The last couple of years, we have really gotten used to January shakeups in the top 25 in college basketball. So it is almost strange to see a top five stay the exact same for two straight weeks, especially after the start of conference play. Alas, here we are, with Duke, Ohio State, Kansas, Syracuse and Pittsburgh in the top five, and San Diego State and Villanova keeping their #6 and #7 spots as well in both polls. But with conference rivalries heating up, there's little doubt that a shakeup is possible, and if the past is any indication, very likely.
The week was not without surprises, though, as we saw Michigan State drop from the rankings in the AP Poll, after an inexcusable loss to Penn State (9-6, KenPom #74). State is the early frontrunner for biggest disappointment midway through the 2010-11 basketball season, and while four of Sparty's five losses came to teams in the top 30 in the KenPom ratings, Head Coach Tom Izzo has cause for concern. They have an incredibly tough home test against Wisconsin tonight, and how they play in this game could go a long way in setting the tone for the rest of January (Northwestern, @ Illinois, @ Purdue, Michigan, Indiana).
The Ohio State Buckeyes certainly had their hands full this week, winning their two games over Iowa and Minnesota by a combined 8 points. The game against the Gophers wasn't without controversy, as both coaches had problems with the officiating. OSU slipped ALL the way down to #2 in the KenPom ratings (from #1 last week), after Duke continued their dominance with impressive wins over UAB and Maryland.
Cincinnati dropped from the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll, but hung onto a #25 ranking in the AP, after an up-and-down week, including an impressive win over Xavier and a tough road loss to 'Nova. They should have no trouble with South Florida tomorrow, but can't get caught looking ahead to their trip to Syracuse on Saturday.
Here is the full Top 25 (from ESPN):
AP Top 25 | |||
RK | TEAM | RECORD | PTS |
1 | Duke (65) | 15-0 | 1,625 |
2 | Ohio State | 16-0 | 1,549 |
3 | Kansas | 15-0 | 1,489 |
4 | Syracuse | 16-0 | 1,443 |
5 | Pittsburgh | 15-1 | 1,353 |
6 | San Diego State | 17-0 | 1,249 |
7 | Villanova | 14-1 | 1,248 |
8 | Purdue | 15-1 | 1,105 |
9 | Notre Dame | 14-2 | 1,069 |
10 | Connecticut | 12-2 | 1,058 |
11 | Brigham Young | 16-1 | 925 |
12 | Texas | 12-3 | 842 |
13 | Kentucky | 12-3 | 808 |
14 | Texas A&M | 14-1 | 807 |
15 | Missouri | 14-2 | 781 |
16 | Illinois | 13-3 | 655 |
17 | Washington | 12-3 | 540 |
18 | Louisville | 13-2 | 345 |
19 | Temple | 11-3 | 232 |
20 | Wisconsin | 12-3 | 231 |
21 | Kansas State | 12-4 | 217 |
22 | Georgetown | 12-4 | 211 |
23 | UCF | 14-1 | 170 |
24 | Georgia | 12-2 | 145 |
25 | Cincinnati | 15-1 | 144 |
ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll | |||
RK | TEAM | RECORD | PTS |
1 | Duke (31) | 15-0 | 775 |
2 | Ohio State | 16-0 | 742 |
3 | Kansas | 15-0 | 713 |
4 | Syracuse | 16-0 | 682 |
5 | Pittsburgh | 15-1 | 641 |
6 | San Diego State | 17-0 | 618 |
7 | Villanova | 14-1 | 589 |
8 | Purdue | 15-1 | 549 |
9 | Connecticut | 12-2 | 494 |
10 | Brigham Young | 16-1 | 482 |
11 | Notre Dame | 14-2 | 450 |
12 | Missouri | 14-2 | 407 |
13 | Texas A&M | 14-1 | 395 |
14 | Texas | 12-3 | 354 |
15 | Kentucky | 12-3 | 346 |
16 | Illinois | 13-3 | 323 |
17 | Louisville | 13-2 | 224 |
18 | Washington | 12-3 | 193 |
19 | Georgetown | 12-4 | 156 |
20 | Kansas State | 12-4 | 122 |
21 | Wisconsin | 12-3 | 95 |
22 | UCF | 14-1 | 85 |
23 | Temple | 11-3 | 81 |
24 | Michigan State | 10-5 | 75 |
25 | Minnesota | 12-4 | 74 |