The BIAH Top 25's

We are now two weeks into the college hoops season, and as we have had a chance to see most of these teams play at least one game, it is time to unveil the BIAH top 25's.


Troy's

1. Kansas, 3-0 - Cole Aldrich looked like a monster against Memphis and Xavier Henry has been better than advertised, which I didn't think was possible. Now, if Elliot Williams hits that 3-pointer everything would be different. But he didn't and Kansas hung on for the victory. With the depth, talent and scoring potential this team has, Kansas is the most skilled team in the country at this point.

2. Michigan State, 4-0 - After the first half against Gonzaga, Michigan State did not look like a team deserving of the #2 ranking in the country. Not even a top ten ranking. But the way they fought back: forcing bad shots, executing fast breaks and hitting big shots shows that this team is for real. The big game experience the Spartans take out of that game against Gonzaga is huge. Many teams won't be in that type of a ball game until January and Michigan State showed very early that they can handle and overcome adversity.

3. Villanova, 5-0 - I have been more than impressed by Villanova's performance thus far. It seems like everything we said about this team in the preseason (key returners, good recruiting, depth) is playing out perfectly. Scottie Reynolds and Corey Fisher have been stellar, Taylor King has provided exactly what was asked of him, and when Jay Wright needs somebody to make a big shot, there are clearly allot of options for him to choose from - Isiah Armwood has only 2 points all year, and they were the game-winning points against George Mason.

4. Texas, 2-0 - Texas won't see fierce competition for a while, but thus far they have been taking care of business. Damion James is playing terrific basketball and they have more than a handful of players who can be affective scorers. They have a ton of size inside and I think they can easily be undefeated going into their December 19th match up with North Carolina.

5. Duke, 4-0 - I really like what I have seen from Duke thus far. Brian Zoubek has been dominating in the paint, and Singler and Scheyer have the ability to take over ball games. It will be interesting to see what happens when they struggle inside and are forced to play on the perimeter. But so far, so good. The Dukies round out the top five.

6. Kentucky, 4-0 - John Wall didn't get any first game jitters sinking that big shot, and Patrick Patterson is playing terrific basketball. This looks like the wildcat team that everybody in big blue nation was hoping for.

7. Syracuse, 4-0 - The hottest team in the country as of now. Wesley Johnson has officially made his presence known.

8. Purdue, 3-0 - They have allowed at least 60 points in each of their first three games and that doesn't bode well for their upcoming tilt with Tennessee. But so far they have showed that they can score points, and that is always a good thing.

9. Butler, 3-0 - Not as impressive as I would have hoped but Butler will have plenty of opportunities to show how good they really are. Their first test comes this week in the form of #18 Minnesota.

10. Tennessee, 4-0 - The scare against DePaul is confusing. But if anything, it showed that this team can grind out a close win as well as put up triple digits.

11. Washington, 4-0 - Quincy Pondexter and Isiah Thomas have been phenomenal so far, but what happens if they are struggling? Who is going to be able to step up?

12. Connecticut, 3-0 - As the Huskies get more experienced they will get much much better. I think this team can easily be in the Top 5 by the end of the season.

13. West Virginia, 1-0 - If Ebanks stays off the court for longer than expected, WVU could become very vulnerable. I'm not sold on them yet.

14. North Carolina, 4-1 - The loss to Syracuse itself isn't that bad. But I think the differential was. When the young Tar Heels start to click, I think we will see a much better ball club.

15. Louisville, 3-0 - A lot of teams have played sloppy basketball in the first week. None of them nearly as sloppy as Louisville. Foul trouble and poor defense has plagued the Cardinals thus far, but they have shown flashes of dominance throughout their early victories.

16. Michigan, 2-0
17. Minnesota, 3-0
18. Clemson, 3-0
19. Ohio State, 3-1
20. Illinois, 3-0
21. Vanderbilt, 2-0
22. Maryland, 3-0
23. Georgetown, 3-0
24. Georgia Tech, 3-1
25. Wake Forest, 3-0


Rob's

1.Kansas - True, Kansas struggled a bit against a better-than-expected Memphis team, but have the Jayhawks done anything to warrant a drop from the top? Cole Aldrich has played like a beast, Xavier Henry looks like he may challenge John Wall for the title of best freshman in the country, and Sherron Collins is still Sherron Collins. Combine that with a deep bench, and Bill Self's group is still the cream of the crop.

2. Michigan State - Michigan State is 4-0 this season, but they still have quite a few question marks. Despite back-to-back double-doubles, Delvon Roe is still far from the player that he was before his micro-fracture surgery. Raymar Morgan is battling an ankle injury. Derrick Nix has a bad case of free-throw-itis. Kalin Lucas, Durrell Summers, and the rest of the Spartan back court has been good enough early in the season to keep the Spartans undefeated, but MSU needs their front line to come around.

3. Texas - The Longhorns haven't played anyone in the early going, but I'm keeping them at third for one reason and one reason only - this is where they were in the pre-season. Sure, teams like Villanova and Purdue and Butler have some nice wins, but the Longhorns have done nothing but assure me that my thoughts on them from the pre-season were correct. They are scary big inside, and once someone steps up as a leader at the point (looks like J'Covan Brown is the early favorite), this team will give Kansas a run for their money in the Big XII.

4. Villanova - The Wildcats won a tough Puerto Rico Tip-off Tournament, beating the likes of George Mason, Dayton, and Ole Miss. The best part? They did it without Reggie Redding or Mouphtaou Yarou, and with Scottie Reynolds playing below his lofty expectations. The best sign for Nova early in the season is that Antonio Pena has been playing like a man possessed. Through five games, he is averaging 12.2 ppg and 11 rpg and has three double-doubles.

5. Kentucky - The Wildcats probably will be the best or second best team in the country by season's end, but right now they still have some problems to fix. Can DeMarcus Cousins play with focus for an entire game? Can Daniel Orton stay out of foul trouble? Will the Wildcats ever figure out how to play defense? Who is going to be the team's shooter? The one question that has been answered is if John Wall is for real: yes.

6. Syracuse - Yea, this bump is drastic, but I love what I have seen from Syracuse this season. They have been turning defense into offense as well as anyone in the country, and their the point guard spot has been played admirably by Jardine and Triche.

7. Purdue - The Boilermakers beat up on St. Joe's, but we will know a lot more about this team when we see them play Tennessee.

8. Tennessee - The Vols press is working this season, and with the athletes on that roster ... that's a scary thought. Ask UNC-Asheville.

9. Butler - The Bulldogs are 3-0 with three unimpressive wins. But two of those unimpressive wins are unimpressive road wins.

10. Duke - The Devils are 4-0 against inferior competition, but Jon Scheyer (four games, zero turnovers) and Nolan Smith have looked good.

11. West Virginia - The Mountaineers have played just one game, but there are questions as to when Devin Ebanks and Joe Mazzulla will finally suit up.

12. Washington - Quincy Pondexter has been fantastic through Washington's first four games, averaging 24.0 ppg and 12.0 rpg.

13. Minnesota - The Gophers have looked good in their three wins early on, but will finally get a real test on Thursday against Butler. Freshman Rodney Williams has made Gopher fans forget about Mbakwe and White.

14. Clemson - The Tigers have been steam-rolling opponents by 40. The scary part? The Tigers are shooting 45% from three.

15. UConn - Jerome Dyson has looked like a superstar at times, but the Huskies have been inconsistent this season.

16. North Carolina
17. Louisville
18. Michigan
19. Maryland
20. Illinois
21. Gonzaga
22. Georgetown
23. Vanderbilt
24. Ole Miss
25. Miami FL