This morning, a new AP Top 25 poll dropped for men’s hoops. With that being said, I broke down some of the biggest risers and fallers in terms of conferences and tournament implications.
Mid-majors dominating
There are now three mid-majors in the top five. No. 2 Gonzaga, No. 4 San Diego State and No. 5 Dayton are all ranked high, deservedly so. Dayton’s two losses this season came in overtime against Kansas and Colorado, and well if you have not seen Obi Toppin play then I don’t know what to tell you. San Diego State is still undefeated through 26 games and has a good chance at ending the regular season perfect. Gonzaga is now joined in the Top 25 by WCC foe BYU, who checks in at No. 23. The Cougars will host the Zags on Saturday, bringing in the best three-point shooting team in the nation. Gonzaga blew out BYU 92-69 earlier in the year, but the Cougars were without Yoeli Childs, who was dealing with an injury. That game should be fun to watch, so stay tuned because later this week I will most likely be breaking down BYU.
B10 remains highly competitive
Despite only having three teams in this week’s Top 25, the Big 10 remains college basketball’s most competitive conference. Everyone beating each other has not helped the conference in terms of rankings, but it seems like every game has been entertaining. Illinois and Rutgers have fallen off a bit lately, but Ohio State seems to be finding ways to win once again. The Buckeyes are back at No. 25 and have won five of their last six games. Maybe my good friend Daniel Corrigan’s article fired up the Bucks. The other two ranked teams, No. 7 Maryland and No. 9 Penn State, have been red hot of late. The Terps look like a legit national title threat.
The Big East is LEGIT
Between No. 12 Villanova, No. 15 Creighton, No. 16 Seton Hall, No. 19 Marquette and No. 21 Butler, this year’s Big East Tournament is going to be must-watch television. The conference has the stars and the coaches to make the conference tournament just as exciting, if not more exciting, than the Big 10. This week alone, Creighton travels to Marquette and Butler goes to Seton Hall and Creighton. It’s hard to pick against Villanova, but I really like the way Seton Hall plays the game, led by Myles Powell. The Pirates are struggling lately, but I still think they have the tools to be a Final Four team.
The ACC continues to struggle
Duke (6), Florida State (8) and Lousiville (11) are the only ranked ACC teams remaining. Louisville has struggled recently, losing back-to-back games against Georgia Tech and Clemson. I still think Duke has a better chance at a Final Four than last season, but unless Virginia has a strong stretch run, this could be a historically low three-bid league on Selection Sunday.
Powerhouse matchup in the Big 12
If Kansas takes care of Iowa State and Baylor takes care of Oklahoma this week, we will have a great matchup on our hands Saturday. No. 1 Baylor has won 22 straight games, including a 67-55 win inside the Phog. No. 3 Kansas has used that loss as fuel, winning 10 straight. The two teams will meet again this Saturday at Baylor, with a noon tip. Be sure to set your alarms for that one. It’s a must-watch.