College Hoops

It may be a little stupid for me to reveal my top five teams at this point in the season considering Kansas has so many injuries and UNC has a tough week of games against Georgia Tech and fellow top five member Wake Forest. My one caveat to this list is I believe the ACC is the best conference in the country without doubt. Sure, the Big XII has Kansas which is in the top five and a serious top five contender in Oklahoma State, which is a battle tested team in every sense of the word but they can't hold up to the ACC. The Big XII is close though with Texas playing very well and Oklahoma is flying under the radar. Don't forget about the Sooners, they are well coached and could surprise people this season, like they did in an impressive home victory over UCONN. The Big Ten has one serious Final Four contender in Illinois and one dark horse in Michigan State, and the SEC and Big East just aren't consistent enough to challenge the Big XII or ACC. No other conferences impress me at all so none of their teams will be discussed until further notice. Okay, enough, onto the list.

5). Duke University Blue Devils- (11-0)

Let me first start by stating this ranking has nothing to do with Duke being my favorite team. It has more to do with the fact they play in the best conference in the country and Oklahoma State doesn't. Even though conference season has just started, Duke gets the nod. They haven't played as well as other Duke teams in recent memory but are still undefeated, so until that changes, they are number 5. I do think Oklahoma State has looked a little better than Duke has (I haven't been impressed with Duke at all this year) but again, Duke is unbeaten.

For those of you who want to see Duke off the list, you may not have to wait long as they play at N.C. State tomorrow and host Virginia on Sunday. Both of these games will be tough tests for the Blue Devils. N.C. State has always been a tough place for them to play and this is a game N.C. State looks forward to more than most others during the season. Keep a close eye on these games as Duke may go down in both. Until Shavlik Randolph plays like the forward everyone expects him to be, the thin Blue Devils have nothing more than an outside shot at reaching St. Louis, or even the Elite Eight.

4). Wake Forest University Demon Deacons- (13-1)

Since the blow-out loss at Illinois, Wake has played like the title contenders they were supposed to be at the beginning of the season. Chris Paul has recovered nicely from a poor performance against the Illini and has the offense running very smoothly. Wake Forest has a great chance to move up on the list as they play host to UNC this Saturday. Not only will this game be a matchup of two of the top teams in the country, it is also a battle of two of the top point guards in college basketball as Raymond Felton (UNC) battles sophmore sensation Paul.

I fully expect both of these teams to be in St. Louis at the end of the year and we will see very early if either or both will likely get there. This should be a great game so make sure you find a TV to watch this one. The only reason Wake isn't ahead of UNC is I just don't think they play as well as UNC does. Wake has a chance to prove me wrong early in the season and as a Duke fan I say, prove me wrong, please.

3). The University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill Tar Heels- (13-1)

Granted they have the same record as number 4 Wake Forest, and instead of losing to Illinois like Wake did, they lost to Santa Clara, UNC is still a better team right now. Again their season opened with a loss in Santa Clara, but like Stephen A. Smith would say, HOWEVA the Heels were without standout point guard Raymond Felton. He is like the Ryan Atwood of the Tar Heels. He just completes the team, makes the whole experience better, doesn't let any drama big or small disturb the team. Like Ryan does to the Cohens, Felton helps the Tar Heels keep their composure and get through tough times.

This team is very talented, has a great coach, and barring a major injury should waltz to St. Louis. The only thing holding them back could possibly be the Martin Scorsese of college basketball, Roy Williams. They have both had some great hits over the years (Scorsese with Casino, Goodfellas, and Gangs of New York, and Williams with those mid-90's teams and the teams of his last three years at Kansas) but neither can ever seem to get over the hump and claim the big prize. My guess is these two events will happen in the same year. Luckily for Williams, the Oscars occur first.

North Carolina will be able to show me if they deserve to move up after a tough week of basketball. First is the game tonight at home against top five contender Georgia Tech, and then of course the matchup with Wake on Saturday. After destroying Maryland 109-75 over the weekend, UNC has proven they are ready for conference play. Not only that, but this team will make noise all season. We may not be able to hear again until after the games in St. Louis.

2). The Kansas University Jayhawks- (11-0)

Following an impressive road win at Kentucky on Sunday, it was tough for me not to put Kansas number one. The thing keeping them back is the injuries. Sure, they have done a nice job playing through the injury to Wayne Simien, but how many more players can they lose and count on Bill Self to coach them through? Don't get me wrong, Self is a wonderful coach and has proven that in his two short years at Kansas, but no team can lose key players and make waves in the tournament.

With senior leaders Keith Langford (probable for tonight's game against Iowa State), Aaron Miles, and Simien (when healthy), this team could Rock, Chalk, and Jayhawk all the way to the Final Four. They have the experience and talent to get there, all they need is the health. With games coming up this week on the road against Iowa State and Colorado, the Jayhawks should be able to survive in spite of the injuries. Again very difficult for me not to put Kansas number one, but the team which is there definitely deserves it.

1). The University of Illinois Champagne-Urbana Fighting Illini- (16-0)

16-0 already? Yes they are. They deserve to be the number one team in the country because of the impressive victories they have had all season long. Let's start with destroying another team in the top five, Wake Forest. Wake was ranked number one in the country and plays in the best conference in the country and got killed by Illinois. The Illini have a great point guard in Dee Brown, an outstanding shooting guard in Deron Williams, and a solid big man in James Augustine. They should run through the Big Ten and be primed for the NCAA tourney by the time it rolls around.

The only thing which could stop the Illini this season other than injuries is an unforeseen upset by an inspired team in conference play. Look to a January 25 visit to Wisconsin to face the Badgers and the longest current home winning streak in the country. It is now at 37 and would be 38 in two weeks if they beat Michigan State. The other game the Illini need to look out for is February 1st date at Michigan State. Pass these two tests and we will all know the Illini are for real.

Illinois hosts Penn State tonight and plays at Northwestern on Saturday. I expect both of these games to be about as challenging as Illinois' run to the Final Four.

Watch out for Oklahoma State, Texas, Georgia Tech, and possibly even Syracuse (although that's a long shot)

-Until next time...