Here\u2019s the latest edition of my men’s college basketball rankings.<\/p>\n
Note on Miami (Ohio)<\/a>: The RedHawks continue to win and are now 31-0, but they’re still not close to being ranked in my top 25. I respect their undefeated record, but it matters that their schedule ranks 276th in the country. What’s more, they rank 53rd in NET and 90th in KenPom. They deserve to be in the NCAA Tournament, but I don\u2019t believe they’d beat any teams on this list on a neutral floor.<\/p>\n Georgia<\/a> finished the regular season by winning five of its past six games, including a 10-point victory over Alabama<\/a> at home. Led by star guards Jeremiah Wilkinson<\/a> and Blue Cain<\/a>, the Bulldogs own the 12th-best offense in the country.<\/p>\n Louisville<\/a> finished with an important and impressive win this week on the road against Miami (Fla.)<\/a>. The Cardinals secured that win without star freshman Mikel Brown Jr.<\/a> I don\u2019t know if his back will allow him to play in late March, but senior guard Ryan Conwell<\/a> should not be overlooked \u2014 by any opponent.<\/p>\n Tennessee<\/a> has 10 losses, but the Vols also played the 11th-toughest schedule in the nation. That matters to me. Their wins over Houston<\/a>, Alabama, Vanderbilt<\/a> and Louisville<\/a> have proven that this is one of the top 25 teams in the country.<\/p>\n Wisconsin<\/a> has ping-ponged in and out of my top 25 for the past month and a half. The Badgers finished the regular season with three consecutive wins, including an impressive final stretch at Purdue<\/a>. Standouts Nick Boyd<\/a> and John Blackwell<\/a> \u2014 the “Killer B’s” \u2014 are really hard to guard.<\/p>\n Saint Mary’s<\/a> is 27-4, and head coach Randy Bennett still doesn\u2019t get talked about enough on the national stage. I look forward to Game 3 against Gonzaga this year.<\/p>\n Seth Trimble #7 of the North Carolina Tar Heels goes up for a dunk against the Duke Blue Devils. (Photo by Lance King\/Getty Images) <\/p>\n I have a lot of respect for North Carolina<\/a> and how it has navigated the Caleb Wilson<\/a> injury (out for the year with broken thumb<\/a>). The Tar Heels lost to Duke<\/a> on Saturday but won four of their past five. The problem is that a fourth-place finish in the ACC<\/a> isn\u2019t the standard there. I’m curious to see if they can win more than two NCAA Tournament games.<\/p>\n Vanderbilt<\/a> started 16-0 but found SEC play difficult, as the Commodores managed an 11-7 record. I love how they finished, though, with a road win over Tennessee<\/a> on Saturday. Guard Tyler Tanner<\/a> led the way with 25 points. The Dores’ offense ranks 15th in KenPom and is a joy to watch.<\/p>\n Arkansas<\/a> coach John Calipari has been telling us all year \u2014 and then Texas<\/a> coach Sean Miller spent five minutes of his postgame press conference also telling us: Darius Acuff Jr.<\/a> is the top point guard in the country, regardless of class. I believe them. The Razorbacks finished the SEC with a 13-5 record and tied with Alabama for second place.<\/p>\n The Boilermakers have struggled as of late, dropping three of their last four, including a 97-93 loss to Wisconsin on Senior Night. The last time Purdue topped the 90-point mark and lost was against Iowa State on Nov. 24, 1987.\u00a0<\/p>\n Kansas<\/a> lost to Arizona State<\/a> but finished off its up-and-down conference season with a win over Kansas State<\/a>. Star guard Darryn Peterson<\/a> had 27 points, five rebounds and four assists to break out of a mini-slump. I have no idea what this team is going to do offensively on a weekly basis, but the Jayhawks’ defense is better than every other team below them in my rankings.<\/p>\n Christian Anderson #4 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders rushes the ball up the court against BYU. (Photo by Chris Gardner\/Getty Images) <\/p>\n Texas Tech<\/a> finished its regular season with back-to-back losses to TCU<\/a> and BYU<\/a> \u2014 the Red Raiders’ first losses since JT Toppin<\/a>‘s injury three weeks ago. Last week, they beat Iowa State<\/a> on the road to prove how good they still are, and that\u2019s ultimately why they only dropped a couple spots in my rankings.<\/p>\n St. John’s<\/a> finished the Big East<\/a> regular season with an 18-2 record and \u2014 because of UConn<\/a>\u2019s upset loss to Marquette<\/a> \u2014 the conference title belongs to the Johnnies for the second consecutive season. Senior center Zuby Ejiofor<\/a> does whatever needs to be done for this squad. Will his teammates be consistent enough to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament?<\/p>\n For the past two months, I\u2019ve consistently said that Gonzaga<\/a> is the hardest team for me to rank because of the injury to power forward Braden Huff<\/a>, who’s questionable to return any day from a knee issue. The Zags are 28-3 with six wins over top-50 NET opponents. They will likely have another rematch with Saint Mary\u2019s in the conference tournament, which will be crucial for their seeding in the NCAA Tournament.<\/p>\n Alabama<\/a> finished the regular season winning nine of its past 10 games. The Crimson Tide are one of the most unbalanced teams in the country: their offense ranks third, but their defense ranks 66th, according to KenPom. Alabama is not a true title contender, but its offense can blow any team out of the water.<\/p>\n Illinois<\/a> is tall and talented and possesses the top-ranked offense in the country. On the other hand, the Fighting Illini’s defense struggles in big stretches, and they rely heavily on 3-point shooting. They could win it all \u2014 or lose in the first two rounds. There are very few teams that I can say that about.<\/p>\n Virginia<\/a> isn\u2019t on the same level as Duke, but this is still an excellent team. Led by Thijs De Ridder<\/a> and Malik Thomas<\/a>, the Cavaliers picked up wins against Virginia Tech<\/a> and Wake Forest<\/a> to end the regular season. They are the second-best team in the ACC.<\/p>\n Jeremy Fears Jr. #1 of the Michigan State Spartans talks to a referee along with head coach Tom Izzo. (Photo by Gregory Shamus\/Getty Images) <\/p>\n Michigan State<\/a> is so darn tough, but the Spartans lack the talent and skill to beat Michigan<\/a> and other elite teams in the country. This team can make a Final Four run, but that’s their ceiling. Tom Izzo has done a wonderful job with this group, nonetheless.<\/p>\n Nebraska<\/a> picked up a nice overtime win at home against Iowa<\/a> on Sunday, as three players went for 15 points. Sam Hoiberg<\/a> was one of those players, and he had five steals. If he\u2019s that productive in the NCAA Tournament, Nebraska is going to win its first game in the Big Dance.<\/p>\n Iowa State<\/a> limped to the finish line a bit this past week, losing to Arizona<\/a> by 16 and picking up a win against Arizona State. The Cyclones’ defense is still the seventh-best in KenPom, but their offense has been inconsistent.<\/p>\n UConn<\/a> fell to Marquette on Saturday in a stunner. The loss cost the Huskies the Big East regular-season title and will likely cost them a 1-seed, unless they win the conference tournament and get some help from Florida.<\/p>\n Houston<\/a> finished the regular season with three wins against below-average Big 12<\/a> opponents. The Cougars don\u2019t have a single win over a top-10 team this year, but I still believe in this roster. Freshman point guard Kingston Flemings<\/a> should be a star in March.<\/p>\n The Florida Gators are presented with the SEC Championship trophy by SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey. (Photo by James Gilbert\/Getty Images) <\/p>\n After starting 5-4, Florida<\/a> finished the regular season 20-2. The Gators are ranked in the top 10 in both offense and defense and have scored 84 points or more in their past five games. \u00a0<\/p>\n This young Arizona<\/a> squad remains the most fascinating team in the nation to watch because the Wildcats do it their own way. They don\u2019t worry about 3-point shooting and just smash you over the head for 40 minutes. Only two teams have been able to stop them: Texas Tech and Kansas.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n