[cLaY]

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/powerranki...4&pollId=1

I love you Bird33

[BIRD33]

The ESPN.com Power 16 is compiled each week by a panel of ESPN experts and ESPN.com's college basketball editor. These individual lists help create the final rankings each week.


Joe Lunardi:


There is movement for me, albeit slight, among the very top teams. Duke's lead over UConn for the No. 1 spot, which was fairly sizable 2-3 weeks ago, is now razor-thin. Texas has now done enough in the Big 12 to make its head-to-head wins over Memphis and Villanova a factor in being slotted above those two schools. But the real success story on a national level is Tennessee. For the Vols to have risen all the way to a projected No. 2 seed after going 14-17 a year ago is truly remarkable. As I've written elsewhere, Bruce Pearl has to be on the short list of national Coach of the Year candidates. I'm not penalizing Illinois a whole lot for that crazy loss to Penn State. It was a bad loss, to be sure, but the Illini are still 61-5 in the their last 66 regular-season games. Lastly, since I couldn't determine which loss was worse -- Florida at home to South Carolina or Iowa at Northwestern -- those two teams tie for the No. 16 spot.

1. Duke
2. Connecticut
3. Texas
4. Memphis
5. Villanova
6. Illinois
7. Tennessee
8. Michigan State
9. Gonzaga
10. West Virginia
11. UCLA
12. Pittsburgh
13. N.C. State
14. LSU
15. George Washington
16. Florida/Iowa

Pat Forde

It's time to start buying into the once far-fetched idea that Tennessee is the best team in the SEC. They've won in Rupp Arena and beat Florida in Knoxville, and now that the Gators have been swept by South Carolina, the Volunteers have a two-game lead in the SEC East. The question is whether the best team in the SEC could finish in the top four in the Big East. Pitt-West Virginia should be an interesting game Thursday night, and UConn-Villanova next Monday will be huge.
1. Connecticut
2. Duke
3. Memphis
4. Villanova
5. Texas
6. Gonzaga
7. West Virginia
8. George Washington
9. Ohio State
10. Tennessee
11. Michigan State
12. UCLA
13. Florida
14. Illinois
15. Georgetown
16. Pittsburgh


Jay Bilas
No major changes at or near the top, except to move up George Washington to reflect the quality of play and the consistency of the Colonials. The polls are wack. I spend three minutes a week on this, because it matters not what we think, it matters what the players do on the floor and we don't have some bowl system to deal with. We have a tournament. Plus, all of these teams are going to make it into the NCAAs. My mid-major inclusion of the week is Northern Iowa. Greg McDermott has a really good team that has won on the road and can hang with the best teams in the country. I am a big Grant Stout, Ben Jacobsen and Eric Coleman fan, and UNI will be a solid seed and a tough out. Watch out for the directional schools.

1. Connecticut
2. Duke
3. Villanova
4. Texas
5. Memphis
6. Michigan State
7. West Virginia
8. Florida
9. Illinois
10. George Washington
11. Gonzaga
12. Pittsburgh
13. North Carolina State
14. Michigan
15. Oklahoma
16. Northern Iowa

Fran Fraschilla
Tennessee's win at Texas foretold that Bruce Pearl's system will work. The four-guard offense, led by former Mr. Kentucky Chris Lofton, has been effective. Move over, Pat Summitt (just kidding). Karl Hobbs' veterans have been in his system for three and four years. Their athleticism and frenetic pace could cause problems in the early rounds of the NCAA Tournament, but the lack of a proven low-post scorer could be an issue when they get to the elite teams.

1. Connecticut 2. Duke 3. Memphis 4. Texas 5. Villanova 6. Gonzaga 7. West Virginia 8. George Washington 9. Michigan State 10. Pitt 11. Tennessee 12. Florida 13. Illinois 14. Oklahoma 15. N.C. State 16. Georgetown

Doug Gottlieb

The ESPN/USA Today poll makes no sense. How is Washington 5-5 in the Pac 10, yet still 15th in the polls? How does Colorado get blown out by Iowa State and stay in, while Northern Iowa loses a tight one to Creighton on the road and falls out? I may actually agree with Jay Bilas that the USA Today poll does not mean anything, but that is because the coaches who vote in the poll do not apparently take the time that we do to check our poll. If you took the name off the jerseys of Syracuse, Louisville, Cincinnati, Arizona, Kentucky and Arkansas and just looked at their wins and losses -- would we even be discussing their tournament viability right now? No. Yes, that is Kansas back in my poll. Do you want to play a young, talented team on a major roll? The Jayhawks will be a tough out in March. Villanova has a tough stretch coming, including two with UConn, and the Cats may still be without Mike Nardi. By the way, the gap after Duke is there for a reason.

1. Connecticut 2. Duke ...


3. Texas 4. Memphis 5. Michigan State 6. West Virginia 7. Villanova 8. Gonzaga 9. George Washington 10. UCLA 11. Illinois 12. Florida 13. Kansas 14. Tennessee 15. Pittsburgh 16. Ohio State

Andy Glockner

The gap at the top has finally closed. UConn is simply more impressive at the moment and its overall profile compared to Duke's is now so close, I can't deny the Huskies any longer. Tennessee gets a nice bump this week. The Vols really could be the class of the SEC. Another week of Pac-10 play -- let's see how UCLA holds up in the Pacific Northwest. No Valley team in the 16 this week, but the conference still should get four bids.

1. Connecticut
2. Duke
3. Memphis
4. Texas
5. Villanova
6. Gonzaga
7. Illinois
8. West Virginia
9. Tennessee
10. Pittsburgh
11. LSU
12. UCLA
13. Michigan State
14. N.C. State
15. George Washington
16. Ohio State


UNC and Kansas were art thou?

[cLaY]

scroll down on the page a linked.

[WoolyGoat]

Where's BC?

:ct:

[quint]

West Virginia is overrated.
Good to see Nova so high on those lists. The 3 gaurd offense is doing better than I expected.

[cLaY]

KU has the best defense in the nation

[BIRD33]

Nova's overated.The 4 guard offense will be exposed.Kansas lost to Kansas St.

[cLaY]

Nova's overated.The 4 guard offense will be exposed.Kansas lost to Kansas St.

They've grown up. Totally different team.

[BIRD33]

They've grown up. Totally different team.

They lost to Kansas St. this year.If they had the best d Kansas St. should have lost by twenty.

[cLaY]

They lost to Kansas St. this year.If they had the best d Kansas St. should have lost by twenty.

lead the nation in field-goal-percentage defense at 35.7 percent shooting top 20 in shooting percentage (25th nationally at 48.3 percent)

if you'd like a link, let me know.

[minorthreat]

ISU isn't in there.

[cLaY]

ISU isn't in there.

Poor Curtis. They're going to lose again this weekend.

[BIRD33]

lead the nation in field-goal-percentage defense at 35.7 percent shooting top 20 in shooting percentage (25th nationally at 48.3 percent)

if you'd like a link, let me know.

Field goal % has more to do with their schedule.They have 6 losses and one was to St Joe's who sucks, not much of track record.Put them up against any top 10 team and they get killed.

[Anhil8tor]

all this will be settled in 2 months..


WAR! E wearing duke gear for an IT picture

[cLaY]

Field goal % has more to do with their schedule.They have 6 losses and one was to St Joe's who sucks, not much of track record.Put them up against any top 10 team and they get killed.

I would welcome it. We have Texas very soon. Winner claims the Big 12 Title. Will you still talk shit then?

I think Duke's back court would cream their panties being D'd up against Chalmers, Russell, and Rush.

PS. RPI of 52, not that bad.

[cLaY]

all this will be settled in 2 months..


WAR! E wearing duke gear for an IT picture

I stick by my original prediction, Villanova will win it all, definately not Duke.

[Anhil8tor]

dosen't

not that bad also mean not that good?

[Anhil8tor]

I stick by my original prediction, Villanova will win it all, definately not Duke.

E must wear duke gear for an IT picture if Duke beats UNC 3 times this year..

[cLaY]

E must wear duke gear for an IT picture if Duke beats UNC 3 times this year..

So if they don't meet up for a 3rd time he gets off scott free? Nice bet genius.

[cLaY]

dosen't

not that bad also mean not that good?

you've never watched a game. stick to Duke and ULL local games.