Power Rankings: Don't Look Now But ...

America's Most Hated Team is back on top of college basketball. It may only be a little while, but surely everyone's skin crawled a little bit when Wake Forest lost, leaving the door open for Duke to take over the top spot in the nation.

Wake's loss shows us one thing: Heavy lies the crown. And Duke will have to prove its worth right away -- the Blue Devils go to Wake on Wednesday for a 7 p.m. showdown. Don't worry, the ACC won't give us another marquee matchup for a few weeks to catch our breath ...

Meanwhile, visiting No. 9 Louisville beat No. 8 Syracuse on Sunday in Big East action. No. 4 Pitt took care of business at West Virginia. Seton Hall stunned No. 12 Georgetown. On Saturday, No. 20 Villanova edged out South Florida by nine points. No. 11 Marquette, the conference leaders with Louisville, had its hands full with the league's worst team, DePaul, before winning by nine.

Oh, and UConn snapped Notre Dame's 45-game home winning streak.

But that's just a weekend in the Big East. And the Duke-Wake Forest showdown is just a once-in-a-few-weeks kind of showdown in the ACC. Better call up Dicky V.

To the rankings ...

1. Duke (18-1; previous rank: 2) -- The Blue Devils maimed Maryland on Saturday. By 41. They beat North Carolina State by 17 on Inauguration Day. They beat Georgia Tech by 14. Meanwhile, previously winless-in-conference Seton Hall just beat Georgetown, probably the fourth or fifth team in the Big East. You're right: The ACC isn't top-heavy, but the Big East is. But I digress. Duke has won 10 in a row since losing its only game of the season.

2. UConn (18-1; 3) -- The Huskies, like I said, went into the toughest arena in the Big East and won. They held Notre Dame to 33-percent shooting. That's one of the best offenses in the nation -- 33 percent. That, my friends, is good defense, with a capital picket fence. UConn's "week off" in conference play is this week, when the Huskies go to DePaul, the team that just pushed the Big East's top team right now, then host the Providence Friars, who have asserted themselves as possibly the ninth-best team in the conference.

3. Pitt (18-1; 4) -- So, Pitt, one of our Heavy Lies the Crown victims who lost early in their top ranking, is right back into form. The Panthers annihilated Syracuse on Monday and then traveled to an extremely tough gym, WVU Coliseum, and crushed West Virginia, the team that had just beaten Georgetown by 17 ... in Washington. A pair of convincing wins for Pitt had me tempted to jump them past Duke and UConn, but the Panthers are just fine at 3. And you'll probably notice a theme here, but Pitt now plays at Villanova on Wednesday before hosting Notre Dame on Saturday. Just another week in the Big East. It's exactly like the NCAA Tournament some (most?) weeks.

4. Wake Forest (16-1; 1) -- Wake lost a tough game at home, but there's no time to relax. The Deacs get Duke on Wednesday. And they may want to rectify the whole 1:2 assist-to-turnover ratio they had against Virginia Tech. Oh, and they might not want to let Duke shoot 50 percent. But Wake is at home, and probably pretty mad that it lost to an NIT team, so I think we might see another No. 1 go down on Wednesday.

5. Oklahoma (19-1; 5) -- Baylor is pretty good, and Oklahoma swatted them on Saturday. The Sooners have won seven in a row since losing at Arkansas. Now they have a big rivalry game at Oklahoma State on Wednesday. I don't really see anybody tripping up Oklahoma in the Big 12 if the Sooners play their best, so we'll just be on upset alert the rest of the season, erring on the side of the Sooners.

6. UNC (17-2; 6) -- Hey, it's a good game in the ACC that doesn't just include Duke, UNC and Wake. The Tar Heels go to Tallahassee for a tough game at Florida State on Wednesday. They should win, but FSU is looking for a nice marquee win. Is this one it?

7. Louisville (15-3; 10) -- A few teams lost, and the Cards kept moving, beating Syracuse by 10 on the road. Louisville hit its stride after losing to UNLV, and it hasn't looked back. South Florida and West Virginia are on tap this week, all before UConn on Feb. 2. Mark your calendars.

8. Marquette (17-2; 9) -- Louisville leap-frogged the Golden Eagles because Marquette has really feasted on the mid-table Big East schools. The Cardinals' wins at Syracuse and at home against Pitt and Notre Dame were impressive. Now, Marquette has a shot to make a splash with a game against Georgetown. But the Golden Eagles are lucky: They really should be OK until they go to Georgetown, host UConn, travel to Louisville then Pitt and then return home to play Syracuse to round out the season. Marquette might be 12-1 in the Big East by then.

9. Michigan State (17-3; 7) -- Oops. The Spartans lost a weird game to Northwestern on Wednesday. That's a pretty bad loss. But they responded with a resounding defeat of Ohio State. We'll call the Northwestern game a blip.

10. Syracuse (17-4; 8) -- I'm not going to drop Syracuse too much because Orange lost two in a row to Final Four teams. Not exactly a terrible week. Plus, I still like 'Cuse's win against Notre Dame. The Orange need to rebound, though, and get at least one marquee win against a good Big East team. They go to UConn on Feb. 11. Mark that date, too.

11. Clemson (17-2; 11) -- The Tigers don't belong with Duke, Wake and UNC. But they don't belong with Miami, Florida State and Virginia Tech, either. They really belong with the 6-9 best Big East teams. Are you picking up what I'm putting down?

12. Arizona State (16-3; 12) -- Doesn't Arizona State remind you of the 3 seed that loses by like 20 to a 6 or 11 seed in the second round? Write that previous sentence down somewhere.

13. Xavier (17-2; 17) -- The Musketeers are zooming up my power rankings after I saw them in action against LSU. I know LSU isn't very tough -- although it might just be the best team in the SEC West -- but Xavier closed out well. Very well. And if you can hit your foul shots, get some stops and make big shots in tough games, you are well suited for the Tournament.

14. Texas (14-4; 16) -- The Longhorns go to Baylor tomorrow night. They'll need to lock down the very good Baylor offense and try to control tempo. If Texas gets that win, it's in good shape. Baylor is a tough team, despite its crumbling at the hands of Oklahoma. This game will be a good indicator of who, along with Kansas, will be the main challenger to the Sooners.

15. Butler (18-1; 15) -- I can't move the Bulldogs higher because the Horizon League schedule isn't very daunting. But we know Butler can compete with anyone, anywhere. That's why we give 'em respect. They've earned it.

16. Washington (15-4; NR) -- The Huskies are 6-1 in the Pac-10, and they've won four in a row, including an 11-point win against UCLA on Sunday. A five-point win against USC was nice, too. I'm not sure Washington will stay this high in the power rankings, but the Huskies have a legitimate argument for a Tournament berth right now, and I think they'll get one come March.

17. UCLA (15-4; 13) -- The Bruins struggled at Washington State and escaped with a win. I liked that win, though. I saw that game, and it's never easy to score against Wazzou, a team I've seen play live twice and on TV many, many times. They defend you very well. For UCLA to get that win, it took a lot. So, we'll keep them in the power rankings despite Washington's big win on Sunday.

18. Kentucky (15-4; NR) -- The Wildcats deserve to be in here. They've won five straight since losing a tough one to Louisville. I really think this is the team to beat in the SEC. Jodie Meeks (duh) is pretty hard to cover.

19. Illinois (17-3; 20) -- The Illini play Minnesota on Thursday. That game has Big Ten title implications and tournament seeding implications. Expect a gritty, low-scoring, really boring game. But it's a big one, and these teams will be tough outs in the NCAAs.

20. St. Mary's (18-1; 19) -- The Gaels didn't do anything wrong that caused them to drop, I just needed to get UK and Washington into the rankings, and those teams might be better than Saint Mary's. But there's a huge showdown that you really should watch this week: Gonzaga hosts St. Mary's on Thursday at 11. It's good TV before bed. Enjoy.

And a new addition ...

Teams on the brink: Villanova, Minnesota, Georgetown, Purdue, Notre Dame, Gonzaga, Memphis, Florida, Utah State, West Virginia, Providence, Florida State, Kansas

New Draft Declaration Rule Is Unfair

There's a lot of discussion each year about new rules that the NCAA makes pertaining to recruiting. Last year, text messaging players became illegal. This year, attending April weekend tournaments has been banned, and ACC coaches are pushing for another major rule change: Players must declare for the NBA Draft by the day before the spring signing period, which is April 15.

Now, the rule as it stands now allows players to wait until early June, just before the Draft, to make a final decision. If ACC coaches get their way, players will have about a week if their team makes the Final Four.

ACC coaches argue that players holding out to decide hurts the coaches' recruiting. Not knowing whether or not a player is going or staying leaves a potential spot on their roster in lingo. And it leaves a coach at a disadvantage with a recruit because the coach may not end up with a scholarship to give. Plus, coaches say, there's plenty of time to think about the decision during the season.

From the player's perspective, it's just as difficult. Seth Davis makes some good points in his column on Tuesday, which is linked for you in the first paragraph. Many players who are in the position to decide whether to stay or go don't necessarily have it easy. There's a ton of pressure on the players to bolt for the bucks.

People seem to forget that a lot of college athletes like college. I mean, who wouldn't? They have accomodations for everything, from one-on-one tutoring to meal stipends that end up lining their pockets. They get free stuff. They have layers upon layers of nets to make sure they don't slip through the cracks. They play 30-plus game schedules in front of crazy fans on national television. They go to parties and drink for free, all while being treated like celebrities on campus.

What's not to like?

But more importantly, and Davis makes this point very well in his column, the pre-Draft camps and individual workouts are a great way to measure where a player fits in the upcoming Draft. Scouts and NBA teams are never happy with just in-season reports. They want to see a player in person. In the flesh. Jumping. Sprinting. Shooting. All that stuff. You can't get that kind of in-depth scouting when, on any given night, a guy is playing with at least seven or eight players who will never make the NBA.

This rule would be wrong. It's not fair to the players. I've heard some rumblings of a loophole, where players would say they're staying at school, then declare for the Draft right before the deadline. Surely that loophole would be closed if the ACC coaches get their way.

Coaches and schools are already allowed to refuse release from scholarships for kids who want to transfer. They're already in control of a player's every move while he's at school. How is it fair to give coaches and schools control of a kid's future? And if it's about money, give me a break. A coach makes money off a kid while he's at school. Let the kid make money off himself when he's good and ready, and enjoy the kid while he provides his services to the school.

Elsewhere
-- Speaking of recruiting, how's this for fun news? Give us five years and babies will start verbally committing to schools before leaving the womb.

-- Can you believe a CNN.com headline said, "Obamas juggle Inaugural balls"?

-- Remember John McCain?

-- Big games tonight: Villanova at UConn on ESPN at 7; Clemson tries to break its 53-game winless streak at North Carolina at 9 on ESPN; and Arizona and Arizona State battle for state supremacy at 9:30.

Power Rankings: Wake Takes the Top Spot

Well, a lot happened this weekend. So, the power rankings will be very different from last week's.

Let's not waste any time:

1. Wake Forest (16-0; previous rank: 2) - Well, the Deacs hammered Clemson at Clemson, so not only are they the only undefeated team left in America, they are also the clear frontrunners in the ACC after beating UNC. If Wake beats Duke on January 28, then it has a strong argument for 1 seed before February even starts.

2. Duke (16-1; 3) - The Blue Devils don't really have an inside presence to write home about, but Gerald Henderson keeps filling it up and Duke is getting stronger without much attention. Plus, the Dukies handled Georgetown at home on Saturday, a solid win.

3. UConn (16-1; 4) - The Huskies are right back where they were at the beginning of the season: sitting behind an ACC team. But UConn is cruising along in the Big East, albeit against the bottom half of the conference, and will face two difficult tests this week: Wednesday against Villanova and at Notre Dame on Saturday.

4. Pitt (16-1; 1) - I knew the going would be rough in Louisville, where the Panthers lost their first game of the season to a scrappy and rising Louisville club. But Pitt isn't going to have any time to dwell on it -- the Panthers host Syracuse tonight at 7 on ESPN.

5. Oklahoma (17-1; 6) - The Sooners jump UNC in the rankings after beating two very good Big 12 teams to claim clear top-dog status in the conference. Oklahoma creamed Texas by 15 and topped Texas A&M on its home floor, enough to move Blake Griffin and company past the preseason favorites. Baylor on Saturday will be a tough one for 'Homa.

6. UNC (16-2; 5) - UNC had a nice win this week, too, annihilating a decent Miami team in Chapel Hill. But beating Texas and Texas A&M is better than beating Miami and Virginia. Wednesday night will give UNC its only test of the week -- a home game against Clemson.

7. Michigan State (15-2; 8) - The Spartans got a huge home win against an up-and-coming Illinois team on Saturday, and it looks like MSU is hitting its stride. You know, the stride everyone expected them to hit back in October. Northwestern is Sparty's only opponent this week, but there's a chance it could be tougher than it sounds -- NW pushed Purdue last Thursday and then beat Minnesota on Sunday.

8. Syracuse (17-2; 7) - Syracuse got crushed at Georgetown, then turned around and beat the hell out of Notre Dame at home. Notre Dame is atrocious on the road, but beating the Irish by 19 is still impressive. And get this: 'Cuse went to Georgetown, came home for Notre Dame last week, now the Orange go to Pittsburgh and then host Louisville. It gets better: at Providence, home against West Virginia, at Villanova, at UConn, then Georgetown and Villanova at home. That's Syracuse's schedule over the next month or so.

9. Marquette (16-2; 11) - Nos. 9, 10, 12, 13 and 14 of last week's power rankings lost this past week. So, Marquette, which was No. 11, reaps the benefits, jumping to No. 9. But the jump isn't without merit. The Golden Eagles beat a tough Providence team on the road. It won't be a tough week for Buzz Williams's gents -- they're only game is at DePaul on Saturday.

10. Louisville (13-3; 19) - Face it, Louisville is good. Look at this top 10: five Big East teams. Is it legit? Yeah, absolutely. These teams can all play with the best of the best. I've heard so many ACC-is-better-than-Big-East-because-of-the-top-three-ACC-teams arguments that I want to puke. Georgetown, Villanova, Notre Dame and West Virginia make it nine teams that I don't see getting much lower than 7 or 8 seeds in the Tournament. The ACC has Wake, Duke, UNC and Clemson. That's it. Try winning every night against Tournament-quality teams. You don't get nights off in the Big East.

11. Clemson (16-1; 10) - I won't drop Clemson too much just because losing to Wake Forest is not that bad. Obviously. Wednesday night's trip to North Carolina will give the Tigers their newest chance to break the winless streak in Chapel Hill. It takes a lot to break misfortune. Do the Tigers have it in 'em, or are they solidly the fourth-best team in the ACC?

12. Arizona State (15-3; 15) - Yeah, the Sun Devils played terribly at USC and lost, but then they made up for it by playing a lot better and beating UCLA on its home floor. Because so many teams lost this week, moving ASU up after a split wasn't so hard.

13. UCLA (14-3; 9) - The Bruins won big against Arizona but couldn't hang on against Arizona State at the end of the week. UCLA does the Washington tour this week, and it won't be easy.

14. Georgetown (12-4; NR) - A two-game losing streak dropped the Hoyas out of the top 20, but a dominating home win against Syracuse got them back into the rankings. Duke rocked Georgetown on Saturday, but it's OK -- this is a relatively young Hoyas team, and playing at Cameron isn't easy.

15. Butler (16-1; 16) - The Horizon League isn't necessarily the toughest competition. OK, it's not even close. Still, the job 32-year-old Brad Stevens has done at Butler after losing both Mike Green and AJ Graves has been nothing short of amazing. Butler will turn someone's hair gray in March.

16.Texas (13-4; 12) - OK, the Longhorns were crushed by Oklahoma, but it's still clear that they're the next-best team in the Big 12. Saturday's game against Texas A&M will be fun.

17. Xavier (15-2; NR) - Xavier got a nice win at URI last week. A trip to LSU on Saturday gives the Musketeers a chance to get another out-of-conference road win, but unfortunately, LSU has completely fallen apart, so it may not carry as much weight. These guys are good, though.

18. Villanova (14-3; NR) - The Wildcats killed a tougher-than-you'd-think St. John's team yesterday. 'Nova goes to UConn Wednesday. That will be a major test. Scottie Reynolds has to score 70.

19. St. Mary's (17-1; 20) - St. Mary's won two games this week by an average of 37.5 points. I mean, it's the WCC, but still, that's impressive in conference play.

20. Illinois (15-3; NR) - It's time to show the Fightin' Illini some respect. They've got some quality wins against Missouri, at Purdue and Michigan. Solid.

The SEC West's Best

Scary, isn't he? That's John Pelphrey, coach of Arkansas. His team is scary, too.

Last night, for the second time in a week, the Razorbacks gored a top-10 Big 12 team. That's right -- Arkansas. Ya know, the team picked by SEC media to finish last in the atrocious SEC West. It made sense at the time -- Arkansas only had three players with any college basketball experience. But this is a top-2o recruiting class working its tail off for Pelphrey.

And these are the results.

Arkansas is 12-1, with wins over the two best teams in the Big 12. The Razorbacks' only loss came at Missouri State, a 62-57 travesty that saw Pelphrey's cagers turn the ball over 17 times. But we're all entitled to an embarrassing loss, right? Especially if you can rebound with a 10-game winning streak and a pair of monumental upsets.

So, Arkansas, join the ranks of Boston College in the college hoops parthenon. You are deserving. Oklahoma and Texas are good. Both teams have a legitimate shot at stealing a 1 seed in March. And you have wins against both of 'em. Both!

Get used to the names Michael Washington and Courtney Fortson. Washington, a junior, has emerged as the BMOC at Arkansas, averaging 18 and 10. The freshman point guard Fortson is a nigthly triple-double threat, posting 15 points, seven assists and six rebounds a night. That's an inside-outside combo, my friends.

The SEC West has a new frontrunner. And the Top 25 won't be the best 25 teams in the nation if Arkansas isn't on there next week.

Elsewhere
-- Clemson is good. The Tigers are 15-0 after a win against Alabama. Why does Clemson start so hot every year?

-- So, remember last night when I said there were two ranked teams playing each other every night in the Big East? Well, this is what reminded me of it. A huge win for UConn at West Virginia. And Villanova does itself well, too, with a win against Seton Hall.

-- And, oh yeah, Purdue is 0-2 to start Big Ten play. Yikes. Really, though, you lost to Penn State. Doesn't that automatically disqualify you from the NCAA Tournament?

-- You know what? College football is stupid. There, I said it. This is why I'm a hoops guy. One game in the regular season doesn't determine your fate if you are a good enough team to rebound. And you decide your national champion with a grueling three-week tournament that, by the end of March, weeds out most, if not all, of the riff-raff. Oh, yeah, and the tournament actually decides on a champion. Why wouldn't someone want to see USC, Utah, Texas and the winner of Oklahoma-Florida in a playoff? Why can't we separate them into an eight-team playoff and add three other teams? God, even the overtimes are stupid. [/rant]

-- If I could, I'd like to recommend Seth Davis. He's always a good read. Also, check out his book, When March Went Mad. Not sure when it comes out officially, but I'm rolling through an advance copy now. Very good if you like sports. And SI.com's Luke Winn is good, too, even if he is stealing my blog post from months ago.

-- Movies you should see: Doubt, Frost/Nixon, The Wrestler and Bond. Make it happen, people.

Holy Hoyas!

Everyone knew Georgetown would be good. I thought the Hoyas would really come into their own in Big East play. But there were at least six teams that many thought would be better than John Thompson III's guys.

Yet here we are, the morning after the Big East opener, clearly scrambling to make sense of Georgetown's 74-63 throttling of UConn ... in Hartford! The No. 2 Huskies did very little right. Just look at the box score, where you can always find the reasons for the loss. Seventeen turnovers and six assists? (I'm going to beat this into your head this year, but there are four principles to winning -- good field-goal shooting, good free-throw shooting, few turnovers, lots of offensive boards.)

There is a laundry list of other things that went wrong for UConn -- Hasheem Thabeet only took four shots and scored four points; Jerome Dyson was 1 for 10 from the field for four points; and Georgetown scored 26 points off turnovers.

Sloppy play doesn't help you win games, let alone a Big East or national title. Jim Calhoun has to be furious about his team's performance. His Huskies won the battle of the boards and scored plenty of second-chance points, but turnovers and that lack of the extra pass killed them.

But give Georgetown credit. The Hoyas didn't have a much better stat line -- 14 turnovers, 10 assists, lost the rebounding fight, didn't shoot any special percentage -- but they just capitalized on UConn's mistakes.

This is the difference in the game: Points off turnovers -- Georgetown 26, UConn 13.

Simple as that.

Moving forward, Georgetown returns home to the Verizon Center for the ultimate chance to take advantage of its momentum and beat No. 3 Pitt. But the Panthers have a slightly different style than UConn and (I think) they match up better with the Hoyas.

This is a primetime Big East showdown with a lot on the line -- Georgetown raised the stakes with its pummeling of UConn. Pitt and G'town have the two best defenses (in terms of FG defense) in the Big East and they are both in the top three of the RPI right now.

How can I make this any simpler? In terms of efficiency, Georgetown has the No. 1 offense and No. 6 defense; Pitt's No. 12 and No. 8, respectively.

Each team has an Achilles' heel or two -- Georgetown one of the worst rebounding teams in the Big East (Pitt gets a ton of offensive boards) and turns the ball over a lot; Pitt shoots 67 percent from the charity stripe (Georgetown boasts a 75-percent clip) and doesn't have more than one legitimate outside shooter.

Let's just hope it doesn't come down to free-throw shooting ...

Monday's Must-See Matchup

If you hadn't already heard, there's kind of a big game tonight. No. 12 Georgetown at No. 2 UConn tips off tonight at 7 p.m. The game will be on ESPN. What a way to start the Big East season, with a contest showcasing two of the top five teams in the conference.

This is a tone-setting game for the conference slate, too, because both of these teams figure to be in the top five of the league, with UConn favored to win the conference. Pitt, Notre Dame, Louisville and Syracuse will be praying for a Georgetown win -- any help in derailing UConn's title run will be appreciated by the other contenders. And if Georgetown wins, the best conference in America has a new frontrunner.

Key Matchups
Everyone talks about Hasheem Thabeet. He's probably the most intriguing newcomer to the nation's elite playerdom. At 7-3, dude swats shots. Pure and simple. Thabeet will even give a Tony Parker floater its sending orders. You're about to see more of Thabeet than you have so far this year.

But a big-time showdown with freshman sensation Greg Monroe will definitely set this party off right, as Jamie Foxx would say. Monroe is a 6-11 big fella with a little mobility. He'll have to aim high off the glass tonight, and not just because of Thabeet's reach, but also because of the ability of UConn's Jeff Adrien and Stanley Robinson to come off their man and swat shots.

Which leads us to another big matchup at the 4 spot between Adrien and Georgetown's best player, DaJuan Summers. Summers is supposed to be "the next Jeff Green," but he hasn't always been the same kind of player. He has the size and skill of Green, and he can operate on the perimeter like his power-forward predecessor, but he doesn't quite have the same ability to pass the ball. Still, Summers has put together a great start to the season, averaging 15 points a game. He'll need to lure Adrien away from the basket and help Monroe with Thabeet on defense.

Why I like UConn
The Huskies gutted out a win in Seattle against Gonzaga last week. And Hartford is not an easy place to play. Trust me -- I saw Pitt blow a game-long lead against UConn as the crowd got into it. UConn is just so rugged, and Georgetown has always had trouble against teams that push it around a little bit.

Georgetown is a good club. I think the Hoyas were underrated coming into the season. But winning at UConn in December in the first Big East game of the year is a tall order. I like UConn in a good, physical game.

Bracketology

ESPN's Joe Lunardi released a new Bracketology today.

The 1 seeds are easy to pick: UNC, UConn, Pitt and Oklahoma.

Here's the rest.

Merry Christmas, Hoops Fans

Right now, there is not one team that can beat North Carolina anywhere, at any time. I've even contemplated that very question in the past. But, as you can see on that list, there are a few teams that might keep it within 10 points.

Two of them play in Seattle on Saturday. No. 2 UConn goes to Starbucks City for a showdown with the High-Flyin' Zags of Gonzaga, the eighth-ranked team in the nation.

If it talks like a Final Four preview and walks like a Final Four preview, it's a Final Four preview.

UConn has a whole fraternity chapter of guards. Take your pick: UConn's leading scorer, Jerome Dyson; McDonald's All-American Kemba Walker; 07-08 unanimous all-Big East selection AJ Price; or Stamford's finest Craig Austrie. All of them are studs. All of them produce. And they all make Jim Calhoun's life -- at least when he's coaching them on the court -- at lot easier.

And there's that whole bruising inside presence thing, ya know, the best defensive center in college basketball, Hasheem Thabeet, and his sidekick, Jeff Adrien, the scariest man in hoops, especially with the mouthguard in.

Meanwhile, the Zags can fly up and down the floor like they have rockets on their shoes. They score about 79 points as a team, which isn't that huge of a number, unless you look at who they've played. Blowout wins against Maryland, Oklahoma State and Washington State look good; a strong performance and victory against Tennessee looked even better.

If big fella Josh Heytfelt doesn't kill you with his inside-outside game, then Gonzaga's collection of wingers will. Austin Daye, Matt Bouldin, Micah Downs and Stephen Gray all average nine or more points. And Jeremy Pargo (above) makes the team go with never-ending energy.

The Zags doubled up Texas Southern as a form of punishment for being the next opponent on their sked. Gonzaga lost a gritty game to Arizona in Phoenix before beating up Texas Southern.

UConn-Gonzaga will be a track meet, with some physical play underneath and a lot of textbook rebounding. Offensively, it will be like an NBA game. Gonzaga has the ninth most efficient offense in the nation; Connecticut has the eighth.

Just enjoy the game. I won't even attempt a prediction.

-- Tomorrow is going to the equivalent of a lifetime's supply of crack to a crack addict for hoops fans. Let me just map out this list and you can digest it ...

No. 9 Louisville vs. Minnesota in Glendale, Ariz., at 2 p.m.
No. 19 Michigan State at No. 5 Texas at 2 p.m. on CBS
No. 7 Xavier at No. 6 Duke at 2 p.m. also on CBS (one of these two games must be a regional broadcast)
Temple at Kansas at 2:30 p.m. on ESPN 2
Providence at Boston College at 4 p.m.
No. 2 Connecticut at No. 8 Gonzaga in Seattle at 4 p.m. on CBS (regional broadcast)
No. 22 Davidson at No. 13 Purdue at 4 p.m. also on CBS (national broadcast, trying to capitalize on the Curry Phenomenon)
BYU at No. 20 Arizona State at 4:30 p.m.
LSU at Texas A&M at 5 p.m.
Saint Mary's at Southern Illinois at 6 p.m.
No. 11 Syracuse at No. 23 Memphis at 7 p.m. on ESPN
URI at Oklahoma State at 7:30 p.m.
Northwestern at Stanford at 10 p.m. (haha, just playin')
VCU at No. 4 Oklahoma at 10 p.m. on ESPN 2

Seriously, just put it directly into my veins.

-- Maybe MLB should ask Mark Teixeira for some of his contract.

-- Not sure how to break this to you, Jack, but ... you're screwed.

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.

Harmless in Hollywood

The ship hasn't quite sailed on UCLA yet, but it's clear that the Bruins aren't the super-elite team they were in the past three years. Maybe time will change that, but for now, UCLA is clearly in the second tier of college hoops top dogs this season.

Texas, on the other hand, is pending further investigation.

Last night's contest proved two things: AJ Abrams is a stud (but we already knew that) and UCLA has trouble getting points against good teams. The defense is still there for Ben Howland's club, but the offense might be the downfall later in the year. Granted, this game went down to the wire, but UCLA in years past would have won this game.

Elsewhere
-- What happens in Buffalo ... UConn almost lost to Buffalo last night, but held on to win, 68-64. This coming immediately after I wrote that UConn has the best shot of any team to beat UNC.

Spartans Tarred and Feathered; Can Anyone Top the Heels?

If you needed any more proof that North Carolina is clear and away the best team in America, you got it last night. If you didn't, you simply marveled at the NBA-like performance of this battalion of All-Americans.

Michigan State is an elite team. The Spartans, who have lost to Maryland (Maryland? Yes, Maryland), are still my favorite to the win the Big 10 -- sorry, Purdue. And I really do see Michigan State making the Elite 8 and possibly the Final Four.

So last night, while it wasn't surprising to observe the Tar Heels' incredible offensive efficiency -- they run the break like the Celtics from the '80s -- it was surprising to see the Spartans sputter so much in the limelight.

Instead of breaking down the game, let's move to a new discussion: Which teams can *compete* with North Carolina, and possibly top them when UNC has an off night (which, brace yourself, could happen someday)?

We'll settle them into three categories: Line 'em up, Only on a bad day and Upset City.

Line 'em up -- These teams could go head-to-head, and if UNC gets stuck playing the opponent's game, the opponent just might win.

1. UConn -- The obvious choice. The Huskies have the depth and the talent to run with UNC. Can UConn score with UNC? Probably. The Huskies have four very good guards who can fill it up, and Hasheem Thabeet and Jeff Adrien will emerge as two of the best post scorers in the Big East. I'd love to see UNC deal with Thabeet.

2. Pitt -- If the Panthers could dictate the pace of the game and keep star center DeJuan Blair out of foul trouble, Pitt would certainly give UNC some problems. The reason both UConn and Pitt are listed here is defense. Both teams can slow down any opponent, even UNC. The degree to which the Tar Heels are slowed, however, is a key factor. Pitt has similar depth to UConn and UNC, and the athletes to cause UNC problems, but for the Panthers to win, the game couldn't go much higher than the 70s.

3. Gonzaga -- Only in a track meet could the Zags upend the Heels, but it's not out of the question. Mark Few's bunch can score quickly and easily, and much of Gonzaga's points come in transition. This game would go off the rails immediately and, much like the UNC-Notre Dame game in Maui, end up in the 90s and 100s. At that point, all it takes is some missed free throws and a last-second chance to win.

4. Duke -- Similar to Gonzaga, but with a mix of UConn/Pitt. With a taste of rivalry to it, the Duke-UNC matchup is almost a toss-up, with UNC obviously having a slight lean as the favorite. Duke can score with anyone, in transition or the halfcourt, but it can also defend rather well. The only place where the Blue Devils would have a serious disadvantage is in the frontcourt, where UNC's depth and rebounding abilities will overwhelm the Dukies whenever these teams meet.

Only on a really bad day -- This is pretty obvious: If UNC is having a bad day, which by most teams' standards this year is probably still good enough to win, then these teams have a shot. But then again, the only way UNC loses is on a bad day in the first place, so this has to be a really bad day.

1. Oklahoma -- The Sooners have two comparable stars in Blake Griffin and Willie Warren to match UNC's two biggest guns, Tyler Hansbrough and Ty Lawson. But Oklahoma would need a gargantuan performance from both -- something Griffin knows how to do, averaging pretty much a heroic effort every night (26 and 19) -- plus third, fourth, fifth and probably sixth wheels to back those two up. Blake Griffin's brother, Taylor, would probably have trouble against Marcus Ginyard, but Taylor and Oklahoma's four guards behind Warren would all have to play well.

2. Louisville -- I know the Cardinals lost to Western Kentucky. By now, everyone knows. But November's laughing stock will be one of March's most dangerous teams. Rick Pitino's lineup is stacked and his bench is deep. There is no drop-off in talent when Pitino dips into his reserves, and many of the players on his roster remember UNC's toppling of their team in the Elite 8 last year. Motivational tools only go so far, but talent and athleticism will help a lot if these teams match up in March.

3. UCLA -- See Pitt above. But also consider the experienced and deep roster. I'm sure you've noticed a trend: teams that want to beat UNC must be deep. UCLA plays great defense, both halfcourt and transition, and would have to really clamp down in the post to keep UNC off the glass. This would be an ugly game, one that UNC would probably win by scoring in the low 70s, but UCLA could cause some problems.

4. Wake Forest -- The Demon Deacons are young, deep and extremely loaded. They can score plenty, and they love to run. The problem with Wake Forest is all the turnovers. If Wake cuts down on turnovers in a game against UNC, maybe the Deacs can cause some problems. Wake gets UNC at home on Jan. 11, but don't use that as a barometer: UNC will probably win, and maybe even blow out Wake. But Wake will be far more mature come March, and that could be a huge difference.

5. Michigan State/Purdue -- I know the Spartans lost by 35 last night and the Boilermakers were crushed by Duke on Tuesday, but both of these teams will be leaps and bounds better by March. Both teams have a lot of talent, depth and coaching (especially Tom Izzo at MSU), and that could help them learn from their early-season troubles against top clubs.

Upset City -- Welcome to Upset City, population: 4. These wins would be huge upsets. Three of the teams are ranked, two of which are from major conferences. But these teams couldn't just win on a really bad day. Any of these teams winning is really more in the line of a "snowball's chance in hell."

1. Miami/Virginia Tech -- Miami's Jack McClinton is the best shooting guard in the ACC -- sorry, Wayne Ellington. McClinton would have to go off for something like 30 or 40, but playing UNC for a second time (the second game being at home for Miami in mid-February) might be the charm. Home crowds help, and that's why I also think Virginia Tech can score a major upset. On March 4, UNC travels to Blacksburg to play the Hokies, and that game is the last game for UNC before its second round of battling with Duke four days later. Virginia Tech always seems to be close to pulling off an upset or actually pulling one off every year, so it's not crazy to think of the Hokies doing it against the biggest of all giants.

2. Davidson -- Would you seriously put it past Stephen Curry to score 50 and help his teammates shock the Tar Heels? UNC beat Davidson, 72-68, in Chapel Hill last year. It was the first game of the season for UNC, the second for the Wildcats, but it was a dandy. With both teams heated up -- they would have to meet in March -- this could be an instant classic. Nobody ever counts Davidson out anymore, even against a team like UNC, which might be the best team college basketball has seen possibly ever.

3. Syracuse -- The Orange really impressed me in their defeat of Kansas last week. So much so that I think they might be the fourth-best team in the Big East behind UConn, Pitt and Louisville. I could see Jonny Flynn dropping 30 and the Orange causing some fits for UNC, but it would really have to be a special afternoon for Jim Boeheim's club.

In the end, UConn and Duke are the only two teams I'd say could win four of 10 matchups between them and UNC. Pitt and Gonzaga are close behind, but after that, we're talking about once-in-a-lifetime upsets. UNC is that good.

We're Baaaack

I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving. I spent the past few days keeping a low profile and relaxing up in Boston. But that didn't keep me from hoops ...

And what a welcome-back present Louisville gave us today:

Western Kentucky 68, Louisville 54

Monday's Top 5 will not look the same as last week's. Expect Pitt to climb to No. 3, while UNC and UConn will hold firm at 1 and 2, respectively. Michigan State will also drop out of the Top 5 because of its loss to Maryland, which turned around and got slaughtered by Gonzaga and Georgetown on consecutive nights.

Gonzaga and Tennessee are going at it as we speak, with Gonzaga up by 10.

Game of my vacation: No. 11 Oklahoma 87, No. 10 Purdue 82, in overtime.

Tomorrow, we'll review who had a good break and who didn't.

Swallowed by the Beast

Jonny Flynn and the Syracuse Orange upset No. 17 Florida last night, 89-83. Wow. The second-best SEC team against the seventh-best Big East team. Keep watching Big East teams for more signs of dominance the rest of the year.

Or I could just give you some now ...

No. 2 UConn 76, No. 25 Wisconsin 57

No. 8 Notre Dame 88, Indiana 50

Oh, and Cincinnati and St. John's won, too, but those are just icing on the cake. Plus, who's really counting anyway?

Let's play good loss/bad loss
-- There is never really such a thing as a "good loss," but there are losses that, if close and against a good team, mean a little bit more than a bad loss to a bad team or a blowout loss to anybody. Yesterday provided a full plate of games to pick from:

Terrible loss: Jacksonville State 75, UMass 74. If UMass was hoping to surprise people in the A-10 and make a run as an at-large team, starting 1-3 and losing to Jacksonville State at home usually won't help.

Disappointing but not terrible loss: Syracuse 89, No. 17 Florida 83 (see above)

Tough home loss: UNLV 80, UTEP 67. UNLV is good, but UTEP had a chance to get a quality home win and build up its resume leading into C-USA play. If the Miners want to challenge Memphis for the conference title and stake a claim as a second or third bid out of the C-USA, a win in a game like this always helps.

Bad loss against a good team: Kansas 73, Washington 54. If Washington (or Worshington if your Bob Knight) wants to find its way out of basketball purgatory, it needs to come closer to good teams and win a few of them. More importantly, if Lorenzo Romar wants to keep his job after this season, the Huskies need to do better against quality teams. First step, don't shoot so many 3s if you aren't making them. Just a suggestion.

Awful loss: Yale 53, Oregon State 52. Craig Robinson is off to a very rough 0-3 start. Losing to Howard is tough. Losing to Yale is probably worse.

Embarrassing blowout: Oregon 82, Alabama 59. Not only is Alabama 1-2, with this blowout loss at home and a loss to Mercer ... at home ... but the Crimson Tide suddenly look like one of the worst teams in the SEC, which is terrible because some floated the idea of them being an at-large bid or a bubble team come March. At this point, they might still be a reach bubble team ... for the NIT.

The Jam Really Is Paradise

No. 2 UConn takes on No. 25 Wisconsin tonight in the Paradise Jam title game. UConn thumped Miami despite Jack McClinton's 27 points, while Wisconsin stifled San Diego.

It will be a matchup of gritty defenses, one (UConn) predicated on rebounding and thunderously blocking shots, the other on hand-in-your-jersey man-to-man and closed-off cutting lanes.

I suspect UConn will win this game, but I'll be interested to see how the Huskies handle the Badgers' jarring defense. Wisconsin will provide UConn with a nice preview of what's to come in Big East hoops. A lot of teams in the Big East, especially Pitt and Georgetown, play physical, grueling man-to-man. That's not to say the Huskies don't pack a punch of their own -- they brutalize even the toughest teams with their own tempo and toughness -- but a game against Wisconsin, one of the toughest defensive teams in the nation, will be a nice way to prepare for the rigorous 18-game conference schedule.

The difference lies in the offense: UConn has multiple weapons who can score from all over the place; Wisconsin doesn't. With enough creativity and innovation, UConn will get points, even if its ugly.

Elsewhere
-- I highly recommend this Dana O'Neil story on recruiting. It's a wide-ranging topic that I'd like to analyze and write a lot about when I have more time.

Rainy Saturday Quick Hits

That man up top -- the Godfather of Basketball, Rick Pitino -- is not walking through that door in Lexington. (He's walking through another door a few hours away, actually, coaching a team that', dare I say, good.) And you have to wonder if anyone in Kentucky basketball world is wishing Rick was ambling into Rupp Arena, because the Wildcats got off to another terrible start, this time losing to VMI, 111-103.

Not even kidding. VMI.

-- Does this really surprise you? Have you seen Nick Calathes? Plus, he plays for Florida, so it figures.

-- UNC topped Penn, 86-71, today. I know you were holding your breath.

-- Really? Davidson dropped 107 points?

-- Pitt took care of business, so did UConn, Texas, Purdue, Oklahoma and Arizona State. Buzz Williams is 1-0 at Marquette. Florida, Wake and 'Nova got off on the right track, too.

-- Just wondering: Is VMI a bubble team now? Kentucky certainly is.