1. Duke Blue Devils - 17-1 (4-0)
(1 first place vote) 38 votes
Last week: W vs #10 Georgetown 76-67, W vs NC State 73-56
This week: Saturday vs Maryland, Wednesday @ #3 Wake Forest
This is the strongest Duke team we have seen in recent years. The Blue Devils have four players averaging in double figures. Due to their added depth this year they are able bring emotional leader Greg Paulus off the bench.
1. Pitt Panthers - 17-1 (5-1)
(1 first place vote) 38 votes
Last week: L @ #8 Louisville 69-63, W vs #12 Syracuse 78-60
This week: Sunday @ West Virginia, Wednesday @ Villanova
Played and lost on the road by 6 points to an inferior Louisville team. When you have 20 turnovers, foul trouble by your big guy, poor shooting by your superstar things like that happen. They came back to blowout a top 10 team at home in Syracuse. The road in the Big East is tough though, and the Panthers have two tough tests this week.
3. UCONN Huskies – 17-1 (6-1)
36 votes
Last week: W vs Seton Hall 76-61, W vs Villanova 89-83
This week: Saturday @ Notre Dame, Wednesday @ DePaul
Hasheem Thabeet does not impress me. All he has going for him is that he is REALLY tall. Actually, the most impressive thing about Thabeet is that he is an African immigrant in college, and he has an iPhone. Where does he get the money to pay that bill? I’m just saying…
3. Wake Forest Demon Deacons – 16-1 (3-1)
36 votes
Last week: W @ #11 Clemson 78-68, L vs Virginia Tech 78-71
This week: Wednesday vs #1 Duke
You cannot lose at home to unranked teams. If you are an elite team, you just cannot do it.
5. Oklahoma Sooners – 18-1 (4-0)
29 votes
Last week: W @ Texas A&M 69-63, W vs Nebraska 72-61
This week: Saturday vs Baylor, Monday @ Oklahoma State
Let’s see, we have Blake Griffin and 4 other guys. One of the other 4 looks just like him, only not as albino like. This team will go as far as Griffin (Blake, not his twin Taylor) takes them, which so far has been impressive. However, you have to wonder what happens to this team if he has an off night.
5. North Carolina Tarheels - 17-2 (3-2)
29 votes
Last week: W @ Virginia 83-61, W vs Miami 82-65, W vs Clemson 94-70
This week: Wednesday @ Florida State
The Heels have been on a tear since starting 0-2 in conference play. But those two losses are going to haunt them. Even though Tyler Hansbrough may be one of the best in the country, he was exposed in those two games. Quick and athletic power forwards can give him fits on defense, which will wear him down and make him less effective on the offensive side of the ball.
7. Marquette Golden Eagles - 16-2 (5-0)
28 votes
Last week: W @ Providence 91-82
This week: Saturday vs DePaul, Monday @ Notre Dame
I think Wesley Matthews and Jerel McNeal are sick and tired of Dominic James and all of his crying. Matthews and McNeal have taken over this team and that pressure off James, and ironically kept him injury free for most games this year.
8. Louisville Cardinals - 14-3 (5-0)
26 votes
Last week: W vs #1 Pitt 69-63, W @ Rutgers 78-59
This week: Sunday @ #12 Syracuse, Wednesday vs South Florida
Louisville lost its team leader and quarterback of its offense when David Padgett FINALLY ran out of eligibility and it took a while for freshman Samardo Samuels to step into that role. Now that he has, this team is scary. They are very athletic and love to pressure the ball and force mistakes.
9. Michigan State Spartans – 15-3 (5-1)
22 votes
Last week: W vs Illinois 63-57, L vs Northwestern 70-63
This week: Sunday @ Ohio State
They are the best team in the Big 10, but does that really mean anything?
10. Georgetown Hoyas – 12-4 (3-2)
21 votes
Last week: L @ #1 Duke 76-76
This week: Tonight vs WVU, Sunday @ Seton Hall, Wednesday @ Cincinnati
When DaJuan Summers and Greg Monroe are taken out of the game, this team has no scoring threats. And the defense is not anything close to what it has been in years past.
11. Clemson Tigers – 16-2 (2-2)
20 votes
Last week: L vs #3 Wake Forest 78-68, L @ #5 North Carolina 94-70
This week: Sunday vs Georgia Tech
Every year it is the same thing with Clemson, go 15,16,17,18 and 0 by playing absolutely nobody in the non-conference portion of the schedule then get rocked by the ACC. They started 16-0 this year, then 0-2 against the big dogs, losing those games by a total of 34 points.
12. Syracuse Orange – 17-3 (5-2)
19 votes
Last week: W vs Notre Dame 93-74, L @ #1 Pitt 78-60
This week: Sunday vs #8 Louisville, Wednesday @ Providence
Jamie Dixon gave the rest of the nation the blueprint in stopping the Cuse. By using a bigger guard to defend Jonny Flynn it completely took him out of the game and made it difficult for Syracuse to get any offense going.
13. Texas Longhorns – 13-4 (2-1)
18 votes
Last week: W @ Texas Tech 71-49
This week: Saturday vs Texas A&M, Tuesday @ Baylor
I cannot figure out how this team is winning games. It is all smoke and mirrors and AJ Abrams. Abrams may put up more shots that a Florida St Cheerleader on Spring Break.
14. Arizona State Sun Devils – 16-3 (5-2)
13 votes
Last week: W @ UCLA 61-58, W @ Arizona 53-47
This week: OFF
When I look at James Harden only one question comes to mind, how many of those Edge foaming girls do you think could fit in that beard?
15. Xavier Musketeers – 16-2 (5-0)
11 votes
Last week: W vs LaSalle 73-53, W @ St. Bonaventure 84-64
This week: Saturday @ LSU, Wednesday vs Charlotte
They have a fantastic coach. They will win the A-10 easily, but is winning the A-10 like a serious actor/actress winning an AVN award? Will they want to give back immediately because of the stigma attached to it?
16. Butler Bulldogs – 16-1 (7-0)
10 votes
Last week: W @ Loyola 78-55, W @ Illinois-Chicago 59-52
This week: Tonight vs Wisconsin Green Bay, Saturday vs Wisconsin Milwaukee
This may sound weird but, this coming week will be their toughest stretch of the seasons
OTHER SCHOOLS RECEIVING VOTES:
UCLA 8
Minnesota 4
Villanova 3
Baylor 3
St. Mary’s 3
Florida 1
