Ohio State remains at #1 and it is a unanimous decision as all six pollsters voted them in the top spot. Kansas is a predictable team checking in at #2, and who would have thought that it would be the BYU Cougars at #3. We all knew they would be solid this year with Jimmer Fredette returning for his senior year, and after their win over San Diego State—their second “W” over the Aztecs this season—BYU now has a legitimate shot to garner a one seed in the Dance. QnD analysis after the jump…
QnD Analysis.
- Buckeyes regroup—After losing two of three games, Ohio State got back on track with easy victories over Illinois and Indiana. With Duke and Pittsburgh both dropping games this past week, there is zero debate who the top team in the nation currently is.
- High Risers and Big Droppers—Ladies and gentlemen, the St. John’s Red Storm are no fluke; they are for real and are playing some of the best basketball of any team in the country. Steve Lavin’s bunch eked out a dramatic victory over Pittsburgh to gain the attention of many people, and followed that up with a very convincing 13-point win on the road against Villanova. St. John’s is 8-1 in their last nine games with four of these wins coming against top 25 teams. Not to be outdone by their fellow New York brethren, Syracuse had a big week as well going on the road to beat Villanova and Georgetown. Both teams rose seven spots in the rankings. As for the team who dropped the most, it would be none other than the Georgetown Hoyas. After winning eight straight ranging from January to February, Georgetown lost both games last week as the loss of point guard Chris Wright to injury takes its toll.
- Where to rank Arizona?—The Wildcats lost both of their games—an eight point loss to USC and a blowout 22-point setback to UCLA—and there is some confusion where to rank them as a result. Many of the pollsters have Arizona in the mid to high teens, although another has the ‘Cats out of the top 25 altogether.
- One new face—Xavier has been on the verge of cracking the top 25 as they have been the best team in the A-10, and they finally snuck in after defeating La Salle and Dayton last week.
- Also Receiving Votes—As we near the end of the regular season, the top 25 teams in the nation are taking shape as the teams who are also receiving votes continues to be minimal in recent weeks. In last week’s poll, there were only two teams who also received votes, and now there are just three: Temple, Texas A&M, and West Virginia.
- Conference Call—Big East (8), Big 10 (3), Big 12 (3), SEC (3), MWC (2), ACC (2), Pac-10 (1), WAC (1), Atlantic 10 (1), CAA (1).