The Big Ten was hyped as arguably the elite conference in America entering the season.
| Top 25 after Week 3 | |
| Team (record) | Previous ranking |
| 1. Kansas (5-0) | 1 |
| 2. Texas (5-0) | 3 |
| 3. Kentucky (6-0) | 2 |
| 4. Villanova (6-0) | 5 |
| 5. Purdue (5-0) | 6 |
| 6. West Virginia (5-0) | 7 |
| 7. Syracuse (6-0) | 10 |
| 8. Duke (6-0) | 14 |
| 9. Washington (5-0) | 8 |
| 10. Tennessee (5-1) | 9 |
| 11. Florida (6-0) | NR |
| 12. Michigan State (5-1) | 4 |
| 13. North Carolina (6-1) | 12 |
| 14. Georgetown (4-0) | 18 |
| 15. Ohio State (5-1) | 16 |
| 16. Connecticut (4-1) | 11 |
| 17. UNLV (5-0) | 24 |
| 18. Texas A&M (5-1) | NR |
| 19. Gonzaga (5-1) | 25 |
| 20. Portland (5-1) | NR |
| 21. Mississippi (5-1) | NR |
| 22. Clemson (6-1) | 23 |
| 23. Cincinnati (4-1) | NR |
| 24. Kansas State (5-1) | NR |
| 25. Florida State (6-1) | NR |
Dropped out: Butler (13); Michigan (15); Illinois (17); Vanderbilt (19); Minnesota (20); Xavier (21); Louisville (22).
Well, half of the league's ranked teams suffered two losses this past week and each fell out of my top 25.
Illinois dropped a pair to unranked Utah and Bradley while Michigan also lost to a couple of unheralded teams — Alabama and a scrappy Marquette squad. Minnesota's setbacks weren't quite as eye-opening as Tubby Smith's group went down to Portland and Texas A&M — both of which who cracked this week's poll.
However, it's not about who fell, but which team cracked the poll.
Billy Donovan and the Florida Gators, who have been left out of the NCAA tournament field each of the past two seasons following back-to-back national titles, have earned their way in after a home win against Florida State and an upset against highly ranked Michigan State on a neutral court.
The highest ranking that Florida has held since the second national championship was when the Gators were No. 17 in the country on Nov. 24 a year ago.
There were major changes in the poll with all of the tournaments held in the past week — with Florida being one of seven newcomers to the poll (Ole Miss actually made its way back in after I incorrectly kicked them out a week ago after the loss to Villanova in San Juan).
Believe it or not, the West Coast Conference is represented by two teams — Gonzaga and newcomer Portland — while Washington is the lone Pac-10 club in the top 25.
