they fell 78-68.  Sherwood Brown scored 24 while Brett Comer added 12 points, six rebounds, and 10 assists.  Florida Gulf Coast became the 7th 15-seed to beat a 2-seed and the 3rd in the last two years.  Let's not forget that they had a win over another 2-seed, Miami FL, earlier this year.  As for Georgetown they end their season on another disappointing loss.  This is the 4th straight year they have been ousted by a double-digit seed in the tournament.  Big East player of the year, Otto Porter Jr., had a rough night.  Although he had 13 points and 11 boards, he was only 5-17 from the field.

LaSalle holds on late against Kansas State

The First Four play-in has only been around three years, but each year we've seen one of those teams win multiple games.  In 2011 it was VCU, 2012 South Florida, and this year LaSalle.  This was definitely a tale of two halves for the Explorers.  In the first they jumped out to an 18 point lead at the half 44-26 hitting 18 of 31 shots.  Then in the second half Kansas State finally decided to show up.  The Wildcats steadily cut into the deficit and took their first lead of the game with 7:05 left, 57-56.  From that point on, LaSalle did not make a shot (3-18 in the 2nd half) and K-State made one layup.  However, Jerrell Wright made 7-8 free throws including two with 30 seconds left to give the Explorers the lead back as they closed it out 63-61.  Wright was the leading scorer with 21 as he went 6-6 from the floor and 9-10 from the line.  LaSalle is reminiscent of the 2011 VCU team that made the Final Four as they play a four guard lineup and like to get up and down the court.

Ole Miss continues the 12-seed special

When filling out your bracket everybody knows to pick at least one 12-seed to beat a 5-seed.  For the first time ever three 12-seeds were able to pull off the upset as Ole Miss knocked out Wisconsin 57-46.  All the talk before the game was if Wisconsin can stop Marshall Henderson, and his mouth.  They stopped him for the most of the game as he started 1-13, 0-6 from distance.  But once he hit his first 3-pointer, with just under 12 minutes to play, it brought the Rebels within three, 36-33, and started a 17-5 run for Ole Miss that gave them a 47-41 lead and ended up winning 57-46.  Henderson finished 6-21 from the field with 19 points, but it was the work of their big men, Murphy Holloway and Reginald Bucker, that kept the Rebels in the game early when Marshall was off.  They combined for 19 points, 21 rebounds and six blocks.  If you ask me, this team could be a lot better if Henderson would defer more to his rocks inside.  Coming into the tournament the Badgers weakness is going in scoring droughts and they were held to their worst shooting performance of the year going 15-59 (25.4%) from the floor and 7-30 (23.3%) from deep.  Up next for the Rebels are the previously mentioned LaSalle Explorers in a 12 vs 13 matchup.  Who had that one in their bracket?

Kansas has a bracket busting scare

The Kansas Jayhawks must not have paid much attention to Gonzaga's first game as they too took their 16-seed opponent lightly and it almost bit them.  The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers, with one of the best mascots in college, actually held the lead at halftime 31-30.  They were able to limit turnovers (9 for the game) and slow the pace down, but had no answer for Kansas center Jeff Withey.  The Hilltoppers two most efficient players tonight, George Fant (10 points) and Aleksejs Rostov (11 points), couldn't stay on the court because Withey (17 point, 7 blocks) had them in foul trouble all game.  WKU struggled shooting the ball as well, 32% from the field and 3-20 from downtown, which is not what you need when trying to pull off a monumental upset.  Kansas needs to shake this off and get back on track because they play a rejuvenated North Carolina team next.  Roy Williams, meet Kansas.  Do you guys know each other?

Iowa State dismantles Notre Dame

Lower seeded teams that can do damage in the tournament are ones that take and can make a lot of 3's, and that's what Iowa State does.  The Cyclones took and made more 3-pointers than any other team in the country.  Tonight though it was their post players, Georges Niang and Melvin Ejim, who led the way with 19 and 17 points respectively.  ISU was able to score consistently inside as Notre Dame showed almost no resistance.  They were also able to neutralize one of the best rebounders in the country, Jack Cooley, as he could only grab five boards.  The fact that this Cyclone team was able to win going away playing a style of basketball they are not known for (they still hit nine 3's) shows that this team should not be overlooked by Ohio State.  Especially in the unpredictable West Region, where we've seen five upsets in the second round.



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South Region Breakdown

Down in the South region the Big 12 champ Kansas sits at the 1-seed.  The Jayhawks won a lot of this year but had a three game slide which included the biggest upset of the year, a loss at TCU.  They seem to be on track after winning their conference tournament by an average of 19.6 points a game.  Georgetown was one of the hottest teams in the country down the stretch and Otto Porter Jr. started making his case for national POY.  The Florida Gators might be the team to keep your eye on though as they rank #1 in Ken Pomeroy's rankings.  As for Michigan, there's a lot of people that think this team is overrated, like Yahoo! Sports who consider the Wolverines to be the biggest of their bracket lames.

Top Seeds
1. Kansas
2. Georgetown
3. Florida
4. Michigan

Sleepers
Is VCU still considered a sleeper? No? OK, then Minnesota.  The Golden Gophers are a tough team to figure out.  They started the year 15-1 but finished 5-11.  They've beaten the likes of Indiana, Michigan State, Wisconsin and Memphis.  The biggest problem they have is inconsistent scoring.  If Andre and Austin Hollins can shoot better than their 40% averages this team has a chance to win a few games.  They play good defense and Trevor Mbakwe and Rodney Williams like to pound the glass.

First Round Upset Alerts
4 Michigan vs 13 South Dakota State - This seems to be eerily similar to last years NCAA tournament for Michigan.  Ranked a 4-seed and going up against a team with a star guard.  Last time it was Ohio and D.J. Cooper (the only player ever with 2,000 points, 900 assists, 500 rebounds and 300 steals) who upset the Wolverines, this year Nate Wolters and South Dakota State will get their shot.  And shoot is what Wolters will do as he pours in 22.7 a game.  Michigan has struggled on defense all year, but the good thing for them is they are basically playing a home game at the Palace of Auburn Hills.  Oh yeah, and they have Trey Burke.

6 UCLA vs 11 Minnesota - The clear pick for an upset, not only by my standards but Las Vegas as well.  The sportsbooks opened this game with Minnesota as a 2.5 point favorite.  The 11 favored over the 6?  When you see things like that, it usually means the professional handicappers know something.  The biggest reason is UCLA's second leading scorer, Jordan Adams, suffered a broken foot in the Pac-12 tournament.  Look for the Gophers to take this game.

Possible Matchups
Kansas vs North Carolina - A second round matchup that looks a like a championship game.  Roy Williams going up against his old team Kansas for the third time.  So far the Jayhawks and Bill Self has gotten the best of Roy's Heels in the first two showdowns.  Even though they are an 8-seed UNC still has some quality players in James Michael McAdoo and Reggie Bullock.  But they will have a hard time containing Ben McLemore on the perimeter (16.4 ppg) and Jeff Withey inside (8.4 rpg, 3.8 bpg).

Georgetown vs Florida - This game was scheduled for the season opener on a ship but was called at halftime.  Florida is a team that scores and plays defense, but played in the SEC, the worst of the power 6 conferences.  All 26 of their wins were by double-digits, which is a good and bad thing.  Good for obvious reasons, bad because that means when this team plays close games they can't seem to finish (see the Arizona game).  Georgetown fell short to Indiana in OT in November and lost only one more game against a ranked team the rest of the year, in the Big East semis to Syracuse in OT.  The winner of this game will most likely represent the South in Atlanta and it should be a doosy.

My Pick
This is tough but...Georgetown.  Kansas will have a difficult time finding points against the Hoyas and Withey will get lost trying to defend their Princeton style offense.  As for Florida, it's for the sole reason of the Gators not being able to win close games.  At some point in the tournament every team is faced with adversity and need to either come back or hold on late in games.  Florida is great when they blow teams out but in crunch time they wilt.  Otto Porter on the other hand seems to thrive in those situations and will be the difference maker as Florida has nobody that can matchup with the Big East player of the year.



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College Basketball Power Rankings: March 12

The regular season is over and we are only a week away from the NCAA tournament.  Some teams showed us what they were made of to close out their season (Duke and Indiana) while others seemed to be looking ahead (Kansas and Florida).  Duke and Gonzaga are tops with Indiana and Louisville hot on their heels.  There's a lot more to be told as the major conference tournaments start this week.  Let's get it.

1. Duke (27-4, LW 3) - Duke's rout of North Carolina on the road 69-53 and the return of Ryan Kelly puts the Blue Devils back on top.  Kelly not only provides a scoring lift but he makes the rest of the team better just by being on the court.  Case in point, Mason Plumlee had his best in the past month game at UNC (23 pts, 13 rebs) because of the spacing of Kelly.
2. Gonzaga (30-2, LW 1) - Gonzaga could have been listed as 1B because I still feel they are a legit team, Duke is just a little better.  They closed out their undefeated conference season with a 65-51 win over St. Mary's last night.  The WCC was no match for them but people just want to see if they are worthy of the #1 seed they will receive.
3. Indiana (26-5, LW 2) - Earlier is the week Indiana lost at home to Ohio State 67-58 which opened the door for the Big Ten championship.  It all came down to their road game at Michigan and Cody Zeller made a layup with 14 seconds left for their first out right Big Ten title since 1993.
4. Louisville (26-5, LW 7) - The Cardinals avenged their 5 OT loss to Notre Dame 73-57 behind Gorgui Dieng's 20 and 11.  This team is poised to make a strong run in the Big East and NCAA tournaments after winning 10 of their last 11.
5. Georgetown (24-5, LW 4) - Georgetown is another Big East team that's playing really well.  The lost to Villanova to begin the week 67-57 but came back with holding Jim Boeheim's team to its lowest points of his career 61-39.  The Big East tournament will be one of the best of Championship week.
6. Kansas (26-5, LW 5) - Kansas lost to Baylor 81-58, their worst loss in seven years.  They could have won't the Big 12 title outright but instead had to share it with their rival Kansas State.  The Jayhawks might have been looking ahead to the tournaments because they seemed uninterested.
7. Michigan State (24-7, LW 11) - Sparty finished their season with a solid win over Wisconsin 58-43.  Keith Appling has gotten back on track scoring 35 points in his last two games.  This team is also dangerous come tournament time and this year is no different.
8. Michigan (25-6, LW 8) - Ugh.  The entire Big Ten was watching, Michigan State and Ohio State fans were even cheering for them, but Michigan choked away their game against Indiana and a four way tie for the Big Ten title.  The Wolverines lost a five point lead with 50 seconds left because of missed FREE THROWS by Trey Burke and Tim Hardaway Jr.  Next up Penn State in the B1G tourney, great.
9. Florida (24-6, LW 9) - The Gators had a SEC title all wrapped up before they played Kentucky so losing 61-57 only hurts their seeding for the time being.  Florida didn't score in the last seven and a half minutes of the game, we'll see if they were looking ahead or if there's problems in the swamp after losing three of six.
10. Ohio State (23-7, LW NR) - OSU ended the year with five straight wins and took out Indiana on the road last week thanks to Aaron Craft's 15 points on 7-10 shooting.  The Buckeyes will Craft's play to stay consistent to go with Deshaun Thomas if they want to continue their recent success.
11. Miami FL (24-6, LW 6) - The Canes won 14 straight but lost three of five to end the year including shockers to Wake Forest and Georgia Tech.  Miami needs a strong showing in the ACC tourney believers back on their side.
12. Oklahoma State (23-7, LW 13) - OK-State lost at Iowa State 87-76 earlier but finished the week with a good 76-70 victory over Kansas State.  This team surprised the Big 12 finishing third in the conference and are a team to watch for a Big 12 tournament title.
13. Marquette (23-7, LW 14) - Buzz Williams' team needed a last second shot by Vander Blue to secure an OT win over St. John's 69-67.  More importantly the win secured a share of the Big East regular season title with Louisville and Georgetown, Marquette's first since joining the league.
14. Kansas State (25-6, LW 10) - Despite a loss to end their season, the Wildcats still managed to share the Big 12 title with Kansas.  This team was only 2-5 against ranked opponents, it will be interesting to see how they fare in the tournaments to come.
15. New Mexico (25-4, LW 12) - New Mexico is known for its defense but couldn't get a stop when it mattered against Air Force.  The Falcons hit two 3's in the final 16 seconds to pull off the upset 89-88.  The Lobos still hold a 3-seed in Joe Lundari's bracketology but need a strong showing in a difficult Mountain West tournament to keep it.

Biggest Jump - Ohio State up 5
Biggest Drop - Miami FL down 5

New Editions - #10 Ohio State
Old News -  Saint Louis



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College Basketball Power Rankings: March 5

Ahh, March is finally upon us and we are only one week from the conference tournaments and two weeks away from the big dance.  I would say let the upsets begin but that's been happening all year.  Last week we saw one of the biggest upsets of the year when Michigan squandered a 15-point second half lead at Penn State.  Indiana, Duke, Florida, and Miami also lost as 5 of my top 6 teams tasted defeat.  The lone team to come out unscathed was Gonzaga, but will they top our list?  Let's find out.

1. Gonzaga (29-2, LW 2) - Since the 2008 Memphis team that made it to the NCAA championship game, no mid-major has been ranked #1 until now.  Gonzaga is a legit team this year.  Last week they finished their conference schedule undefeated at 16-0, the first time ever in the WCC.  If not for a sloppy out of bounds play to end the Butler game this team would only have one loss.  Like that Memphis team and Saint Joe's in 2004, the Zags have their doubters but it's hard to deny any team that will have 30 wins before the big dance starts.
2. Indiana (25-4, LW 1) - The Hoosiers lost to Minnesota 77-73 behind Trevor Mbakwe's 21 and 12.  Oddly enough Indiana's four losses have all been to unranked teams but they are 6-0 against ranked teams.  They will look to improve to 8-0 this week hosting Ohio State and traveling to Michigan.
3. Duke (25-4, LW 4) - Apparently Ryan Kelly is more important to Duke that anyone knew.  After missing 13 games due to a foot injury, Kelly returned against Miami and scored a career high 36 points on 10-14 shooting, including 7-9 from deep.  With Kelly's return to the lineup, this Duke team is back into discussion of the top team in the country along with Indiana and Gonzaga.  They head to Chapel Hill this week where anything can happen.
4. Georgetown (23-4, LW 7) - Georgetown survived a double OT scare at Connecticut 79-78.  Otto Porter Jr. continued to shine with 22 points and the game winning lay-up.  Syracuse comes in Saturday and it marks the last time these rivals will meet in the Big East conference.
5. Kansas (25-4, LW 8) - For the second time this year the Jayhawks needed late game heroics to get past Iowa State in overtime, this time by Elijah Johnson.  He finished with 39 points and had eight in the last 32 seconds to force OT.  A game at Baylor is all that stands in their way of getting at least a share to the Big 12 title for the fifth straight year.
6. Miami FL (23-5, LW 6) - The U might have lost to Duke but were in it down til the end.  They've lost two of their last three games but close the regular season with home games against Georgia Tech and Clemson.
7. Louisville (24-5, LW 10) - Louisville has now won six straight following their five OT game at Notre Dame, including a 58-53 road win at Syracuse last week despite Peyton Siva going scoreless.  To close their season they will host ND, we'll see if this game provides the same fireworks.
8. Michigan (24-5, LW 3) - Michigan started the week with its worst loss of the season at Penn State 84-78, but finished with its best win of the year over Michigan State 58-57.  Thanks in large part to Trey Burke who had finished with 21 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 steals.  His rip of Keith Appling lead to the game winning dunk.  They finish the season at Purdue, a game they can't overlook, they host Indiana.
9. Florida (23-5, LW 5) - The Gators had a bad loss to Tennessee 64-58, but rebounded against Alabama to clinch at least a share of the SEC title.  Florida's match-up at Kentucky to end the season will likely determine the champion.
10. Kansas State (24-5, LW 13) - A sloppy turnover by Baylor lead to Rodney McGruder hitting a buzzer beating three for a 64-61 win.  That win kept them in a tie with Kansas in the conference and K-State is looking for its first ever regular season title.  A game at OK-State will be the last hurdle.
11. Michigan State (22-7, LW 9) - MSU has now dropped three straight, all to ranked opponents.  They played one of their worst games at Michigan shooting only 35% and committing 18 turnovers.  Wisconsin comes into EL Thursday, which won't be easy.
12. New Mexico (25-4, LW 14) - With their 70-60 win over San Diego St and 53-42 over Wyoming, the Lobos have clinched the outright regular season championship in a tough Mountain West Conference.  They close their season with road games at Nevada and Air Force.
13. Oklahoma State (22-6, LW 15) - The Cowboys have two difficult games this week at Iowa State and home against K-State.  They are still in the hunt for a share of the Big 12 title and Markel Brown had a nasty dunk against Texas.
14. Marquette (21-7, LW NR) - Marquette had two huge home wins last week, 74-71 over Syracuse and 72-64 over Notre Dame.  The Golden Flashes still have a shot at Big East title as they are the surprise team in the conference.
15. Saint Louis (23-5, LW NR) - The Billikens are one of the hottest teams right now with 11 straight wins (two over Butler and one over VCU) and are first place in a good Atlantic 10 Conference.  They do it with defense holding teams to only 57.9 ppg.  They end with two tough games, at Xavier and against LaSalle.

Biggest Jump - Marquette up 5
Biggest Drop - Michigan down 5

New Editions - #14 Marquette, #15 Saint Louis
Old News - Syracuse, Arizona


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College Basketball Power Rankings: February 25

More games, more upsets.  This week we saw three of the top four teams go down and Michigan State lost twice.  They had the most anticipated game with #1 Indiana which the Hoosiers pulled it out late 72-68 thanks to Victor Oladipo who is starting to be recognized as a candidate for POY.  Miami probably had the worst loss at Wake Forest 80-65.  And we're off.

1. Indiana (24-3, LW 1) - The Hoosiers win at Michigan State was huge and no player was bigger than Victor Oladipo.  He had 19 points, 9 boards, 5 steals, and the last six points for IU when they were down one.  This win solidified Indiana as the top team in the country.
2. Gonzaga (27-2, LW 5) - Gonzaga won their two games last week by a combined 74 points over Santa Clara and San Diego.  This week they will try to finish with a perfect record in conference play at BYU and hosting Portland.
3. Michigan (23-4, LW 6) - UM handled an Illinois team that was on a five game win streak 71-58.  Trey Burke had 28 points on 8-11 shooting and 8 assists.  They travel to Penn State Wednesday before MSU comes to Ann Arbor on Sunday.  The Wolverines will be looking to avenge an embarrassing 23-point loss by the hands of the Spartans.
4. Duke (24-3, LW 7) - Duke rebounded nicely after their loss to Maryland with easy wins on ACC bottom feeders Virginia Tech and Boston College.  Mason Plumlee got back on track recording a double-double in both games.  The Blue Devils now have their eyes set on a rematch with Miami this Saturday.
5. Florida (22-4, LW 4) - Florida seemed to be cruising to another win before Missouri was able to erase a 13-point deficit.  The Gators are still in good position for the SEC title and remain the only SEC team ranked in the top 25.
6. Miami FL (22-4, LW 2) - The U had flirted with losses to Clemson and Virginia before tripping up at Wake Forest.  Miami was never in the game as they trailed by 13 at the half and shot only 39% from the field.  They travel to Duke this week so we'll see if this team can find its groove again.
7. Georgetown (21-4, LW 11) - Georgetown was a hard team to get a read on when conference play started, now they find themselves on top of the Big East after a 57-46 win at Syracuse.  Otto Porter Jr. was the only Hoya in double figures but he scored 33 with 5 three's, 8 rebounds and 5 steals.  They are on a nine game win streak and head to UConn for a tough road test Wednesday.
8. Kansas (23-4, LW 8) - Kansas narrowly escaped with a double-overtime win at Oklahoma State 68-67.  The Jayhawks only made one field goal in either OT and that was a Naadir Tharpe jumper to go up one with 20 seconds left in the game.  A tough road game at Iowa State in next, in a rematch of a game that Kansas needed a strong push late to come out with the win.
9. Michigan State (22-6, LW 3) - I give the Spartans love last week and they let me down losing to Indiana at home and Ohio State on the road.  Don't get me wrong, both were tough games to win but I didn't expect two losses.  They let the IU game slip away late and their leading scorer Keith Appling has lost all his mojo shooting 2-14 with 9 points combined in the losses.  Michigan is licking their chops at a wounded MSU squad.
10. Louisville (22-5, LW 10) - Louisville stood pat after a 79-61 win over Seton Hall as Gorgui Dieng scored 28 on 10-11 from the floor.  The Cardinals are still the hunt for a Big East title and a matchup at Syracuse will determine the fate of one of those teams.
11. Syracuse (22-5, LW 9) - The Orange could not find any offense against G-Town as they only shot 34% and were held to a season low 46 points.  It doesn't get any easier for them either as they travel to Marquette tonight before hosting Louisville Saturday.
12. Arizona (23-4, LW 12) - Arizona looked good disposing of both Washington Pac-12 teams by 35 combined points.  They are getting contributions from multiple players and back on top of the Pac-12 standings after Oregon lost to Cal.
13. Kansas State (22-5, LW 13) - K-State still has hopes of a Big 12 championship but a road game this week at Baylor could kill that dream.  They are looking for their first conference title since 1976-77.
14. New Mexico (23-4, LW 15) - New Mexico was able to get a big win at Colorado State 91-82.  Kendall Williams scored 46 on a ridiculous 10-13 from beyond the arc.  This weeks brings Steve Fisher and San Diego State into town.  In the first meeting the Lobos scored 12 less that Williams' output against CSU, 34.
15. Oklahoma State (20-6, LW 14) - The Cowboys took Kansas to 2 OT's despite their stand-out Freshman Marcus Smart going 2-14 from the field.  Ok-State has a mild schedule this week with TCU and Texas on the docket.

Biggest Jump - Georgetown up 4
Biggest Drop - Michigan State down 6


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College Basketball Power Rankings: February 5

     For the fifth week in a row we had the #1 team in the nation go down as Michigan lost at Indiana 81-73.  The Hoosiers reach the top spot for the second time this season.  Other highly ranked teams suffering losses were Kansas and Syracuse, while Florida and Miami continued their hot streaks.  Here are the top 15.

1. Indiana (20-2, LW 4) - The Hoosiers came out strong against Michigan behind Cody Zeller's 19 points and 10 rebounds.  All five starters scored in double-digits and they shot 52% from the floor as a team.  This week they travel to Illinois and Ohio State.
2. Florida (18-2, LW 3) - Florida has been a tear and just had a 14-point win over a ranked Ole Miss team.  The SEC is struggling but the Gators are no joke and Patric Young is a beast.
3. Michigan (20-2, LW 1) - As was the case in their first loss at Ohio State, Michigan started slow on the road but they were able to fight back to tie the game in the second half.  But there is no rest in the Big Ten because tonight they host Ohio State then go to Wisconsin and Michigan State.
4. Kansas (19-2, LW 2) - Kansas has flirted with a couple losses lately and they finally got one with Oklahoma State surprising them at home 85-80.  The Jayhawks had 15 turnovers but couldn't stop Markel Brown's 28 points and he hit 7-10 from three.
5. Gonzaga (21-2, LW 6) - The Zags were tested at San Diego but escaped with the win 65-53.  Now they get an easy week at home be their a road test at St. Mary's
6. Duke (19-2, LW 7) - Duke was able to get two road wins last week after dropping their first two games away from Cameron.  They simply were on fire at Florida State shooting 61% from the field and connecting on 11-18 three point attempts.  Duke will next get a rematch with NC State, who gave them their first loss of the season.
7. Arizona (19-2, LW 8) - Arizona is quietly staying in the top 10 and now are tied atop the Pac-12 standings.  They've gotten back on track winning their last three after losing to UCLA.
8. Louisville (18-4, LW 9) - The Cardinals got back to their dominant ways beating Marquette 70-51 holding them to 36% shooting.  We'll see if they can continue that with two road games this week at Rutgers and Notre Dame.
9. Syracuse (18-3, LW 5) - Cuse dropped two straight but picked up a nice home win over Notre Dame 63-47.  James Southerland continues to be out and the Orange are desperately missing his shooting.
10. Miami FL (17-3, LW 13) - The Canes squeaked past NC State on the road as Reggie Johnson tip in a miss in the final seconds to pull off the 79-78 win.  They have now won nine straight and have been provided a big lift with Johnson back in the lineup.
11. Michigan State (18-4, LW 12) - Sparty bounced back from a loss to Indiana with an 80-75 win over Illinois.  Keith Appling played his best game of the season going for 24 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists.  They will now look to avenge a loss to Minnesota when the Gophers come to East Lansing.
12. Ohio State (17-4, LW 14) - OSU might have the toughest week of the year for any team as they head to #3 Michigan then host #1 Indiana.  Both games will be tough but if the Buckeyes can escape with one win that will prove they are a team that can challenge for a Big Ten title.
13. Creighton (20-3, LW NR) - Doug McDermott continues to show why he is a player of the year candidate averaging 24 points and 7 boards.
14. Butler (19-3, LW 10) - The Bulldogs were ran out of the gym in a 75-58 loss at Saint Louis as the Billikens forced 23 turnovers.  Butler was able to rebound against Rhode Island and face two .500 teams this week.
15. New Mexico (19-3, LW NR) - After only scoring 34 points at San Diego State, the Lobos won their next two.  They still lead a good Mountain West Conference and have a tough test at UNLV this week.

Biggest Jump - Creighton up 4
Biggest Drop - Syracuse and Butler down 4

New Editions - #13 Creighton, #15 New Mexico
Old News - Oregon, Missouri

College Basketball Power Rankings: January 29

     The final full week of January felt like the final week in March as there were plenty of ranked teams going down.  While top teams fell, Michigan continued to win and is ranked #1 in the AP Poll for the first team since the Fab Five in 1992.  As for the ones who lost, 8 of last weeks top 15 suffered a loss and powerhouse Louisville lost both of their games last week.  Here we go.

1. Michigan (19-1, LW 1) - Michigan handled Purdue and Illinois easily last week but this Saturday they will have the chance to validate themselves as the best team in country.  The Wolverines travel to #4 Indiana as these top teams in the Big Ten meet in what could determine the conference championship.
2. Kansas (19-1, LW 3) - After a tough win at rival K-State, the Jayhawks extended the nation's longest winning streak against Oklahoma to 17.  Kansas is also garnishing #1 votes and only have 1 more game on their schedule against a ranked team
3. Florida (16-2, LW 6) - In conference play, Florida has outscored opponents 74.6-48.1 in 6 games.  I don't care if the SEC isn't as good as years past that is still very impressive.  That's all you need to know.
4. Indiana (18-2, LW 7) - The Hoosiers had a great win at home over a good Michigan State team 75-70.  Victor Oladipo tallied 21 points, 7 rebounds, 6 steals, and 3 blocks.  He is shooting 66% from the field, 55% from three and is the MVP of that team, not Cody Zeller.  They now travel to Purdue before hosting #1 Michigan.
5. Syracuse (18-2, LW 2) - After wins on Louisville and Cincinnati they lost to Villanova in overtime 75-71.  The Orange will have a week to regroup before heading to Pittsburgh.
6. Gonzaga (19-2, LW 10) - The Zags blew out a solid BYU team 83-63 behind Kelly Olynyk's 26 points on 9-9 from the field and 8-8 from the line.  Their schedule is easy until a February 14 game at Saint Mary's.
7. Duke (17-1, LW 4) - The road got to the Blue Devils again as they were routed by Miami 90-63.  It was one of the worst losses ever by a #1 ranked team.  Duke has two more road games this week at Wake Forest and Florida State before a rematch with NC State.
8. Arizona (17-2, LW 8) - Arizona was beaten at home by UCLA 84-73 and were never really in the game.  They came back with a 74-50 win over USC and now hit the road to face both Washington teams.
9. Louisville (16-4, LW 5) - Since being ranked #1 Louisville has dropped three straight to Syracuse, Villanova, and Georgetown.  But ended that drought Monday with a 64-61 win over Pitt as Russ Smith put in 20 points and Gorgui Dieng added 14 points and 12 boards.
10. Butler (17-3, LW 9) - The Bulldogs took the lead against La Salle with 8 seconds left but couldn't get a stop as the Explorers went the length of the floor for a lay-up of their own and the 54-53 win.  However, Butler's leading scorer Rotnei Clarke returned against Temple with 24 points and 9 assists.
11. Oregon (18-2, LW 14) - Still standing as the last undefeated tam in the Pac-12, the Ducks have stayed under the radar and handled their business.  They don't see Arizona or UCLA again so they have a chance to remain without a loss.
12. Michigan State (17-4, LW 12) - MSU earned a huge road win at Wisconsin couldn't make the comeback at Indiana despite 21 from Gary Harris.  A home matchup with Illinois should get Sparty back on track.
13. Miami FL (15-3, LW NR) - The biggest win last week went to Miami disposing of then #1 Duke.  They remain the only undefeated team in the ACC but travel to Va Tech and NC State this week.
14. Ohio State (16-4, LW 15) - OSU rebounded from a loss to MSU with two wins last week and took out Wisconsin tonight 58-49.  The Buckeyes are still trying to find a consistent scorer to compliment Deshaun Thomas who is averaging 20 points a game.
15. Missouri (15-4, LW NR) - The Tigers creep back into the rankings but only by default because so many team in this range lost.  They are still playing without leading scorer Laurence Bowers but were still able to dispose of South Carolina and Vanderbilt.

Biggest Jump - Miami FL up 10
Biggest Drop -  Kansas State down 6

New Editions - #13 Miami FL, #15 Missouri
Old News - Kansas State, Minnesota

College Basketball Power Rankings: January 22

     We had another wild week in college basketball and we can expect it from here on out.  Louisville was able to reach the top spot but fell to Syracuse 70-68 and Indiana was shocked at home by Wisconsin 64-59.  We also saw Gonzaga miss out on getting a huge road win at Butler as they turned the ball over in the final seconds and Butler squeaked by 64-63.  Here's what we have after a crazy week of college hoops.

1. Michigan (17-1, LW 4) - Call me a homer if you want but getting a road win at #10 Minnesota and doing it convincingly is nothing easy.  The Wolverines largest lead was 19 as Tim Haradaway Jr. scored 21 on 7-8 shooting with 4 three's.  If not for a sluggish start against OSU this team would still be undefeated.  Now they get a week off to prepare for Purdue.
2. Syracuse (18-1, LW 5) - A week after suspending their second leading scoring the Orange went into #1 Louisville and pulled off the 70-68 upset behind Brandon Triche's 23 points.  Then last night staved off a home upset of their own coming back against Cincinnati to win 57-55.  Their stellar PG Michael Carter-Williams came up huge late and finished with 16 points, 5 boards and 7 assists.
3. Kansas (16-1, LW 2) - Kansas came back late on Texas for a 64-49 road win to push their streak to 15 games.  But to extend that streak they will have to beat rival #11 Kansas State on the road.  The combination of Ben McLemore and Jeff Withey are proving to be one of the best inside-outside duos in the country.
4. Duke (16-1, LW 3) - After its first loss, Duke rebounded nicely against lowly Georgia Tech 73-57.  But still the loss of Ryan Kelly hurts this team badly and now they have a trip to Miami, the lone undefeated team in the conference.
5. Louisville (16-2, LW 1) - The Cardinals couldn't hold on to the #1 spot for more than a week but that loss was a tight one to a very good Syracuse team.  The loss doesn't hurt their stock too much but let's see how they handle 2 road games this week at Villanova and Georgetown.
6. Florida (14-2, LW 9) - Florida has been slowing climbing the charts even though they haven't been beating quality opponents, at least not until last Saturday when they crushed Missouri 83-52.  It was over before it started as the Gators jumped out to an 11-0 lead and were able to turn Missouri PG, Phil Pressey, over 10 times.
7. Indiana (16-2, LW 6) - The shocker of the week was Indiana's home loss to Wisconsin 64-49.  The Badgers are in a down year but have won 11 straight against the Hoosiers.
8. Arizona (16-1, LW 7) - After their loss to Oregon, the Wildcats have gotten back on track winning 2 straight road games.  They now host UCLA, a team that has been playing better as the season goes on.
9. Butler (16-2, LW 15) - Even without leading scorer Rotnei Clarke, Butler managed to pull out a huge home win over Gonzaga as Roosevelt Jones hit a buzzer-beater for the 64-63 victory.  Their schedule is favorable until a March 2nd meeting at VCU.
10. Gonzaga (17-2, LW 8) - The Zags narrowly escaped Butler with a win but fell short.  Still, you can't take much away from them for the loss.  They now have to prepare for a solid BYU team coming to their place.
11. Kansas State (15-2, LW NR) - The Wildcats have been under the radar but hold a win over Florida and their only losses coming to Michigan and Gonzaga.  They have a big game against Kansas this week and don't be surprised if there's an upset in the Octagon of Doom.
12. Michigan State (16-3, LW NR) - Sparty had a nice home win over Ohio State 59-56 holding them off late.  This is the time MSU usually starts hitting their stride and we'll see what they are made of this week as they travel to Wisconsin and #7 Indiana.
13. Minnesota (15-3, LW 10) - After starting conference play off great, Minnesota has lost two straight albeit to #7 Indiana and #1 Michigan.  Two roads games on the docket for the Gophers this week against Northwestern and Wisconsin.
14. Oregon (16-2, LW NR) - The Ducks have already taken out Pac-12 favorites Arizona and UCLA and have one of the most balanced offense in the country.  Oregon scores 76 a game while having 6 players that average between 8 and 12 points
15. Ohio State (13-4, LW 12) - The Buckeyes couldn't complete the comeback at Michigan State despite 28 points and 7 rebounds from Deshaun Thomas.  For this team to win big games consistently they need to find another scoring option to help Thomas.

Biggest Jump - Butler up 6
Biggest Drop - Creighton down 5

New Editions - #11 Kansas State, #12 Michigan State, #14 Oregon
Old News - Creighton, North Carolina State, San Diego State

College Basketball Power Rankings: January 16

     We entered last week with three undefeated teams and we enter this week with zero after Arizona, Duke and Michigan all lost.  This created a mix up at the top of our rankings and also showed that every team in vulnerable on the road in conference games.  Just as I was about to put this out last night Indiana was a in a tight game with Wisconsin.  I figured I'd wait until it was over and sure enough, the Badgers pulled off the upset on the road 64-49.

1. Louisville (15-1, LW 3) - The Cardinals take over at #1 after Duke and Michigan go down but they are a viable National Champion contender.  They have one of the best defenses in the country and showed it in the second half of their win over UConn last night.  Next up, #6 Syracuse on Saturday.
2. Kansas (14-1, LW 5) - For the second week in a row a top 5 team needed to make a late comeback to avoid an upset and force overtime.  Last week it was Arizona, this week KU needed a desperation bank 3-pointer at the end of regulation by their stud Ben McLemore to overcome Iowa State 97-89.  McLemore finished with 33 points and 6-6 from deep.
3. Duke (15-1, LW 1) - After getting news that Ryan Kelly will be out indefinitely, Duke proceeded to lose its first game to NC State 84-76.  The loss of Kelly is huge and it will be interesting to see how the Blue Devils will handle his absence.
4. Michigan (16-1, LW 2) - Michigan looked inexperienced and terrified in the first half of their road loss to Ohio State.  They were making bad turnovers and couldn't hit a shot.  A positive was they were able to make it a game however in the second half tying the score at 46.  Other than that it was a game they'd like to forget and now have to prepare for a game at #10 Minnesota.
5. Syracuse (16-1, LW 7) - The Orange suspended its second leading scorer James Southerland indefinitely and has to face now face #1 Louisville this weekend.  Syracuse is pretty balanced but this is a loss they will have to adjust to if they want to keep their final four hopes alive.
6. Indiana (15-2, LW 4) - Last night the Hoosiers hosted Wisconsin, a team they haven't beat in their last 10 efforts.  That streak is now 11 as IU found it difficult to score.  They still lead the nation at 85 points per game but could only amass 59 on 37% shooting.
7. Arizona (15-1, LW 6) - After winning several games they could have lost, Arizona finally fell at Oregon 70-66.  The Wildcats have beaten quality opponents and win close games which are good qualities to have come tournament time.
8. Gonzaga (16-1, LW 9) - The Zags took out their rival St Mary's 83-78 at home their last time out.  Next up a road game at Portland before heading to Butler for their toughest test of the season.
9. Florida (12-2, LW 10) - Since the Gators' loss to Kansas State they have played extremely well winning 4 games by an average of 23 points.  This week brings a road game at Texas A&M (who just beat Kentucky) and a home game against Missouri, two quality opponents.
10. Minnesota (15-2, LW 8) - Minnesota couldn't get anything going in the first half at Indiana and just ran out of time to complete their comeback.  We are going to see the Big Ten teams beat up on each other all year and it doesn't get any easier for them as #5 Michigan comes in to town Thursday.
11. Creighton (16-1, LW 13) - Last week against Missouri State, Doug McDermott outscored the Bears in the second half 28-25 by himself.  He finished with 39 points going 15-19 from the floor and 10 boards.  They should get challenged this Saturday at Wichita State.
12. Ohio State (13-3, LW 15) - The Buckeyes got their first win against a ranked opponent as they beat bitter rival Michigan.  They looked great in the first half but looked sluggish in the second as they let UM back in the game.  I'm still not completely sold on OSU and a tough road game at Michigan State is up next.
13. North Carolina State (14-2, LW NR) - A lot was expected of this team to start the year as they were preseason #6.  After a couple early losses the Wolfpack are hitting their stride after getting an 84-76 win over Duke.  Their next game is at Maryland which should provide another test.
14. Butler (14-2, LW NR) - The Bulldogs beat Dayton their last time out but it came at a price as leading scorer point guard Rotnei Clarke left the game with a next injury.  They have two home games against Richmond and #8 Gonzaga this week and I'll be surprised if they escape without a loss if Clarke is out.
15. San Diego State (14-2, LW NR) - After needing overtime to beat Colorado State, this week will be even tougher for the Aztecs.  They host Mountain West contender UNLV on Wednesday then travel to Wyoming (who just lost their first game of the season) on Saturday.

Biggest Jump - NC State up 8
Biggest Drop - Illinois down 10

College Basketball Power Rankings: January 8

     With conference play opening up last week we had a top 15 matchup between Ohio State and Illinois where we saw the Fighting Illini win easily 74-55 and a controversial ending in the Colorado-Arizona game with a game winning three pointer by Colorado was taken away.  From here on out, this is where things get juicy.  Here we go.

1. Duke Blue Devils (14-0, LW 1) - Duke has been coasting lately and even though conference play is starting that still might not change.  The ACC is nowhere near as talented as it once was but they will have one of their tougher tests this week at NC State.
2. Michigan Wolverines (15-0, LW 1) - Two Big Ten games, two 28-point wins.  That's how Michigan opened up last week against Northwestern and Iowa.  The Big Ten is by far the best conference with six team ranked and three in the top-ten.  We will see how good this team is with back-to-back road games against Ohio State and Minnesota coming up.
3. Louisville Cardinals (13-1, LW 3) - The Cardinals had a huge win over rival Kentucky, a game they saw their center Gorgui Dieng back in action.  He only saw 20 minutes that game but against Providence he recorded 11 points, 11 boards, and 4 blocks.
4. Indiana Hoosiers (14-1, LW 5) - IU was tested in their opener at Iowa mainly in part because sharp-shooting Jordan Hulls went 0-10 from the floor and 0-4 from 3 (he's over 50% for both on the year).  They bounced back though with a 74-51 win at Penn State.  Next up a tough Minnesota team.
5. Kansas Jayhawks (12-1, LW 6) - Temple tried to take down its second top-ten team this year but Kansas was too much down the stretch.  With only a surprise loss to Michigan State, this Jayhawks squad is poised to make a strong push through the Big 12.
6. Arizona Wildcats (14-0, LW 4) - I wanted to drop the Wildcats further because if it wasn't for a bad call by the refs this team would not be undefeated.  Even with a review they still took away Colorado's Sabatino Chen's last-second 3.  None-the-less Arizona pulled the game out in OT but it will be interesting to see what happens in a poor Pac-12 where they are the only ranked team.
7. Syracuse Orange (14-1, LW 7) - The Big East is going to be a two-team race between Syracuse and Louisville for the top spot.  The Orange has a guard oriented offense led by Michael Carter-Williams and if he can learn to be a consistent scorer, they can be a very dangerous team down the stretch.
8. Minnesota Golden Gophers (14-1, LW 8) - Minnesota still isn't getting the credit they deserve from the media in my opinion.  After a convincing 13-point win over Michigan State maybe that will change.  The Gophers are strong on D, leading the Big Ten in blocks and steals.  We will get a real sense of this team as their next 3 games are at #12 Illinois, at #4 Indiana and home against #2 Michigan.  Yikes!
9. Gonzaga Bulldogs (15-1, LW 11) - Last week they had 3 road wins including, at Oklahoma State and at a tough Santa Clara team.  The West Coast Conference always has its share of teams looking to upset the Bulldogs including Saint Mary's (next up) and BYU.
10. Florida Gators (10-2, LW 13) - The Gators looked nice early on but are climbing the ranks because of other reams losing.  Playing in a watered-down SEC they will have to win a lot of games decisively and not slip up against any of the middle teams to stay respected
11. Missouri Tigers (11-2, LW 12) - After a nice win over Illinois, Missouri fell to UCLA in OT and sneaked out a win over a strong Bucknell team.  Phil Pressey has been leading the charge of last with 19 points and 19 assists against UCLA and 26 points against Bucknell.
12. Illinois Fighting Illini (14-2, LW 10) - Illinois is starting to get a little shaky of late going 2-2 in its last 4.  They started conference play with an ugly loss to a bad Purdue team 68-61 but followed it up with a very impressive win over OSU 74-55.  They will get another test their next game at home against Minnesota.
13. Creighton Bluejays (14-1, LW 15) - The Missouri Valley Conference always has teams that sneak up on people once the tournament comes around but not this Creighton team.  Lead by Doug McDermott, who is third in the nation with 23.1 point per game, they will be a team to watch the rest of the season.
14. Notre Dame Fight Irish (14-2, LW NR) - Since losing early to Saint Joe's in OT, the Irish have picked up wins over BYU, Kentucky and most recently on the road at Cincinnati.  Jack Cooley has been a double-double machine averaging 15 points and 11 rebounds.  I bet their fans quickly turned their attention to the hardwood after the performance from their football team last night against Alabama in the BCS Championship game.
15. Ohio State Buckeyes (11-3, LW 9) - So apparently this team doesn't fair well against ranked opponents.  Their three toughest games have been their three losses (Duke, Kansas, Illinois).  The Buckeyes will have to find another scoring threat to go along with Deshaun Thomas or else the Big Ten season will be long and ugly for OSU.

Biggest Jump - Notre Dame up 4
Biggest Drop - Ohio State down 6