The Bat Cave

Okay, this is my first time posting later than the AP rankings this year, so my apologies:

TOP 25:

1. Kansas (29-2)
Key Wins: Arizona, UCLA, Memphis, USC, @Michigan, @Baylor, KSU, Mizzou, A&M, @Mizzou
Key Losses: Texas, @KSU
Last Week: #1

2. Ohio State (29-2)
Key Wins: @Florida, @FSU, @Michigan, @Illinois, Purdue, @Minnesota, MSU, Illinois, Wisconsin
Key Losses: @Wisconsin, @Purdue
Last Week: #3

3. Pittsburgh (27-4)
Key Wins: Maryland, Texas, UCONN, Marquette, @Georgetown, Syracuse, Cincy, @WVU, @Villanova, WVU, Villanova
Key Losses: Tennessee, NDU, @SJU, @Louisville
Last Week: #5

4. Duke (27-4)
Key Wins: Marquette, Kansas State, MSU, Butler, BCU, UNC, Temple, Clemson
Key Losses: @FSU, @SJU, @VTU, @UNC
Last Week: #4

5. San Diego State (29-2)
Key Wins: @Gonzaga, St. Mary’s, Wichita St., @Cal, UNLV, @New Mexico, @UNLV, New Mexico
Key Losses: @BYU, BYU
Last Week: #6

6. BYU (28-3)
Key Wins: Utah St., St. Mary’s, Arizona, UTEP, @UNLV, SDSU, UNLV, @SDSU
Key Losses: @UCLA, @New Mexico, New Mexico
Last Week: #2

7. Notre Dame (25-5)
Key Wins: Georgia, @Wisconsin, Gonzaga, Georgetown, UCONN, SJU, Cincy, Marquette, @Pitt, L’ville, Villanova, @UCONN
Key Loses: @Kentucky, @Syracuse, @Marquette, @SJU, @WVU
Last Week: #8

8. Purdue (25-6)
Key Wins: @V-Tech, @Michigan, MSU, @Illinois, Wisconsin, OSU, @MSU, Illinois
Key Losses: @Richmond, @Minnesota, @WVU, @OSU, @Wisconsin, @Iowa
Last Week: #7

9. Florida (24-6)
Key Wins: @FSU, KSU, Xavier, @Tennessee, @Georgia, Vanderbilt, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, @Vanderbilt
Key Losses: OSU, @UCF, Jacksonville, SCU, @Miss St, @Kentucky
Last Week: #10

10. North Carolina (24-6)
Key Wins: Kentucky, V-Tech, Clemson, @BCU, FSU, @Clemson, BCU, @FSU, Duke
Key Losses: Vanderbilt, Minnesota, Illinois, Texas, @Georgia Tech, @Duke
Last Week: #15

11. Syracuse (25-6)
Key Wins: MSU, Notre Dame, @St. John’s, Cincinnati, @UCONN, WVU, @Nova, @G’town
Key Losses: @Pitt, Villanova, Seton Hall, @Marquette, G’town, @L’ville
Last Week: #11

12. Texas (25-6)
Key Wins: Illinois, @UNC, @MSU, A&M, @Kansas, Mizzou, @A&M
Key Losses: @Pitt, @USC, UCONN, @Nebraska, @Colorado, KSU
Last Week: #9

13. Wisconsin (23-7)
Key Wins: @BCU, @Marquette, Michigan, Illinois, Purdue, MSU, OSU, @Michigan
Key Losses: @UNLV, Notre Dame, @Illinois, @MSU, @Penn St, @Purdue, @OSU
Last Week: #13

14. Louisville (23-8)
Key Wins: Butler, UNLV, Marquette, SJU, WVU, @UCONN, Syracuse, UCONN, Pitt
Key Losses: Drexel, Kentucky, @Villanova, @Providence, @G’town, @NDU, @Cincy, @WVU
Last Week: #16

15. Kentucky (22-8)
Key Wins: Washington, Notre Dame, @Louisville, Georgia, Tennessee, Florida, Vanderbilt, @Tennessee
Key Losses: @UCONN, @UNC, @Georgia, @Alabama, @Ole Miss, @Florida, @Vanderbilt, @Arkansas
Last Week: #20

16. Georgetown (21-9)
Key Wins: @Missouri, Utah State, @Memphis, SJU, @Villanova, L’ville, @Syracuse, Marquette
Key Losses: @Temple, @Notre Dame, @St. John’s, WVU, Pitt, @UCONN, Cincy, Syracuse, @Cincy
Last Week: #12

17. Arizona (25-6)
Key Wins: UCLA, UW
Key Losses: @Kansas, @BYU, @Oregon St, UW, @USC, @UCLA
Last Week: #19

18. St. John’s (20-10)
Key Wins: @WVU, Georgetown, Notre Dame, UCONN, @Cincy, @Marquette, Pitt, @Villanova, Duke
Key Losses: @St. Mary’s, St. Bonaventure, @Fordham, @Notre Dame, Syracuse, @Louisville, Cincy, @Georgetown, @UCLA, @Seton Hall
Last Week: #17

19. Xavier (24-6)
Key Wins: Butler, Temple, @Richmond, @Georgia, @Dayton
Key Losses: ODU, Miami (OH), Gonzaga, Florida, @Cincy, @Charlotte
Last Week: #22

20. Connecticut (21-9)
Key Wins: Wichita State, MSU, Kentucky, @Texas, Villanova, Tennessee, @Marquette, G’town, @Cincy
Key Losses: @Pitt, @NDU, L’ville, Syracuse, @SJU, @L’ville, Marquette, @WV, NDU
Last Week: #14

21. Kansas State (22-9)
Key Wins: Gonzaga, Virginia Tech, Kansas, Mizzou, @Texas
Key Losses: @Duke, @Florida, UNLV, @OK St, Colorado, @Mizzou, @A&M, @Kansas, @Colorado
Last Week: #25

22. Vanderbilt (21-9)
Key Wins: UNC, Marquette, Georgia, St. Mary’s, Kentucky, @Georgia
Key Losses: WVU, Missouri, @South Carolina, @Tennessee, Arkansas, @Florida, Tennessee, @Kentucky, Florida
Last Week: #18

23. Utah State (28-3)
Key Wins: @SMC
Key Losses: @BYU, @Georgetown, @Idaho
Last Week: #23

24. West Virginia (20-10)
Key Wins: Vanderbilt, @Georgetown, Purdue, @Cincy, NDU, UCONN, L’ville
Key Losses: Minnesota, @Miami, St. John’s, @Marquette, Marshall, @Louisville, @Villanova, Pitt, @Syracuse, @Pitt
Last Week: Unranked

25. UNLV (23-7)
Key Wins: Wisconsin, @Virginia Tech, @KSU, @New Mexico
Key Losses: @Louisville, UCSB, BYU, @SDSU, Colorado St, @BYU, SDSU
Last Week: Unranked

DROPPED OUT:

Villanova (19-10)
Key Wins: UCLA, Temple, Cincinnati, Louisville, @Syracuse, Marquette, WVU
Key Losses: Tennessee, @UCONN, @Providence, Georgetown, @Rutgers, Pitt, Syracuse, SJU, @NDU, @Pitt
Last Week: #21

Texas A&M (23-7)
Key Wins: Temple, Washington, Missouri, KSU
Key Losses: BCU, @Texas, @Nebraska, Texas, Baylor, @Baylor, @Kansas
Last Week: #24

Notes:

-BYU pretty much knocked themselves out of contention for a #1 seed, not only with another loss to New Mexico, but also because Brandon Davies, their only reasonable inside presence is suspended for the rest of the year. This is Jimmer’s team, for sure, but Davies was their third-leading scorer and the best rebounder on a bad rebounding team.

-UNC had a pretty sneaky year. After getting off to a rough start and falling out of everyone’s top 25, UNC not only snuck back onto the national radar, but swiped the ACC title away from Duke (a likely #1 seed). The Tar Heels look like a team that’s still maturing, so I don’t think an Elite 8 run is out of the question this year.

-I think Ohio State, Kansas, Pittsburgh, and Duke are your #1 seeds now. Purdue, Notre Dame, and North Carolina all have a shot at #1 seeds if they win their conference tournaments. BYU seems like a long shot now and San Diego State would probably have to win the MWC tournament and hope some of the teams ahead of them take early exits.

-I bumped Louisville slightly this week even though they took a loss because they’ve proven to be a notch better than some of the other falling Big East teams (UCONN, Georgetown, Villanova) and teams like Arizona and Utah State haven’t shown enough to move up too far.

-Feeling good about my Kansas State ranking last week. They beat Texas on the road like I predicted they would and are feeling it heading into the conference playoffs. Kansas, Texas, and KSU should make the Big 12 tourney interesting.

-Some of the smaller conference tournaments have wrapped up already, so here are those automatic bids:
*Atlantic Sun – Belmont (30-4)
*Big South – UNC-Asheville (19-13)
*Missouri Valley – Indiana State (20-13)
*Ohio Valley – Morehead State (24-9)

-Lots of the better teams from the weaker conferences have already been aced from their respective tournaments and probably have very little shots at an at large bid… teams like: Wichita State and Missouri State, Vermont, and Coastal Carolina.