1. Kansas (27-1)
Being undefeated in conference says a lot, especially in a touch conference like the Big 12. The Jayhawks have exceeded all expectations.
2. Kentucky (26-1)
Along with Kansas, this team has all but guaranteed themselves a No. 1 seed in the tournament. They are young and energetic—exactly what you need come late March.
3. Purdue (23-3)
Purdue starts a string of teams just a little behind the top two. If Purdue hadn’t gone through that rough stretch mid-season, they would be sitting pretty atop the rankings.
4. Syracuse (25-2)
The Orange have been stuck around No. 4 pretty much the whole season. They have been on the verge of moving up, but have nowhere to go with the teams ahead of them staying put.
5. Kansas State (22-4)
Look at this! No one expected Kansas State to be ranked so high, so late in the season. This team could possibly get a number one seed in the tournament. How crazy would that be?
6. Duke (23-4)
The Blue Devils have pretty much dominated the ACC all season. It’s too bad their wins over North Carolina barely mean anything now.
7. New Mexico (25-3)
I love seeing a mid-major team this high in the rankings. If they can continue to win, while the teams above them lose, they could move into the top five, which would be one of the biggest surprises of all time.
8. Villanova (22-4)
The Wildcats are struggling, OK, yeah, they’ve lost a few, but they'll get back and be at top force soon. They'll definitely compete for the Big East title.
9. West Virginia (21-6)
Another Big East team is in the top 10, and is just as dangerous as the others. They have several strong guards, and, as long as they continue to win, they could move to a No. 1 seed.
10. Ohio State (21-7)
With Evan Turner back, I really think the Buckeyes are the top Big Ten team. If they stay healthy and can continue to play strong behind their superstar, they will be able to make a deep run in the playoffs.
11. Georgetown (18-7)
The Hoyas have had several strong wins, so you can’t deny them a top spot. Let’s hope things don’t turn out like they did for Connecticut or North Carolina.
12. Pittsburgh (19-6)
The Panthers fell out of the rankings, but now they are back. Still, their highlight was the triple overtime win over West Virginia. That was a momentum turner of their season, and now they have propelled back into the top 15.
13. Butler (25-4)
One of the few undefeated teams in conference, and I don’t care what the conference is, that is a tough task.
14. Brigham Young (25-3)
BYU hasn’t lost in a while, and, like I said earlier, as long as they don’t lose, this team will find themselves in a great postseason situation.
15. Vanderbilt (20-6)
The Commodores are officially the second-best team, in my mind, in the SEC. If they can just beat Kentucky, maybe the tides really have turned in the conference.
16. Michigan State (21-7)
The Spartans were always considered the top team in the Big Ten, but now look at them. As long as the all-American Kailin Lucas is back for the tournament, this team will be fine.
17. Wisconsin (20-7)
The Badgers as always are doing well at home, but they most win road games if they want to be considered a top team.
18. Tennessee (20-6)
The Volunteers win over Kansas keeps them this high on my list. Without that this team may even be farther down, but they could dangerous done the stretch.
19. Texas (21-6)
One word—OVERRATED!
20. Temple (22-5)
I feel like this team could even be higher, but the few conference wins really hurt them when a team is not in a major conference.
21. Gonzaga (22-5)
The ‘Zags can’t afford to lose anymore conference games because that will hurt them, and if they don’t win the conference they miss not making the tournament.
22. Texas A&M (19-7)
This team bounced back after a mid-season struggle. With their early season wins, and several conference victories, they should be fine come tournament time.
23. Richmond (22-6)
The Spiders are one of the many strong teams you don’t hear much about. They are fundamentally well-coached and boast a very balanced team. As is the case with all mid-majors, they can’t afford to lose any games as the season winds down.
24. Northern Iowa (24-3)
This team has been right on the boarder of the top 25. Now that they are back to their winning ways, they should be fine on Selection Sunday.
25. UTEP (20-5)
With the other teams from Texas struggling, this is one of the few that has surprised all critics. UTEP, for the first time in years, may be able to compete with Texas and Texas A&M.
On the bubble: Baylor (20-6), Virginia Tech (21-5), Wake Forest (18-7), Cornell (23-4), Xavier (19-7), Marquette (17-9), Utah State (22-6), Oklahoma State (19-7), Illinois (17-10), Connecticut (17-11)
Off the list: Wake Forest (18-7), Virginia Tech (21-5)
Newcomers: Northern Iowa (24), UTEP (25)
Jimmy Loomos, Maine South
