Rank 'Em and File 'Em: Week 2

It's our second week of rankings here on J. Greer, and we do have some movement. A few of the games I highlighted on Thursday turned out to be doozies, with Arizona beating No. 4 Gonzaga, No. 21 Ohio State barely edging Butler, UMass and Temple toppled No. 25 Kansas and No. 8 Tennessee, respectively, and No. 19 Georgetown handled its business against No. 17 Memphis.

So, without anymore chit-chat, here are this week's rankings, served with a morning cup o' joe:

1. North Carolina -- Even if UNC lost, I'd need a really, really good reason to not think this team is clear and away the best team in America. This weekend, someone told me that UNC was on Tier 1 and everyone else started at Tier 2. I said, "You mean, everyone else starts at Tier 5."

2. UConn -- No games this past week for the Huskies, but this week's contest at Gonzaga is gonna be awesome.

3. Pitt -- Still no formidable shooting guards, but the Panthers and their Big 3 continued their early-season, all-you-can-eat buffet of cupcakes with a 91-56 drubbing of UMBC.

4. Texas -- The Longhorns struggled against Texas State, but Rick Barnes has his team playing defense and rebounding better than your typical Texas club. These kids love it, too.

5. Oklahoma -- Like I said last week, Blake Griffin has the Sooners in the second tier of college hoops until he leaves.

6. Xavier -- The Musketeers keep taking care of business. A solid win against Cincinnati confirmed Xavier's ownership of the Queen City.

7. Duke -- When March comes, I really believe Wake might be better than Duke. But right now, the Dukies are far more experienced and far less turnover-prone.

8. Wake Forest -- Easily one of the most talented rosters in the country, the Young Deacs haven't had any problems winning in the early going this season, showing their ability to overcome chronic turnover issues. But those TOs will have to be cut down before ACC play.

9. Gonzaga -- I won't drop 'em too far, but the Zags are on notice. Arizona is talented, but losing to the 'Cats in December is unacceptable, even on the road. If Gonzaga is truly top-of-the-line, it can't lose games like that.

10. Syracuse -- Distractions? What distractions? The Orange rolled over Long Beach State despite all the controversy surrounding star guard Eric Devendorf.

11. Louisville -- A couple of dominant wins showed that the 'Ville is getting its swagger back. But the point-guard play continues to be a question.

12. Ohio State -- Struggled against a very good Butler team. But the Buckeyes aren't looking quite like the Big Ten third wheel we all thought they'd be.

13. Georgetown -- A big home win against Memphis moves the Hoyas into the "Hovering Around the Top 10" group. The question coming into the season was how quickly Chris Wright and Greg Monroe could grow up. We are learning that it didn't take long.

14. Purdue -- At least the Boilermakers played a tough nonconference sked. I know I moved them up, but I've got a few teams to move down.

15. Baylor -- The Bears play a run-and-gun style with a very stingy defense mixed in. This club is for real, and could give Texas and Oklahoma fits.

16. Arizona State -- Only loss is to Baylor, but the Sun Devils are on notice -- 59-58 wins against IUPUI don't look great.

17. Tennessee -- The Vols were embarrassed by Temple, but I think the talent level is still there to be the SEC's best. I have to say, though: Doesn't this team seem to fit the mold of a No. 3, 4 or 5 seed that gets upset in the first round of the Tournament?

18. UCLA -- A win against DePaul would have meant more a year ago. A tough challenge comes Dec. 20 when the Bruins host Mercer, a team that has been more problematic than Lindsay Lohan on a movie set.

19. Davidson -- Stephen Curry had a rough start to his big night at the Garden, but finished strong, keeping his crew right where it was last week.

20. Notre Dame -- Still the most overrated team in the country in the national rankings. And the Fighting Irish barely beat BU.

Rank 'Em and File 'Em

We're into December and starting to see at least some formation of a solid group of contenders. So, with that in mind, I'm gonna rank 'em. Each week from here until the NCAA Tournament, we'll use Mondays to rank teams and talk a little bit about each of them.

Without further ado ... the first 2008-2009 J. Greer Top 20

1. North Carolina -- It has to be, right? No other team has this much talent. Even against highly ranked teams like Notre Dame and Michigan State, the Tar Heels looked like they were from another level.

2. UConn -- The Huskies struggled against Buffalo (Buffalo?) but are still the odds-on favorite to meet the Heels on Championship Monday.

3. Pitt -- This year's Panthers aren't just your old friendly bruisers; they possess a three-headed monster on offense with multiple role players emerging as weapons. They can run, they can score and they can still knock you on your ass.

4. Gonzaga -- The Runnin' Zags are the best team on the West Coast and easily one of the best teams in their school's history. Mark Few has six playmakers on this roster.

5. Oklahoma -- Blake Griffin is the best big man in the country. He has that nimbleness about him. The Sooners are top-notch as long as he's around. Oh, and Willie Warren ain't half bad.

6. Texas -- Another huge test of the Longhorns comes tomorrow, when they play Villanova in the Jimmy V Classic.

7. Duke -- I know Duke lost to Michigan. I know everyone hates Duke. I also know that Duke might be the only team capable of beating UNC in the regular season. And one loss on the road isn't terrible.

8. Xavier -- The Musketeers are good. Get used to it.

9. Tennessee -- Always jam-packed with athletes, Bruce Pearl's bunch can fill it up in a hurry and run with anyone.

10. Louisville -- I'm sticking to my gut here. The Cardinals are nasty, and an embarrassing loss early in the season might be the best wake-up call they could have.

11. Syracuse -- And you thought Donte Greene leaving would be a problem. Silly you. Now the Orange actually have five players trying at once. And oh what a difference it makes.

12. Villanova -- See Texas above.

13. Wake Forest -- Supremely talented, very deep, way too many turnovers.

14. Ohio State -- We knew they had some young studs, but we didn't know they'd actually win big games with them.

15. Georgetown -- Still good, still kicking. If you sleep on the Hoyas, you're an idiot.

16. Michigan State -- Sparty had his butt handed to him last week by the Sprintin' Tar Heels, but it could be a lot worse.

16. Memphis -- See Wake Forest above.

17. Purdue -- I still love the Baby Boilermakers. They are legit. And they will avenge two early (but high quality) losses.

18. UCLA -- See Pitt above, but without the same punch as usual. And it seems like the Bruins could use a big guy or three.

19. Davidson -- I don't care what the Wildcats' record is, these kids can play with anyone, anywhere, anytime.

20. Notre Dame -- Most overrated team in the country, but I have to rank them somewhere, right?