After two great rounds of college basketball, we now have the final sixteen teams of the NCAA tournament. Let's take a look at each matchup.
Midwest Region:
(9) Northern Iowa vs. (5) Michigan State
The Panthers are a huge Cinderella story after knocking off #1 seed Kansas, and they will take on Tom Izzo and his Michigan State Spartans. Kalin Lucas may have torn his Achilles against Maryland, and that will set back MSU. I still think the depth of MSU will lead them over Northern Iowa.
(6) Tennessee vs. (2) Ohio State
Ohio State has played well so far, but Tennessee has looked very good in their previous games, albeit against San Diego State and Ohio. I'll take the upset and predict a Tennessee win.
East Region:
(12) Cornell vs. (1) Kentucky
Cornell, the Ivy League champs, are one of the many Cinderella's left. With Kansas out, Kentucky is a very popular pick to win it all. I think the Big Red will stick with UK, but in the end, John Wall and Co. will pull out.
(11) Washington vs. (2) West Virginia
The Huskies are showing many people how good they can be, despite a tough season for Washington. West Virginia is a very solid team, and is definitely a contender for the title. As much as I want a Pac-10 team to win, I'll go with West Virginia in this one.
West Region:
(5) Butler vs. (1) Syracuse
Butler has looked good in their first two games, but Syracuse is getting a great contribution from star forward Wesley Johnson, who scored 31 points for them in their rout of eight seed Gonzaga in round 2. I'll take Syracuse over the Bulldogs.
(6) Xavier vs. (2) Kansas State
Xavier has been one of the most consistent teams in the country the past few years, reaching the sweet sixteen for the past three years. Kansas State has quietly been playing a great tournament, led by Jacob Pullen and Denis Clemente. I'll take K-State in a close one over Xavier.
South Region:
(4) Purdue vs. (1) Duke
Purdue slid by Texas A&M and Siena, and have looked different without standout forward Robbie Hummel. Duke has played very well in the tourney, and looks to be firing on all cylinders. I'll take Duke to advance into the elite eight.
(10) St. Mary's vs. (3) Baylor
Another Cinderella team, St. Mary's shocked many by stunning 2 seed Villanova in the second round. Baylor has been led by Tweety Carter, and have so far beaten expectations in the tournament. I'll take Baylor in a tight one.
Showing posts with label College Basketball. Show all posts
Showing posts with label College Basketball. Show all posts
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Thursday, March 18, 2010
NCAA Tournament Wrap Up: Thursday (3/18)
Sorry for the lack of posts recently, I've had a lot of basketball and school work. I will try to do a wrap up for each day of the tournament from now on, and starting tomorrow night I will rank the remaining teams in the tournament. Let's take a look at some of the games from this afternoon and evening.
East Region
(1) Kentucky 100, (16) East Tennessee State 71
Kentucky dominated this game and showed why they were a top-ranked seed. Eric Bledsoe led the Wildcats with 29 points and Patrick Patterson had 22. John Wall contributed with a double-double (17 points and 11 assists) to lead Coach John Calipari's team to a second round berth.
(11) Washington 80, (6) Marquette 78
The Pac-10 champion Huskies won this one in dramatic fashion, as senior Quincy Pondexter sunk a game-winner with 1.7 second left in the game. Marquette failed to make a field goal in the final 4:33 of the game. Pondexter had 18 points for Washington, and Isaiah Thomas had 19 points and eight assists.
(9) Wake Forest 81, (8) Texas 80 (OT)
A last second shot from Ishmael Smith won it for the Demon Deacons.
(3) New Mexico 62, (14) Montana 57
The Lobos avoided a huge upset from the Grizzlies.
Midwest Region
(9) Northern Iowa 69, (8) UNLV 66
The Panthers, conference champions of the Missouri Valley conference, took on the Runnin' Rebels in one of the more anticipated mid-major matchups of the day. Ali Farokhmanesh led UNI with 17 points and 3 assists. The Panthers will likely play a number one seed on Saturday barring a huge upset in tonight's Kansas-Lehigh game.
(14) Ohio 97, (3) Georgetown 83
In one of the major upsets of the day, the Ohio Bobcats topped Georgetown in a high scoring game. The Bobcats were led by Armon Bassett with 32 points and DJ Cooper with 23 points. The Bobcats will take on the winner of the Tennessee-San Diego State game.
(6) Tennessee 62, (11) San Diego State 59
A close game all the way through, Tennessee pushed through at the end with fastbreak points.
(1) Kansas 90, (16) Lehigh 74
Lehigh stuck in this game for most of the second half, but the Jayhawks pulled away.
South Region
(11) Old Dominion 51, (6) Notre Dame 50
Another loss in a rough day for Big East as the Fighting Irish fall to the Old Dominion Monarchs. Frank Hassell had 15 points and 9 rebounds for ODU.
(2) Villanova 73, (15) Robert Morris 70
Villanova avoids a huge upset.
(3) Baylor 68, (14) Sam Houston State 59
Baylor looked sharp in tourney debut
(10) Saint Mary's 80, (7) Richmond 71
St. Mary's led by Omar Samhan move to ply Villanova.
West Region
(7) BYU 99, (10) Florida 92 (2OT)
Shootout won by Jimmer Fredette and the Cougars.
(13) Murray State 66, (4) Vanderbilt 65
Major upset as the OVC champs top Vandy on a buzzer beater
(2) Kansas State 82, (15) North Texas 62
K-State looked in Final Four form with 20 point rout of the Mean Green
(5) Butler 77, (12) UTEP 59
Butler takes care of business against Miners who were a popular upset pick.
East Region
(1) Kentucky 100, (16) East Tennessee State 71
Kentucky dominated this game and showed why they were a top-ranked seed. Eric Bledsoe led the Wildcats with 29 points and Patrick Patterson had 22. John Wall contributed with a double-double (17 points and 11 assists) to lead Coach John Calipari's team to a second round berth.
(11) Washington 80, (6) Marquette 78
The Pac-10 champion Huskies won this one in dramatic fashion, as senior Quincy Pondexter sunk a game-winner with 1.7 second left in the game. Marquette failed to make a field goal in the final 4:33 of the game. Pondexter had 18 points for Washington, and Isaiah Thomas had 19 points and eight assists.
(9) Wake Forest 81, (8) Texas 80 (OT)
A last second shot from Ishmael Smith won it for the Demon Deacons.
(3) New Mexico 62, (14) Montana 57
The Lobos avoided a huge upset from the Grizzlies.
Midwest Region
(9) Northern Iowa 69, (8) UNLV 66
The Panthers, conference champions of the Missouri Valley conference, took on the Runnin' Rebels in one of the more anticipated mid-major matchups of the day. Ali Farokhmanesh led UNI with 17 points and 3 assists. The Panthers will likely play a number one seed on Saturday barring a huge upset in tonight's Kansas-Lehigh game.
(14) Ohio 97, (3) Georgetown 83
In one of the major upsets of the day, the Ohio Bobcats topped Georgetown in a high scoring game. The Bobcats were led by Armon Bassett with 32 points and DJ Cooper with 23 points. The Bobcats will take on the winner of the Tennessee-San Diego State game.
(6) Tennessee 62, (11) San Diego State 59
A close game all the way through, Tennessee pushed through at the end with fastbreak points.
(1) Kansas 90, (16) Lehigh 74
Lehigh stuck in this game for most of the second half, but the Jayhawks pulled away.
South Region
(11) Old Dominion 51, (6) Notre Dame 50
Another loss in a rough day for Big East as the Fighting Irish fall to the Old Dominion Monarchs. Frank Hassell had 15 points and 9 rebounds for ODU.
(2) Villanova 73, (15) Robert Morris 70
Villanova avoids a huge upset.
(3) Baylor 68, (14) Sam Houston State 59
Baylor looked sharp in tourney debut
(10) Saint Mary's 80, (7) Richmond 71
St. Mary's led by Omar Samhan move to ply Villanova.
West Region
(7) BYU 99, (10) Florida 92 (2OT)
Shootout won by Jimmer Fredette and the Cougars.
(13) Murray State 66, (4) Vanderbilt 65
Major upset as the OVC champs top Vandy on a buzzer beater
(2) Kansas State 82, (15) North Texas 62
K-State looked in Final Four form with 20 point rout of the Mean Green
(5) Butler 77, (12) UTEP 59
Butler takes care of business against Miners who were a popular upset pick.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
NCAA Tournament Predictions
It's Selection Sunday in the college basketball world, and with conference championships wrapping up today, it's all leading up to the Selection Show tonight on CBS at 3 Pacific time. Let's take a look at who I think will make it into the Big Dance.
In the Field
America East: Vermont (1)
ACC: Duke, Clemson, Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, Florida State, Maryland (6)
A Sun: East Tennessee State (1)
A-10: Temple, Xavier, Richmond (3)
Big East: West Virginia, Villanova, Syracuse, Georgetown, Pitt, Marquette (6)
Big Sky: Montana (1)
Big South: Winthrop (1)
Big 10: Ohio State, Michigan State, Purdue, Wisconsin, Illinois (5)
Big 12: Kansas, Texas, Kansas State, Baylor, Missouri, Texas A&M, Oklahoma State (7)
Big West: UCSB (1)
CAA: Old Dominion, William and Mary (2)
C-USA: Houston, UTEP (2)
Horizon: Butler (1)
Ivy: Cornell (1)
MAAC: Siena (1)
MAC: Ohio (1)
Mid-East: Morgan State (1)
MVC: Northern Iowa (1)
MWC: San Diego State, New Mexico, UNLV, BYU (4)
Northeast: Robert Morris (1)
Ohio Valley: Murray State (1)
Pac-10: Washington, California (2)
Patriot: Lehigh (1)
SEC: Kentucky, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Mississippi State, Florida (5)
Southern: Wofford (1)
Southland: Sam Houston State (1)
SWAC: Arkanas-Pine Bluff (1)
Summit: Oakland (1)
Sun Belt: North Texas (1)
WCC: St. Mary’s, Gonzaga (2)
WAC: New Mexico State, Utah State (2)
The Big 12 gets the most teams with 7, while the ACC, Big 10, and Big East each get 6 teams in. The Mountain West gets 4 teams, and a few mid-majors get more than one team. The WAC got two teams, and so did the Colonial Athletic. These are just predictions, and I will post later with my thoughts on the tournament field once it is announced.
EDIT: Minnesota just played themselves out the tournament with a 90-61 loss to Ohio St in the Big 10 championship. The top 65 has been adjusted to reflect this, as Florida is now in.
In the Field
America East: Vermont (1)
ACC: Duke, Clemson, Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, Florida State, Maryland (6)
A Sun: East Tennessee State (1)
A-10: Temple, Xavier, Richmond (3)
Big East: West Virginia, Villanova, Syracuse, Georgetown, Pitt, Marquette (6)
Big Sky: Montana (1)
Big South: Winthrop (1)
Big 10: Ohio State, Michigan State, Purdue, Wisconsin, Illinois (5)
Big 12: Kansas, Texas, Kansas State, Baylor, Missouri, Texas A&M, Oklahoma State (7)
Big West: UCSB (1)
CAA: Old Dominion, William and Mary (2)
C-USA: Houston, UTEP (2)
Horizon: Butler (1)
Ivy: Cornell (1)
MAAC: Siena (1)
MAC: Ohio (1)
Mid-East: Morgan State (1)
MVC: Northern Iowa (1)
MWC: San Diego State, New Mexico, UNLV, BYU (4)
Northeast: Robert Morris (1)
Ohio Valley: Murray State (1)
Pac-10: Washington, California (2)
Patriot: Lehigh (1)
SEC: Kentucky, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Mississippi State, Florida (5)
Southern: Wofford (1)
Southland: Sam Houston State (1)
SWAC: Arkanas-Pine Bluff (1)
Summit: Oakland (1)
Sun Belt: North Texas (1)
WCC: St. Mary’s, Gonzaga (2)
WAC: New Mexico State, Utah State (2)
The Big 12 gets the most teams with 7, while the ACC, Big 10, and Big East each get 6 teams in. The Mountain West gets 4 teams, and a few mid-majors get more than one team. The WAC got two teams, and so did the Colonial Athletic. These are just predictions, and I will post later with my thoughts on the tournament field once it is announced.
EDIT: Minnesota just played themselves out the tournament with a 90-61 loss to Ohio St in the Big 10 championship. The top 65 has been adjusted to reflect this, as Florida is now in.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
March Madness Blind Resume Game: Part 1
Today I've decided to play a game one this blog. I'll give you three teams who are on the bubble, give you the strength of schedule, RPI rank, overall record, and conference record. In the comments, tell me which one of the three teams would make it to the tournament if it came down to those three.
Team A
Overall Record: 17-14
Conference Record: 7-11
RPI: 55
SOS: 3
Team B
Overall Record: 22-8
Conference Record: 11-5
RPI: 33
SOS: 73
Team C
Overall Record: 24-5
Conference Record: 11-3
RPI: 45
SOS: 142
In the comments, tell me which of the teams you believe should make the tournament. Remember only pick one. After a few comments I'll reveal the identity of the three teams.
Team A
Overall Record: 17-14
Conference Record: 7-11
RPI: 55
SOS: 3
Team B
Overall Record: 22-8
Conference Record: 11-5
RPI: 33
SOS: 73
Team C
Overall Record: 24-5
Conference Record: 11-3
RPI: 45
SOS: 142
In the comments, tell me which of the teams you believe should make the tournament. Remember only pick one. After a few comments I'll reveal the identity of the three teams.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Welcome to the Madness: ETSU Buccanneers
The 3rd spot in the NCAA tournament has been claimed by Atlantic Sun champion East Tennessee State Buccanneers. Let's take a look at their season.
ETSU Bucs
Record: (20-14 Overall, 13-7 Conference)
Conference: Atlantic Sun
Regular Season Finish: 5th Place
The Bucs repeat as tournament champions this year after a first round loss to 1 seeded Pittsburgh last year. The Bucs are back for more and will look to try and advance past the first round. The Bucs also have 3 players who average double figures in points per game.
Players to Watch:
G Tommy Hubbard - 14.1 PPG, 8.3 RPG
G Micah Williams - 12.5 PPG
G Justin Tubbs - 11.8 PPG
ETSU should look to be a pretty low seed with their 20-14 record, and most likely will lose in the first round. Congrats on making the NCAA's!
Welcome to the Madness: Winthrop Eagles
After another conference champion is crowned, there are now two teams locked into the NCAA tournament field. The Winthrop Eagles have joined the dance, so let's take a look at their season.
Winthrop Eagles
Record: (19-13 Overall, 12-6 Conference)
Conference: Big South
The Eagles return to the tournament after missing it last year after a 4 year streak of making the NCAA's. Winthrop beat Coastal Carolina, the favorites by far who led the conference this season. The Eagles resume isn't that good, with no major wins against anybody of note. Expect them to get a 13 or 14 seed on Selection Sunday.
Player to Watch:
G Reggie Middleton - 10.4 PPG, 3.0 APG
Congrats to the Winthrop Eagles on making the 2010 NCAA Tournament! Mercer and ETSU are in the second half of their championship game for the A-Sun at the time of posting, so a post should come up soon about that game.
Welcome to the Madness: Cornell Big Red
With many conferences coming to a close, I'm going to try to get through every automatic bid for conference champions. The first of 31 has clinched their spot in the NCAA tournament, so let's take a look at Cornell's season.
Cornell Big Red
Record: (26-4 Overall, 12-1 Conference)
Conference: Ivy League
The Big Red came into the season projected as the Ivy League champs, which usually doesn't give a team national buzz. But the Big Red did exactly that with probably the most impressive loss of any non-power conference school. They went into Allen Fieldhouse and took on the #1 Kansas Jayhawks and were up by 4 with a minute left. Despiet leaving with a loss, Cornell came as close as anyone had to beating Kansas at home in 3 years. The Big Red did not break their stride getting into conference play, and was ranked in the top 25 at one point. Despite a surprise loss to Penn late in the year, the Big Red took down their main competition for first in the conference in Harvard and Princeton. The Big Red are definitely a Cinderella to watch in the tournament.
Player to watch:
F Ryan Wittman - 17.4 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 41.2 3PT%
After today's games, we will have three more teams being added to the tournament field with the Big South championship game (Winthrop-Coastal Carolina), Atlantic Sun (East Tennessee St-Mercer) and the Ohio Valley title game (Morehead St-Murray St). Check back later tonight or early tomorrow for posts about those champions.
Monday, February 22, 2010
College Basketball Power Rankings 2/22
The rankings are back this week, after I was sick last week and by the time I had recovered, several big name teams had been upset, making rankings from a poll on Monday seem pointless. Let's take a look at the top 25 of the week, compiled by averaging the teams' ranks in the AP poll, the USA Today Poll, the Sagarin Ratings, and the RPI.
1. Kansas (AP: 1, USA: 1, Sagarin: 1, RPI: 1)
2. Kentucky (2, 2, 3, 4)
3. Syracuse (4, 4, 2, 4)
4. Duke (5, 5, 3, 2)
5. Purdue (3, 3, 6, 7)
6. Kansas State (6, 6, 7, 6)
7. West Virginia (8, 7, 5, 5)
8. Villanova (7, 8, 8, 8)
9. Georgetown (11, 13, 12, 12)
10. Pittsburgh (12, 13, 16, 9)
11. New Mexico (10, 12, 22, 11)
12. BYU (13, 11, 9, 22)
13. Ohio State (9, 9, 13, 31)
14. Vanderbilt (16, 20, 19, 10)
15. Wisconsin (17, 19, 11, 19)
16. Tennessee (19, 17, 18, 14)
17. Butler (15, 10, 26, 18)
18. Temple (20, 18, 21, 16)
19. Texas (21, 21, 10, 24)
20. Texas A&M (22, 23, 23, 13)
21. Baylor (25, 27, 14, 15)
22. Michigan State (14, 14, 27, 28)
23. Gonzaga (18, 15, 31, 25)
24. Northern Iowa (25, 22, 33, 17)
25. Maryland (28, 28, 20, 37)
Kansas retains it's number one spot, being ranked first in all 4 polls. Kentucky has climbed back to the second slot, while Villanova falls to eighth after a loss to UCONN. New Mexico just misses out on a top ten spot, while Richmond (23, 24, 40, 27) sits just outside the top 25. Let's take a look at the conference breakdown.
Big 12 (5)
Big East (5)
Big 10 (4)
SEC (3)
ACC (2)
MWC (2)
Horizon (1)
MVC (1)
WCC (1)
A-10 (1)
Check back next week for updated rankings after what looks to be an exciting week of college basketball.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Updated College Basketball Power Rankings
Some upsets last week as well as some great conference matchups will change the rankings pretty drastically. New teams are constantly popping up on the radar, and what started as a spreadsheet of 30 teams has expanded to 40 teams. The list is created by averaging 4 major systems of rankings college basketball teams, the AP poll, the ESPN poll, the RPI ratings, and the Sagarin ratings. This provides an interesting mix because the AP and ESPN are human rankings, while the RPI and Sagarin are computer rankings, which place more importance of strength of schedule. Let's take a look at the top 25.
1. Kansas (AP:1, ESPN:1, Sagarin:1, RPI: 1)
2. Syracuse (2, 3, 2, 2)
3. Kentucky (3, 2, 6, 6)
4. West Virginia (5, 4, 4, 4)
5. Villanova (4, 5, 5, 5)
6. Duke (8, 7, 3, 3)
7. Purdue (6, 6, 8, 11)
8. Kansas State (9, 9, 7, 7)
9. Georgetown (7, 8, 12, 8)
10. Wisconsin (11, 13, 9, 9)
11. Michigan State (10, 10, 14, 15)
12. Tennessee (12, 12, 13, 18)
13. Texas (14, 14, 11, 22)
14. New Mexico (15, 19, 18, 10)
15. BYU (17, 17, 10, 21)
16. Gonzaga (16, 11, 21, 24)
17. Butler (18, 15, 24, 16)
18. Vanderbilt (22, 24, 20, 12)
19. Ohio State (13, 16, 16, 37)
20. Northern Iowa (19, 18, 33, 14)
21. Georgia Tech (20, 20, 22, 25)
22. Temple (21, 21, 26, 19)
23. Baylor (24, 26, 15, 26)
24. Wake Forest (28, 32, 19, 17)
25. Pittsburgh (25, 23, 30, 23)
Kansas has maintained their spot at number one this week, while the Big East teams under them have swapped spots. UNLV and Texas A&M fell just short, with Pitt's higher AP rankings breaking the tie between Texas A&M and the Panthers. Enjoy the week of college basketball!
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Super Saturday
Saturday showed some great matchups between ranked teams, and we learned about top teams, and conferences. Let's take a look at some of the games from Saturday.
(6) Georgetown 103, (3) Villanova 90
In the premier matchup of the day, the Georgetown Hoyas topped Villanova in front a nearly empty Verizon Center due to the blizzard outside. Inside, the two teams scored a blizzard of points, with Austin Freeman and Jason Clark each had over 20 points to lead the Hoyas to victory. Villanova heads to Morgantown as part of a brutal 2 game stretch in the Big East for them.
Oklahoma 80, (11) Texas 71
Texas lost this rivalry game, and never was really in this one. Perhaps they were looking ahead to Monday's game against Kansas, but Oklahoma came out to play against the Longhorns. Tommy Mason-Griffin led the Sooners with 24 points, leading them to victory. Texas will play (1) Kansas next Monday.
UNLV 88, (12) BYU 72
UNLV took control of this game early, and the 12th ranked BYU Cougars struggled throughout the game against a tough Mountain West opponent. Tre'von Willis led the Rebels with 33 points, and UNLV play (17) New Mexico at home next week, a chance to solidify themselves as contenders in the Mountain West.
Conference on the rise:
A-10: The A-10 has 6 teams in the top 60 in the Sagarin ratings, and each have legimate non-conference wins. Xavier topped Cincinnati and lost on a questionable call to Butler, Temple beat Villanova, Charlotte beat Louisville, Rhode Island beat Oklahoma State and Akron, Richmond beat Florida, and Dayton beat Georgia Tech. All 6 teams have a decent chance of making the tournament, and this conference is definitely on the rise.
Super Bowl Sunday is tomorrow, so the next post will be tomorrow night about the game. The next college basketball post will be Monday with updated power rankings.
(6) Georgetown 103, (3) Villanova 90
In the premier matchup of the day, the Georgetown Hoyas topped Villanova in front a nearly empty Verizon Center due to the blizzard outside. Inside, the two teams scored a blizzard of points, with Austin Freeman and Jason Clark each had over 20 points to lead the Hoyas to victory. Villanova heads to Morgantown as part of a brutal 2 game stretch in the Big East for them.
Oklahoma 80, (11) Texas 71
Texas lost this rivalry game, and never was really in this one. Perhaps they were looking ahead to Monday's game against Kansas, but Oklahoma came out to play against the Longhorns. Tommy Mason-Griffin led the Sooners with 24 points, leading them to victory. Texas will play (1) Kansas next Monday.
UNLV 88, (12) BYU 72
UNLV took control of this game early, and the 12th ranked BYU Cougars struggled throughout the game against a tough Mountain West opponent. Tre'von Willis led the Rebels with 33 points, and UNLV play (17) New Mexico at home next week, a chance to solidify themselves as contenders in the Mountain West.
Conference on the rise:
A-10: The A-10 has 6 teams in the top 60 in the Sagarin ratings, and each have legimate non-conference wins. Xavier topped Cincinnati and lost on a questionable call to Butler, Temple beat Villanova, Charlotte beat Louisville, Rhode Island beat Oklahoma State and Akron, Richmond beat Florida, and Dayton beat Georgia Tech. All 6 teams have a decent chance of making the tournament, and this conference is definitely on the rise.
Super Bowl Sunday is tomorrow, so the next post will be tomorrow night about the game. The next college basketball post will be Monday with updated power rankings.
Monday, February 1, 2010
College Basketball Power Rankings 2/1
With a new week of college basketball approaching us, let's take a look at the top 25 teams in the country. This list was compiled by finding the average between 4 major ranking systems, the AP poll, the USA Today/ESPN poll, the Sagarin Ratings, and the RPI. Let's take a look:
1. Kansas (AP:1, USA Today: 1, Sagarin: 1, RPI: 1)
2. Syracuse (3, 4, 2, 2)
3. Villanova (2, 2, 4, 4)
4. Kentucky (4, 3, 6, 6)
5. West Virginia (6, 6, 5, 7)
6. Georgetown (7, 8, 9, 3)
7. Duke (10, 9, 3, 5)
8. Michigan State (5, 5, 13, 10)
9. Purdue (8, 7, 11, 10)
10. Kansas State (10, 10, 10, 8)
11. Texas (9, 10, 8, 19)
12. BYU (12, 12, 7, 17)
13. Wisconsin (16, 16, 12, 14)
14. Vanderbilt (18, 20, 15, 9)
15. Tennessee (14, 14, 16, 20)
16. Temple (19, 17, 19, 15)
17. New Mexico (15, 23, 24, 13)
18. Butler (23, 15, 22, 18)
19. Gonzaga (13, 8, 35, 24)
20. Baylor (20, 24, 14, 25)
21. Ohio State (13, 18, 20, 33)
22. Georgia Tech (21, 19, 21, 26)
23. Northern Iowa (24, 22, 28, 16)
24. Pittsburgh (22, 21, 30, 21)
25. Wake Forest (30, 30, 25, 24)
Just missing the cut:
Rhode Island (32, 33, 36, 12)
Cornell (27, 25, 29, 35)
Clemson (34, 27, 26, 37)
As you can see, Kansas maintained its top spot from last week, while UCONN and Ole Miss failed to stay in the top 25. The largest gain of the week goes to New Mexico, gaining six spots from 23 to 17.
Game of the week: Saturday, (3) Villanova at (6) Georgetown
Check back next week for the new rankings!
1. Kansas (AP:1, USA Today: 1, Sagarin: 1, RPI: 1)
2. Syracuse (3, 4, 2, 2)
3. Villanova (2, 2, 4, 4)
4. Kentucky (4, 3, 6, 6)
5. West Virginia (6, 6, 5, 7)
6. Georgetown (7, 8, 9, 3)
7. Duke (10, 9, 3, 5)
8. Michigan State (5, 5, 13, 10)
9. Purdue (8, 7, 11, 10)
10. Kansas State (10, 10, 10, 8)
11. Texas (9, 10, 8, 19)
12. BYU (12, 12, 7, 17)
13. Wisconsin (16, 16, 12, 14)
14. Vanderbilt (18, 20, 15, 9)
15. Tennessee (14, 14, 16, 20)
16. Temple (19, 17, 19, 15)
17. New Mexico (15, 23, 24, 13)
18. Butler (23, 15, 22, 18)
19. Gonzaga (13, 8, 35, 24)
20. Baylor (20, 24, 14, 25)
21. Ohio State (13, 18, 20, 33)
22. Georgia Tech (21, 19, 21, 26)
23. Northern Iowa (24, 22, 28, 16)
24. Pittsburgh (22, 21, 30, 21)
25. Wake Forest (30, 30, 25, 24)
Just missing the cut:
Rhode Island (32, 33, 36, 12)
Cornell (27, 25, 29, 35)
Clemson (34, 27, 26, 37)
As you can see, Kansas maintained its top spot from last week, while UCONN and Ole Miss failed to stay in the top 25. The largest gain of the week goes to New Mexico, gaining six spots from 23 to 17.
Game of the week: Saturday, (3) Villanova at (6) Georgetown
Check back next week for the new rankings!
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Kentucky Falls to South Carolina; K-State and Sparty Squeak By
South Carolina 68, Kentucky 62
The Kentucky Wildcats, the unanimous number 1 in the AP and Coaches poll, and number 3 in the power rankings lasted just over a day. The top-ranked Wildcats went into Columbia to play against South Carolina, led by 5-foot-9 G Devan Downey. Downey was dominant throughout the night, scoring 30 points against the Wildcats. Kentucky struggled offensively, scoring only 62 points and getting scoring contributions from 6 guys. John Wall had a good game, but late fouls and fumbled passes cost the game for Kentucky. With the Wildcats defeated, Kansas and Syracuse should fight for the top spot, with Kansas taking number 1.
Kansas State 76, Baylor 74
Kansas State survived a tough road game against Baylor, and the Wildcats showed up against the rising Bears. K-State was led by star G Jacob Pullen, who had 25 points for the Wildcats in the victory. Tweeny Carter was the leading scorer for Baylor, putting up 23 points in the losing effort. Kansas State had a tough loss last week after upsetting Texas, losing to Oklahoma State on Saturday. The Wildcats finish off the toughest week of the year on Saturday against Kansas.
Michigan State 57, Michigan 56
The Spartans survived a scare on the road against in-state rival Michigan. Kalin Lucas hit the GW shot for Michigan State. The Woleverines played a great game, with DeShawn Sims scoring 19 and Manny Harris for 16. Michigan State is off to their best start in conference play, at 8-0. Michigan falls to .500 at 10-10 this season. The Spartans will probably be in the top 3 next week barring a setback on Saturday against Northwestern.
3 top teams faced tough matchups today, and the number 1 team in the land fell to a conference opponent. Next week there should be a new number one, unless one of the top teams falls on Saturday. Enjoy the rest of the week!
The Kentucky Wildcats, the unanimous number 1 in the AP and Coaches poll, and number 3 in the power rankings lasted just over a day. The top-ranked Wildcats went into Columbia to play against South Carolina, led by 5-foot-9 G Devan Downey. Downey was dominant throughout the night, scoring 30 points against the Wildcats. Kentucky struggled offensively, scoring only 62 points and getting scoring contributions from 6 guys. John Wall had a good game, but late fouls and fumbled passes cost the game for Kentucky. With the Wildcats defeated, Kansas and Syracuse should fight for the top spot, with Kansas taking number 1.
Kansas State 76, Baylor 74
Kansas State survived a tough road game against Baylor, and the Wildcats showed up against the rising Bears. K-State was led by star G Jacob Pullen, who had 25 points for the Wildcats in the victory. Tweeny Carter was the leading scorer for Baylor, putting up 23 points in the losing effort. Kansas State had a tough loss last week after upsetting Texas, losing to Oklahoma State on Saturday. The Wildcats finish off the toughest week of the year on Saturday against Kansas.
Michigan State 57, Michigan 56
The Spartans survived a scare on the road against in-state rival Michigan. Kalin Lucas hit the GW shot for Michigan State. The Woleverines played a great game, with DeShawn Sims scoring 19 and Manny Harris for 16. Michigan State is off to their best start in conference play, at 8-0. Michigan falls to .500 at 10-10 this season. The Spartans will probably be in the top 3 next week barring a setback on Saturday against Northwestern.
3 top teams faced tough matchups today, and the number 1 team in the land fell to a conference opponent. Next week there should be a new number one, unless one of the top teams falls on Saturday. Enjoy the rest of the week!
Monday, January 25, 2010
College Basketball Top 25 Power Rankings
College basketball season is in high gear, and the top 25 has been consistently changing. To compile my power rankings, I have taken the average of 4 rankings systems, the AP poll, the coaches poll, the Sagarin ratings, and the RPI. For some teams, like Syracuse, who has a high RPI, this helped them. But for a team like Michigan State, their RPI of 14 affected their power ranking.
Here is the Top 25:
1. Kansas (AP: 2, Coaches 2, Sagarin: 1, RPI: 2)
2. Syracuse (4, 4, 2, 1)
3. Kentucky (1, 1, 6, 7)
4. Villanova (3, 3, 5, 4)
5. Duke (8, 7, 3, 3)
6. Texas (6, 6, 5, 9)
7. West Virginia (9, 9, 8, 5)
8. Georgetown (7, 11, 10, 6)
9. Michigan State (5, 5, 13, 14)
10. Purdue (10, 12, 9, 12)
11. Kansas St. (11, 13, 11, 8)
12. BYU (12, 10, 7, 22)
13. Wisconsin (16, 16, 12, 10)
14. Temple (15, 15, 15, 11)
15. Tennessee (14, 14, 14, 15)
16. Gonzaga (13, 8, 17, 24)
17. Pittsburgh (17, 17, 20, 20)
18. Vanderbilt (21, 23, 24, 16)
19. UCONN (19, 19, 31, 18)
20. Ole Miss (18, 20, 19, 31)
21. Georgia Tech (22, 22, 25, 29)
22. Wake Forest (29, 30, 16, 23)
23. New Mexico (23, 27, 30, 19)
24. Baylor (24, 29, 18, 30)
25. Butler (30, 18, 28, 25)
As you can see, some teams have higher power rankings than their AP ranking (Vandy, Butler, Wake Forest) because of their RPI and Sagarin ratings. Others (Gonzaga, Michigan State, Kentucky) are hurt by poor RPI and Sagarin ratings. Now let's take a look at the conference breakdown.
Big East (6)
SEC (4)
Big 10 (4)
Big 12 (3)
ACC (3)
MWC (2)
WCC (1)
A-10 (1)
Horizon (1)
So far, the Big East leads college basketball with 6 teams in the top 25. Only 5 teams have managed to crack the top 25 from non-power conferences, but many, such as Northern Iowa, UAB, and Cornell are right at the doorstep of the top 25 power rankings.
Game to watch: January 26, (11) Kansas State at (24) Baylor
Enjoy this weekend of college basketball! Come back next Monday for new rankings!
Here is the Top 25:
1. Kansas (AP: 2, Coaches 2, Sagarin: 1, RPI: 2)
2. Syracuse (4, 4, 2, 1)
3. Kentucky (1, 1, 6, 7)
4. Villanova (3, 3, 5, 4)
5. Duke (8, 7, 3, 3)
6. Texas (6, 6, 5, 9)
7. West Virginia (9, 9, 8, 5)
8. Georgetown (7, 11, 10, 6)
9. Michigan State (5, 5, 13, 14)
10. Purdue (10, 12, 9, 12)
11. Kansas St. (11, 13, 11, 8)
12. BYU (12, 10, 7, 22)
13. Wisconsin (16, 16, 12, 10)
14. Temple (15, 15, 15, 11)
15. Tennessee (14, 14, 14, 15)
16. Gonzaga (13, 8, 17, 24)
17. Pittsburgh (17, 17, 20, 20)
18. Vanderbilt (21, 23, 24, 16)
19. UCONN (19, 19, 31, 18)
20. Ole Miss (18, 20, 19, 31)
21. Georgia Tech (22, 22, 25, 29)
22. Wake Forest (29, 30, 16, 23)
23. New Mexico (23, 27, 30, 19)
24. Baylor (24, 29, 18, 30)
25. Butler (30, 18, 28, 25)
As you can see, some teams have higher power rankings than their AP ranking (Vandy, Butler, Wake Forest) because of their RPI and Sagarin ratings. Others (Gonzaga, Michigan State, Kentucky) are hurt by poor RPI and Sagarin ratings. Now let's take a look at the conference breakdown.
Big East (6)
SEC (4)
Big 10 (4)
Big 12 (3)
ACC (3)
MWC (2)
WCC (1)
A-10 (1)
Horizon (1)
So far, the Big East leads college basketball with 6 teams in the top 25. Only 5 teams have managed to crack the top 25 from non-power conferences, but many, such as Northern Iowa, UAB, and Cornell are right at the doorstep of the top 25 power rankings.
Game to watch: January 26, (11) Kansas State at (24) Baylor
Enjoy this weekend of college basketball! Come back next Monday for new rankings!
Sunday, January 17, 2010
NCAA College Basketball Conference Preview
With college basketball getting into conference play, let's take a look at each conference, and who we might see getting that automatic bid come tournament time. Here's who I predict will win each conference.
America East: Vermont Catamounts (13-5, 4-0) - The Catamounts have impressive victories over Rutgers and Boston U, and have played 14 of their 18 games on the road. Senior F Marqus Blakely leads the team in scoring as they head into America East conference play.
ACC: Clemson Tigers (15-3, 3-1) - Clemson has played well in conference play, beating UNC by a good margin, and a good victory over Butler. They play a tough ACC schedule, but I think they will pull out over Duke and UNC.
Atlantic Sun: Campbell Fighting Camels (11-5, 6-1) - Campbell does not have many impressive wins, but in a struggling A-Sun conference, they should be able to win the conference.
A-10: Xavier Musketeers (12-5, 4-0) - The Musketeers have played a strong schedule, with wins over Cincinnati and a controversial one-point loss to Butler. The Musketeers are definitely a team to watch down the stretch.
Big East: Syracuse Orange (17-1, 4-1) - The Orange have played a great schedule, defeating Cal, UNC, Florida, and West Virginia. The Orange will play a tough Big East schedule, playing Georgetown and UCONN. The Orange are definitely a force.
Big Sky: Northern Colorado Bears (16-4, 5-2) - The Bears have topped TCU, Hawaii, and Air Force, as well as playing Oklahoma very tough. They also beat Weber State, who will likely be their only competition out of the Big Sky.
Big South: Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (17-3, 7-1) - The Chanticleers have played well this season, their biggest loss came against Duke, but they should be able beat out their competition.
Big 10: Michigan State Spartans (15-3, 5-0) - The Spartans are experienced after their run to the championship game last season. Wins over Wisconsin and Northwestern top their list of victories, and Big 10 play will always be difficult, but the Spartans seem to have the edge.
Big 12: Kansas Jayhawks (16-1, 2-0) - The Jayhawks have one loss to Tennessee, but they have played well against every single opponent besides the loss. Texas has a tough game coming up against UCONN, and if both teams remain undefeated through conference play, the February 8th matchup between the two will likely decide the winner.
Big West: Pacific Tigers (10-6, 3-1) - Pacific had a tough loss to UCSB, one of their main competitors, but good wins over Fresno State and San Diego St. give them the advantage.
Colonial Athletic: Old Dominion Monarchs (14-5, 6-1) - Good wins over Drexel and Georgetown give ODU a great edge over other strong teams in the competitive CAA.
C-USA: UAB Blazers (15-2, 3-0) - The Blazers have always been the #2 team in CUSA behind Memphis, but with the Tigers having a down year, look for UAB to win the conference.
Horizon League: Butler Bulldogs (14-4, 7-0) - The Bulldogs played a vicious non-conference schedule, managin wins against Ohio State and Xavier. The Horizon League looks to be theirs to lose.
Ivy League: Cornell Big Red (15-3, 1-0) - Cornell is having a great season, with a win over Alabama, as well as playing Kansas as tough as anyone in the country. They will face tough competition from a stout Harvard team, but should take the title in the Ivy League.
Metro-Atlantic: Siena Saints (14-4, 7-0) - Siena was a tournament team last year, and many think they will be one of the top mid-majors in the tourney again this year. They should win this conference easily.
MAC: Akron Zips (12-5, 2-1) - Akron has some great games against bad teams, but against good teams they have struggled. They are very talented, and have a good chance of winning, but could struggle down the stretch.
Mid-Eastern: Morgan State Golden Bears (11-7, 4-0) - The Golden Bears played Louisville hard, and have had many other wins. They won't face much competition in the Mid-Eastern this season.
Missouri Valley: Northern Iowa Panthers (16-1, 7-0) - Northern Iowa is the best team in the MVC, and could be one of the top mid-majors in the country. They should win the MVC handily.
Mountain West: BYU Cougars (18-1, 3-0) - BYU is having a great season, despite a disappointing loss to Utah State, but they have some solid games including wins over Arizona State, Fresno State, and UNLV. BYU should win the MWC.
Northeast: Quinnipiac Bobcats (11-6, 5-1) - Quinnipiac will face a tough competitor in Robert Morris, but is easily the best team in the conference.
Ohio Valley: Murray State Racers (16-3, 8-0) - Murray State is the best team in the OVC, and should not face any trouble from any teams in their conference.
Pac-10: California Golden Bears (11-6, 3-2) - Cal had a tough non-conference schedule, but in a down Pac-10, their talent should put them over the top.
Patriot League: Army Golden Knights (11-6, 1-2) - Army has played a great season, beating Harvard and shocking most of basketball by starting the year well. They should be able to win the Patriot League.
SEC: Kentucky Wildcats (18-0, 3-0) - Kentucky is lead by great PG play from John Wall, and is one of the top teams in the country. They should compete for the national title this season.
Southern: Western Carolina Catamounts (14-3, 4-1) - A good win over Louisville highlights Western's schedule, and they should be able to take this conference easily.
Southland: Sam Houston State Bearkats (10-5, 2-0) - The Bearkats played Kentucky tough, and should be a top team in the Southland, but UTSA could present some challenges.
SWAC: Texas Southern Tigers (7-9, 3-1) - The SWAC is one of the worst conferences in college basketball, and Texas Southern is probably the best team in a very weak conference.
Summit: Oakland (Mich.) Grizzlies (13-7, 7-0) - Oakland had a tough December, but roared back to win 7 straight in January. The Grizzles should win the Summit league this season.
Sun Belt: Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (11-5, 4-1) - The Hilltoppers have been a strong tournament team in recent years, and should make it again this season. The Hilltoppers will face competition from South Alabama, another strong team.
West Coast: Gonzaga Bulldogs (14-3, 3-0) - Gonzaga is consistently a top team, and with Patty Mills gone from St. Mary's, no team in this league can compete with them.
WAC: Louisiana Tech (17-2, 5-0) - Louisiana Tech is having a great year, with their only losses coming against solid teams in New Mexico and Arizona. They should beat out New Mexico State for the conference title.
This year of college basketball looks to be a good one, and with conference play coming up, rivalries and great match ups will come up every week.
America East: Vermont Catamounts (13-5, 4-0) - The Catamounts have impressive victories over Rutgers and Boston U, and have played 14 of their 18 games on the road. Senior F Marqus Blakely leads the team in scoring as they head into America East conference play.
ACC: Clemson Tigers (15-3, 3-1) - Clemson has played well in conference play, beating UNC by a good margin, and a good victory over Butler. They play a tough ACC schedule, but I think they will pull out over Duke and UNC.
Atlantic Sun: Campbell Fighting Camels (11-5, 6-1) - Campbell does not have many impressive wins, but in a struggling A-Sun conference, they should be able to win the conference.
A-10: Xavier Musketeers (12-5, 4-0) - The Musketeers have played a strong schedule, with wins over Cincinnati and a controversial one-point loss to Butler. The Musketeers are definitely a team to watch down the stretch.
Big East: Syracuse Orange (17-1, 4-1) - The Orange have played a great schedule, defeating Cal, UNC, Florida, and West Virginia. The Orange will play a tough Big East schedule, playing Georgetown and UCONN. The Orange are definitely a force.
Big Sky: Northern Colorado Bears (16-4, 5-2) - The Bears have topped TCU, Hawaii, and Air Force, as well as playing Oklahoma very tough. They also beat Weber State, who will likely be their only competition out of the Big Sky.
Big South: Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (17-3, 7-1) - The Chanticleers have played well this season, their biggest loss came against Duke, but they should be able beat out their competition.
Big 10: Michigan State Spartans (15-3, 5-0) - The Spartans are experienced after their run to the championship game last season. Wins over Wisconsin and Northwestern top their list of victories, and Big 10 play will always be difficult, but the Spartans seem to have the edge.
Big 12: Kansas Jayhawks (16-1, 2-0) - The Jayhawks have one loss to Tennessee, but they have played well against every single opponent besides the loss. Texas has a tough game coming up against UCONN, and if both teams remain undefeated through conference play, the February 8th matchup between the two will likely decide the winner.
Big West: Pacific Tigers (10-6, 3-1) - Pacific had a tough loss to UCSB, one of their main competitors, but good wins over Fresno State and San Diego St. give them the advantage.
Colonial Athletic: Old Dominion Monarchs (14-5, 6-1) - Good wins over Drexel and Georgetown give ODU a great edge over other strong teams in the competitive CAA.
C-USA: UAB Blazers (15-2, 3-0) - The Blazers have always been the #2 team in CUSA behind Memphis, but with the Tigers having a down year, look for UAB to win the conference.
Horizon League: Butler Bulldogs (14-4, 7-0) - The Bulldogs played a vicious non-conference schedule, managin wins against Ohio State and Xavier. The Horizon League looks to be theirs to lose.
Ivy League: Cornell Big Red (15-3, 1-0) - Cornell is having a great season, with a win over Alabama, as well as playing Kansas as tough as anyone in the country. They will face tough competition from a stout Harvard team, but should take the title in the Ivy League.
Metro-Atlantic: Siena Saints (14-4, 7-0) - Siena was a tournament team last year, and many think they will be one of the top mid-majors in the tourney again this year. They should win this conference easily.
MAC: Akron Zips (12-5, 2-1) - Akron has some great games against bad teams, but against good teams they have struggled. They are very talented, and have a good chance of winning, but could struggle down the stretch.
Mid-Eastern: Morgan State Golden Bears (11-7, 4-0) - The Golden Bears played Louisville hard, and have had many other wins. They won't face much competition in the Mid-Eastern this season.
Missouri Valley: Northern Iowa Panthers (16-1, 7-0) - Northern Iowa is the best team in the MVC, and could be one of the top mid-majors in the country. They should win the MVC handily.
Mountain West: BYU Cougars (18-1, 3-0) - BYU is having a great season, despite a disappointing loss to Utah State, but they have some solid games including wins over Arizona State, Fresno State, and UNLV. BYU should win the MWC.
Northeast: Quinnipiac Bobcats (11-6, 5-1) - Quinnipiac will face a tough competitor in Robert Morris, but is easily the best team in the conference.
Ohio Valley: Murray State Racers (16-3, 8-0) - Murray State is the best team in the OVC, and should not face any trouble from any teams in their conference.
Pac-10: California Golden Bears (11-6, 3-2) - Cal had a tough non-conference schedule, but in a down Pac-10, their talent should put them over the top.
Patriot League: Army Golden Knights (11-6, 1-2) - Army has played a great season, beating Harvard and shocking most of basketball by starting the year well. They should be able to win the Patriot League.
SEC: Kentucky Wildcats (18-0, 3-0) - Kentucky is lead by great PG play from John Wall, and is one of the top teams in the country. They should compete for the national title this season.
Southern: Western Carolina Catamounts (14-3, 4-1) - A good win over Louisville highlights Western's schedule, and they should be able to take this conference easily.
Southland: Sam Houston State Bearkats (10-5, 2-0) - The Bearkats played Kentucky tough, and should be a top team in the Southland, but UTSA could present some challenges.
SWAC: Texas Southern Tigers (7-9, 3-1) - The SWAC is one of the worst conferences in college basketball, and Texas Southern is probably the best team in a very weak conference.
Summit: Oakland (Mich.) Grizzlies (13-7, 7-0) - Oakland had a tough December, but roared back to win 7 straight in January. The Grizzles should win the Summit league this season.
Sun Belt: Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (11-5, 4-1) - The Hilltoppers have been a strong tournament team in recent years, and should make it again this season. The Hilltoppers will face competition from South Alabama, another strong team.
West Coast: Gonzaga Bulldogs (14-3, 3-0) - Gonzaga is consistently a top team, and with Patty Mills gone from St. Mary's, no team in this league can compete with them.
WAC: Louisiana Tech (17-2, 5-0) - Louisiana Tech is having a great year, with their only losses coming against solid teams in New Mexico and Arizona. They should beat out New Mexico State for the conference title.
This year of college basketball looks to be a good one, and with conference play coming up, rivalries and great match ups will come up every week.
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