Rank (Last Week) | Record | Comment |
1. Syracuse (2) | 15-0 | Center Fab Melo has bounced back nicely from a disappointing freshman season. |
2. Kentucky (3) | 13-1 | Biggest potential bumps on the scheduling road for the Wildcats – at Athens and Baton Rouge on Jan. 28 and 31. |
3. Ohio State (1) | 13-2 | It’s not too early to anticipate the Jan. 15 rematch with the Hoosiers in Columbus. |
4. Connecticut (4) | 12-1 | Games at Seton Hall and Rutgers used to be considered relative Big East breezes – not any longer. |
5. North Carolina (6) | 13-2 | The Tar Heels have averaged 96 points per game over their past five contests. |
6. Baylor (5) | 13-0 | The Bears pulled out two-point victories in their past two games (with West Virginia and Mississippi State) although Perry Jones III hit just six of 22 shots from the field. |
7. Duke (7) | 12-1 | Since their only loss (at Ohio State), the Blue Devils have knocked off five foes by an average margin of 25 points. |
| 8. Missouri (10) | 13-0 | The Tigers will find out Tuesday night at home just exactly why Lon Kruger has Oklahoma playing so much better than most anyone anticipated. |
9. Indiana (11) | 13-1 | Game with Michigan in Blooming on Thursday night should be one of the week’s best. |
10. Mchigan State (NR) | 13-2 | One can assume the Wisconsin Badgers will even be more difficult to knock off in Madison Tuesday night after stumbling at home to Iowa on Saturday. |
11. Harvard (12) | 12-1 | All things considered, the win over Saint Joseph’s was the program’s best of the season. |
12. Kansas (10) | 10-3 | There is no “easing” into the Big 12 schedule this season – the Jayhawks play host to Kansas State on Wednesday night and visit Norman on Saturday. |
13. Creighton (15) | 11-2 | Come-from-behind win in Wichita gave the program a much-needed Missouri Valley Conference-opening split. |
14.UNLV (NR) | 15-2 | Raise your hand if thought this team had a reasonable chance of losing only two if its first 17 games – c’mon, I dare you! |
15. Georgetown (NR) | 12-1 | Who else can claim as impressive a pair of “true” road wins as the Hoyas have (Louisville and Alabama). |
16. Virginia (NR) | 12-1 | Cavaliers get a tough ACC tune-up Monday against an LSU squad that has won seven games in a row. |
On the cusp: Florida 11-3, Louisville 12-2, San Diego State 12-2, Murray State 14-0, Michigan 12-2, Kansas State 11-1, Marquette 12-2, Mississippi State 13-2, Gonzaga 11-2 and Saint Louis 12-2
TOP PERFORMANCES OF DEC. 26-Jan. 1
TEAMS: Kentucky (edged Louisville at home), Indiana (knocked off Ohio State in Bloomington), Baylor (remained unbeaten by edging Mississippi State in Dallas), Saint Mary’s (smacked BYU, in Moraga, and Pepperdine, in Malibu) to open WCC play in impressive fashion and Georgetown (went on the road and handed Louisville its first loss).
TEAM OF THE WEEK: Georgetown
PLAYERS: Kyle Weems (Missouri State/scored 31 points to help team bag MVC win at Creighton), Kyle Casey (Harvard/26 points and 10 rebounds to help his team overcome Saint Joseph’s) and Eli Carter (Florida/the freshman had 31 points as his team upset Florida).
PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Weems
Frank Burlison has been covering hoops for 30+ years for a variety of publications.
Follow Frank on twitter @FrankieBur. Also make sure to follow his website at www.burlisononbasketball.com. College coaching staffs interested in Burlison’s scouting service should contact him at [email protected].
