College Basketball: Weekly Top 25 Review

Matthew Ryter — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 08:01:29 -0800

The Story: It’s no surprise that Kansas and Kentucky remain in the top two spots in both polls. The Jayhawks, who received all but one first place vote in the Coaches’ poll, won a close battle against Texas A&M before handling Colorado relatively easily. Kentucky on the other hand had a harder week. The Wildcats won two games on the road, beating Mississippi State by six in overtime followed by a thriller at Vanderbilt. Last week’s No. 3 team, Villanova, falls to No. 7/8 after losing two in a row to Connecticut and Pittsburgh. Purdue, Syracuse, and Duke round out the top five thanks to Villanova’s departure. Gonzaga falls six spots to No. 15 in the Coaches’ poll after losing at Loyola Marymount. Georgetown and Michigan State also dropped a few spots in both polls. Ohio State, previously No. 9 in the AP poll, has now also cracked the top 10 in the Coaches’ poll. The Buckeyes split their games last week, losing at home to Purdue, but they bounced back to beat Michigan State on the road. Wake Forest is the only team to fall off of the AP poll this week and is replaced by Northern Iowa (who lost a shocker to MVC low-life Evansville last night). Wake and Baylor fall from the Coaches’ poll and are replaced by Richmond and UTEP.

Polls: AP & Coaches’

Ryter’s Block: I haven’t brought this up in awhile, but here goes…Why can’t both polls get on the same page? Butler is No. 10 in the Coaches’ and No. 15 in the AP. Vanderbilt is No. 20 in the Coaches’ and No. 16 in the AP. A 1-3 spot differential is relatively acceptable, but 5 spots for Butler? Come on. 5? There shouldn’t be that much of a difference. (Which one do you think is more appropriate, or are both off?)

How good is John Wall? The block he made in the closing seconds at Vanderbilt that led to a Kentucky victory was amazing. Please take the time to watch it. He doesn’t bite on the pump fake (which enabled Vandy to hit a 3 on the possession before from the corner), stays on the ground and rises just as Vandy’s John Jenkins rises to shoot. You can try to teach this stuff as a coach, but that play was made by Wall’s instincts. He’s a game changer, we all know that, but instinctively he’s got what it takes to lead Kentucky deep into March.

I realize the Big East beats up one another because it is such a deep conference. However, I wrote last week that it was ridiculous that Georgetown was ranked in the top 10. Well, they lost again, granted it was to Syracuse, but manage to only fall one spot in the AP poll. Really? This team has no depth. They rely too heavily on their starters and if Monroe is in foul trouble, it equals disaster for the Hoyas. They should be lower in the polls at (18-7, 8-6). They're good enough to beat mediocre teams like Louisville last night, but aren’t consistent enough to be just outside of the top 10.

Connecticut pulled off a much needed win at home against West Virginia Monday night. If the Huskies win out, they’ll finish 10-8 in the Big East and that may be enough to get them in. Do you think they deserve to be in field?

Enough rambling…here’s a look at this week’s games….

Wednesday, February 24:

Dayton at #18 Temple

#23 Texas A&M at Baylor

Saturday, February 27:

#2 Kentucky at #17 Tennessee

#8 Villanova at #4 Syracuse

Missouri at #6 Kansas State

#12 New Mexico at #11 BYU

#21 Texas at #23 Texas A&M

Illinois State at #22 Northern Iowa

Sunday, February 28:

#14 Michigan State at #3 Purdue

Weekly Top 25 Review: How is Georgetown Top 10?

Matthew Ryter — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 13:38:05 -0800

The Story: Kansas and Kentucky remain the top two teams in the Coaches’ poll this week, while every other spot within the Top 25 changed. Kentucky also moved up one spot to earn No. 2 honors in the AP poll. Villanova, No. 3 this week, has already been upset at home by Connecticut and will likely drop out of the top 5 in next week’s polls. Purdue, after an impressive performance at Michigan State, is No. 4, while Syracuse falls to No. 5 after losing at home to Louisville. Ohio State (No. 9/12) moved up four spots in both polls and are riding a six game winning streak. However, the Buckeyes face a tough week as they play host to Purdue (Wednesday, 2/17) before traveling to Michigan State (Sunday, 2/21). Georgetown drops to No. 10 in both polls after losing at Rutgers. Fellow Big East powerhouse, West Virginia, drops out of the top 5 to No. 8 after losing to Villanova and Pittsburgh. Georgia Tech and UNLV have dropped from both polls. Cornell has fallen from the Coaches’ poll after losing at Penn. The Quakers, 4-16 on the season, defeated the Big Red by fifteen points last week in a game that’s being dubbed “upset of the year.” Northern Iowa, previous No. 19 in the AP poll, has dropped from the rankings after losing at Bradley. Texas A&M and Wake Forest are newcomers in both polls this week, while Richmond (AP) and Baylor (Coaches’) each join in separate polls.

Polls: AP and Coaches’

Ryter’s Block: This is a huge week for Ohio State. After watching All-American Evan Turner fall during a dunk attempt earlier in the season, it seemed as if we could count out the Buckeyes for making a run in the Big Ten. Turner then came back earlier then expected and currently sit ½ a game out of first place behind Michigan State and Purdue, both of whom they play this week. Can they get mentally prepared for both games? Buckeyes fans sure hope so. Realistically, they can take one of two, however I see them winning both and shaking up the Big Ten race. Is Texas finally out of their “slump”? It seems as if the Longhorns have been heading in the wrong direction ever since they earned a No. 1 ranking. They face a very tough Mizzou team this Wednesday. Hopefully they can build off of their 40 point win against Nebraska. How is Georgetown ranked in the top 10? They may be the most schizophrenic team in the nation. They beat up on Duke, lose to South Florida (at home), beat Villanova, and struggle against Providence, before finally losing at Rutgers. You can’t lose to Rutgers and still be ranked in the top 10. You just can’t.

Here are some games to watch this week…

Wednesday, February 17:

#4 Purdue at #12 Ohio State

#17 Texas at Missouri

Thursday, February 18:

#5 Syracuse at #10 Georgetown

Saturday, February 20:

#2 Kentucky at #19 Vanderbilt

Illinois at #4 Purdue

#7 Kansas State at Oklahoma

Siena at #13 Butler

Sunday, February 21:

#3 Villanova at #21 Pittsburgh

#12 Ohio State at #11 Michigan State

Top 25 Commentary: Big East Has 4 in Top 8

Matthew Ryter — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 06:12:19 -0800

The Story: After a nine week run, which began with the preseason rankings, Kansas is back on top of both polls. The Jayhawks were able to move into the No. 1 spot after previously unbeaten Kentucky lost at South Carolina. The Wildcats drop to No. 3. Led by Villanova, No. 2, the Big East has four teams ranked in the top eight. Syracuse (No. 3/ 4), West Virginia (No. 6), and Georgetown (No. 7/ 8) are the others. Texas, ranked No. 1 two weeks ago, fell from No. 6 to No. 9/ 10 and have lost 3 of their last 5 games. Purdue has climbed five spots to No. 7 in the Coaches’ poll, while Gonzaga after losing to San Francisco, falls five spots to No. 13. After its impressive win over Texas, Connecticut has lost three straight conference games, and went from No. 19 in both polls, to unranked. Mississippi and Clemson join the Huskies in falling off of this week’s Coaches’ poll. New Mexico, Baylor, and Cornell are the newcomers in the Coaches’ poll this week. Butler and Northern Iowa replace Connecticut and UAB in the AP poll.

Polls: AP & Coaches’

Ryter’s Block: Every year there are debates on what conference is the nation’s best. Every year analysts, writers and ‘experts’ try to go against the grain and pick against the Big East. Coming into the season I was convinced that this would be a down year for the usual elite conference. I talked myself into the ACC and the Big 12, but now there is no doubt that the Big East reigns supreme. The Big East highlights five teams in the Top 25, with four of them in the top eight. Aside from Rutgers and DePaul, any team can win on any given night. South Florida used to be in that discussion, but Dominique Jones and the Bulls are riding a 3 game winning streak. Jones has scored 37, 28, and 46 in the past 3 games.

How far have UConn and UNC fallen? Both teams are considered bubble teams for the tournament. Although UNC, 13-8 (2-4), is relatively young and lost a ton of talent off of last year’s NCAA Champion squad, it would be a great disappointment if they didn’t get an at large bid. The Tarheels need to turn things around fast. They were a bit overrated to start the season; however I still believe that they will bounce back and have no problem earning a bid to the Dance.

BYU and Temple are coming off of a loss last week and are ranked too high this week. Even though Vanderbilt lost to Kentucky, they should be ahead of Temple in both polls. I love seeing the small schools get a shot at the rankings and this week features Cornell at No. 25 in the Coaches’ poll. The Big Red are 18-3 (4-0), with their three losses coming from Kansas, Syracuse, and Seton Hall.

Games to watch this week…

Tuesday, February 2:

#5 Michigan State at #16 Wisconsin

Wednesday, February 3:

#21 Pittsburgh at #6 West Virginia

Wichita State at #21 Northern Iowa

Thursday, February 4:

#19 Georgia Tech at #9 Duke

Saturday, February 6:

#2 Villanova at #8 Georgetown

#12 BYU at UNLV

South Carolina at #14 Tennessee

Weekly Top 25 Commentary: Six ACC Teams Ranked

Matthew Ryter — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 08:08:05 -0800

The Story: Who will be the last unbeaten team? Texas or Kentucky? For the first time this season, Kansas is not the No. 1 team in the country. No. 1 Texas and No. 2 Kentucky are the only teams to remain unbeaten and are the only teams to gain first place votes this week. Six teams from last week’s top 10 suffered a loss this week, highlighted by previous No. 1 Kansas losing at Tennessee. Amidst controversy, dismissals, and suspensions, the Volunteers move up to No. 9/10 after defeating the Jayhawks. Purdue, Duke, West Virginia, North Carolina, and Kansas State all suffered a loss this week, which enabled Villanova (No. 4) and Syracuse (No. 5) to jump into this week’s top 5. New Mexico is the only team to fall off both polls, previously No. 15/14, after losing twice last week to San Diego State and UNLV. Texas Tech joins the Lobos as the only other team to drop from the AP poll, while pre-season Pac 10 favorite Washington is dropped from the Coaches’ poll. Two ACC teams, Miami and Clemson, are the newcomers on this week’s AP poll. Pittsburgh and Baylor are now ranked in the Coaches’ poll.

Polls: AP & Coaches’

Ryter’s Block: Surprise, surprise…both polls can’t agree on anything. The AP poll has Pitt at No. 16 and Coaches’ have them at No. 20. The AP has Clemson at No. 24 while the Coaches’ have them ranked at No. 19. The most bizarre ranking this week is Miami (FL) who broke into this week’s AP poll at No. 23, yet the Coaches’ poll has them as the 11^th “other teams receiving votes” or No. 36. That’s 13 spots! I know they never agree on anything, but I had to point that out…anyway…let’s focus on some teams. After ranting about Tennessee last week and how I couldn’t imagine them rebounding after the loss of senior leader Tyler Smith, they go out and beat No. 1 Kansas. This is a great win for them, not only for the polls, but it helped them gain confidence. With that said, I still don’t seem them contending for the SEC title, I think the dismissal of Smith will haunt them and cost them a few SEC wins. Wisconsin has the best home-court advantage in the country. They have beaten Duke, Marquette, Ohio State, and Purdue at home this season. I wouldn’t want to play them on the road. The ACC has six teams ranked in the top 25 and may be the deepest conference in the nation. The Big East also has six teams currently ranked in the Top 25, however they have 16 teams in their conference and still have Rutgers and South Florida sitting in the basement.

Will Texas and Kentucky remain unbeaten after week’s end? They each face a tough test this week…here’s what to watch for…

Monday, January 11

#4 Villanova at Louisville

Tuesday, January 12

#2 Kentucky at Florida

Wednesday, January 13

#13 North Carolina at #19 Clemson

#20 Pittsburgh at #15 Connecticut

Saturday, January 16

Texas A&M at #1 Texas

#5 Syracuse at #9 West Virginia

#23 Mississippi at #10 Tennessee

#18 Georgia Tech at #13 North Carolina

Weekly Top 25 Commentary: Pittsburgh Surges

Matthew Ryter — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 07:51:19 -0800

The Story: There are currently four unbeaten teams, Kansas, Texas, Kentucky, and Purdue, and they are the top four teams in the country for the 2nd week in a row. Two previously undefeated teams, Syracuse and West Virginia, both fell to No. 7 and No. 8 respectively. Their Big East losses enabled Duke and Villanova to climb up to No. 5 and No. 6 this week. Ohio State is beginning to feel the effects of losing Evan Turner. The Buckeyes lost twice this week to rival Big Ten opponents, Wisconsin and Michigan, and have dropped from both polls after being ranked No. 15 last week. UAB, Clemson and Northwestern join Ohio State as the other teams to fall from the AP poll. Northwestern, who earned its first ranking in the AP poll since 1969, started conference play with two consecutive losses. Texas Tech was the only team, joining Ohio State, to fall from the Coaches’ poll. Temple and BYU are newcomers to both polls this week, while Georgia Tech and Pittsburgh join the AP poll.

Polls: AP & Coaches’

Ryter’s Block: Pittsburgh and Jamie Dixon seem to land one great college point guard after another. Ashton Gibbs (CollegeHoops.net's Player of the Week) turned in two great performances this week (23 points, 7 boards, 4 assists vs. DePaul and 24 points and 8 boards vs. Syracuse) to land the Panthers in this week’s top 25. How is Pitt ranked in the AP poll, but not the Coaches’? They should be ranked in place of Butler (10-4). Another individual performance worth noting that helped land their team in this week’s polls is BYU’s Jimmer Fredette. Fredette dropped 49 points at Arizona in leading the Cougars to a 30-point blowout win. The Evan Turner injury has finally caught up to the Buckeyes, or so it seems. I realize they played two consecutive conference games on the road, but with Turner I think they come out with a victory in one of those games.

Ryter’s Rant: Although Tennessee is still ranked (No. 16/15) they took the biggest hit this week. Four players, including Tyler Smith were suspended indefinitely after being charged with gun possession and other counts. The other counts include possession of marijuana and an open container. What’s the deal with guns recently? Delonte West, Gilbert Arenas and now this. We see the marijuana/alcohol issue more often and it’s a common mistake among college kids to “experiment” with partying. This is what college is for, to get the partying out of your system. (Note: I’m not condoning the use of marijuana or any drug, but the media and fans and even police officers are more apt to turn their heads the other way when kids are caught at a party with drugs or alcohol.) However, when there is a gun in play, this is a completely different issue altogether. Where drug abuse, you mainly are causing harm to yourself (unless operating a vehicle), carrying a gun is on a different level. I am commenting on this before knowing all the details, but as their senior leader, Tyler Smith should have avoided this situation. Tennessee had a legitimate shot at the SEC title this year. They seemed to be the only contender aside from Kentucky. Now with what has taken place it seems as if the Wildcats should have no problem capturing the conference crown.

Here are the games to watch this week, highlighted by a jam packed Saturday…

Wednesday, January 6

#20 Wisconsin at #11 Michigan State

#12 Georgetown at Marquette

Saturday, January 9

#4 Purdue at #20 Wisconsin

#5 Duke at #17 Georgia Tech

#8 West Virginia at Notre Dame

#13 Connecticut at #12 Georgetown

UNLV at #14 New Mexico

#23 BYU at UTEP

Weekly Top 25 Commentary: Northwestern's Debut

Matthew Ryter — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 12:58:33 -0800

The Story: Northwestern, No. 25, has earned its first AP ranking since January 1969. The Wildcats have won nine straight since losing to Butler and are one of four new teams this week to earn an AP ranking. Kansas is no longer the unanimous No. 1 team in the Coaches’ poll as Texas earned more first place votes in both polls this week. The Longhorns earned three first place votes in the Coaches’ poll and eleven, up from seven, in this week’s AP poll. The top 8 teams remained the same, with the top six remaining unbeaten. Michigan State’s loss to Texas dropped them two spots in both polls to No. 11. Despite not playing a game this week, Gonzaga has managed to fall off the AP poll, but jumped up two spots to No. 22 in the Coaches’ poll. Texas A&M lost their second leading scorer and senior leader, Derrick Roland, for the season with a compound fracture in his right leg. The Aggies also fell from this week’s AP poll. Florida and Butler also fall from this week’s AP poll. Previously unranked Florida State, Wisconsin, and UAB join Northwestern as newcomers to this week’s AP poll. Florida State and Texas Tech replace Florida and UNLV in the Coaches’ poll.

Polls: AP & Coaches’

Ryter’s Block: Northwestern is the only team from a BCS conference to never earn an NCAA tournament bid. They are hoping to change that this year. After Kevin Coble, their leading scorer, went down in mid-November with a foot injury, their chances of playing in the Big Dance seemed to be on hold yet again. However the rest of the team, behind Michael Thompson’s 16.7 ppg and 3.8 apg, has picked up their game and has this team on its longest winning streak in 16 years. They start conference play on the road this week in Illinois (12/30). Let’s see if they can continue streaking. I have no issue with Gonzaga dropping off of the AP poll, however I find it almost comical that they fell off one poll, yet moved up two spots in another. How can they move up in the rankings when the last game they played was a blowout loss to Duke? It makes zero sense. I tend to agree more with the AP poll each week anyway, and this makes an even stronger case for that. Is USC for real? They’ve beaten Tennessee at home and then went to Hawaii where they won the Diamond Head Classic with a win over then-ranked UNLV. They could very well challenge Washington as the top team in the Pac-10.

Games to watch:

Tuesday, December 29

#5 Syracuse at Seton Hall

#24 Texas Tech at #17 New Mexico

Wednesday, December 30

#10 Connecticut at Cincinnati

Northwestern at Illinois

Thursday, December 31

#15 Ohio State at Wisconsin

Oklahoma at #22 Gonzaga

Friday, January 1

#6 West Virginia at #4 Purdue

Saturday, January 2

#1 Kansas at #19 Temple

Louisville at #3 Kentucky

Sunday, January 3

#18 Clemson at #7 Duke

Weekly Commentary: Top 25 Polls

Matthew Ryter — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 07:36:31 -0800

The Story: Kansas and Texas remain in the top two spots, while Kentucky climbs up to No. 3 in both polls. The Wildcats received one first place vote in each poll. The other teams that received first place votes in the AP poll were Texas, one vote and No. 5 Syracuse, two votes. Villanova, last week’s No. 3 team, fell to No. 8/9 after losing to Temple on Sunday. Wisconsin is the only team to drop out of both polls after an overtime loss to Green Bay. Texas A&M and Cincinnati, after its loss to Xavier yesterday, are the other two teams to drop out of this week’s Coaches’ poll, however both remain No. 23 and No. 25 respectively on the AP poll. UNLV lost to a red hot Kansas State team and falls from the AP poll, but remains on the Coaches’ poll at No. 23. After beating UNLV and Xavier this past week, Kansas State has jumped onto both polls at No. 17/22. New Mexico, 10-0, has also earned its way to a No. 19 ranking in both polls after beating Texas A&M this week.

Polls: AP & Coaches

Ryter’s Block: A quick rant…How good is John Wall? Kentucky turned to Wall down the stretch against Connecticut and he delivered. Dick Vitale stated that Wall is better then Derrick Rose…right now. At first, I disagreed with that assessment, but after watching him finish off the Huskies, it may very well be close. Okay, onto the polls…both polls actually agree on the top 7 teams this week and its spot on. Georgetown and Carolina should swap spots at No. 10 and No. 11. Carolina has played a tougher schedule thus far, however the Hoyas are undefeated. Kansas State, with the backcourt of Jacob Pullen and Dennis Clemente, had the best week out of any team in beating Xavier and UNLV. I look for them to continue to climb and for them finish third in the big 12, behind Kansas and Texas. The Pac-10 has one ranked team. Washington is No. 24/21 and is in danger of dropping out of the rankings entirely if they don’t get some help outside of Pondexter and Thomas (combined 42.5 ppg). Lastly, Butler picked up a big win against Ohio State, however the Buckeyes are without Evan Turner. It was good for them to bounce back after a loss to Georgetown, but will they keep it going against Xavier this week?…my guess is yes.

Don’t get off your couch on Saturday…

Saturday, December 19^th

Michigan at #1 Kansas

#10 North Carolina vs. #2 Texas

#15 Gonzaga vs. #7 Duke

Xavier at #17 Butler

#20 Texas Tech at Wichita State

#22 Kansas State at Alabama

Who will win this week’s biggest matchup, UNC or Texas? Who will be upset this week? Post your comments below.

College Basketball: Top 25 Commentary

Matthew Ryter — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 16:32:35 -0800

The Story: Kansas and Texas remain in the top two spots as the AP and Coaches’ poll agree on the top 5 teams in the land. Kansas received all 31 first place votes in the Coaches’ poll and landed 62 out of 65 first place votes in the AP poll. Texas (No. 2), Villanova (No. 3), and Syracuse (No.6/7) each received one first place vote in the AP poll. Kentucky is No. 4 in both polls after beating its toughest test, North Carolina, 68-66. The Tarheels fall to No. 10/11 after taking the loss at Rupp Arena. Purdue rounds out the top 5 with wins over Wake Forest and Buffalo this week. Washington (No. 17/16) dropped a few spots this week after losing a thriller in overtime at Texas Tech. Wisconsin (No.20/23) got a huge win and some respect by beating Duke this week in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Joining Wisconsin as newcomers in this week’s AP poll are Texas Tech (No. 23), Georgia Tech (No. 24), and Mississippi (No. 25). Three guards were out as Louisville got blown out at home by Charlotte and drop from both polls this week. Clemson, Florida State, and Portland all fell from the AP poll and California was dropped out of the Coaches’ poll. Previously unranked Vanderbilt is now No. 25 in the Coaches’ poll.

This Week's Polls: AP & Coaches

Ryter’s Block: Where’s the love for Texas Tech in the Coaches’ poll? The Red Raiders have the most votes out of any unranked team in the Coaches’ poll, but I thought after that win against Washington that they would have cracked the rankings in both polls. No one expected this team to start the season off 8-0; they should be rewarded for that. UNLV, who last week were ranked for the first time in December since 1992, picked up a huge road double overtime victory over Arizona. If they can beat Kansas State at home this Saturday, they will continue to climb in both polls. Another team in the Mountain West that should not be overlooked is New Mexico. The Lobos beat California and if they beat Texas A&M this week, should be ranked in next week’s polls. Florida and Duke should switch rankings in the AP poll. I realize that Duke lost on the road to a tough Wisconsin team; however Florida is 8-0 and has beaten Michigan State this year. At the very least, Florida should be ranked ahead of North Carolina in the Coaches’ Poll.

Can Ohio State win with Evan Turner out? Here are some game’s to look out for this week…

Tuesday, December 8

#22 Butler vs. #15 Georgetown

Wednesday, December 9

#4 Kentucky vs. #14 Connecticut

Thursday, December 10

#7 Syracuse vs. #10 Florida

Saturday, December 12

#15 Georgetown at #16 Washington

#13 Ohio State at #22 Butler

Who will come out on top this week? How do you think the Buckeyes will perform without Evan Turner?

College Basketball: Top 25 Commentary

Matthew Ryter — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 15:26:12 -0800

The Story: Kansas and Texas are not only top dogs in the Big 12; they are also the top two teams in the nation according to this week’s AP and Coaches’ polls. Kansas, 5-0, remained the No. 1 team and Texas moved up from No. 3 to No. 2. Kansas received all but 3 combined first-place votes in both polls. Texas and Syracuse received the other first place votes in the AP poll and Duke, No. 6/5, received the only other first place vote in the Coaches’ poll. The top 5’s in each poll are different. Villanova, Kentucky, and Purdue round out the top 5 in the AP poll. Duke is No. 5 in the Coaches’ poll; Purdue is No. 6. Michigan State fell seven spots to No. 9 in both polls after losing to Florida in Atlantic City. It was a bad week for Big Ten teams as Michigan, Minnesota, and Illinois all fell out of the Top 25. Vanderbilt and Maryland have also been dropped from both polls. The Blake Griffin-less Oklahoma Sooners fell from the AP Poll. It was an up and down week for mid-major programs. Butler, the mid-major “powerhouse” fell 10 spots in the Coaches’ poll to No. 20 and 11 spots in the AP poll to No. 23 with two losses this week to Minnesota and Clemson. This week’s big winner may have been Portland, as the mid-major program cracked the Top 25 in this week’s AP poll at No. 25.

Polls: AP - Coaches (off site)

Ryter’s Block: Since this is the first Top 25 commentary this year, I would like to point out one thing that I kept reiterating last season. Both polls are never on the same page. I don’t expect that all 25 teams will be exactly the same in both polls, but they aren’t even on the same page for the top 5. I also find it amazing that Duke and Syracuse can receive first place votes but Duke is ranked No. 6/5 and Syracuse isn’t even in the top 5. I know it’s early, but many people expected the Big East to have a “down” year. They currently have seven teams in the Top 25, with Marquette looming. Marquette, 6-1, despite losing to Florida State in the final of the Old Spice Classic, should be ranked this week. They beat Michigan and Xavier in that tournament and if they beat NC State this week, could crack next week’s rankings. It was a good week for the West Coast Conference. Gonzaga beat a very good Cincinnati to win the Maui Invitational and Portland cracked the AP Poll at No. 25 after beating UCLA and Minnesota in the 76 Classic. How on Earth is Portland not ranked in the Coaches’ poll? Where’s the love? Speaking of Love, I praised Butler this year and predicted that they would make the Final Four this year. However, I think that they should have been dropped from the polls this week. With that said, they will bounce back.

Here’s a look at a few games this week that may shake up the polls…

Tuesday, December 1^st:

No. 9 Michigan State at No. 11 North Carolina

Wednesday, December 2^nd:

Washington State at No. 9 Gonzaga

No. 5 Duke at Wisconsin

Illinois at No. 19 Clemson

Saturday, December 5^th:

No. 11 North Carolina at No. 5 Kentucky

Sunday, December 6^th:

No. 3 Villanova at Maryland

Speeding Towards Indy: A College Hoops Preview

Matthew Ryter — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 06:43:57 -0800

College Hoops is here. Finally! (This also means we get more of Gus Johnson! I’m excited!) We know all about Coach Cal’s new colors, Pitino’s “family” issues, and most of the big name players and teams in the country. Plus two Isaiah/Isiah Thomases this year. We’re in for a treat.

Here are some games, names, and predictions to watch out for this year…

There was Durant and Oden. Followed by Rose, Beasley, Mayo, and Love. After a year off, the Freshmen are back. There will be multiple “one-and-done” guys this year. Here are five freshmen to look out for:

1. John Wall (Kentucky): There has already been a great deal of hype surrounding this kid. The 6’4” guard at Kentucky has the ability to take Calipari and company to Indianapolis. Derrick Rose flourished in Coach Cal’s system and I see John Wall doing the same (maybe even earning himself a #1 pick like Rose did in ’08) This kid’s got talent

2. Derrick Favors (Georgia Tech): He’ll be a household name in the ACC before year’s end. Georgia Tech may contend for the ACC title because of Favors. This 6’10” freshman will most likely be a one-and-done and land himself in the top 5 of next year’s draft.

3. Lance Stephenson (Cincinnati): He’s cleared to play. Several schools passed on him due to attitude concerns and off-the-court issues. He’s the next big thing out of Lincoln HS in NYC. It’ll be interesting to see him go up against the tough guard play in the Big East.

4. Avery Bradley (Texas): TJ Ford, DJ Augustin, and AJ Abrams all had great collegiate careers under Barnes. Avery Bradley is next. (The only thing he’s missing is the abbreviated first name.) Bradley can drive, shoot, and defend. He should compliment Damion James nicely for the Longhorns.

5. Xavier Henry (Kansas): He landed at Kansas. Henry was recruited heavily by just about every top program in the country. It’ll be interesting to see if he’ll “accept” being the 3^rd option (Collins and Aldrich) on his loaded Jayhawk team. The 6’6” southpaw guard can flat out score and is a deadly shooter.

We know the preseason All-Americans (Collins, Aldrich, Harangody, Singler, Patterson). There are some other names that may not necessarily be under the radar, but they need to have your attention this year.

1. Devan Downey (South Carolina): He can take over a game. He can score in bunches and gives opposing defenses fits. He hasn’t reached the NCAA Tournament yet and that will only make him better this season.

2. Isaiah Thomas (Washington): It must be the name. As a freshman he had 207 free throw attempts last season. What’s that mean? He can get to the rack…quickly.

3. Gordon Hayward (Butler): He’s got Bulldog fans thinking Final Four. Hayward helped the United States win the gold in the under-19 World Basketball Championships.

4. Craig Brackins (Iowa State): If he had any help at Iowa State, he’d be a household name. He averaged 20.2 ppg and 9.5 rpg as a Sophomore last season.

5. Devin Ebanks (West Virginia): He came into his own during the Big East tournament last year as a freshman. A year of experience both in the Big East and under Huggy Bear should help for a breakout sophomore campaign.

Same face, different place. Here are some important coaching changes:

1. John Calipari, Kentucky (from Memphis)

2. Tony Bennett, Virginia (Washington State)

3. Sean Miller, Arizona (Xavier)

4. Anthony Grant, Alabama (VCU)

5. Isaiah Thomas, FIU (no former team)

This year, like every year, features a ton of great non-conference games. Here’s a look at a few games to look out for:

1. Michigan State at North Carolina (December 1^st)

2. Kansas at UCLA (December 6^th)

3. North Carolina at Kentucky (December 5^th)

4. West Virginia at Purdue (January 1^st)

5. Louisville at Kentucky (January 2nd)

6. ~~Butler at Ohio State~~ Ohio State at Butler (December 12^th)

7. North Carolina at Texas (December 19^th)

8. Texas at Connecticut (January 23^rd)

9. California at Kansas (December 22^nd)

10. Washington vs. Georgetown (December 12^th)

Here are a few predictions…some are bold, some are not so bold

1. Texas will win the national championship. They have an NBA caliber player in Damion James. Transfer, Jai Lucas, will become eligible mid-December. They have two stud freshmen in Avery Bradley and Jordan Hamilton (said to be a Paul Pierce clone). They are extremely deep and have a great coach in Rick Barnes.

2. Freshman John Wall will win POY. He’s exciting to watch, and damn good. I think he has what it takes and will flourish in Calipari’s system

3. Butler will make the Final Four. Led by Gordon Hayward and Matt Howard, Butler is this year’s sexy pick to make a deep run into March. I’m buying this.

4. Northwestern will make their first ever NCAA tournament appearance. They just missed the cut last year and will go dancing this year. (Editor: Northwestern lost its best player, Kevin Coble, shortly before this article was set to go on-line.. perhaps the curse of Matthew Ryter??)

5. Paul Hewitt will win Coach of the Year. Thanks to Derrick Favors, Gani Lawal, and Iman Shumpert this team will finish in the top 3 in the ACC. They were last in the ACC last year (2-14) and will be much improved.

Matthew Ryter keeps you up to date on the world of college basketball with his "Ryter's Block" column. What do you think about this story? Post your comments below: