The college basketball season began in earnest over the last 10 days with several upsets taking place and a few teams providing a solid glimpse of what should be expected this season. #3 Duke and #4 Kansas are a pair of teams that experienced some high points as well as the upset bug. The formerly top-ranked Blue Devils are a respectable 4-1 on the young season, but they experienced their hiccup against the Jayhawks in the Champions Classic. It is important to note that Duke is still experiencing significant health issues, as Grayson Allen, Chase Jeter, Jayson Tatum, Marques Bolden and Harry Giles have all battled injuries to varying extents. Even with the corresponding depth concerns, Duke has already showcased that it is an extremely talented unit that will likely remain near the top of the polls throughout the season. Kansas’ season started on a sour note by getting surprised by #6 Indiana in an overtime thriller. The Jayhawks rebounded nicely in their victory over Duke and it appears that Bill Self’s veteran backcourt of Frank Mason and Devonte’ Graham will mask some of the growing pains the team will likely experience elsewhere. This week’s Quick N’ Dirty Analysis of the RTC25 is after the jump.
Quick N’ Dirty Analysis.
- Kentucky and Villanova are this week’s co-#1 teams. When top-ranked Duke fell to Kansas last Tuesday it was to Kentucky and Villanova’s gain as the pair tied for the top spot in this week’s RTC25. John Calipari’s Wildcats were wildly impressive in completely shutting down Michigan State in the Champions Classic, holding the Spartans to just 48 points on the evening. Villanova, to its credit, emerged victorious in a difficult road trip at #14 Purdue before waltzing to a three-game tournament win at the Charleston Classic. It is too early in the season to pay much attention to whether one team or another deserves to be at the top of the poll, but Kentucky and Villanova are without question both off to outstanding starts.
- Our pollsters are divided on #6 Indiana and #9 Xavier. It is no secret that the Hoosiers and Musketeers are among the nation’s elite, but our panel of pollsters is well-divided on where each team should be ranked within the RTC25. Indiana is ranked as high as #3 on two ballots and as low as #13 in another. Xavier is as high as #4 on one ballot and as low as #18 in two others. There is always a great amount of uncertainty about the quality of teams at the beginning of each college basketball season, but this is something to keep an eye on as more data comes available for consensus in coming weeks.
- #20 Baylor and #21 Michigan join the fold. The Bears and Wolverines join the RTC25 after both squads completed impressive weeks. Baylor grabbed a very impressive victory last Tuesday when it overwhelmed #12 Oregon in Waco, while Michigan turned in a pair of dominant performances in victories over Marquette and SMU at the 2kClassic. It will be interesting to see if these two programs can keep the positive momentum up the rankings as the season progresses.
Game(s) of the Week. 2016 Maui Invitational. The Maui Invitational has been a staple of Feast Week for decades, so it is only reasonable to believe this tournament will once again bring the goods. This year’s field includes #5 North Carolina, #12 Oregon, and #19 Wisconsin. Which team will grab the title and earn those resume-enhancing victories that will look sterling in March? You should tune in to find out.
Keep Tabs On. You should pay attention to all of Feast Week. There are great tournaments taking place all over and most include a few marquee teams. This will be a great week to form early impressions on some of the nation’s top squads.
Conference Call: ACC (5), Big Ten (5), Big 12 (5), Big East (3), Pac-12 (3), WCC (2), SEC (1), Missouri Valley (1).