UConn is history, and North Carolina is getting awfully close to
getting bounced.
After Jim Calhoun’s Huskies lost two more games and
don’t possess a win against a sure-fire NCAA tournament team
on its résumé, UConn is gone from the FOXSports.com Top
25.
The decision on North Carolina wasn’t quite so easy by
virtue of its wins against Michigan State and Ohio State (with a
healthy Evan Turner) and a brutal non-conference slate. The Tar
Heels remain in the poll but fall towards the bottom.
The final two unbeatens — Texas and Kentucky —
both struggled this past weekend to remain without a blemish on
their record. The Longhorns needed overtime to get past Texas
A&M at home, while Kentucky had difficulty with Auburn on the
road.
Kansas, after suffering its first loss a week ago, beat
Nebraska on the road and then pounded Texas Tech in Lawrence.
So, the top three remained the same.
However, there was a change at the fourth spot after Purdue
lost its second and third consecutive game — to Ohio State at
home and Northwestern on the road.
The Boilermakers still have enough quality wins —
against Tennessee on a neutral floor and over West Virginia —
to justify keeping them in the Top 10.
But Villanova, led by Scottie Reynolds’ monster week,
moves up one spot to No. 4 and is followed by Syracuse and Duke.
Jim Boeheim’s club jumped the Blue Devils as a result of its
road victory at West Virginia and the fact that the Blue Devils
don’t have a quality true road win yet.
Pittsburgh has been the hottest team in the nation over the
last few weeks. The Panthers have reeled off three straight quality
road wins and then got past Louisville in overtime on their home
floor.
Jamie Dixon’s team has gone from unranked a couple
weeks ago all the way to No. 7 in the country. Purdue, Michigan
State and Tennessee round out the Top 10.
No one fell further than North Carolina. The Tar Heels
checked in at No. 10 a week ago, and after two more setbacks
— to Clemson on the road and Georgia Tech in Chapel Hill
— Roy Williams' team is now at No. 21.
Gonzaga continues to rise up and will likely move into the
Top 10 at some point as a result of its dominance in the WCC
— and because the ‘Zags already got a tough road
victory at Saint Mary’s this past week.
Ohio State is back in the Top 25, all the way up to No. 17
after Evan Turner returned to the court, and the Buckeyes proceeded
to knock off Purdue in West Lafayette and then beat Wisconsin at
home. It’s a completely different team with Turner, who just
may wind up being the National Player of the Year despite missing
six games.
There are two more teams in addition to Ohio State that made
their way into the poll: Georgia Tech checks in at No. 19 by way of
its wins against Duke and more recently, on the road against North
Carolina.
Butler, which has cruised thus far in the Horizon league,
returns to the poll in the final spot.
That means three teams are gone: No. 18 Dayton, No. 19 UConn
and No. 24 Miami.
WEEK 10 Top 25
1. Texas (17-0) *1
2. Kentucky (18-0) *2
3. Kansas (16-1) *3
4. Villanova (16-1) *5
5. Syracuse (17-1) *7
6. Duke (15-2) *6
7. Pittsburgh (15-2) *14
8. Purdue (14-3) *4
9. Michigan State (15-3) *9
10. Tennessee (14-2) *11
11. Gonzaga (14-3) *13
12. West Virginia (13-3) *8
13. Kansas State (15-2) *15
14. Georgetown (13-3) *12
15. Wisconsin (14-4) *17
16. Clemson (15-3) *21
17. Ohio State (13-5) *NR
18. Temple (15-3) *22
19. Georgia Tech (12-4) *NR
20. BYU (18-1) *23
21. North Carolina (12-6) *10
22. Mississippi (13-4) *16
23. New Mexico (16-3) *25
24. Texas A&M (12-5) *20
25. Butler (14-4) *NR
Dropped out: No. 18 Dayton, No. 19 UConn, No. 24
Miami.
