1/11 - The BIAH Top 25's

This is the hardest ranking I think I've ever had to put together. With so many teams in and around the top 25 losing, I'm finding myself dissecting which losses are the most acceptable. There are other problems thrown in the mix as well. Is Tennessee really this good, or are they just riding a wave of emotion? Can I rank Wisconsin where they belong with the news that Leuer will be out indefinitely? Where does Ohio State fit into this mess with Evan Turner back? Where do you put one loss teams like BYU, Miami, and Baylor that have far-from-impressive resumes? What do you do with a team like Georgia Tech, who lost to Georgia on the road and beat Duke at home?

And this is what I've come up with: the top seven teams in the country are pretty obvious to me. After that, there are another six or seven teams that are a cut above the rest. The teams ranked 15-35? A crap shoot. I might as well put names on a dartboard and start throwing.

1. Texas
2. Kentucky
3. Kansas
4. Purdue
5. Villanova
6. Syracuse
7. Duke
8. Michigan State
9. West Virginia
10. Kansas State
11. Wisconsin
12. Georgetown
13. Pitt
14. Tennessee
15. Gonzaga
16. UNC
17. BYU
18. Ole Miss
19. Dayton
20. UNLV
21. Georgia Tech
22. UConn
23. Baylor
24. Temple
25. Northern Iowa


Troy's Top 25

1. Texas (15-0) - How happy must the Longhorns feel? They've played like a #1 team all year, but had to play second-fiddle to another undefeated Big-12 team. But not anymore. They remain one of two undefeated teams in the country, and while they clearly won't go the entire season without a loss, they are officially the best team in the country. They have a some-what easy week with a trip to Iowa State then a home game again the fickle Red Raiders of Texas Tech.

2. Kentucky (16-0) - They are one of two remaining teams that have unblemished records and a soft SEC schedule works in their favor. While they are undefeated they have looked anything but unbeatable. Yes they have one of the most talented teams in the country, but in nearly every one of their 16 games, they have struggled for lengthy stretches. John Wall needs to learn how to properly hydrate himself, DeMarcus Cousins needs to learn how to properly control himself, Eric Bledsoe needs to learn how to protect the ball, and the team as a whole needs to learn how to make a 10-foot jumper.

3. Kansas (14-1) - Should Kansas and their fans be concerned? Yes and no. The Jayhawks have struggled in back-to-back games against good-yet-inferior clubs. Having said this, it should be noted that for the past month, every team that has played Kansas has played them like it was a National Championship game. So even an under-manned, under-sized Volunteer squad was going in to Sunday's game playing like it was the last game of the season. But has anybody seen either Morris brother this past week? They combined for just 17 points in their last two games. That can't happen when Xavier Henry and Cole Aldrich struggle to score as well. And things don't get a lot easier for Bill Self's squad. The Big-12 is good this year, and KU has to finish January with games against Texas Tech, Baylor, Missouri and at Kansas State.

4. Purdue (14-1) - Wisconsin has got to be one of the toughest places to play at on the road, and as expected, Purdue suffered their first loss of the season. But there's no shame in losing to a very good and very underrated Badger team. For a team that prides themselves on defense as much as the Boilermakers do, it was concerning to see them get beaten so easily. Even Matt Painter said afterwards that the reason they lost is because they just couldn't make stops when they needed to. What also concerns Boilermaker fans is that the point guard scenario still hasn't been figured out and they are only in week one of conference play.

5. Villanova (14-1) - Well, Marquette just doesn't want to give the Wildcats an easy game no matter what. Scottie Reynolds hit a game winner a week ago against the warriors Golden Eagles, and this week gave up a twenty point lead before finally closing the lid on an improbably Marquette comeback.

6. Syracuse (15-1) - The Orange have put together two very good wins since their first loss of the season against Pittsburgh, beating both Memphis and South Florida by 17. 'Cuse also boasts fives players scoring in double-digits.

7. Duke (13-2) - Both losses have come on the road against top-25 teams. No shame in that. But The Blue Devils looked completely out of it against the Jackets. It is possible however that the Blue Devils boast the best back court in the country: Jon Scheyer and Nolan Smith. Well, at least Dickie V sees it that way. And I'm not one to argue with the man.

8. West Virginia (12-2) - If there is any team with the potential to hit a rough patch a la Georgetown last year in the Big East, it's WVU.

9. Michigan State (13-3) - They've won four games in a row since their loss to Texas and look to have solved most of their problems. With Purdue and Wisconsin making all the noise in the Big-10, the Spartans could run the tables rather quietly.

10. Wisconsin (13-3) - They boast two of the most high-profile wins of the season (undefeated Duke, undefeated Purdue). For what seems like the 35th year in a row, Bo Ryan has put together a stable, sound squad that can play with just about anybody in the country.

11. Tennessee (12-2) - They were dead in the water just 36 hours ago. Yes they beat Charlotte with a short squad, but I would never have predicted the W against Kansas even if Tyler Smith had used enterprise rental cars: "We'll Pick You Up". This was just reason #528316 why college basketball is amazing: when a team couldn't possibly have their backs anymore up against the wall, the walk-ons provide a boost to upset the #1 team in the country. Somebody call up Disney and tell them to start find some actors, we already have the script.

12. Georgetown (12-2) - I got to witness their 40-minute epic battle with UConn in person, and yes, it was as good if not better than what the writers were saying about it. Georgetown shows that they can rally back from 20+ points, something they will probably be expected to do again in the season. But again, we must reiterate Georgetown's glaring weakness: their bench. They played seven players on Saturday, and both of the subs were freshman. That's not good. Not good at all. Especially when you play in a 16-team mega-conference.

13. North Carolina (12-4) - The loss to Charleston hurts them more than indicated. The last road non-conference game before ACC play should be a cupcake game. It was suppose to be, but the Tar Heels showed their youth/lack of back court depth.

14. Kansas State (13-2) - The hype train is starting to slow down for the Wildcats, and the sideline interaction of coach Frank Martin caused a bit of controversy. But guard Jacob Pullen, when hot, is one of the best guards in the country. The Big-12 stacked with good teams, so they will have to stay consistent if they want to be in the top-15 when it counts: at the end of the year

15. Pittsburgh (13-2) - I thought Pittsburgh had the goods to be a top-25 team. It just took them a little longer than expected. You can now officially add their name to the ever-growing pool of possible Big East title contenders.

16. Ole Miss (12-3)
17. Gonzaga (12-3)
18. Georgia Tech (12-3)
19. UConn (11-4)
20. Dayton (12-3)
21. BYU 16-1)
22. Temple (13-3)
23. Clemson (13-3)
24. New Mexico (14-3)
25. Miami (15-1)