RTC Top 25: Week Nine Edition
Posted by Walker Carey on January 19th, 2016Ed. Note: These rankings were submitted on Sunday night and don’t take Monday night’s games into account. Most notably, #1 Oklahoma’s loss at #14 Iowa State and #15 Duke’s home defeat to Syracuse were not considered by voters.
After undoubtedly the most chaotic week of the season, blue bloods Duke and Kentucky are searching for answers to help get them back on the winning track. The Blue Devils suffered two defeats in four days (and another one Monday night at home vs. Syracuse), first falling at Clemson before surrendering a five-point halftime lead and losing to Notre Dame at home, 95-91. The biggest issue plaguing Duke is its thin frontcourt depth; an issue that will likely remain problematic until senior forward Amile Jefferson returns from a broken foot suffered in December. Kentucky won its first game of the week on Tuesday, fighting off a furious Mississippi State rally to top the Bulldogs 80-74. The Wildcats were not able to keep on their winning ways, as they were upset at Auburn on Saturday. The defeat marked the first time Kentucky has lost to Auburn since 2000. The issue that is plaguing John Calipari’s squad the most is a lack of production from its interior players. In Saturday’s defeat, forwards Marcus Lee, Skal Labissiere, and Alex Poythress combined for just 13 points and nine rebounds. It is probably still too early to be terribly concerned about Duke and Kentucky, but it would probably be a good idea for each squad to figure out how to get back on a more consistent track. This week’s Quick N’ Dirty after the jump.
- Oklahoma is the new #1…for now. With #2 Kansas falling at #8 West Virginia last Tuesday, the Sooners move to the top spot in this week’s RTC25. Oklahoma moved its record to 15-1 with a pair of hard-fought two-point victories last week. The Sooners won 74-72 when they visited rival Oklahoma State on Wednesday and then topped West Virginia, 70-68, on Saturday. Things have already gotten tougher for Lon Kruger’s squad this week, as the Sooners fell victim to Hilton Magic yet again. OU hasn’t won a game in Ames since 2011. They next head to Baylor on Saturday for another stiff test.
- #9 SMU is the last unbeaten. #25 South Carolina suffered its first defeat of the season Thursday when it was blown out at Alabama. That loss means that SMU is the final unbeaten team in the country. The Mustangs moved their overall record to 17-0 with dominating road wins over East Carolina and Tulane. The question now emerges of how long SMU can keep its record unscathed. Larry Brown’s squad will be tested this week as it hosts a much-improved Houston squad Tuesday before traveling to always feisty Temple on Saturday.
- #10 Texas A&M continues to shoot up the poll. The red-hot Aggies have now won eight straight games and currently sit alone atop the SEC standings. Their dominant 79-45 victory at Georgia on Saturday showcased the team’s great ability on both ends of the court. Texas A&M’s veteran backcourt of Jalen Jones and Danuel House provides Billy Kennedy’s squad with a combined 33 points per contest. Tuesday night will present an interesting challenge for the Aggies as they host Ben Simmons and LSU in a game that suddenly means a lot in the early season SEC race.
Game of the Week. #5 Maryland vs. #10 Michigan State. After Maryland lost at Michigan last Tuesday and Michigan State dropped games to both Iowa and Wisconsin, expect Saturday’s match-up in East Lansing to be focused and hotly-contested. There will be quite a bit of individual talent on display at the Breslin Center – the most notable of it being Maryland point guard Melo Trimble and Michigan State swingman Denzel Valentine. This important Big Ten donnybrook should be considered a must-watch for all college hoops fanatics.
Keep Tabs On. #17 Butler vs. #21 Providence; #22 USC vs. Oregon; #1 Oklahoma vs. #20 Baylor; #4 Villanova vs. #21 Providence; #7 Iowa vs. #17 Purdue.
Conference Call: ACC (6), Big 12 (5), Big Ten (5), Big East (4), SEC (3), Pac-12 (1), AAC (1).
