Unbeaten Indiana Tops Rankings
Photo Courtesy of Associated Press
A couple weeks into the college basketball season, there are not many surprises coming from the top 25 teams.
Standing at the No. 1 spot are the 6-0 Indiana Hoosiers. The Hoosiers had a close call against Georgetown, but pulled out the 82-72 win in overtime. Indiana has beaten each of their other opponents by an average of almost 35 points.
The team is led by Cody Zeller and Christian Watford. Zeller is arguably the best player in the nation, averaging 15 points and seven rebounds a game this season. The Hoosiers are returning four starters from a team that won 27 games last season.
Duke has earned the No. 2 spot in the polls. Duke is coming off a disappointing first-round loss to 16th-seeded Lehigh in the NCAA tournament last season. Duke has started off the season 6-0 with big wins over ranked opponents Kentucky and Louisville. Duke is led by senior Mason Plumlee, who is averaging 19 points and 10 rebounds.
Michigan is the No. 3 team in the rankings. The Wolverines are 5-0 to start the season and are led by Tim Hardaway Jr. The son of NBA all-star Tim Hardaway is averaging 18 points and six boards. The Wolverines should be a dangerous team this season, for the first time in a while.
Ohio State takes the No. 4 spot in the rankings. The Buckeyes are 4-0 so far this season. They are led by Deshaun Thomas. Thomas is averaging 24 points and seven rebounds. Ohio State is looking to seek revenge this season after falling in the Final Four last season. The Buckeyes are a young team this year but will look to junior Aaron Kraft for leadership.
The Louisville Cardinals are ranked fifth this season with a 5-1 record. The Cardinals are coming off a disappointing loss to Duke. The Cardinals are led by Russ Smith, who is averaging 19 points per game this season. Louisville, who made it to the final four last season but fell short, will be looking to make it again this season in hopes of winning a national title.
Syracuse, Florida, Kentucky, Arizona and Kansas round out the rest of the top 10. Defending national champions Kentucky will be a threat once again this season, but are also a very young, inexperienced team.
Syracuse and Florida are two experienced, tough teams looking to make a run. Arizona is going to be a team to watch for. Kansas is looking to win it all, after falling to Kentucky in the finals last season.
Creighton, Gonzaga, Michigan State, North Carolina and Oklahoma State hold the 11-15 spots. Creighton and Doug McDermott will be a dangerous team this season and may surprise a lot of people. Gonzaga is off to a 6-0 start, dominating each game they have played. Michigan State’s depth and quickness will be a key ingredient to their success. North Carolina took a hard fall out of the top 10 after losing to Butler and Indiana. Oklahoma State is undefeated so far with a win over North Carolina State to help boost them in the polls.
Missouri, Cincinnati, North Carolina State, Colorado and Georgetown take the 16-20 spots. Minnesota, Illinois, San Diego State, UNLV and New Mexico round out the rest of the top 25.
These are all teams looking for some upsets this season. Watch out, they may pull out some surprises.
These top-25 teams will definitely be teams that will go to the tournament and possibly go all the way. But with basketball, you never know what will happen. Upsets are what college basketball is all about.
