The Bat Cave

TOP 25:

1. North Carolina (3-0)
Key Wins: (n)MSU
Key Losses:
Last Week: #1
Comments: Nation’s top team is yet to really be challenged.

2. Kentucky (4-0)
Key Wins: (n)#12 Kansas, (n)ODU
Key Losses:
Last Week: #2
Comments: Kentucky posted a huge win over Kansas this past week. Anthony Davis looks like he might post a triple-double with 10 blocks sometime this year. At this point, the only worry on this team is point guard Marquis Teague’s development. He’s a clear notch below all of Calipari’s previous one-and-done PGs and currently has a 2.5 to 4.8 assist-to-turnover ratio.

3. Ohio State (3-0)
Key Wins: #7 Florida
Key Losses:
Last Week: #3
Comments:

4. Connecticut (4-0)
Key Wins:
Key Losses:
Last Week: #4
Notes: Ryan Boatright suspended six games.
Comments: Shabazz Napier has really stepped up his play this year, posting a triple-double today and is currently averaging 18 points, 6 rebounds, and 6.2 assists a game. Jeremy Lamb is averaging 22.8 points a game. Meanwhile, the #1 recruit in the nation, Andre Drummond, had a bit of a coming out party against Maine with 11 points, 14 rebounds, and 4 blocks, but has lacked impact in 3 of 4 games now.

5. Syracuse (4-0)
Key Wins:
Key Losses:
Last Week: #5
Comments: No one on this team is really putting up eye-popping numbers, but Syracuse is insanely deep, with 19 different players logging minutes this year.

6. Duke (4-0)
Key Wins: (n)MSU
Key Losses:
Last Week: #7
Comments: Coach K is one of the top 3 college basketball coaches of all-time. Congrats. Don’t be surprised to see this team lose a game in the Maui Invitational though.

7. Florida (2-1)
Key Wins:
Key Losses: @#3 OSU
Last Week: #6
Comments: The four guards are awesome and center Patric Young is putting up good numbers (11 ppg, 9 rpg, 1.7 bpg), but Ohio State showed how this small line-up will struggle against teams with quality big men.

8. Memphis (1-0)
Key Wins:
Key Losses:
Last Week: #8
Comments: Pretty crazy that some teams have six games under their belts already and Memphis has still played only one. They play a ranked Michigan team tomorrow though and we’ll get to see what they’re really made of.

9. Baylor (3-0)
Key Wins: SDSU
Key Losses:
Last Week: #9
Note: Perry Jones suspended five games.
Comments: How much better does this team get when Perry Jones comes back next week? Scary good.

10. Louisville (3-0)
Key Wins: @Butler
Key Losses:
Last Week: #11
Note: Wayne Blackshear ineligible for the year. Peyton Siva injured.
Comments: Louisville beat Butler on the road with their star point guard sidelined. Impressive.

11. Alabama (5-0)
Key Wins: (n)Wichita St, (n)Purdue
Key Losses
Last Week: #15
Comments: This team is awesome. I had a chance to watch them play a couple games in the Puerto Rico Tip-Off, a tournament they won, and they are seriously good. Their defense is stifling and they are loaded with experience and good, young players. Trevor Releford, JaMychal Green, and Tony Mitchell are at least as good as the more highly touted trio from Vanderbilt.

12. Xavier (3-0)
Key Wins:
Key Losses:
Last Week: #12
Comments:

13. Pittsburgh (2-1)
Key Wins:
Key Losses: Long Beach St
Last Week: #10
Comments: The loss—at home—to Long Beach State is one of the most shocking upsets of the season. Long Beach State is pretty good this year, but still…

14. Kansas (1-1)
Key Wins:
Key Losses: (n)#2 Kentucky
Last Week: #13
Comments: Tied with Kentucky at halftime.

15. Vanderbilt (3-1)
Key Wins: (n)Oregon
Key Loses: Cleveland State
Last Week: #14
Note: Sr. C Festus Ezili suspended six games
Comments: Turning things around after that upset last week.

16. Wisconsin (3-0)
Key Wins:
Key Losses:
Last Week: #16
Comments:

17. Marquette (4-0)
Key Wins:
Key Losses:
Last Week: #18
Comments: Jae Crowder and Darius Johnson-Odom are having the big years you’d expect, plus sophomore Vander Blue has tripled his scoring average from last year.

18. Michigan (3-0)
Key Wins:
Key Losses:
Last Week: #19
Comments: First big test tomorrow against Memphis.

19. Gonzaga (3-0)
Key Wins:
Key Losses:
Last Week: #24

20. California (3-0)
Key Wins:
Key Losses:
Last Week: #25
Comments:

21. Missouri (3-0)
Key Wins:
Key Losses:
Note: Laurence Bowers out for season.
Last Week: Unranked
Comments:

22. Florida State (4-0)
Key Wins: UCF
Key Losses:
Last Week: Unranked

#23. Mississippi State (4-1)
Key Wins: (n)#19 A&M, (n)#15 Arizona
Key Losses: Akron
Last Week: No one had a bigger week than Mississippi State, who won the 2K Sports Classic on Friday and beat two ranked teams on their way to doing so. Renardo Sidney remains an enigma, but UTEP transfer Arnett Moultrie is putting up huge numbers: 15.2 ppg, 11.2 rpg. This team is deep and talented, and we can forgive the ugly loss to Akron after such a big week.

24. Temple (3-1)
Key Wins: (n)Wichita St
Key Losses: (n)Purdue
Last Week: #23
Comments: One good win, one not so bad loss.

25. Arizona (4-1)
Key Wins: (n)SJU
Key Losses: (n)Miss St
Last Week: #22
Comments: Mississippi State showed the most overrated team in the PAC-12 who’s the boss.

DROPPED OUT:

20. Michigan State (2-2)
Key Wins:
Key Losses: (n)#1 UNC, (n)#6 Duke
Last Week: #20
Comments: Losing to North Carolina and Duke isn’t that bad, but no one in the top 25 should have two losses at this point. Looking at the box scores, MSU isn’t a very exciting team, but I think they’ll make another top 25 appearance before the season is finished.

17. Washington (3-1)
Key Wins:
Key Losses: @Saint Louis
Last Week: #19
Note: Scott Suggs injured 4-6 weeks.
Comments: Okay, even my biased self realizes that losing to Saint Louis is bad. Washington has had trouble on the road in recent years, so this loss fits the trend for a team that is more of a work in progress than anything else.

24. Texas A&M (3-1)
Key Wins: (n)SJU
Key Losses: (n)Miss St
Last Week: #24
Note: Khris Middleton injured.
Comments: Elston Turner and Ray Turner are filling the void decently, but not having Khris Middleton is a huge blow for this squad. They are a top 25 team with him in the line-up.

BUBBLE:

Cincinnati (2-1)
Key Wins:
Key Losses: Presbyterian

Cleveland State (3-0)
Key Wins: @#7 Vanderbilt
Key Losses:

Creighton (4-0)
Key Wins:
Key Losses:

Indiana (4-0)
Key Wins:
Key Losses:

Northwestern (4-0)
Key Wins:
Key Losses:

Oregon State (4-0)
Key Wins: (n)Texas
Key Losses:

UNLV (4-0)
Key Wins:
Key Losses:

Purdue (4-1)
Key Wins: (n)Temple
Key Losses: (n)#16 Alabama

San Diego State (5-1)
Key Wins: Long Beach St
Key Losses: @# 11 Baylor